rockfoot

As I left my sons house last night, my headlights went out. First thing I thought was "fuse"...After checking the fuse, and found it was alright, I pulled the hood and checked the circuit breaker that feeds the headlights.. I installed relays about two years ago... The circuit breaker was good.. Opened up the box that contained the relays... I could feel the relays opening and closing as I turned the lights on and off... Then I read the voltage to the back of the lamps... full voltage!! All 4 filaments were blown!! These two lamps were only about 6 months old... The first lamp I blew was about 18 months after installing the relays... at that time I replaced both lamps with Silver Stars... The Silver Stars both failed last night. Has anybody else had a problem like this?? It seems that maybe my lights were on "bright" (all 4 filaments) and the voltage regulator/alternator spiked. I replaced the lamps and they have been working since. You can bet there is a spare set in the back!!

ofcmarc

The Higher voltage with the relays burns them out a lot faster. Still strange the ALL went at once.

BearKiller

When the voltage regulator on the wife's truck went haywire, it blew both her new SilverStars at once.

Voltage at the battery was something like 17-Volts.

Replaced the regulator and no more blown lights since.

Jim Lane

Silver Stars do have a much shorter life this is the trade off for the much brighter light output.

When you increase the voltage and current to the lamp the output goes up but the life expectancy goes down.

Here is some technical data for the Silver Star.

First thing I notice is the Design Voltage is 12.8 volts and they recommend not to run them over 110% so it looks like we are already at or over their Designed Voltage for its Rated Life.

With my alternator and Headlamp Relays I had it build a voltage regulator for the headlamp circuit to drop the voltage to around 13.8 volts.

I had almost 15 volts at the lamp and they were a nice intense bluish white but they would only last me about 5 months.

I now get an average 8 to 10 months on a set of lamps and once one goes out the next one will follow within 1 week.

Your regulator could have malfunctioned momentarily and put out too much voltage. And caused you lights to go out.


Here is a lot of technical data for the technically minded.
http://www.sylvaniaautocatalog.com/s...%20ST,%20%20ST

http://www.sylvaniaautocatalog.com/n..._tech_info.htm

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...skedQuestions/

Jim

wannadiesel

I'd change that voltage regulator.

rockfoot

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.. I like the relays too much to get rid of them... looks like its gonna be a new regulator!!.....or....what about a zener diode across the input to the relays?? That might work!!