s40 2008 low beam bulb failure help please

[AngryScot]

Originally Posted by Trabant Dave

There's much to be gained from cleaning the 'projector lenses' as they get foggy; there's a thread on here somewhere about that; bear in mind that legally if you retro-fit HIDs that they are not entirely legal unless you have headlight washers and self-levelling.

Even if you could get them to self level and have washers fitted (£££), HID kits aren't legal to use in any headlight designed for another type of lamp (like a filament bulb) due to the regulations on e-marking etc.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

My V50 blows dipped bulbs approx. 2-3 times/year each side as has done since I've had it (7 years), so buying Nightbreakers etc. becomes an expensive business! One even blew on the way to the MOT station this year!
I guess Volvo made them easy to change for a reason.

It doesn't seem to matter whether they are cheap or expensive bulbs, they pop on a regular basis.

I always have a stock of cheap Ebay £1 bulbs in the glovebox and at home so I'm never caught short. For £1 they are not too bad.

Can't say I noticed much of an improvement using quality bulbs but I'm sure they are better.

It seems you have never used the proper bulbs which volvo designed for the purpose , they use Long-Life H7 bulbs which last 18 months to 2 years .. pop in your dealer try them .... throw the £1 ones away :-)

[LizardOfBodom]

You dont really need to go to volvo dealer for that, look for Phillips Long Life or Osram UltraLife bulbs, designed just for that purpose. It may be cheaper than "volvo" branded bulb.
On the other hand, I have always preferred to have better light output even if it meant replacing bulbs more often. In my previous S40 I have been using Nightbreakers during winter time and Osram Silverstars during summer. Set of Nightbreakers used to last for around 7-8 months, with 9 months being the record. and bear in mind, its 2hrs of driving with lights on every day. So not too bad. Set of silverstars lasted me for 3 summers (4-5 months each) so they are much better with longetivity and yet still much more white than standard bulbs.
No idea why NBs are not lasting that long in s40/v50s. 160hours is a really bad score :/