Anyone have problems with xenon headlight bulbs ?

Question

Had one burn out after only 2 weeks in my Acura.

Answer 1

If they arent true xenon headlights, and just cheap replacement bulbs, they burn out quick and are junk.

Even the sylvania silverstars burn out, the website says life expectancy is a year or less. had 3 burn out in a car within 6 months.

REAL xenon headlights, like in luxury cars, are reliable, but from working at a dealer, I have seen them cut in and out on older cars, and just plain die. Although its much more rare.

Answer 2

You have to be careful not to get regular halogen bulbs that have just been colored blue; they're not really xenon but marketing figures the kids won't know the difference anyhow.

And avoid HID-like lamps; another marketing mirage for the unwitting.

Sylvania makes high-performance halogen lighting (link #1 below). I suspect their XtraVision line has a little Xenon gas in the lamp but it doesn't say. They also offer real HID retrofit kits for some vehicles but it will be expensive. That is true of parts on any real HID system. For example, the replacement headlight on a BMW 540 can run $1,000 (link #2).

Real HID lighting systems use Xenon lamps and are usually more reliable than tungsten or halogen. If you burned one out that quickly I would suspect a manufacturing defect in the lamp, or improper handling (finger prints on the glass are a killer in halogen and xenon lamps), or a defective inverter/control in the HID system.

Answer 3

The low beam in one of my xenon bulbs burned out after a month or two.

Answer 4

No problem as long it not exceed 100w.. Just need add external relay set for headlamp, safe for the original wire..

Answer 5

YEAH THOSE ARE STUPID