OPINONS: Sylvania Silverstar Bulbs

[Tom_Owens]

This is NOT bike related for me (yet), but I was wondering if anybody uses these high dollar bulbs and if anyone is having a problem with them not lasting more than about a year and a half at best.

I replaced all my BMW's bulbs with them, and I must say they are awesome. The only problem is that the longest lasting bulb in the car right now is the front passenger low beam, and it's 2 years old.

Oddly, the factory bulbs lasted nearly 6 years before the first one went out.

At $25.00 a pop for the main beams and $19.00 per fog light, it's getting expensive.

Opinions?
Recommendations?
Experiences?

Thanks in advance,
Tom

 

[4gasem]

Re: OPINONS: Silvania Silverstar Bulbs

The original SS bulbs were shit for life but the new ones are much better. They say on them extended life or something. I have one in my Vmax and it's 100% improvement.

I have had them in my cars but got sick of replacing them. My P/U truck has them or the PIAA I think.:confused2:

I need to try the new ones at some point.

 

[QuarterHorse]

Re: OPINONS: Silvania Silverstar Bulbs

I have new ones, don't waste your money, they're still not that bright, and high is still really crappy. HID will be the mod I do for the headlight.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Re: OPINONS: Silvania Silverstar Bulbs

This is NOT bike related for me (yet), but I was wondering if anybody uses these high dollar bulbs and if anyone is having a problem with them not lasting more than about a year and a half at best.

I replaced all my BMW's bulbs with them, and I must say they are awesome. The only problem is that the longest lasting bulb in the car right now is the front passenger low beam, and it's 2 years old.

Oddly, the factory bulbs lasted nearly 6 years before the first one went out.

At $25.00 a pop for the main beams and $19.00 per fog light, it's getting expensive.

Opinions?
Recommendations?
Experiences?

Thanks in advance,
Tom

I've been running the Sylvavinia Silver Stars in my Pickup for 5 years now and had zero problems with them.

On the truck the low and high are separate bulbs.

On a side note there is a relay mod you can do on vehicles that have separate bulbs like my truck where the relay forces the low beam back on when you turn the high beam on (typically the low stays off when the high is on)
Headlights are a MILlION times better with both on at the same time.

Maybe the ones that have the high and low built into the same bulb are the ones that give people problems?

There are also bulbs that can be had mail order that are 55/100 watts instead of the standar 55/60 watts that is standard. They are illegal but who cares?

I use to run it in my Vmax before I ditched the stock headlight altogether.

Rusty

 

[Tom_Owens]

I have new ones, don't waste your money, they're still not that bright, and high is still really crappy

Funny, that. My low beams constantly get me high beamed by other drivers. When I high beam them back, they noticably weave. My high beams can blister the paint off a car dead ahead of me they're so bright. They just don't seem to last.

I've been running the Sylvavinia Silver Stars in my Pickup for 5 years now and had zero problems with them.

I'm wondering if that might have something to do with import vs. domestic. Is your truck a domestic (Ford, Chevy, etc.) or an import (Toyota, Nissan, etc.)

Thanks in advance,
Tom

 

[maleko89]

If you run the headlight relay kit, stock wattage bulb is plenty.

 

[Tom_Owens]

The Silver Stars are the exact same wattage as the factory bulbs. Relay's don't enter into it unless you want to run all four bulbs at the same time.

Regards,
Tom

 

[maleko89]

The relays allow the headlights to bypass all the connections/switches so all 12 volts go from battery to headlights. I'm not sure about all vehicles but a couple of my older Honda's benefited.

 

[Thevmaxrider]

Run a SS Ultra in my Max and constantly get flashed when running on low beam. The stunned looks when I hit the high beam is worth its weight in gold LOL.:rofl_200:

 

[QuarterHorse]

I have new ones, don't waste your money, they're still not that bright, and high is still really crappy

Funny, that. My low beams constantly get me high beamed by other drivers. When I high beam them back, they noticably weave. My high beams can blister the paint off a car dead ahead of me they're so bright. They just don't seem to last.

