Just wondering if anyone has the same issues that I've been having. It seems that I have to change a hedlight everytime I take my car in for service. It's like the bulb burns out every 6-9 months. If this is a common issue, is there a fix for it?

 

My S40 is missing the metal sping that holds the low beam in its socket, but the high beam does.
apprently Volvo does not sell the metal parts (about $6 for the pair) for the S40, but if does for other Volvo models. They do sell the entire headlight assembly for about $60. Take a look inside, pull out the rubber sealing gaskets on the passengerside, for both the high & low beam and see if there are any metal clips holding the bulb against the socket. Mine has only for the high beam, even though both are supposed to have them.

My suspicion is that your bulb is loose [like mine] and by knocking around while is hot it shortens its life.

 

Are your lights on during the day as well? check the forums or the user manual to disable them...

 

You can disable the daytime running lights to increase bulb life if you wish, but having them on is a nice safety feature, making your car more visible to other drivers. The bulbs are known to go out rather frequently. Just a reminder that if you are changing the bulbs yourself not to get any oily residue on the bulb (i.e. touching the bulb with your bare hand) as this can reduce the life of the bulb.

 

I have a 2001 s40 and yes I have to change the bulbs every 6-9 months. I do leave the daytime running lights on as a safety feature. I have used volvo and other brand light bulbs. It seems the volvo brand lasts a little longer.