I believe that the Silverstar and Phillips are the same bulbs, different brands.
the Sylvanias have a gray plastic base, the Phillips, white.
Scott
the Sylvanias have a gray plastic base, the Phillips, white.
Scott
Silverstar
- Thread starter FordSVTGuy
- Start date
- Status
I wasn't too pleased with the silverstars. I went to a set of GE walmart headlights in my f150, and they throw better light.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
My '96 Audi came with DOT lights that were worse than our '67 Beetle's headlights. The lights were so bad that I immediately installed e-codes (with glass lenses). Those lights are excellent.
Not sure why DOT lights (until a while ago) were designed to put out light straight forward with two hot spots on the road. Those lights blind everyone else and don't light up the road. Things improved radically with the DOT/e-code hybrid lights in the late '90s. Some domestic cars have now very good headlights.
By the way, hearing all these stories about how the Sylvania Silverstars are not that great makes me wonder if they are maybe not as good as the OSRAM Silverstars. The latter have been excellent and long-lasting. OSRAM and Sylvania are the same company, but maybe they make two lines of product, with the more expensive line being junk. Bosch has done it...
Where is that info from?
Scott
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
They come in a much nicer box, though. That warrants the higher price!
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
By the way, OSRAM also sells tinted 'Silverstar Cool Blue' bulbs. I don't know if they match the Sylvania product. I never tried them and I am not interested in them either.
In DOT code bulbs such as the 9006 and 9007 the GE NightHawk is the best standard wattage bulb unless you go for a modified set of 9011 and 9012 bulbs which sport an increased output of 75% and 50% respectively, all at the standard wattage. In H7 bulbs Hella +30 clear bulbs are very good and you can pop in a modified H7 fitted with an H9 high output globe for output exceeding 50% gains over OEM clear H7 bulbs.
Richard.
Richard.
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
I heard about those. Where do you get them?
Tried the Silver Stars in my '96 and '00 subaru, ok, so the light is bluer/cooler, but I don't think I could see any further. The main reason I didn't like them is I had three different ones blow out within one year so I just switched to the xtravisions which were the only seemingly reasonable alternatives at the chain parts stores. Consumer Reports did some test on these types of lamps some time back, though I know some people don't like their reports.
I would say "usually" to that. One exception I can confirm: our '97 850 has a superior beam pattern (its expensive all-glass Hella lens makes that happen) and has responded quite well to a premium element upgrade.
The other area where the extra lumens of a premium element can help on older headlight assemblies are those starting to suffer from "cataracts".
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
Sheesh, did you have to mention BMW?
These are my OEM Bosch headlights (H7 low beam, H7 hi beam, H3 fog lights) with glass lens:
They produce a beam pattern that looks about like this quick rendition:
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2003
- Messages
- 23,591
Nomen est omen?
sylvania spec
Note the silverstar has a 150 hr rated life, vs 1500 hrs for the basic halogen. It's literally a tenth the life of a standard bulb.
I got two sets cheap once for like $10 a pair after pepboys honored a price mistake. The low beams blew out after 3 months, but the highbeams still work after 2 years. Of course highbeams see almost no use.
And as already mentioned, if silverstars seem suddenly brighter than old bulbs, it's because bulbs get dimmer with age and use. The only fair comparison is new vs new.
Note the silverstar has a 150 hr rated life, vs 1500 hrs for the basic halogen. It's literally a tenth the life of a standard bulb.
I got two sets cheap once for like $10 a pair after pepboys honored a price mistake. The low beams blew out after 3 months, but the highbeams still work after 2 years. Of course highbeams see almost no use.
And as already mentioned, if silverstars seem suddenly brighter than old bulbs, it's because bulbs get dimmer with age and use. The only fair comparison is new vs new.
- Status
