Blown Volvo S40/V40 Headlight Bulbs

Most models of Volvo S40 / V40 suffer from the common problem of prematurely burnt out headlight bulbs. If your Volvo is prone to this problem then headlight bulbs will burn out within around 1 year, or in many cases even sooner. Some people report buying brand new bulbs that last no longer then a few weeks.

There are many potential reasons for the blowing of bulbs but some of the most common are faulty fuses, crossed wires, auxiliary wiring harness, faulty relay, cheaper bulbs used, cracked headlamps leading to moisture seeping to the bulb, slamming of the bonnet etc. Another common culprit for premature burning out of bulbs is due to surges of voltage from the standard Volvo voltage regulation unit. This problem is not limited to just the front headlights either. Back lights are also prone to burning out way before reaching the end of their standard life span.

Bulbs can be made to last longer by not running the day lamps when they are not needed. However, some Volvo’s are set to run the lights even in the daytime for safety purposes. So you might not have any choice but to leave lights running constantly whenever the car is in use. The cheapest option when the bulbs have blown is to just replace the bulbs as trying to find the reason for this fault can be a costly adventure, specially if you take your car to a Volvo garage.