My DS3 is eating dipped Headlight bulbs!!

[GlennM]

Anyone else's DS3 eat headlight bulbs? I bought upgraded H7's from Ring and I am replacing them every 2-3 months! Its doing my head in!

What bulbs is everyone else using?

[bluenose62]

I had the very same problem, I've gone back to the standard bulbs, as they are the only ones that last, but they are poor and its doing my head in driving 100 mile a day in with them.

I have tried Osram Nightbreakers twice, Phillips Extreme Vision, and another random make with a 2 year warranty, all the same. The Phillips ones lasted the longest.

[Shiro]

I don't have this problem with Osram Nighbreaker bulbs.

[Chris_Blue]

Osrams OK for me too- used 2 sets, both lasted 18 months ish
Funny, each headlight seems to go within weeks of each other

Never heard of Ring lamps- they cheapos?

[bluenose62]

It may be linked to the amount of hours of use, at present mine are on 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, so getting some use. Mine normally go at the point of switching them on. A friend of mine who works in Vehicle electrics at JLR told me some cars do produce a voltage spike and this can blow the bulbs.

[Owd git]

Upgraded bulbs have a shorter lifespan - Philips quote 400 hours for their X-treme Vision

try the math for your usage?

[gatesy0093]

When driving to work in the morning after a few minutes of driving my lights dim for a split second then go back to normal. This happens a couple of times within 2 minutes then stops after that. Only noticed it in the morning aswell. It done this with the original bulbs and my osram that are in at the moment?

[Dangerousfish]

When driving to work in the morning after a few minutes of driving my lights dim for a split second then go back to normal. This happens a couple of times within 2 minutes then stops after that. Only noticed it in the morning aswell. It done this with the original bulbs and my osram that are in at the moment?

Is that when using stop-start or with the engine running?

[Toxic]

I had similar issues with Night Breaker Plus on my own. went to Nightbreaker Unlimited's and they lasted approx 4 months each. My other half's DS3 also ate Nightbreakers within about 5 months,

All bulbs came from different suppliers so batches would ahve been different. I guess they wont just last a long as normal ones.

[gatesy0093]

Is that when using stop-start or with the engine running?

With the engine running. While driving to work at about 7 am. Cars only been on for about 3-4 minutes. It'll dim the lights on and off for about a minute and then it's fine after that. I don't know if it does it when I come home after work as it's not really dark enough to notice

[bluenose62]

Upgraded bulbs have a shorter lifespan - Philips quote 400 hours for their X-treme Vision

try the math for your usage?

I'm not even getting half that quoted usage form Extreme Vision. If I did get 400 hours I would happily keep replacing them.

[cyclone]

With the engine running. While driving to work at about 7 am. Cars only been on for about 3-4 minutes. It'll dim the lights on and off for about a minute and then it's fine after that. I don't know if it does it when I come home after work as it's not really dark enough to notice

Could be a dodgy ground that when vibrating and cold does not make great contact but when warmed up conducts better. Doubt it, but maybe.

[Bryn]

Check the earth connections.

I had this problem years ago on a Metro (yes, I know, sorry) which I never solved until I happened to notice, when opening the bonnet with the engine running, that sparks were jumping between the metal throttle cable sheath and the carburettor :eek: . (I'm not sure why it didn't burst into a ball of flames!!).

It turned out that the engine earth strap connection to the body was corroded. After cleaning it up and reconnecting, the car stopped eating bulbs and the sparking stopped.

[gatesy0093]

i'll have a look when I can then if one kind person would like to tell me where the earth cable is?

[pmk]

Think the problem with the earth cable is a known issue to Citroen