Community Forums

dirko · 11-13-2008, 07:21 AM

Hi Ho: I agree that the alignment is probably the most important thing. I don't know why WI installs headlights with the low beam so far out. All it takes is some string, a tapemeasure and a flat place with a verticle wall to do the job. Check the web for complete directions/specs.

I had a rock break one of the OEM lights, so finally got around to replacing them and adjusting them. I think the Sylvania bulbs are worth the extra couple of bucks.

Dirk

RedneckExpress · 11-13-2008, 07:40 AM

With all your talk about separate High and Low beam lights it gets me to thinking back to the old family 85 Suburban with the separate high and low lens.

The ole Dodge just has both filaments in the same light so I wind up having to replace both when only one is burned out (Usually the low beams).

Gadget Man · 11-13-2008, 12:16 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Richard 34A:
Interesting concept but I'm not sure it would be legal in California. Also, one of the posted reviews states that it doesn't work with Daytime Running Lights... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Both are mis-nomers.

As a SoCal motorcycle officer, I can tell you that Sylvania SilverStars are legal. They are a stock replacement for your OEM bulbs and should not blind anyone if they are properly aimed. The blue bulbs that many of you have seen are a different matter. They are mostly illegal for street use, and will usually state "For Off-Road Use Only" on the package. I have written many citations for those, especially when they blind the heck out of me. The same goes for the rose colored bulbs that some of you may have seen.

I have SilverStars in all my vehicles and I love them. I swapped out the regular SilverStars for the Ultra's when they became available for my Tacoma. In my case, it was a waste of money, as I found the Ultra's to be no better than the regular SilverStar's. I have regular SilverStar's in my RV, and would not use anything else. I have daytime running lamps and they work no differently than any other bulb for that use.

As far as life in concerned, I have been using SilverStar's since they first came out, and I can honestly say that I have noticed no difference in life as compared to regular bulbs.

Craig

SCVJeff · 11-13-2008, 12:17 PM

55W (the low beam standard) is 55W, including California. I would be curious to what it was that Consumer Reports used as a benchmark and what was used to measure this benchmark (if that makes sense).

I have had European Hella headlights rated at 55W that are considerably brighter than the really lousy poor molded American GE, etc. lamps. Two giant differences for the same power: color temperature and lens focusing. The GE's (and many many others) have a really lousy, wavy, bubbled reflector and a lens that looks on close inspection like it was cast in sand and never polished. The Hella has a mirror finished reflector, and crystal clear laser focus/ proofed lens that is WAY more accurate than anything off the shelf. It causes less diffraction of the light (that which scatters into the eyes on oncoming cars) to the point that if you do an A-B comparison up against a wall, the Hella looks like you dropped a shade above it. You get what you pay for.. I used to run these in the motorhome with 100W lamps on the low beams because it was ALL on the ground, and not in the face of traffic.

Back to the SilverStar.. It DOES have a bluish cast because it's running though a diachronic coating on the bulb to bring it's color temperature up closer to daylight (5600k) as opposed to yellow (below 3000). Probably also the reason for it's shorter life in addition to running hotter to run whiter, bla,bla.

Obviously you can go way too far on the color temp scale, but the good halogens and the Silverstars provide much better color rendition and resolution to the eye and a "standard" lamp. If this writeup was using only light meters to do comparisons, they would be correct, but I have run all kinds of lamps over the years and there is absolutely a difference in what MY eye resolves in the night. It's too bad that the old glass fixtures are all but gone as they were way better than these clear Lexan fixtures.

Edit: I've had Silverstars in my Exploder since somewhere around late 2003 and I'm on the original set.

FrontRangeRVer · 11-13-2008, 12:35 PM

Sylvania Silverstar headlight bulbs:

I quit replacing them in sets on my wifes car....I only replace the burnt out ones....the reason? THEY DON'T LAST! I don't touch the glass (like it says) when I install, I GENTLY install the bulb and GENTLY close the headlight cover, but these things just FLAT DO NOT LAST. I replace one every 8-9 months on her car.

I THINK...and thats right...THINK they give off a brighter illumination than the halogen bulbs, but are they worth the price?

codgerbill · 11-13-2008, 01:32 PM

I had a BMW motorcycle and replaced the OEM halogins with a silverstar.

I did experience some brighter light but the problem was that they didnt last.

I replaced the silverstar with another silverstar (thinking I musta done something to affect it)...same thing...no longivity

. I went back to the OEM and I never had another replacement after that(3 years later I traded the bike in on a new one).

.

Jackm · 11-13-2008, 08:20 PM

Okay. Here's what I've concluded. The aftermarket lights are useless. No, they're actually very useful and really improve visibility. But wait. All you really need to do is adjust your existing headlights. Besides, these add-ons blind other drivers. Hold on. No they don't. But they burn out really quick. No wait...they don't. I really love this forum. I need a drink.

