Do unused OBC bulbs go bad?

[IS300E30]

Stupid question, I know.

I just bought, still sealed in the BMW package, a new OBC light bar. I got it for a really good deal, $20. When it arrived the BMW label looked really old. I contacted the seller to see how long ago did he purchase it and he informed me a long time ago.

Do light bulbs, such as the OBC lighbar bulbs have a shelf life?

[reelizmpro]

no.

[george graves]

Maybe if they have been riding around in a car for a very long time. I suspect on of the reason they go bad is vibration.

[AndrewBird]

Apply 12v to it and see if it lights. If it does, then the wiring in your car has issues.

In a pinch, a 9v battery should light it as well, just dimmer.

[IS300E30]

Apply 12v to it and see if it lights. If it does, then the wiring in your car has issues.

In a pinch, a 9v battery should light it as well, just dimmer.

Thank you for the reply. The lightbar works in my car, I just installed it last night. As we know it is a pain to change these lightbars, so my concern was due to its age (shelf life age) I was concerned that a month from now the bulbs might stop working since it has been sitting on the shelf for a long time.