I keep blowing headlights!!!!

Yeah, stop touching yourself! Oh wait, I read that wrong.

Assuming you're keeping the bulbs clean and dry, it must be a surge in electricity. I'd get in there with a meter and start checking stuff out. Is there any other funny stuff that could be explained by problems with the alternator, belt, or battery?

 

I can almost guarantee there is no "surge". The fuse blows before the bulb would.

Like mjp said... touching the bulb creates "hot spots".. causing them to blow.

 

I do not touch the glass ever, it's always the low beam filament thats frying, not the glass breaking, which is what would happen if I touched the bulb. Anyway, I guess I've heard enough replys to know it's not some common problem with the Tacoma so I guess I need to get it to the dealer.

Thanks for the reply's

Steve

 

I have had Silverstars in mine for about 4 months now and haven't had one blow yet....knock on wood...

 

I going thru the same BS with my 2005 Tacoma but they blow out every 4/6months.... a month after I change one the other will blow out and using the same Sylvania "silverstar".. I also tried other brands that were in the store all end the same.
When I driving around PHX I see other Tacoma running around with one head light as well

 

A few things:
Be sure the battery terminals are clean and tight, and that the battery passes a load test. Either will cause voltage spikes, which hard on bulbs. Overvoltage will not blow the fuse first, only overcurrent blows fuses.

Be sure the alternator is not overcharging - battery voltage with engine running - if over 14.5 indicates a faulty internal regulator.

Avoid the overpriced silverstar, piaa, nighthawk and such bulbs as they really are not brighter ( the color of the light only makes them appear brighter) and have terrible life, just stick with a quality halogen such as an Osram ( different from the sylvania branded offerings) or Philips.

If all that doesn't work, your truck has homotrons - ghey electrons that go around blowing fuses and bulbs.

 

is the glass exploding or is just the filament breaking? if it's not exploding, its not due to touching the glass...

 

x2

 

That's the coolest thing I've heard all week.

 

WTF? Guest post? Weird.

Keep the receipt and box for the Silvania silver stars, they have a 12 month satisfaction guarantee. I have the same prob, and I've gotten a new set of bulbs from them.

 

I've had the same issues. Went nearly a year replacing bulbs about every 3 months.
No reason found. Checked battery, alternator, electrical system, etc - without finding any issues. Bulbs going on both sides.
Just so happens, I haven't replaced one in about 6 months. Hope I didn't just jinx myself!

 

From what I've gathered info wise, the problem is the connector, it gets moisture in it. I've filled it with Dielectric grease, and so far so good. The next step is to replace it with one that has a boot. I've seen them on RockAuto for fairly cheap. You just have to wire it correctly.

 

Great idea.
+1

 

Yeah I keep replacing my driver side at least every two months and am using the silver stars bulbs too. It is always the low beam filament too. I have changed the connector to a water tight boot one and still having the same problem. The one thing I have noticed is the wire holder for the bulb is a little more flexible on the one that keeps blowing. I had bent it back so it would hold the bulb better and still blew after two months. I am going to try a stock bulb and see if the works better.

 

Nice to see someone resurrecting an 8 month old thread, but I'll throw my two cents in. Silverstars suck, plain and simple. They're a terrible bulb. I was going through 2 every 5 weeks, like clockwork, in a Corolla I used to have.

Made the switch to PIAA Xtreme White bulbs and will never go back to stock or anything else. Yes, they're ~$50 for a pair. I get at least a year out of them. That's around $4 per month. I think that it's worth it for the better quality lighting.

I would not, however, urinate on the best part of Silverstar.

 

Banned member who's account was deleted but some posts left.
Now, the posts are moved to the "Misc" userID.

3 years.

 

is that his dogs name?

 

The problem with Silverstars is the coating on the glass.

Obviously anytime you coat a bulb, you are reducing the light output by some percentage. While the blue coating makes the light "appear" brighter by filtering out the yellow, which in turn results in a whiter light.

Because the coating has reduced the lumen output of the bulb compared to an uncoated bulb, Sylvania has gotten around this by overdriving the bulb filament. Overdriving the filament reduces the usable life period of the bulb.

 

My bad. I was so excited to point out someone else's error! Ah, karma you big, nasty bitch.