headlights not delivering

[shibby]

i bought some cheap imitiation xenons for like 30 dollars. i've bought 5 sets so far. each of them would have one light that would blow out on me. but thats not the problem. the past while when my car would start up my left headlight would not turn on. to turn it on i would have to open the hood and wiggle the light around then it would turn on. i have no idea what the problem is. im scared that if i bring it into the mazda dealership they might void another warranty because i used aftermarket lights. any ideas???

justin

[Evil Homer P5]

Most aftermarket lights are a waste of money.

But sorry, i can't help ya on that one.

[Diddy]

well i'll hv to agree with mike...all aftermarket bulbs are crap...the only way u can "minimize" the chances of blown bulbs...is to ensure that you shut u'r deck off, then u'r lights, before turning off the car. Likewise, turn your car on, then lights, and then stereo. I've had the exact same problem at the beginning, where my left bulb would turn on like 2 seconds slower...and then after a few times, bulb just blows. It's really something to do w/ the alternator and having to manage extra wattage from aftermarket bulbs. If u follow the above steps, those bulbs SHOULD last u a lil' bit longer. But if u don't want the hassle, i'd suggest going stock again.

[Mike_Moss]

if you're so worried about voiding your warranty, why do you use those aftermarket lights in the first place?

[superdave]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (E-Diddy @ June 25 2003,11:11)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">well i'll hv to agree with mike...all aftermarket bulbs are crap...the only way u can &quot;minimize&quot; the chances of blown bulbs...is to ensure that you shut u'r deck off, then u'r lights, before turning off the car. Likewise, turn your car on, then lights, and then stereo. I've had the exact same problem at the beginning, where my left bulb would turn on like 2 seconds slower...and then after a few times, bulb just blows. It's really something to do w/ the alternator and having to manage extra wattage from aftermarket bulbs. If u follow the above steps, those bulbs SHOULD last u a lil' bit longer. But if u don't want the hassle, i'd suggest going stock again.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Uh that doesn't make any sense. A power surge would hurt the bulbs, but a lack of power? no.

Shibby: Make sure to not touch the glass of the bulb at all! This can severly shorten the life of a not so good quality bulb. If your getting grease on them this could cause the pre mature death. It sounds like you managed to break a wire in one of your bulb switches... Put the stock bulbs back in and take it to the dealership.

[Diddy]

i guess my msg wasn't too clear. All i'm saying is (and this is according to my friend who owns a shop too), that when u put in aftermarket bulb (that's higher wattage than stock), the alternator needs to draw more power. Say, if u hv u'r lights on right when u start up u'r car, with the stereo on as well, the bass generated from your deck will act like spikes, causing sudden surges.

[superdave]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (E-Diddy @ June 26 2003,01:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">i guess my msg wasn't too clear. All i'm saying is (and this is according to my friend who owns a shop too), that when u put in aftermarket bulb (that's higher wattage than stock), the alternator needs to draw more power. Say, if u hv u'r lights on right when u start up u'r car, with the stereo on as well, the bass generated from your deck will act like spikes, causing sudden surges.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
True... If you start up your car and have your subs instantly pounding... but one would argue if its at moderate levels than this would be happening at any given time. I always turn down my stereo before turning my car off.

[Diddy]

that's right...well, i tend to turn down the volume (most of the time) and then shut the deck off. But yea, that would help too.

[shibby]

yeah the bulbs i buy are mostly cheap ones, but it just gets annoying everytime i start my car (at night) i'd have to wiggle the left light around to get it to work.

[MP5Navy]

I have cheap bulbs called &quot;Ultra White&quot; ($18/pair) and have no problems. I once used &quot;Xenon&quot; and they melted the socket so I had to buy a new socket from the Mazda Dealership - no big deal.

If you have to wiggle your bulbs before they light up - most likely you burnt your socket as well. Take out the bulb and the black socket that attaches to it. Look at the connectors and the plastic - I think you will find that they are melted.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - don't buy the &quot;Xenon&quot; bulbs - they suck, have a short life, improper wattage, and the colour fades.

Not all aftermarket bulbs are shitty - just try some other brands.

I've had such good results with the &quot;ultra white&quot; bulbs that I bought 3 pairs of the H7s and 3 pairs of the H3s. I've put 35,000kms on the bulbs without a burn out and I never adjust my driving routine and shut down routine to accomidate bulbs.

[shibby]

hey mp5 navy where can i find the bulbs that you have? i paid 30 a pair for mine

[obender66]

Your car is under warranty. Why don't you complain to dealer-there might be loose crimp or something. Put stock bulbs in for that.

[shibby]

hi its been a while since i replied on this topic, but the weirdest thing happened. before it was my left headlight that would not turn on on its own, but now it does but now my foglight ont he leftside is out! i think im running too much lights off the stock battery. i think i will buy an &quot;eliminator&quot; battery. i dont think i need to hook it up to the alternator, because the lights will only be on periodically. good idea??

[shibby]

yeah i just re connected the light to the sockets. it was melted pretty bad in between and the headlight looks more &quot;foggy&quot;. anyone know what it is??

[Mike_Moss]

these lights seem more trouble than they're worth.  http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif

[ChopstickHero]

i bought Litech Ultra White bulbs at a Japanese accessories store at First Markham Place. the owner seemed pretty cool and we talked for a bit. he said that although the packaging on most bulbs are different, the bulbs are pretty much the same. the quality of the bulbs vary only slightly. he offered me the Litech bulbs for $30 with a 1 year warranty on them. not bad considering most places don't even offer refunds or exchanges.

[shibby]

yeah at first i thought i might as well get these lights for 30 dollars, but now its a waste of time

[CarDemon]

All I can say is that you guys are shopping at the wrong Flea Market. The ones up here in Bramladesh have better child labour quality control in their factories. My cheap ass eurolite plasma bluish tinge are at 29,000km. But then again I used latex gloves to put them in and adjustement from Dave.

[Logan]

Dave gave you an adjustment with latex gloves on?

[Sky_high]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Logan @ July 03 2003,09:25)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Dave gave you an adjustment with latex gloves on?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I guess Demon should add another alter-ego to his list.

&quot;Gian-bend-over-cianna&quot; http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[shibby]

i get my headlight bulbs from on of those car booths in the mall. i got mine from car decor

[CarDemon]

Logan &amp; Sky_hi!
Don't let me wrap that brullen exhaust around your necks and make you two a decal on the bright MazdaSpeed. http://msg.toprotege.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif