Headlamp bulb blown
u Many of my customers are quite capable of carrying out the basic tasks needed to keep their motor in good running condition.
One such customer owns a 2004 Honda Civic that rarely needs any serious work. When he presented the motor for its annual service and MOT he noted that one of the headlamp bulbs needed changing and he would leave it to me to do this time. He had replaced four bulbs since the last test and was concerned that either he was using a poorquality bulb, or that he had a problem with the vehicle.
One common cause of regular bulb failure is a poor connection to the bulb caused by a dirty contact on the plug. This causes heat in the connection, which will have a detrimental effect on the bulb.
When I removed the bulb, I could see the cause of its failure. The glass had literally blown out and the most likely reason for this was that the glass had been touched prior to fitting. Halogen bulbs should never be handled with bare hands bec the acids on the skin will cause problems when the bulb is heated by the halogen element.