Sylvania Xtravision Lights A Gimmick?

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I've had Sylvania's Xtravision 9003/H4 headlight bulbs on my Eclipse and despite marketing that it's "up to 30% more vision" than OEM, I've found it's OEM quality at BEST. To validate this belief, I checked their website and noticed their 9003 Xtravision bulbs are rated at 910 lumens low/1500 lumens high - those are the same exact specs as their "standard" 9003 halogen! Here's where I got the numbers:
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts...alogenProducts/
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/Products/Halogen/XtravisionProducts/
Excuse me if I'm uneducated on this matter, but aren't lumens a measure of how bright the light is and if the lumens are identical, no wonder there's no difference between the pricey "Xtravision" bulb and OEM. What a waste.
 
Well I know there is a difference in pattern sometimes and that some bulbs give off more of a white light which is perceived as being brighter.
 
Sylvania Xtravision lights aren't a gimmick. After doing some digging, and talking with Sylvania Light Engineers the 30% brighter refers not to the intensity or lumens, but that the bulb emits light all over that is brighter. Think of it like this, the most intense part of the beam is in the center, and decreases as the beam spreads out. The beam may be 30% brighter 2 or 3 feet out or the beam may be 30% brighter at the roads edge. Cuck1968- Check the voltage that's getting to your wiring harness. Check it with the car off and then check it while running. If you have more thatn a 1 volt drop you may want to replace your wiring harness. It makes a huge difference A good example is from http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/212937/make_light_of_winter.html

Auto Express is a European Magazine but the idea is the same.
 
Well, my Hyundai(s) have all had Sylvania Osram, and far as I can tell, they're Extravisions other than the names stamped on the rims of the bulbs. No difference in output. In new cars (probably old, too), without a change out to relays and a harness, there's no good option in higher-wattage bulbs. Then, if you did THAT, you get to worry about damaging/melting the housings for the bulbs. Can't see the point in it.
 
Originally Posted By: toocrazy2yoo
In new cars (probably old, too), without a change out to relays and a harness, there's no good option in higher-wattage bulbs.

True. However, if you are lucky enough to have a car that uses 9005/9006 bulbs for the headlights, you can (with very slight mods to the bulb plastic) replace them with Toshiba HIR (HIR1/9011 replacing the 9005 high beam, and HIR2/9012 replacing the 9006 low beam). This will get you a large amount of extra light, without using any more electrical power (which among other things, means that you don't need to upgrade the car wiring).

Sadly, the Toshiba HIR bulbs (which I have on my CRX, FWIW) are currently only available in the HIR1/HIR2 sizes. Which means unless you have a car that uses 9005/9006 bulbs (or was actually designed for 9011/9012 bulbs), HIR isn't really an option.

NOTE: I'm referring to HIR bulbs, NOT "HID" bulbs. HIR bulbs use a customized/patented design to make very energy efficient halogen lights. But HIR bulbs are essentially still halogen bulbs (albeit halogen bulbs that produce a lot more light for the energy than most halogen bulbs do). However, "HID" bulbs are a totally different lighting design that requires you (at least if you want to be street legal) to totally replace all your headlight optics (which isn't required with HIR bulbs, because the HIR bulbs put the light in the same places as the stock bulbs do, the HIR bulbs are just much brighter).
 
Look at the back of the packaging. They rate the Extravisions at 100% and standard bulbs at 80% since used bulbs dim with age. DUH, a brand new bulb should then be roughly 20% brighter. So probably more marketing than overall light increase.
 
Do you have any hard info on these HIR bulbs? Links? I'm looking to replace the 9006 bulbs in my fog lights with something that's a better match with my HIDs.
 
I'm using the extra vision seal beams and there is a noticable difference in brightness over the standard seal beam. I'm sure i seen Elvis in my headlights the other night.
 
I have a set of Xtravisions on my work beater. The overall light output isnt brighter so to speak, but the lights extends forward more than OEM, or at least the cheap turrds from Oreillys that burn out in less than 4 months.
 
Very disappointed with the Xtravision lights. One lasted 5 weeks, and the other one burned out 10 days later!!! My original ones lasted for YEARS! Going back to the standard bulbs....
 
By way of information, the Sylvannia Xtra-visions have clear glass, no tint, and they do indeed perform as specified. A good +30, +50 etc...bulb will still confirm to legal spec to output but they usually have a little tighter controls on the spacing of the coils of the filament and can create a brighter spot somewhere in the beam due to this.

Please don't confuse the Xtravsions with the Sylvannia Silverstars, which are total garbage.
 
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