Jack

Richard 34A · 11-13-2008, 09:55 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jackm:
Okay. Here's what I've concluded. The aftermarket lights are useless. No, they're actually very useful and really improve visibility. But wait. All you really need to do is adjust your existing headlights. Besides, these add-ons blind other drivers. Hold on. No they don't. But they burn out really quick. No wait...they don't. I really love this forum. I need a drink.

Jack </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you have a drink, then you won't need to adjust the headlights and of course we all know that drinking improves visibility, right officer?

Richard 34A · 11-13-2008, 10:04 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Craig P.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Richard 34A:
Interesting concept but I'm not sure it would be legal in California. Also, one of the posted reviews states that it doesn't work with Daytime Running Lights... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Both are mis-nomers.

As a SoCal motorcycle officer, I can tell you that Sylvania SilverStars are legal. They are a stock replacement for your OEM bulbs and should not blind anyone if they are properly aimed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, my reply about maybe not being legal was for the link to the quad-headlight conversion. That conversion has both low and high beams on at the same time and it doesn't seem that would be legal in California. No doubt, SilverStars are okay in California... I even saw the SilverStars in 'Cool Blue' on the shelf and I didn't see anything about off-road use only, but do they ever have a short life-span. A regular halogen is good for 1,000 hours; the SilverStars at best are rated at 200 hours, all the way down to 85 hours, depending on Ultra, Xtra or Cool Blue...

Regarding the quad-lighting conversion and DRL's, I only based that on one of the posted reviews; that person said the conversion doesn't work with DRL's. I don't have any actual knowledge one way or the other...

SCVJeff · 11-14-2008, 04:50 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Richard 34A:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Craig P.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Richard 34A:
Interesting concept but I'm not sure it would be legal in California. Also, one of the posted reviews states that it doesn't work with Daytime Running Lights... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Both are mis-nomers.

As a SoCal motorcycle officer, I can tell you that Sylvania SilverStars are legal. They are a stock replacement for your OEM bulbs and should not blind anyone if they are properly aimed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, my reply about maybe not being legal was for the link to the quad-headlight conversion. That conversion has both low and high beams on at the same time and it doesn't seem that would be legal in California. No doubt, SilverStars are okay in California... I even saw the SilverStars in 'Cool Blue' on the shelf and I didn't see anything about off-road use only, but do they ever have a short life-span. A regular halogen is good for 1,000 hours; the SilverStars at best are rated at 200 hours, all the way down to 85 hours, depending on Ultra, Xtra or Cool Blue...

Regarding the quad-lighting conversion and DRL's, I only based that on one of the posted reviews; that person said the conversion doesn't work with DRL's. I don't have any actual knowledge one way or the other... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Speak softly because mine didn't get the memo. I just did the minimum math: 5 years, 1.5Hrs/day (night commute), no weekends, but there always are, and I'm coming up on 2000Hrs with these. In over 30 years of aftermarket lamps I can only remember replacing one 100W lamp. Obviously everyone's mileage varies with this one.

FrontRangeRVer · 11-14-2008, 05:22 AM

They DO work with DRL's. I have replaced my wife's bulbs in her '05 Subaru Legacy with these bulbs, and they work fine with her daytime running lights.

Just plan on changing them every 8-9 months!

bruceh · 11-15-2008, 08:32 AM

I put them on the motorhome and the Jeep and was not impressed with either, no worse but no real improvement.

I had a longish exchange with a lighting consultant and he poo poos the Sylvanias. Says that the bluish tine actually diminished the light.

Since they are no worse than stock, I have left them in but am open to any real improvement; e.g. the lights are still poor.

dirko · 11-15-2008, 09:59 AM

Hi Ho BruceH: Did you make sure the headlights are properly aimed? I replaced one at a time and could therefore see both at the same time on a wall. The Sylvania bulbs did have a better pattern and were brighter, but the real difference was that the low beams were pointed at the ground from the factory.

Dirk

Richard 34A · 11-15-2008, 11:40 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dirk Ostermiller:
Hi Ho BruceH: Did you make sure the headlights are properly aimed? I replaced one at a time and could therefore see both at the same time on a wall. The Sylvania bulbs did have a better pattern and were brighter, but the real difference was that the low beams were pointed at the ground from the factory.

Dirk </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dirk;

Your reply was directed to Bruce, but I have to chime in; I brought the MH home to do a few things for an upcoming run to Disneyland and took a look at adjusting the headlights. When they designed my Sightseer's front cap and headlight assembly, adjusting the headlights was not at the top of the list. I can access the up/down adjustment but the left-to-right adjust is almost impossible to reach/access. Plus, I'll need to do it at night... I'm going to try that before changing out the low beams for SilverStars.