H7 bulb still failing with reduced voltage

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by Dan K, May 5, 2008.

  1. Dan K

    Dan K Guest

    A H7 bulb failed in my modified 2002 XG350 after 2 months. A 10 amp diode
    had been placed in the headlamp circuit that reduced the voltage at the bulb
    to 12.8v. Apparently, this modification has not extended bulb life by any
    appreciable amount. At this point, I'm starting to look into an HDI system
    that uses bulbs with no filament. Anybody have one of these? I see you can
    get them for around $75 on Ebay. Any recommendations?

    Dan
     
    Dan K, May 5, 2008
    #1
  2. Dan K

    hyundaitech Guest

    I'd be concerned about the reliability and durability of the parts in an
    HDI system you can purchase for as little as $75
     
    hyundaitech, May 5, 2008
    #2
  3. Additionally, the reflectors in the headlights are not designed for HID
    bulb and the result is a poor beam pattern that creates a lot of glare
    for oncoming drivers. For more details, see the article at:
    http://danielsternlighting.com/
     
    Brian Nystrom, May 6, 2008
    #3
  4. Dan K

    Mike Marlow Guest

    Bummer Dan. Good follow up though. Thanks for that. This really does
    raise questions about the H7. Anyone know what other cars use H7, and do
    they suffer the same short life? This whole H7 thing has take on a certain
    intrigue...
     
    Mike Marlow, May 6, 2008
    #4
  5. I haven't been following thread as closely as I might have, but is it one
    H/L socket involved very time or both sides? If one side, I'd suspect
    the socket. examine for corrosion and proper contact and perhaps replace the
    socket. > heck, maybe both side are buggered up. (I had a car which ate
    running lamps-was a socket)
     
    Roscoe C. Arbuckle, May 6, 2008
    #5
  6. I found this
    http://www.luminicsbulbs.com/h7_bulbs.php

    H7 bulbs fit the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, Jaguar S-Type, Land Rover
    Discovery, Mazda 3, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Mini Cooper, Toyota Celica,
    Volkswagen Touareg and many more. H7 bulbs are one of our most popular
    applications and Luminics bulbs yield high quality and long life.


    In addition, I found bulbs listed from $6 to $48. Quite a price spread.
     
    Edwin Pawlowski, May 7, 2008
    #6
  7. It looks like the same kind of gimmicky crap that everyone is selling.
    If you haven't looked at Daniel Stern's site, you should check it out as
    it's very enlightening (no pun intended).
    I've tried several of them and haven't found any correlation between
    price and bulb life. I'm now on the least expensive bulbs so far -
    $20/pair Hella standard bulbs - and we'll see how they hold up. They're
    rated for much longer life than any of the others I've tried.
     
    Brian Nystrom, May 7, 2008
    #7
  8. Dan K

    hyundaitech Guest

    Numerous people, not just Hyundai owners, notice a seemingly short lifespa
    for H7 bulbs. It's been my experience that many H7 bulbs fail within th
    many manufacturer's new vehicle warranty periods
     
    hyundaitech, May 7, 2008
    #8
  9. Dan K

    southluke Guest

    I still think it is something about the car. Could b
    bad or loose contacts, voltage surges in the system for some reaso
    or some other unknown reason

    My experience: Have 02 Sonata and it has never blown a bulb anywher
    and it has H7s. Have 15 year old Integra and it has all the origina
    bulbs

    Once had an house air conditioner that kept blowing its fuse. It wa
    one of those that clip in similar to fuses in the old cars. I ben
    the holders in so they held the fuse better and it never blew anothe
    fuse

    Good luck,,,Luk
     
    southluke, May 13, 2008
    #9
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