Osram Nightbreaker death after only 7 months?

I got a pair in Feb of this year and touch wood they are still going, will be a bit miffed if they don't last the year though.
 
related to bulbs, how long do Xenon bulbs last or should they last? be interesting to know if their life is longer or shorter than halogen/xenon filled halogen bulbs.
 
Damn, 1 of mine has just gone, got the pair in Feb of this year from Ebay. Never had a bulb go that quick TBH :(

I'm going to send a note to Osram, assuming they have a CS email and see what they say.

EDIT: Found this on their website:

Question
There is a pictogram on the packaging: "Standard lamp = full clock" and "NIGHT BREAKER = half clock". What does it mean?

Answer
These symbols stand for the service life of the lamps. However, that does not mean that NIGHT BREAKER lamps have only half the service life of a standard lamp. Just like the service life of a battery depends on the electrical appliance to be operated, the service life of headlamps depends e.g. on the quality of the power supply in the different cars. Therefore, no absolute values can be specified for the life span of these products. The clock symbols however, point to a shortened service life compared to standard lamps.
The "standard" life span is a compromise the car manufacturer has to make for the basic equipment of a vehicle in order to meet different customer needs:

* Thus, there are customers who are mainly driving in the daytime, with their lights switched on. These drivers prefer a long lamp life to a high light output. Especially for this application, OSRAM offers the LIGHT@DAY lamp family with up to three times the service life of standard lamps.
* On the other hand, there are customers for whom the optimum road illumination at night is most important. The clear majority of drivers look for lamps that increase safety. Light intensity is mentioned as the most significant purchasing criterion by 41% of the people surveyed (GfK 2002 - German market survey). For these drivers who accept a shorter service life in favour of their safety, OSRAM offers the NIGHT BREAKER headlamps with up to 90% more light on the road (compared to standard lamps).
 
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I eventually got a new pair for my E46, they're fantastic on dipped so far and I keep meaning to order some for the main beam. It seems common trait for them to not last long at all though, possibly because they run so damn hot?
 
Where did you guys get yours from, mine were from Ebay, wonder if that's something to do with it?

EDIT: I've sent Osram the query, will see what they say.
 
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Old thread?

Anyway, just thought I'd say, I had to replace my Nightbreakers recently. About a month back I had to replace the the passenger side, then the drivers side went pop a couple of weeks later. Cant remember how long Ive had them in...pretty sure they've been in at least a year though.
 
Yeah I know, I didnt read through before I posted, wasnt sure if it had been bumped because someone had more info, jsut thought Id get my post in there anyway though.
 
Conscript said:
Yeah I know, I didnt read through before I posted, wasnt sure if it had been bumped because someone had more info, jsut thought Id get my post in there anyway though.
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Mine are still going strong... Had them for almost 2 years I think...

They are probably running a little less voltage than in other cars tho, due to my cars awful wiring (It's French!)... :o
 
I bought Nightbreakers when they first came out. One bulb lasted 6 months and the other 12 months. I complained to Osram after the first one went and they were quite good about it. I had to send the bulb in for inspection and 2 new bulbs were sent out free of charge.
 
rG-tom said:
what difference does that make? i did about 15k miles in 18 months with my ring xtreme blue bulbs in the mondeo and they were still going strong with constant usage, 7 months is ****
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7 months is **** because yours were going strong for 18 months?
that means nothing. nothing at all.
 
All of the extra bright lamps have a considerably shorter life than standard ones, and I'd expect the Nightbreakers to be worse still. Silverstars have lasted no more than a year in my previous 2 cars, but the extra few quid a year was worth it for the better lights.
 
Did you use a cloth or bare hands to install the bulb?

Doesn't matter either way. I gave up with dipped beam halogens. On a hard suspension they just pop too quickly. Think my record shortest one was only 6 months...

HID don't have any flimsy element wire that can break in them. They are just balls of gas enclosed in glass. They are perfect for a hard suspension :cool:
 
The headlamp bulbs in my car are 7 years old and still going strong!

i went to change them over the weekend for some brighter ones but couldnt do it as the screws had rusted so much they just broke!
 
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