My tail lights keep going out. why do they keep burning out?

I have an acura and i keep having to buy new bulbs. I changed one, then the other went out, so i decided to change them both, then a few months later, they went out again, both at the same time. why do they keep going out? how should i fix it, or do i just need to keep buying more bulbs every few months....
My tail lights keep going out. why do they keep burning out?
Be glad you are at least getting a few months wear before they burn out. My Chevy Camaro was eating bulbs daily last spring.



My husband never did learn what was causing it. He suspected a broken wire causing a short but couldn't find it. Tracing an electrical wiring problem is right up there with searching for a needle in a haystack.



Here are some of the things we tried. Maybe one of them will help you.



1. Check the brand bulb you are using. If it happens most often with one brand over another, stick with the brand with the longest lifespan.



2. Check the light sockets. Are they clean? Do they have any loose wires connecting them to the wire to the battery?



3. Get a wiring diagram (Haynes Repair Manuals and some Chiltons have them. Check for the diagrams before you check out the book from the library or buy it at the parts house.) Trace the lighting wires back to their source and check every section for breaks.



4. Does weather affect the light going out? Do they go out after a rain or when it's really wet? There may be water splashing or dripping somewhere that's causing a short.



5. If none of these apply, look for patterns (like the rain or the brand of bulb) that might be related to the problem. Experiment with changing that variable to see if it makes a difference.



Good luck.
My tail lights keep going out. why do they keep burning out?
Believe it or not, it is VERY common for bulbs to burn out close in time if they were replaced at the same time. The reason is that quality control for bulbs of all types(auto or home) is very good at the manufacturing level. There are also some other factors that COULD be affecting your situation.

On any car the electrical system CAN be the hardest to diagnose unless you have a lot of training or are just lucky.

Have a trained pro look at your system.
The main reason: Brands of light bulb used, do not use the Chinese crap.

Shorts in the electric circuit do not blow bulbs - they blow fuses -

The only way to blow a bulb is to put more volts than what is designed for.
Have the voltage output of you alternator checked with it on the car and running. If the voltage is high bulb life will be shortened considerably. Leaks in the tail lights letting water enter is a common problem. Not from shorting but sudden temp change when the water hits the hot glass.



A short will not cause this problem even though others have mentioned that.



Always use name brand quality bulbs, avoid fingerprints on the glass and get LL (long life) bulbs. Make sure the bulb number you are using is correct. Many bulbs look similar and fit the socket yet are incorrect.
The only reason they would burn out so quickly is that there's a short circuit in your electrical system somewhere.



Tracing shorts is hard, and for someone to do it it's pricey. If you're good with electricity and electronics, you might be able to find the problem, otherwise, you're going to go through a lot of light bulbs.
could be that you are using a higher voltage bulb than your fuse can handle and it is causing you to blow your lights so to speak, double check your bulbs, and try changing the fuse out. The simple things are usually the problem on something like that and its pretty cheap to fix as well. Also make sure that you have no cracks and a good seal at the taillights, water (rain, etc..) can really have an effect on that as well. After all that, then its time to check your wiring, for corrosion, rust, broken, etc...
Try driving an American car!
It may be because your car is lowered to the point where it shocks the bulbs excessively, or perhaps your boombox in the trunk is causing too much vibration than the bulb can handle. The long life bulbs could be the answer in these scenarios.

Shorts don't blow out bulbs. Check the grounds back there at the taillamps. A loose ground(a long) could cause them to appear as if they burned out and also make them act strange when you step on the brake at night.
sounds like water is getting in the lenses, or a coroded wire.
try adding an extra ground wire from your metal part of the light frame to the body of the car, poor grounds make a puzzling problem

bird

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