Don't know what to say, I guess I'm wrong.

 

[Laxfan]

I have them in my BMW also. Been about 3 years with no problems. They do not strike me as particularly bright but they are better than the originals.

Have yet to blister anyones paint.....

 

[richwrench]

Had one on my last bike (86 Shadow) - way better than stock, but never had anybody flash me. Aim is pretty important when you switch to a brighter bulb - I think I tweaked it just slightly to the right. Was still burning bright when I sold it after about a year...

 

[82ndCowboy]

OK so I'm kinda confused here.
I was thinking about getting a PIAA bulb next time I order something from Custom Dynamics. But I have yet to find out what type bulb I need.

So...
What is the best headlight bulb (specific bulb type please) to use for the Max?
And to keep this thread on track, What is the best headlight bulb to use for my pickup truck?

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I have new ones, don't waste your money, they're still not that bright, and high is still really crappy

Funny, that. My low beams constantly get me high beamed by other drivers. When I high beam them back, they noticably weave. My high beams can blister the paint off a car dead ahead of me they're so bright. They just don't seem to last.

I've been running the Sylvavinia Silver Stars in my Pickup for 5 years now and had zero problems with them.

I'm wondering if that might have something to do with import vs. domestic. Is your truck a domestic (Ford, Chevy, etc.) or an import (Toyota, Nissan, etc.)

Thanks in advance,
Tom

If someone is "beaming" you over your low beams it's probably more of an aiming issue than a power output thing.

My trucks an 02 Chevy 2500HD

I did to it what many do to the Max, the stock headlight wiring is being used to operate relays that have a source straight from the battery (fused of course)

The other relay mod I did was the one that uses the ground supplied to the high beam relay to turn the low beam relay back on. (these systems are negative switched)

Rusty

The Sylvania Silver Stars I'm using are not "burn the paint" bright but they ARE mucher WHITER than stock and definetely put out better light in my opinion.

rusty

 

[Redbone]

I put them in my truck high beams after I saw the nice bright white light it put out on my max. I should put them in my low beams. I re-aimed the headlight as I didn't really like the aim of stock bulb. My brother has been running them for a few years with out trouble in his Chevy Silverado.
I also need to do the crimp fix and headlight relay mod, sounds like they will help with voltage and light output.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

I also need to do the crimp fix and headlight relay mod, sounds like they will help with voltage and light output.

When you do it it doesn't hurt to also eliminate all plug in connectors in the chargins system and butt splice AND solder them.

you'll be amazed...

Rusty

 

[82ndCowboy]

When you do it it doesn't hurt to also eliminate all plug in connectors in the chargins system and butt splice AND solder them.

you'll be amazed...

Rusty

Butt splice ?
Is that like butt munch?
What's the difference in a plug in connector and a butt splice?

 

[Tom_Owens]

What's the difference in a plug in connector and a butt splice?

I'll take a shot at that: The smell? :biglaugh:

Sorry. Door was open, I had to go in.
Tom

 

[Rusty McNeil]

A plug in connector has a male and female slide that slide in and out of each other

That's one point of possible high resistance.

The wire attached to each of the male and female connectors attaches with a crimp.

That's two more points of possible high resistance.

If you look at the crimps they they are really wimpy and they are not soldered either.

A butt splice is a one piece round barrell that has a wire inserted into each end and then crimped with the proper tool.
If you use a non-insulated butt splice you can then solder it after crimping and apply heat shrink or electrical tape.

Done properly a butt splice has lower resistance than the wire itself.

Rusty

Check my post under "what did you do to your Vmax today" for what and how I did it.

 

[82ndCowboy]

Sorry. Door was open, I had to go in.
Tom

Now that is just gross... Not to mention homo-ish. :whistlin:

I mean really... What if my wife and kid were standing here reading this! :rofl_200: