Headlight Gurus, Recommendations Please.

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We've been running the Sylvania ZXE's in the Volvo in my sig the last few years now, but sadly they only seem to last about a year. The last set was purchased May 2015 and failed ~Feb 2016. Thankfully, we were still able to take advantage of the 1 year warranty.

I was at WM a few weeks ago and saw they had the H7's for her car marked down to $15, which is a screaming deal. Typically they run about $60 prior to coupons at AAP. When these finally die, is there anything that lasts just a little longer?

Her S60 has glass housings if that matters. Other more common bulbs yielded much dimmer results while ZXE's just seemed clear.
 
Phillips X-treme vision h7 is one of the best for that bulb size.

The zXe are terrible bulbs all around. They have the blue coating which increases glare and they have to over drive the filament to meet the lumen range of the standard H7, which is why they burn out faster.

The Philips bulb I recommended will give you pretty much the most light from the housing.
 
Anything that claims brighter light will last less long if its halogen. I found a solution for me but my car takes 9006 or 9007 type bulbs.. I found a bulb that has more lumens but lasts as long as OEM. So far its been the best solution for me. Last time I put other bulbs in Philips Extreme, both bulbs burnt out on me on my way home.. had to use my brights. I wonder if OEM for your Volvo would be a good option?
 
I googled Philips H7 Extreme Visions. Looks like there's an orange pack and an indigo pack. Is there a difference between the 2?

Prices seem everywhere.
 
Expect no more than an year on bulbs which give you more light. This is just the physics. OEM can last for the life of the car but i you want more light expect to change bulbs almost yearly.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
I googled Philips H7 Extreme Visions. Looks like there's an orange pack and an indigo pack. Is there a difference between the 2?

Prices seem everywhere.


From what I remember the orange package is the older artwork and marketing changed to the blue box more recently but should be the same bulb. They are rated at 450 hours but if you want extra light you pay for reduced life. They should last a few years for the average person.
 
I wonder if something is wrong with her housings then. The OEM style bulb produced horrid visibility.

These bulbs make it appear about normal.
 
I'm sure it's a combination of degradation of the reflective surface, the glass and possibly the aim being off from suspension wear causing the light to hit lower on the road as the shocks age
 
the stock housings and bulbs on that car are fantastic if they're in good health. Even and warm distribution. Glass handles aging so much better than plastic. The mirror surface could be dull above the bulb?

I've owned all three styles of s60 headlamps. Glass, to plastic with blackout, to oem HID. Both glass and plastic (chnaged to plastic in 06, I think) have been great for me with stock bulbs. The oem HIDs don't reach as wide or as far, or as smoothly.

If the stock bulb doesn't work well, something else is wrong.

-m
 
The headlamps are 15 years old. It's very likely that the reflective surfaces on the reflectors have hazed or browned due to the number of heat cycles on them. Over-power bulbs apparently are just barely enough to compensate but, ironically, will only hasten further degradation. The only long-term solution is replacement of the housings.
 
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