Low beam headlamp bulb recommendation.

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aquariuscsm

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The passenger`s side low beam bulb went out on my 96 300ZX. My car uses the 9006 bulbs. The choices from Oreilly and Autozone are:

Sylvania standard (lowest light,longest lifespan)
Xtravision (brighter light,lower lifespan)
Silverstar (even brighter,lower lifespan)
Silverstar Ultra (lowest lifespan,brightest light available)

Which of these bulbs would you recommend? Is the shorter lifespan of the Xtra and Ultra worth the brighter lighting?
 
How much do you drive at night, and can you wait a week or so? The HIR bulbs for low beams are superb.

Of the choices you listed, I'd get the Xtravisions. It's the best compromise between brightness and life.

The Silverstars are both blue-tinted bulbs. Not good, as you think you can see better when it's the opposite.
 
Xtravision is fine, that's what I have on my car right now. However, they only last me 2 years compared to OEM which lasted me about 4 years. I do have daytime running lights as well. I'm on my third set of Xtravision right now. I just replaced a set this summer.

If it goes out again after 2 years, I'll go with the basic ones. I'm not really happy with the durability of those bulbs.
 
If you really wanted more light, you might consider a 9005 to 9006 conversion or the aformentioned HIR bulbs. Blue tinted bulbs haven't lasted long for me.
 
Before I posted I bought the standard Sylvania bulb and it`s dimmer than the driver`s oem bulb that`s still in there (it`s a Toshiba bulb). The new one I bought lights up yellow vs the oem one that lights up bright white. I`m going to return it and get the Xtravision.
 
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The standard sylvanias aren't super-bright, but they last forever. I replaced one of mine recently (had a 1998 date stamp on it), the other is still original, AFAIK, and no dimmer than the new one.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Before I posted I bought the standard Sylvania bulb and it`s dimmer than the driver`s oem bulb that`s still in there (it`s a Toshiba bulb).


Wait. The bulb that's still working is a Toshiba bulb? Are those the OEM bulbs in the car? I've never heard of a non-HIR Toshiba bulb in recent history. If the new bulb is dimmer than the "old" Toshiba, you may have HIR lights in it already.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Before I posted I bought the standard Sylvania bulb and it`s dimmer than the driver`s oem bulb that`s still in there (it`s a Toshiba bulb).


Wait. The bulb that's still working is a Toshiba bulb? Are those the OEM bulbs in the car? I've never heard of a non-HIR Toshiba bulb in recent history. If the new bulb is dimmer than the "old" Toshiba, you may have HIR lights in it already.

Are you the original owner of this car aquariuscsm? If not, I have a feeling that a previous owner installed a set of HIR2 bulbs. If so, then your best bet is to use a set of the Philips 3rd Gen bulbs.
 
Originally Posted By: rshunter
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Before I posted I bought the standard Sylvania bulb and it`s dimmer than the driver`s oem bulb that`s still in there (it`s a Toshiba bulb).


Wait. The bulb that's still working is a Toshiba bulb? Are those the OEM bulbs in the car? I've never heard of a non-HIR Toshiba bulb in recent history. If the new bulb is dimmer than the "old" Toshiba, you may have HIR lights in it already.

Are you the original owner of this car aquariuscsm? If not, I have a feeling that a previous owner installed a set of HIR2 bulbs. If so, then your best bet is to use a set of the Philips 3rd Gen bulbs.


I`m the second owner. It was owned by a middle aged lady who traded it in on a Suburban. Had only 30k miles on it and it`s completely stock. The bulbs.......would the HIR`s be the "blue light" bulbs? The Toshibas are just white light,but SUPER bright. I`ve had the car about 7 years. Here`s the numbers off of the Toshiba,9006 and either HR-4 or HB-4 (they`re a bit hard to read).
 
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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
I`m the second owner. It was owned by a middle aged lady who traded it in on a Suburban. Had only 30k miles on it and it`s completely stock. The bulbs.......would the HIR`s be the "blue light" bulbs? The Toshibas are just white light,but SUPER bright. I`ve had the car about 7 years. Here`s the numbers off of the Toshiba,9006 and either HR-4 or HB-4 (they`re a bit hard to read).

The HIR (Halogen Infrared Reflective) are very bright bulbs which provide a very white light. They were designed to provide near-HID performance, without the higher expense that comes with the HID system. They do an excellent job of it, too.

An HIR bulb would be marked either HIR1, or HIR2. Your bulbs are marked HB4, which is just another code for the 9006 bulb type.

If you want maximum light output in a standard bulb, I'd recommend the Philips Xtreme Power. It is the current leader in lumen output. You can find who sells them in your area by going here: PHILIPS Automotive Lighting - Where to buy
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Here`s the numbers off of the Toshiba,9006 and either HR-4 or HB-4.


Those are standard 9006/HB4 bulbs. Interesting that they're the Toshiba brand. I'm surprised that a new bulb is dimmer than the old one, of the same bulb type, but I suppose it could happen.

I'd probably put HIR2 bulbs in it and be done. HIR1 bulbs are most closely equivalent to a 9005/HB3 high beam and the HIR2 bulbs are most closely equivalent to a 9006/HB4 low beam.
 
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
The passenger`s side low beam bulb went out on my 96 300ZX. My car uses the 9006 bulbs. The choices from Oreilly and Autozone are:

Sylvania standard (lowest light,longest lifespan)
Xtravision (brighter light,lower lifespan)
Silverstar (even brighter,lower lifespan)
Silverstar Ultra (lowest lifespan,brightest light available)

Which of these bulbs would you recommend? Is the shorter lifespan of the Xtra and Ultra worth the brighter lighting?


As a side note concerning the Silverstars, any blue tinted glass bulb will actually have less performance than an OEM counterpart with clear glass. Read all about it: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/light_color/light_color.html

That being said I wholeheartedly agree that the HIR2 will blow away any other bulb on the market without question and still retain proper focus and beam pattern, which is very important on today's roadways.
 
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Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
The passenger`s side low beam bulb went out on my 96 300ZX. My car uses the 9006 bulbs. The choices from Oreilly and Autozone are:

Sylvania standard (lowest light,longest lifespan)
Xtravision (brighter light,lower lifespan)
Silverstar (even brighter,lower lifespan)
Silverstar Ultra (lowest lifespan,brightest light available)


Silverstars are LESS bright than XtraVision. SS is a coated bulb. It's a all marketing gimmick.
 
I just put Xtravisions on my truck. I didn't want to pay for the Philips, which NAPA is the only place I could find them locally. They seem brighter than the 5 year OEMs, probably due to age.

I ordered online at AA and used a coupon code, then picked them up at the store.
 
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