Please help. Mazda Protege 5 keeps blowing headlight bulbs!

[T. Damon]

Wow I'm feeling very lucky having every single original light bulb in my 13 y.o. Subaru WRX- I haven't replaced one since I bought it new! In fact, was about ready to start a thread about what headlight bulbs folks recommend to replace my obviously dimmed originals. I realize it probably has less to with Subaru reliability and much more to do with suppliers but I'll give Subaru credit for choosing great suppliers and having very reliable connections.

Sorry to say I have little experience changing bulbs but would also agree that getting any oil on them at all including from your fingers will often cause premature failure.

[Me007gold]

Is it just me? The Protege5 goes thru headlight bulbs like its food - Page 11

"If your P5 is going through a lot of low beam bulbs it's because the spring clip that holds them in has been deformed and is not holding them in place firmly. This allows the bulbs to vibrate on rough roads or when crossing something like RR tracks. Vibrating a bulb with a hot filament creates instant burnout. (If you are using Sylvania Silverstars, the problem is even worse because of their short lifespan).

The spring clip is easily deformed if you press down to hard when trying to release the clip. Easy to do because the clip is in an awkward location that makes it difficult to move them laterally off the hook. The clips can also be deformed when trying to unplug the wiring harness if you don't hold the bulb receptacle in place while pulling on the plug. But his is why burnouts seem to happen more often after replacing the OEM's.

To test to see if this is your problem, unplug the wiring harness and remove the dust boot, leave the bulb and spring clip in place. With the tip of your index finger lightly try to wiggle the bulb contacts from side-to side and up and down. If there is any movement at all, your clip is deformed.

To fix it you have to remove the clip and re-bend it so both sides of the clip evenly contact the back of the bulb receptacle when the end of the clip is still about 1/4" away from the hook. This is best done with two persons unless you are really good at working while looking in a mirror. A lady friend with small hands makes an excellent assistant. Make sure you have a good hold on the clip when you loosen the screw on the "hinge side" (you only have to loosen it, not take it all the way out, in order to slip the clip out). Otherwise it can fall into to pretty inaccessible places (personal experience).

This takes a little trial and error to get it right, but you’ll know when it’s right the instant you perform the wiggle test.

Whoever thought this retaining system was a good idea should have their head examined.
Whoever designs a bolt-on alternative will make some money."

[Arsenault]

Okay thanks for all of the advice. I think the clip that holds the bulb in place may be bent since it's such a pain to instal them in such a cramped space. Since I've had countless bulbs installed, I have to imagine that thin clip has been bent a few times. The vibration is something that I hadn't thought of before.
On the link above, some members of mazdas247 said the HID conversion kit has been a solution. That may be where I'm headed for some relief from this headache.

[Arsenault]

I asked my trusted local repair shop if they installed HID conversion kits. They said they wouldn't usually do them because they are aftermarket parts. I'm wondering if anyone else has had any luck with these? I also hear that oncoming drivers think you have your brights on with HID lights.

I decided to have them try and straighten the retaining clip that holds the bulbs in place for now. I am curious if this is the issue because I didn't have this problem for the first few years I had the car. I replaced the first few sets of bulbs myself, so I may have bent the clips so the bulbs may have been damaged due to vibration.

[jalo111]

There was many discussions online about the socket into which the bulb plugs into. Turns out on my car the metal receptor prong in the socket was not scrunched down enough, so one of the legs of the bulb was loose fitting and not making contact. This caused it not to work and I saw it was burnt from current.
Took some pliers and crimped the socket prong, ensured the bulb fit snuggly. then re-assambled, has worked ever since..

BTW, if it is the left had side the washer fluid bottle will be in the way to do any work on the headlight bulb. I removed the entire headlight assembly. this was a much easier task than thought and really the only way to get that retaining clip onto the headlight bulb.
The head light assembly has 3 bolts, one easily visible, the other you have to remove the front decorative grill. the third is accessed by way of the wheel well. you will have to undo the cowling, its a few snap ins and 2 bolts. remove the third headlight bolt from in there. you will need a straight ratchet, not traditional angled one.

[larrymoencurly]

I see RockAuto.com has several major headlight bulbs for less than $3 apiece, plus shipping (I paid $8 for an order that included several oil filters). Generally high performance bulbs don't last as long, and even regular bulbs are rated for just 300 hours. Longlife is usually available that's good for 900+ hours.

Was the dialectic grease recommended by a philosopher?

Don't underestimate the effect of oil from your fingers causing halogen bulbs to crack.

Dielectric grease is commonly used for lubrication and to protect electrical connectors against corrosion, but be sure it's the silicone type, which should be compatible with all plastics. The opaque white kind also includes zinc oxide powder to keep it from dripping and conduct heat better, so it's probably better to use plain clear silicone grease or silicone oil with no additives in it. Do not spray it on because you absolutely don't want to get any on the glass part of the lightbulb.

Sometimes bulbs fail prematurely because the voltage is a bit too high, so you may want to measure across the battery while the engine is running at a fast idle, over 1,500 RPM, to be sure it's no more than 15.5V ( should usually lower when hot). For halogen bulbs it's said low voltage can actually lead to premature failure because the tungsten wire of halogen lightbulbs evaporates but gets redeposited onto the wire, but this doesn't happen if the voltage is too low. Low voltage can occur not only due to a problem with the electrical system voltage but also poor wiring connections.

[Chief23]

I'm new here and I just came across this thread. OP was probably using aftermarket bulbs which do not last that long. I've used them and know from experience that they only last a few months. I now use OEM Mazda bulbs and they are more durable and reliable. I use these OEM bulbs https://www.mazdapartsprime.com/oem/...000119003.html