Stop lights only last a month ??

[greenacc]

Does anyone else have this problem of always needing to replace blown stop lights ?
Wherever i go they usually stock Austa globes and 1 or 2 places sell Narva. So either these globes are rubbish or something else is wrong.
I drive in heavy traffic so the brakes get used a lot ... maybe 200 times a day or more, could that be the issue ?
Where can i get good globes ? They used to last a few years in my VS doing the same trip !!

[showbags]

Use either hella or narva premium gloves. I had the same problem and since changing to premium globes I haven't changed one in 2 years.

[RiCeY]

Any moisture inside the tail lights?

[ink]

I'm not gunna put the mock on myself here

[StoneX]

Use either hella or narva premium gloves. I had the same problem and since changing to premium globes I haven't changed one in 2 years.

Do you use the gloves so you don't touch the surface of the globes?

[showbags]

Use either hella or narva premium gloves. I had the same problem and since changing to premium globes I haven't changed one in 2 years.

Do you use the gloves so you don't touch the surface of the globes?

Don't need gloves for incandescent globes.

[StoneX]

Don't need gloves for incandescent globes.

[showbags]

Ahhh, my bad. Had just finished 14hr shift at work. Humour escapes me with no sleep.

[greenacc]

Hehe someones a comedian.
Best gloves i found today were Philips original standard premium globes, Made in France. Hope i get at least 6 months out of those ones.
As it turned out I had to get a new Battery while i was there. Oh i love it when you jump in the car Sunday morning and she won't kick over.

[StoneX]

What battery did you get and how much was it? Think I'm due for one soon... Trying to decide if a good deep cycle is worth 2-3 times the price.

[greenacc]

Hey Stoner, I got the V8 size battery for my V6 for some extra grunt, Century DIN65LH. It still has the 6 accessible screw caps in the top so is ' Maintainable ' and a bit cheaper than a Gel cell. Starts in a millisecond now, just touch the key and vroom. They are about $220 on the shelf at Autobarn. I wouldn't bother with a Deep cylce, from what i hear they are not good starting batteries. I'd just be getting the best Din65LH you can find.
I had a feeling mine was dying too just because the headlight would dim slightly when using the power windows switches... that was for a month of so.
Can't complain too much i guess, there are much worse places to brake down than in my driveway on a Sunday morn.
The original battery lasted 5 years so can't complain too much about that either.

Check what size battery you have in there now, it could be the smaller one like i had in which case the one like i got would be a good improvement.

[vicarious]

^^^ if you are fitting that in a ve, don't you need a sealed,maintenance free battery

[strgas]

when the globes blow are they black in colour or white inside the glass ?

[StoneX]

Thanks for the detailed reply, greenacc

I've had Optima YT in my previous cars and they always worked perfectly. I think I'll go with one again as a stereo will be going in soon. 750CCA @ -18c compared to the DIN65LH's 660CCA @ -18c should start fine.

[greenacc]

^^^ if you are fitting that in a ve, don't you need a sealed,maintenance free battery

I don't think so. The battery i just replaced had the same style of screw caps on the top ( the ones you need a key or 10c coin to open, not the big ones you undo by hand ) and that battery was the original Dealer fitted battery. I know what you're saying, VE's do need some kind of special battery so they don't fill your boot up with Hydrogen and blow you all over the road but it appears they are still maintainable. I think the difference is a feature called Central Venting ? Which means the Hydrogen generated while charging is expelled out a single plastic tube connected from the top end of the battery and out under the wheel arch. Check out the battery in your VE and see if it has the screw caps and the tube.

[greenacc]

Any moisture inside the tail lights?

No moisture at all that i can see. No rust or anything else unusual either. Most times I have been using the standard Narva bulbs in the blue pack. Any ideas ?

The Bulbs are not black when they've blown, just clear with the filament blown and hanging off one side.

[mint]

You don't have LEDs fitted anywhere they shouldn't be by any chance?

[greenacc]

Hmmm no LED's yet, although it did cross my mind to replace the stop / tail globes with LED's so they would stop blowing... I think i know what you're hinting at though ohm's law and all that would suggest if you put low resitance LED's in the circuit somwhere then everything else will get extra current and blow out.