Buster why don't you buy the bulbs and try them out for yourself and if you don't like them then return them. For the money that I spent on them I think that they made a good improvement. With the exception of cars with HIDs mine are pretty bright, but of course my definition of bright might be different from yours.
Head Lights - Sylvania Silverstar?
- Thread starter buster
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Most places do not accept electrical parts returns - Advance Auto turned me down. Never bother to call Sylvania tho...
Jonny has a good point, maybe you should ask about the stores return policy before you buy.
I have a set of Silverstars on my 03 2500HD Silverado and IMHO they are a big improvement over stock.. That is not to say there are not better options. However I also agree with Jonny Z's comment that the Silverstars do not last as long as the conventional OEM bulbs.. Another option to get more light is to rewire such that the low beams stay on with the highs. The methods to accomplish this vary depending on the vehicle and not all vehicles lend themselves to it. On my Chevy truck all I had to do was rewire the Flash-to-pass circuit to the high beam switch (see details). There are also aftermarket kits for some vehicles (see PainlessPerformance.com)
I got my Vision Plus from a store called AIDauto online.
Yeah, we can't sell used electrical stuff. We'd end up eating the cost instead. I mean shoot, we're way too flexible with returns as it is at my store. Best thing to do is contact the manufacturer and let them know that you're not satisfied and see if they'll refund your money.
As for the Silverstars, I've used them in a few cars so far, and they have ups and downs. Though I can't say they are much brighter in lumens, they are certainly not dimmer. They are significantly whiter, which can make things easier to see and gives the appearance of brightness. They are way overpriced, and their life is a good bit less than standard or Xtravision bulbs. But they aren't really as short lived as some make them out to be, unless of course you lubed up the bulbs with a little grease. I haven't had one burn out yet in my Impala, and they're a couple of years old.
ShortBuSX - Have you read the information regarding blue bulbs on Daniel Stern's site?
I have the SilverStars in every car I've owned, save the new 2004 GTO and 2005 Xj8, since the bulbs were first placed on the market ( six cars, total).
I have yet to have a single SilverStar bulb fail in service in any of these vehicles. Even on cars I no longer own, I can still keep track of them, as they have been given to other family members.
The light output is visibly whiter, and I find it to be greatly preferred over the yellowish white of a typical halogen bulb. No one that has been in our cars has ever complained of a diminished light output relative to a stock bulb.
I think the nay sayers are just looking for something to complain about, and having used a lot of these bulbs, I do not share their opinion.
I have yet to have a single SilverStar bulb fail in service in any of these vehicles. Even on cars I no longer own, I can still keep track of them, as they have been given to other family members.
The light output is visibly whiter, and I find it to be greatly preferred over the yellowish white of a typical halogen bulb. No one that has been in our cars has ever complained of a diminished light output relative to a stock bulb.
I think the nay sayers are just looking for something to complain about, and having used a lot of these bulbs, I do not share their opinion.
Whiter does not mean brighter. Whiter is a "loose" term thrown around by the ricer crowd.
Correlated color temperature of a light source has nothing to do with the amount of light measured in lumens which a source produces. HID lamps operate at a higher color temperature versus a halogen source(appear blue /cold vs halogen/ warm), hence many somehow equate bluer/whiter is brighter. Note a holgen source which you will buy to replace the fog lamps operate on a different principal vs an HID. I myself would simply buy the extravision since you will not pay the life penalty as noted above and gain about 20% in lumens.
Correlated color temperature of a light source has nothing to do with the amount of light measured in lumens which a source produces. HID lamps operate at a higher color temperature versus a halogen source(appear blue /cold vs halogen/ warm), hence many somehow equate bluer/whiter is brighter. Note a holgen source which you will buy to replace the fog lamps operate on a different principal vs an HID. I myself would simply buy the extravision since you will not pay the life penalty as noted above and gain about 20% in lumens.
quote:
Originally posted by buster:
Thanks Jonny. Any other brands that are whiter, brigther and last as long?
