Hello,
I have a 97 Dodge Ram ss/t, the passanger side lightbulb keeps blowing, replaced it 4 times within the past two months. The last time I replaced it was about four days ago. And now its blown again. I'm making sure not to touch the bulb when I install. Any suggestions on how to fix this or what might be wrong?

Thanks,
Mark

 

Any water getting in there?

 

Check the wiring, look for bad/loose/dirty connections.

 

Uh, what's been said already, plus check for cracks/holes in the headlight assembly or missing hardware causing excessive vibration.

The headlights are on two different ground connections, so it may well be a flaky ground.

In addition to checking ground connections, check those battery clamps for cleanliness/tightness. If a battery is coming and going from the system you'll get big spikes from the alternator that will eat halogens like nobody's business.

If you hear whining in your radio that follows engine speed, or your headlights dim at idle, or a voltmeter shows the battery voltage following engine speed, you may have a blown diode in the rectifier of the alternator. That'll cause problems for halogen lamps, too.

A high-powered audio system or a CB amplifier can cause spikes in the system voltage. If you've got big electrical loads, it might be time to rethink how they're hooked up.

I always clean my replacement headlamps with Everclear (rubbing alcohol will work but has more water in it) and a lint-free cloth before installing them, just in case the factory somehow contaminated the envelopes. Then I let them sit in the sun for an hour to evaporate all of the alcohol away.

Good luck with it, and please let us know what you find when you've solved the problem.