Sylvania Ultra vs Phillips X-tremeVision

[DBMaster]

I was referring to the OP. As we age our contrast sensitivity is slowly lost. And, regardless of what we think, making headlights brighter actually reduces what you will see in the ares not immediately lit by the headlights.

The rest of us just have to learn to deal with being blinded by high beams left on continuously, cruddy HID conversions, blue bulbs, and proper HID/LED systems that are not designed with other drivers in mind.

 

[DeepFriar]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
"Old enough" is what I tell them when they ask me.

Yeah, I'm definitely old enough. Strangely enough electronic projectors still use bulbs. They only measure them in candlepower......

 

[DeepFriar]

Originally Posted By: DeepFriar
Just to add to the database, I burned out a PIAA 9006 (4000k variety) yesterday at about the one year point. Being a DRL probably doesn't help. Won't buy again. Light was pleasantly whiter, not blue, but not much, if any, brighter.


Well, just to show the vagaries of body control computers, I had occasion to blow the horn yesterday and the headlight came back on and has been working fine ever since.

 

[mclasser]

3 month update: Bulbs still running strong with no decrease in brightness. Although my car has auto headlight shutoff, I'm still careful not to leave them on unnecessarily. I also don't start my car with them on (don't know if that has any affect on bulb life but just an old habit).

 

[Colt45ws]

The extremevisions last me about a year almost exactly. I suspect any high-power bulb will be about the same.
I figured out how to tell how bad they are getting too.
When new, the high beams are the same brightness as lows except they extend out farther.
When old, the highs are brighter everywhere, indicating the aging of the low filament.

 

[Snoman002]

Far better to buy a non-overdriven 9012 than an overdriven 9006.

The other thing to consider is the wiring. Older vehicles use thin wire and many switches/connections, this is all voltage lost to the bulb. About $30 into a relay harness that gives you good clean power direct from the battery/alternator will probably offer as much gain if not more, than a 'high output' bulb. Measure the voltage drop across the bulb sometime, I bet you would be surprised, and remember that output is exponential with voltage, not lines.

 

[mclasser]

14 month update for anybody that cares: The Ultras are still going strong. Once they burn out, I'm going with the Phillips 9012 mod for lows and 9011 for highs.

 

[mclasser]

18 month update: The Ultras are still going strong.

 

[mclasser]

2 yr update: The Ultras are still going strong.

 

[buck91]

Great follow up! Got a year on some Philips HIR bulbs in the wife's explorer. Such an easy and effective upgrade.

 

[joegreen]

Originally Posted By: mclasser
2 yr update: The Ultras are still going strong.
Any update?

 

[NYEngineer]

I recently put Philips Visionplus bulbs in my truck. The Osrams that were in there were a few years old and were dim. I thought I was going blind.
The Philips bulbs are great so far.