From the Daniel Stern website, specific to SilverStar:
"Osram, the well-established German lampmaker, sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "SilverStar". These are Osram's top-of-the-range headlamp bulbs, equivalent to Philips VisionPlus and Tungsram Megalight Premium. They produce the maximum legal amount of light while staying within legal power consumption limits. They have clear glass.
Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "SilverStar", but it's not the same product at all. These bulbs have a blue coating on them. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is selected so as to be overdriven. This is necessary because the blue filtration coating "steals" so much light that only an overdriven filament can push enough light through the filter to be legal. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs are also priced quite high. This is not because they cost a lot to make, and not because they're based on some exotic new technology. It's because the goal with this product is to take market share away from other overpriced bulbs like the PIAA line.
For best headlamp performance and best value, choose only bulbs with clear glass."
"Osram, the well-established German lampmaker, sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "SilverStar". These are Osram's top-of-the-range headlamp bulbs, equivalent to Philips VisionPlus and Tungsram Megalight Premium. They produce the maximum legal amount of light while staying within legal power consumption limits. They have clear glass.
Osram bought the well-established American lampmaker Sylvania in the early 1990s, so Osram is now Sylvania's parent company. Sylvania also sells a line of automotive bulbs they call "SilverStar", but it's not the same product at all. These bulbs have a blue coating on them. Light output is of legal levels, but as with all blue-filtered bulbs, you do not get more light from them. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs have a very short lifetime, because the filament is selected so as to be overdriven. This is necessary because the blue filtration coating "steals" so much light that only an overdriven filament can push enough light through the filter to be legal. The Sylvania SilverStar bulbs are also priced quite high. This is not because they cost a lot to make, and not because they're based on some exotic new technology. It's because the goal with this product is to take market share away from other overpriced bulbs like the PIAA line.
For best headlamp performance and best value, choose only bulbs with clear glass."
Yes what is written is totally true but there is no free lunch in filament design, no matter who produces them. I can change the wire diameter, pitch, Turns per inch etc to gain lumens, trade life(run hotter but gain lumens) or increase power consumption. the bottom line on any halogen lamp with blue coaiting/tint in the quartz jacket is that 30% of the light output will be absorbed in the coating and to gain that back, one must trade life in the filament design to get
the lumens back.
Also note however that if a vendor does not use the tint, he can increase the lumen output and hold the watts the same and trade some life, those are the lamps you want, like the extravision. Of course any manufacturer who claims he has drastically increased the light output is either selling something illegal( vendors have to follow the legal max for DOT approval) or will sell you an illegal lamp which runs at higher watts and will melt your wiring. Note I designed filaments for one of the big three manufacuteres and I can tell you that the halogen product is a mature product line and is well modelled. skip the blue tint ricer junk and buy the stadard lamps or if you can live with about 30% lower life but 20% greater lumens, buy the extravision.
the lumens back.
Also note however that if a vendor does not use the tint, he can increase the lumen output and hold the watts the same and trade some life, those are the lamps you want, like the extravision. Of course any manufacturer who claims he has drastically increased the light output is either selling something illegal( vendors have to follow the legal max for DOT approval) or will sell you an illegal lamp which runs at higher watts and will melt your wiring. Note I designed filaments for one of the big three manufacuteres and I can tell you that the halogen product is a mature product line and is well modelled. skip the blue tint ricer junk and buy the stadard lamps or if you can live with about 30% lower life but 20% greater lumens, buy the extravision.
I've had the Silverstars in my 2001 2500HD for over 2 years now. I don't know if the SS are Whiter,or brighter or anything else,but IMO they make it MUCH easier to see at night.
They're a drastic improvement over stock,and I highly reccomend them.
They're a drastic improvement over stock,and I highly reccomend them.
I have the SS bulbs in my '97 Isuzu Rodeo for over 20 months now. I did changed bulbs before those also, so bulb life kind of same of other bulbs. I actually bought a spare pair at PB on sale thinking about 1yr life... well, they're still in the box. The OE lights on Rodeo simply sucks. Other aftermarket bulbs were same as OE. The SS are a drastic improvement in light output and for $25 a pair at PB(after rebate) or internet well worth it.
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