Assembly Replaces

Assembly Replaces

A Guide to Projector Replacement Lamps

In the world of Projector replacement Lamps, you have several options from which to choose. It can be very overwhelming when presented with so many different options for one part. Luckily, the choice is easier than you might think. Here's a little background about the two major families of replacement lamps. The first product family is the Original Equipment Manufacturer parts or OEM for short. When projectors are made, the manufacturer determines the lamp specifications that work best for that projector model and purchases the lamp part from one of several lamp manufacturers. Four of the largest lamp manufacturers are Osram, Philips, Ushio, and Phoenix. All OEM projector lamps are made by one of these four companies. The projector manufacturers recommend you replace your lamp with OEM parts made by one of these companies. The second family of replacement lamps are known as "Compatible" lamps. They usually have lower lumen output (brightness) and typically have higher early failure rates. The upside is that they are less expensive if you are on a budget, but you may have to replace them more often than the factory original (OEM) lamps.

Another important distinction is whether to buy the bare lamp or to buy the lamp installed in a lamp housing assembly. The lamp housing assembly is an injection molded plastic frame that holds the lamp. This is the assembly that you slide in and out of your projector. You can reuse the assembly and just replace the lamp. This is a more cost effective way of maintaining your projector lamp needs. It is important to make sure that if you are replacing the lamp in your existing assembly that the housing is in good working order and that all the cooling ducts are clean and that airflow is not impeded. The replacement of the entire lamp assembly makes matters very easy – slide out the old one and slide in the new one. One must exercise caution when replacing a bare lamp or an entire lamp assembly. Recommended practices include wearing powder free gloves to avoid getting skin oils on the lamp, which can cause hot spots and cause early lamp failures. Also, never over torque the screws connecting the lamp to the assembly. These are very fragile and can break very easily. This is another reason to consider the entire lamp housing assembly.

Lastly, do remember that the lamps get extremely hot to the touch and should never be handled right after the projector is powered down. It is recommended to let the projector remain off for 30 minutes before replacing the lamp. This will allow the projector sufficient time to cool the lamp using its fans as well as thermodynamically allowing the glass to cool to room temperature. As a rule, projectors should not be cycled off and on. When you re-ignite a hot lamp, the glass tends to break down more quickly over time and will ultimately fail in a quicker manner.

About the Author

Steven Kenneway is the Senior Analyst at www.DLPLampSource.com

How do I replace the passenger headlight assembly in my 1998 Subaru Forester?

Something flew up from the freeway and put a hole in my headlight lens. I have the new assembly in hand and it looks pretty easy at first glance, but I'm wondering if anyone has any tips or tricks to replacing the entire assembly, not just the bulb. thanks!

Not that hard. No tricks, but tips. You will need to carefully remove the grille insert to access the bolts that hold it in. Those plastic clips on the grille insert can easily be broken. Take a long needle nose pliar to compress them. Once the grille is out, you will see what you need to remove. Another two 10mm bolts and you are there.