Lights blowing often.....
 

So, basically i've noticed that the lights in my car (99 NB8A) just aren't lasting. Not just headlights, all of them.

Headlamps (H4)
The factory headlight bulbs lasted about 15 years, every replacement after that has lasted MAX 1 year, normally closer to a couple of months (before it's mentioned, no, i'm not touching the glass during replacement)
tried multiple brands to make sure it wasnt just sucky QA, from Philips and Narva, to the cheap unbranded ones. Weirdly, the cheapo stuff seems to last longest.

Parking Lamps (T10)
again, factory ones lasted 15+ years, threw in some halogens, lasted a couple of years, next set less than that so I threw in some LED ones, they lasted maybe a month before they started to flicker, then stopped totally after about 2 months. threw in different LED ones, about 3 weeks before they started to strobe like a disco.

Tail/Brake lamps (forget the type, dual filament)
getting maybe a year from these, originals lasted like 18 years.

Interior gauge lighting (T10 & T5)
Have had a few of these go over time, but tbh not that concerned since most are 20 years old, kind of expected.


So far as non-factory wiring, only things installed are the wideband +gauge (directly powered from battery. via relay off cig lighter, grounded to trans tunnel), and in the past it had fog lamps fitted (with relay from parking lamp wire (using a vampire clip...), powered from centre post of fusebox, grounded at rad support)
Wiring for the fog lamps is gone, since they sucked anyway.

Battery is under a year old, and tests fine.

Alternator voltage regulation should be ok, factory ECU, but was also using an Adaptronic for a while and had the same issues (doubt that BOTH had dodgy voltage regs)
*note that I have not checked this with a multi meter, getting my gf to help with this over the weekend*



Current thoughts to check are:

• Alternator output voltage
• Ground strap from head
• Bulb holders, check for corrosion

Any other thoughts as to what I should check?
Or are modern bulbs just all made like crap and expected to only last a few months?

Cheers all.

My NB2 goes through bulbs literally every 6 months. They more frequently fail in winter, probably because cold and more use because less sun.

I just chalk it up as a consumable at this point. If i really cared i'd buy some good name brand HIDs and be done with it.

As far as the other bulbs, i have no idea why they would burn out. I can probably count on one hand how many bulbs my NB has gone through. I think i've only replaced one corner marker bulb on my NA.

I say manufacturing cost cutting, making shit bulbs in china.

Then selling them in auto parts stores for $15-20 per fucking bulb.

Don't get me started on $50 windshield wipers!!

I even had sylvania silverstars burn out in less than a year.

"They don't make them like they used to"...

Lame.
well, kind of.

Lame that i'll have to just live with replacing the damn things all the time.
But good in the sense that it's easier to do that than fix a potential wiring issue.


I'll still double check the alt, ground, and connectors over the weekend, just in case there's somehting else.
But yeah, other than that, it sounds fairly normal.

In 8 years of ownership, I've had two headlight bulbs burn out, and that's with the Canadian-spec DRLs which light the low beam whenever the car is running.

I have one license plate bulb out that I've never bothered replacing since I've owned the car. No other bulbs have gone in the 25k miles I've driven the car.

Check the voltage at one of your lights with the engine running. I bet it is 15.5V or higher. The NB ECU controls the alternator and the ECU is susceptible to any voltage reduction caused by resistance in feed to the ECU. The ECU responds by jacking up the alternator output to compensate. The most common cause is a main relay with overheated and burned contacts.

I'll need to check that out when I get a chance.

I have used two separate ECUs, being the OEM one, and an Adaptronic plugin, and both had the same issue.
But yeah, if it's main relay like you've suggested, that would have caused the issue on both ECUs.

I'll check it out as well, and possibly give the relay contacts a clean (or just throw in a new one)