Rep Power: 0

i ordered a set of philips xp early last week but its going to be a few days before they arrive.

in the mean time i've been just driving before sun down. I cant avoid it the couple days so i bought a cheap bulb to install today and use for a while. I dropped it opening the packaging, but with my cat like reflexes snaged it before hitting the ground. i palm smashed my greasy fingers all over the new bulb though.

how long would you guess it lasts before burning out? is there any chance it would overheat to the piont of the actual bulb breaking? i'll drive around with a bulb out for a few days before having to clean bulb fragments out of the lens.

your thoughts?

 
Rep Power: 812

well you really should have wiped the bulb with 90%+ alcohol before using. even now its not too late so long as it wasnt used too much. if you use them with oil on the bulb, those spots will heat up and cause distortion, which could break the glass over time.

 
Rep Power: 0

over time meaning this week or next month? i know it would be just a guess, but i'm just looking to get a couple days out of it. are the odds in my favor? the philips will get proper cleaning before installation.

 
Rep Power: 812

yeah couple of days prolly would be fine. few weeks youre taking a chance. just try not to use them for long periods of time.