Well, my old Mondy has covered 145,000 miles and I've only ever replaced one headlamp bulb but SWMBO's Focus (54k miles) seems to have developed a habit of blowing one or the other headlamp bulb every 5 or 6 months. This time, it's the battery side again - and that's a real pain!
I wonder if this is a common problem with Foci, or is it symptomatic of some other fault? I'd be grateful for any opinions.
Cheers Waino
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If you've got a multimeter, check the voltage going to the bulb. If it's too low, then it can cause the filament to carbonise up. On bulbs such as the tail lights you'll get a metallic looking appearance on the glass. I can't remember if the same happens to halogen bulbs if they are run at the wrong voltage.
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What's the make and source of the replacement bulbs? These are designed to charge at over 15 volts after a cold start and that will rapidly kill poor quality bulbs.
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The bulb that has just blown was made by "Ring" and was fitted last July at the local garage. The one before that on the same side blew after 8 months - I got it direct from a local motor factor and it was a cheap one (cost me £2.50) :-( .
Can you recommend a reliable brand/type. I'm not interested in 80% more light etc - just one that will last a bit longer as changing them is such a ******! I don't mind paying more - honest!
Thanks, chaps.
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Why was I not surprised when you mentioned that particular four-letter word?
Use genuine Ford Motorcraft bulbs, or Osram, Lucas, Wurth, Optilux etc.
[P.S. A cheap one is 69p...]
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I went through about a dozen bulbs in a year on my 02 Focus until I swapped to Philips bulbs at around £7 - lasted until I got rid of the car.
Worth paying a little extra as they're not that easy to get at!
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Snakey, can you remember - were the Philips bulbs 'standard'. Whenever I look for Philips bulbs on the net, it seems to come up with 'super-duper/extra light/wizzy blue etc. I can't seem to find a straightforward 'ordinary' bulb.
I know I can get a 'standard' motorcraft bulb from the local Ford dealer - is that likely to be as good as the Philips?
Thanks, Waino.
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