Let's Figure Out the Headlight Bulb Issue

[SamirD]

IMHO, too LOW a voltage at the headlight is much more likely the problem based on the itty bitty wiring inside the headlight.

So what do you think the root cause of this could be besides a weak battery? Voltage regulator in the alternator?

[SamirD]

I also agree with ~tc~ that it's more likely an issue of too low of a voltage. Keep in mind I have DRL issues that would not occur had the alternator made more power. While it can be seen as only a DRL issue with my LEDs, keep in mind that the flickering goes away when the engine RPM increases and the alternator is forced to make more power. Basically, while idling or at low RPMs, it's not making enough stable voltage to keep my DRL LEDs sufficiently powered. Hence, I need capacitors to stabilize the voltage. If this is the effect the alternator and battery have on my LEDs, imagine the kind of voltage and effect they have on filaments in halogens.

Also, regardless of whether the issue is too low of a voltage or too high, the proposed solutions would either be a capacitor or relay harness (for too low) or a resistor (for too high) which bring us back to my argument of HID superiority: If you are going to bother with installing capacitors, relays, or resistors just to keep your craptastic halogens, why not upgrade to HID?
Keep in mind that HIDs don't have filaments which are the Achilles' heel here with halogens. They emit their light via an arc created in a chemical gas discharge. While HIDs are still sensitive to voltage, components like the Morimoto HD Relay harness resolve potential issues and it comes standard as part of the kit. With no filaments to compromise bulb durability, these HID bulbs last considerably longer than halogens all while outputting way more light.
Just saying... *walks away while whistling*

Good point about your issues with the LEDs. But didn't the company also have issues with other cars too? So it possibly could be unrelated to alternator voltage?

From where we are going to far, it sounds like an issue with the alternator, no?

[KuroNekko]

KuroNekko- Okay, SamirD asked a question about keeping his HALOGEN bulbs alive longer. He's already said he doesn't want to go down the HID path (and there are plenty of other posts on HID if he does change his mind!)

So let's keep to the topic.

To me, the topic appears to be about why the Kizashi's bulbs blow out at a rate faster than other cars. SamirD has suggested that it may be an issue with the car. I am personally not convinced it's the car at this point and think the bulbs themselves may be at fault. SamirD has said multiple people have seen their second set blow out, but we aren't sure whether people replaced the bulb with a different brand. I think it would be safe to assume many went to the dealership given the difficulty of the bulb swap and simply got the same kind of bulb as a replacement.

Even entertaining the possibility that the car's electrical system is at fault, the proposed solutions would take effort, time, and money which would then beg the question of why not go to HIDs instead. This is what I brought up. I also find it telling that over half of the people contributing to this thread have HID conversion kits. Bootymac, ~tc~, and I all have HID kits in our low beams and all recommend this.

While I understand that the discussion revolves around making the halogens last longer, the alternative to halogens is simply a better way to go altogether. I've read SamirD's reasons why he wants to stay with halogens over HID, yet in my experiences and that of many, HIDs are actually better for all of his reasons.
This is why I discuss HIDs.

Good point about your issues with the LEDs. But didn't the company also have issues with other cars too? So it possibly could be unrelated to alternator voltage?

From where we are going to far, it sounds like an issue with the alternator, no?

The other car was an Acura. It could be that the Acura also has a low-output alternator. Or it could be that both the Kizashi and the Acura have very low voltages going to the bulbs in DRL mode which works for halogens but don't for LEDs. Because of this, it's hard to actually determine which is at fault for the DRL flickering issue: the DRL voltage or the alternator being weak. I'm more inclined to think it's the DRL voltage at idle and low RPM given the alternator sufficiently powers the rest of the car including the rather powerful stereo system.
After all, are we seeing any other electrical issue with the car other than bulb issues?

[~tc~]

IMHO, too LOW a voltage at the headlight is much more likely the problem based on the itty bitty wiring inside the headlight.

So what do you think the root cause of this could be besides a weak battery? Voltage regulator in the alternator?

Usually, it is the wiring. Just too much voltage drop. Back in my Toyota days, this was a big problem on the older trucks. One of the gurus of the industry is an electrical engineer (and super nice guy), here is his write up:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks ... ghts.shtml

It would be very simple to test - just check the voltage at the alternator, and then at the headlight.

All that said, I agree with KuroNekko - the solution here is HIDs in the factory projectors. The beam pattern is very well controlled, and blinding others is not even remotely a concern. I have not seen the angle of the car change much with a load in the back, so I don't think the auto-leveling will do much. Personally, I have huge doubts as to the effectiveness of the washers - just squirting water on the windshield doesn't do anything, I have no reason to expect it will on the headlights without wipers too.

