Head Lights - Sylvania Silverstar?

[buster]

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/HighPerformance/Silverstar/default.htm Anyone use these? Instead of getting fog lights, I was thinking of spending $40 (2 lights) on these. They seem to be highly liked.

 

[Jonny Z]

I used them. Not brighter, but def whiter. I changed them for a pair of XtraVision. Be careful the SilverStars also have extremely short lives (150 hrs, vs 1000-1500 hrs for standard bulbs). They over drive the filament, to make up for the light the blue coating steals, and stay under the legal wattage limit. Not recommended.

 

[buster]

Thanks Jonny. Any other brands that are whiter, brigther and last as long?

 

[Drew99GT]

I've found replacement bulbs of any brand that advertise being brighter are not, even PIAAs. My brother spent some change on PIAA bulbs and, although they are the whiteish/hint of blue light, they aren't any brighter. A nice set of driving lights that have fog lights built in would add some respectable additional light. In fact, that is the next project for my car.

 

[Jonny Z]

I do not think there is such thing. To make a halogen bulb whiter, one must coat the bulb with a blue tint, to filter out some of the yellow portion of the light. This will reduce the output (imagine staring at a yellow sodium street light, through the blue tint band atop your windshield, it will look whiter, but dimmer). To make up for the output, the bulb maker selects a filament designed for a lower voltage, and over drives it (the law limits the power a given bulb can use). A filament is more efficient when over-driven, because the operating temperature is higher, but an over driven filament also suffers short life. The has been studies showing there is no real benefits of using whiter lights. I fell for a pair of SilverStars before I got educated on this subject - I read up on it AFTER I folked out $40

 

[moribundman]

Sylvania is an Osram label. I have been using Osram Silverstar bulbs (H7) for about 5 years, before that I used Philips Vison Plus bulbs. The Osram Silverstar bulbs have no blue tint, all Silvania bulbs appear to have that stupid (output-robbing) blue coating. I recommend Osram Silverstar bulbs or Philips Vison Plus, either one in the non-tinted, clear configuration. Neither bulb lasts shorter than a non-premium bulb. The only reasons premium bulbs are brighter (+30 to +50%) has to do with perfect filament placement and possibly a superior gas filling. I can't speak for Sylvania, but I'd never buy a tinted bulb anyway.

 

[Jonny Z]

PS- Here is a report on the PIAAs vs the cheap standard bulbs: PIAA 50 ft left -15.0% 50 ft center +0.0% 50 ft right -21.5% 100 ft left -28.7% 100 ft center -16.6% 100 ft right -17.2% Average performance: 16.5% loss over stock http://www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=102

 

[InvalidUserID]

I had them. IMO, not worth the money. As someone mentioned, they weren't any brighter but did have a cleaner white light. In fact, I think the light output was less. I have some higher wattage non-tinted bulbs in now for less than a regular bulb.

 

[Drew99GT]

I think I'm gonna pop for a set of these Hella combination driving/fog lights. I do a lot of night driving and need some extra light.

 

[T-Keith]

I've been down this road before and it seems you get 10 different stories for every bulb. I tried the GE nighthawks and they were not much brighter, but slightly whiter. -T

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

I got a pair of the Silverstars and I think they deliver what I expected. My Civic's OEM bulbs seemed pretty dim so I swapped them out. I can't say that they are that much brighter but the whitish glow makes things easier to see for me.

 

[XB70]

Go here, read voraciously, get really smart about lighting, note the wisdom of your fellow posters, go forth and buyeth thyself quality bulbs and installeth them along with an upgraded headlight wiring harness, then marvel at the good thou hath wrought and forevermore be not afraid of the dark. As for the Silverstars... run away!

 

[Schism]

Don't waste you money, they will probably perform worse in fog than your regular headlights, and will infact probably be dimmer to boot.

 

[Shaman]

I second the headlight harness. Best lighting mod I did. Was going to go with 80/100 in the Grand Prix, but the headlight harness was enough.

 

[buster]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

[97tbird]

I was dissapointed with Silverstars. Then got Phillips Vision Plus, and they're a lot brighter!

 

[Jonny Z]

quote:

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Originally posted by 97tbird: I was dissapointed with Silverstars. Then got Phillips Vision Plus, and they're a lot brighter!

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Where do you get VisionPlus? All my local shops carry Sylvania or GE only.

 

[jtantare]

The only way to get more light out of a halogen housing is more watts. Anything with blue paint on the bulbs, or "55w = 100" is pure BS. If you have plastic reflectors or lenses you can forget about it. High watt bulbs put out enough heat to melt plastic. These only work in metal reflectors with glass lenses. This is a 80/100 Hella H4 bulb. Costs about $7 online. Headlight conversion pic 1 On the right is the original plastic Neon headlight, on the left is a new glass 5.75" Hella H4 e-code. Note how much the plastic lense has faded after 10 years in the sun. Headlight conversion pic 2 This is the finished conversion. The whole project included: 2 Hella sealed beam replacements. 2 80/100 H4 bulbs 2 30/40 amp relays 1 fuse and housing about 15 feet of 14 gauge wiring. Total cost: $140 Since this is my daily driver beater I really don't care how the the conversion looks. Some people have sugested building some trim around the headlights to block off the empty holes. I think it looks fine. I have not noticed any change in fuel economy. Low beam High beam Headlamps and bulbs from www.rallylights.com More information about e-code lighting at www.danielsternlighting.com

 

[ALS]

Here is a good site that can answer a lot of your questions. Good article on improving the factory wiring for more volt's. Not increasing over stock just making sure your getting all the power that you should be. http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html

 

[ShortBuSX]

I dont care what the others have said, I spent the 40 bucks over a year ago and am quite pleased with the results. My OEM bulbs were rather brownish and weak...these are a whiter light and what makes this more noticeably brighter is the amount of centerline distance that is lit up or reflected by my headlights...well worth the 40 bucks and alot cheaper than trying to reinvent the lightbulb...lemme see, 40 bucks verses 140? Id recommend the SSs to anybody trying to safely improve the OWEM lighting..unless of course theirs came with HIDs. BTW yall are nuts or havent tried the product.