A warning about high watt lights

["Eric Renneisen" <renneie@hlthsrc.com>]

For those of you running high wattage bulbs, you may want to avoid 
the StonGard-type lens protectors. I've got 80/100W bulbs in my 
H4 euros with StonGard sheets to protect them. A few weeks ago 
one of the lenses cracked in half. No evidence of impact, just a nice
clean crack down the middle. I had assumed that it was a result of 
blasting the lens with cold water from the headlight washer when I 
was driving around in the (very infrequent) snow.

The 80/100W bulbs run pretty hot, even on low beam (which is all 
that I was using that day). The euro lens is replaceable, but I thought 
I'd try to bond the two pieces together since the break was clean. 
I went out last night to see if the bonded light had kept the recent 
rain out of the housing. It hadn't. I also noticed that the other 
lens is now cracked! #$*%*$%!!! I used my lights quite a bit 
yesterday in the rain (low beam), so I am forced to assume that the 
combination of the 80W bulb's heat and the StonGard covering is 
causing the lens to heat up, then crack when it cools too rapidly. 
Any comments/corrections? If anybody needs me, I'll be looking 
for those replacement lenses.  :^(

Eric Renneisen
'90 CQ 20V  -  my 'racing-iron'  ;^)
Chattanooga, TN