Unless you have some kind of safety inspection where the car won't pass with HIDs without leveling and washers (like Australia) I think you'd just be throwing money away to try and make halogens work compared to getting a Morimoto kit from TRS.

[bootymac]

It would be very simple to test - just check the voltage at the alternator, and then at the headlight.

Yup. We can only speculate until we get voltage readings at various points in the car.

[kizashigal]

With a little elbow grease and smaller hands I was able to remove the driver's side bulb and replace it. I had to remove a few things to get more leverage, but managed to get it done, the passenger was a breeze in comparison.

[SamirD]

To me, the topic appears to be about why the Kizashi's bulbs blow out at a rate faster than other cars. SamirD has suggested that it may be an issue with the car. I am personally not convinced it's the car at this point and think the bulbs themselves may be at fault. SamirD has said multiple people have seen their second set blow out, but we aren't sure whether people replaced the bulb with a different brand. I think it would be safe to assume many went to the dealership given the difficulty of the bulb swap and simply got the same kind of bulb as a replacement.

Even entertaining the possibility that the car's electrical system is at fault, the proposed solutions would take effort, time, and money which would then beg the question of why not go to HIDs instead. This is what I brought up. I also find it telling that over half of the people contributing to this thread have HID conversion kits. Bootymac, ~tc~, and I all have HID kits in our low beams and all recommend this.

While I understand that the discussion revolves around making the halogens last longer, the alternative to halogens is simply a better way to go altogether. I've read SamirD's reasons why he wants to stay with halogens over HID, yet in my experiences and that of many, HIDs are actually better for all of his reasons.
This is why I discuss HIDs.

The other car was an Acura. It could be that the Acura also has a low-output alternator. Or it could be that both the Kizashi and the Acura have very low voltages going to the bulbs in DRL mode which works for halogens but don't for LEDs. Because of this, it's hard to actually determine which is at fault for the DRL flickering issue: the DRL voltage or the alternator being weak. I'm more inclined to think it's the DRL voltage at idle and low RPM given the alternator sufficiently powers the rest of the car including the rather powerful stereo system.
After all, are we seeing any other electrical issue with the car other than bulb issues?

I agree with your assumptions about people going to the dealerships and probably getting the same bulbs, which could be a factor in itself. I've replaced the passenger side with a Osram/Sylvania 'standard performance' H7. The bulb replaced was the original factory Phillips 12972LL. We'll see how long this lasts if I accidentally turn the car on/off with the headlight on.

The passenger side low-beam is actually one of the easiest headlight bulbs I've never changed. There's a part of me that is inclined to simply not even worry about the driver's side anymore.

I look at HIDs almost like a bandaid. They're a solution, but they don't get at the root cause. Plus, Steve has Ray Suzuki has mentioned that he has seen electrical gremlins introduced by HID kits (although probably not from high quality ones like you've used). I'd just like to get to the root cause, solve that, and have potential for less issues all around.

I think the power fluctuation that happens when the car is started/stopped is actually what killed my bulbs, not anything more. And I've done this on several of my other cars as well. I think if I wouldn't have done that--twice I might add--the factory Phillips would still be burning bright.

[bootymac]

Coincidentally, one of my GTI's low beam bulbs (H7) died last night. It happened when I immediately turned the headlights on during a cold start, where voltage was over 14V. The light turned on for half a second before *pop*

I'm not attributing the failure purely on over voltage, but it definitely reduces bulb life. My DRLs are disabled and I don't drive at night that much so the bulbs haven't been used a lot. I believe the bulbs are either standard or Silverstar +50% bulbs.

It's worth noting that on newer VAG models, a control module regulates the voltage for the headlights. It's specifically called the bulb saver feature

Edit: I just remembered that our VWs also turn the DRLs/headlights off when starting the car. I never gave it much thought but now I'm assuming it's to avoid the voltage spike

[KuroNekko]

I look at HIDs almost like a bandaid. They're a solution, but they don't get at the root cause. Plus, Steve has Ray Suzuki has mentioned that he has seen electrical gremlins introduced by HID kits (although probably not from high quality ones like you've used). I'd just like to get to the root cause, solve that, and have potential for less issues all around.

I wouldn't call HIDs a bandaid. They are an upgrade that makes this halogen bulb issue obsolete. I agree that HIDs are not perfect and can bring their own set of trouble, but high quality kits that come with relays really minimize problems.
Regardless, I agree that if you are looking to resolve the actual issue, HIDs won't help as they just make the issue obsolete rather than solve it.

[bootymac]

Regardless, I agree that if you are looking to resolve the actual issue, HIDs won't help as they just make the issue obsolete rather than solve it.

I see what you did there