 cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:7 | reply to newview
Re: Headlight output degradadation over time? said by newview:Is it the actual use that degrades the bulbs ... or simply time? Time does have an affect, but it's mainly use. You are very slowly burning the tungsten filament. |
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| said by cdru:Time does have an affect,
What exactly? How?
but it's mainly use. You are very slowly burning the tungsten filament.
That will:
a) weaken the filament
b) creates a metallic coating inside the glass envelope
This is actually when halogens come into play -- they can react with the metal vapor creating metal halides, and those metal halides will no longer get deposited onto glass, but instead the metal can get re-deposited back into the hot filament.
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Wacky Races 2012! |
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cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:7 | said by aurgathor:said by cdru:Time does have an affect,
What exactly? How? I guess I should have said vibration over time, presuming the car is driven but the headlights aren't used. If it just sits in a garage, then more or less indefinitely. |
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| Yeah, vibration may have an effect, though I think in normal use its effect is probably negligible in properly designed and installed bulbs.
Can't speak for any other vehicles, but in my Bronco, over 13 years and 150k+ miles, I never had to replace any light bulb other than license plate light, in spite of that a good portion of those miles were night, or off-road driving,
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Wacky Races 2012! |
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