Lifespan of H9 Bulbs

[The Critic]

About 5k ago, I installed a set of Sylvania H9 bulbs into the low-beam sockets on the Prius. I did the infamous H9 modification in order for the H9 bulbs to fit into the H11 sockets.

I'd estimate that my headlights are on about 80% of the time. Does anyone have a rough idea on the lifespan of these H9 bulbs? I have already begun carrying a spare pack of XtraVision H11 bulbs in my glovebox in case these H9 bulbs burn out in the middle of a long trip, but having some idea of the lifespan would be nice.

Thanks.

 

[JHZR2]

what's the design life? I wonder if you could call the mfr and ask.

 

[FirstNissan]

Check out the sylvania website, according to them, H9 is rated to 120 hours.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
what's the design life? I wonder if you could call the mfr and ask.


I e-mailed Sylvania and they replied with a response stating that the average life should be 250 hours for the H9 bulb.

With that said, these bulbs have been in the car for about 2 months and have probably racked up nearly that amount of time so I should probably have replacements on hands. I love the increased brightness, but if I have to replace them every 3 months, I am not sure if it's worth it at 30 bucks each time.

 

[MisterBen]

Are you running them for visibility during the day? If so, maybe consider a turn-signal DRL unit?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: MisterBen
Are you running them for visibility during the day? If so, maybe consider a turn-signal DRL unit?

No, the area I live in is extremely foggy so the headlights must be on most of the time. Also, the visibility with the H9 bulbs is significantly improved during nighttime driving on dark, unlit roads.

 

[MisterBen]

Ahh... I was just suggesting it during the day to reduce the wear on the bulbs. However, as I understand it, just about any quality H9 is about the same so you don't have to get expensive ones.