Issue with Headlights?

[PhilJet09]

I just had to open my big frickin mouth...

My left headlight bulb lasted 97,150ish miles and quit on me in northern Georgia today. I always check them at stop lights in the reflection of the vehicle in front of me. Got behind a black Ford pickup and thought "hey, that doesn't look right". I'm going to blame ionbeam...it's all his fault.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I just had to open my big frickin mouth...
My left headlight bulb lasted 97,150ish miles and quit on me in northern Georgia today. I always check them at stop lights in the reflection of the vehicle in front of me. Got behind a black Ford pickup and thought "hey, that doesn't look right". I'm going to blame ionbeam...it's all his fault.

Phil, you've just been lucky, way to long...

 

[ionbeam]

I just had to open my big frickin mouth... My left headlight bulb...quit...I'm going to blame ionbeam...it's all his fault.

Boy, I would love to take credit for that, but you just ran afoul of one of the laws of nature. If you want to show someone it's working, it will break. If you want to show someone it's broken, it will magically start working. You just had a visit from Lucas, the prince of darkness

notice the smilie has one light out too.

Phil's tag line:

"Your shadow is a confirmation that light has traveled nearly 93 million miles unobstructed, only to be deprived of reaching the ground in the final few feet thanks to you."

Better that than have it strike Beemerdons in his swimming suit and bounce back to your eye.

 

[Steel_Gin]

I just had to open my big frickin mouth... My left headlight bulb lasted 97,150ish miles and quit on me in northern Georgia today. I always check them at stop lights in the reflection of the vehicle in front of me. Got behind a black Ford pickup and thought "hey, that doesn't look right". I'm going to blame ionbeam...it's all his fault.

Oh man that flat out blows!! When I first read how long yours lasted I thought He's playing with fire saying that. I ALMOST felt bad hearing one went out on you but since it's ionbeam fault I'm good.

 

[LittleJon]

It's a whole lot easier than you guys are making it out to be. It seems that you have all forgotten that when a headlight burns out, all you have to do is roll into the dealership, and they will give you 2 brand new bulbs, already installed, in the current model year FJR. Too bad all the red ones are gone.

This is normally how I get new tires too, but I just can't let go of my redhead.

 

[Harald]

This discussion prompted a search of my maintenance records. My OEM bulbs were fine, but I ride in the dark a lot on country roads and want the most stock lighting I can get. I pulled the OEM bulbs that were still fine and installed some OSRAM Nightbreaker bulbs. One of those lasted 9 months and the other went 1 year.

I really liked the additional light output of those bulbs and sought out new ones. They had been replaced with a PLUS version with claimed extended life. And true to their advertising, one went 44,250 miles over the course of 3.5+ years. The latest Nightbreaker bulbs are called UNLIMITED, but I'm pretty sure they won't last forever.

 

[RadCat]

My 2010 with 29K miles just blew the high beams within a few weeks of each other. Right side took me quite a while but as stated in one of the how-to posts I read, patience is key. I removed no plastic for either bulb replacement. The right only took about 15 minutes. I stuck with the normal H4 bulbs.

 

[PhilJet09]

Yep, it isn't that hard to do without removing any plastic. Then again, I have little girly hands with long, competent fingers and a brain that accommodates a certain amount of mental mapping. I don't always have to physically see things to really "see" them. I changed the left bulb on the side stand in about 10 minutes in the Frankfort, KY Fairfield Inn. I felt around on the right side to "see" it's differences, in case I had to change that side before I returned home. No problem. The left side did cut my hand up a bit though from the sharp edges of cut-off wire ties.

 

[Harald]

- snip -The left side did cut my hand up a bit though from the sharp edges of cut-off wire ties.

When are people going to learn to use FLUSH CUTTING pliers for those zip ties? No cut hands if those ties are installed correctly!

 

[ionbeam]

- snip -The left side did cut my hand up a bit though from the sharp edges of cut-off wire ties.

When are people going to learn to use FLUSH CUTTING pliers for those zip ties? No cut hands if those ties are installed correctly!

In addition to flush cutting, I have a cable tie 'gun' that tensions the cable tie and cuts it flush with the locking head, just pull the trigger. A guy just can't have too many toys tools

 

[mcatrophy]

...]In addition to flush cutting, I have a cable tie 'gun' that tensions the cable tie and cuts it flush with the locking head, just pull the trigger. A guy just can't have too many toys tools ...

In my experience, any place where you're likely to suffer from the tye-wrap cutting your hand, you can't get the fancy tool in to make a good cut.
Anyway, it makes you feel you've achieved something if you've lost a little blood. "If it was easy, anyone could have done it" .

 

[PhilJet09]

You buncha pansies...