silverstar headlight

[jettbuell]

I just put in new silverstar ultra headlights. I must say money well spent, clearly much brighter. Allot whiter light and they light up the sides of the road much more. If I could upload pics from my phone I would show the difference, had Sylvania head lights in the cat when I bought it but they were the cheap ones. Aany way just thought i would let you all know.

[Paulaurora]

I hope they will last long most of them last 1 year or so. I still have origenal lamps in my car.

[bobsblue95]

Good deal. Word is that they don't last as long, so keep us posted on your experience. Better night vision is probably worth more frequent replacement.

[scottydl]

A few years ago, Silverstars were a popular conversation topic here at ACNA. As mentioned, the most criticism came from their short lifespan... typically less than a year. And at the time, Sylvania did not make a matching lamp for the fog lights.

I had an aftermarket set of superwhite bulbs (can't remember the brand but I know it's mentioned on the forum somewhere) that cost $45 for the set... a pair each of lows, highs, and fogs. They lasted for a few years until I sold my Aurora, with no blowouts.

I think my 1969 Pontiac might still have the original headlamps installed (and all of them work)! At least I know I haven't replaced any of them in the last 16 years, as I bought the car in 1997.

[sall]

Yes, silverstar burners are prone to early failure. I prefer Philips X-treme and GE Nighthawks come in at a close second for OEM bulb. HIR 9012 for extra umph in non-OEM category(some use form OEM though).

Even if one is using old bulbs and they rock because they still burn doesn't mean they output usable light. Lumens decrease with hours. Another reason why a new pair of bulbs always seems brighter and one should change them in pairs.

Keep your receipt they have a year warranty right?

[nelson480]

I have silverstars and the output is not that great. The aurora headlights are not that great so they help a little..

[tim1993]

well i was looking to get brighter headlights didnt really wanna do HID as much as i use too but i have silverstar cause autozone told me they would be good but i noticed yes it is a white looking color but distance wise is not too much of a difference

[lanceslambos]

I ran Silverstars for a while and the Sylvania Cool Blues. I liked them over OEM but just like the aforementioned they didn't last long. I went HID and will never look back.

[sall]

^

[emarkay]

FYI: Silverstars=150 hour life. Cool Blue and the like=300 hour. Standard/OEM=800 hours. Less in winter with greater voltages.
Source: www.ebay.com/gds/Xenon-and-HID-and-Plasma-bulbs-the-truth-/10000000001832221/g.html
"The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And you have burned so very, very brightly..." Eldon Tyrell

[buck91]

Without getting into the silverstar bashing (there are better bulbs out there though), I tried a couple well reputed options for improving the '01 lights without much change. Ended up with a pair of HIR 9012 bulbs which did make a MASSIVE improvement in the low beams.

Typically HID retrofit bulbs are not only illegal but.are terrible for other traffic and poorly focus the light. Would be intrrested to see how they have turned out in the aurora projectors if anybody has tried them.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

[awehlage]

When I was naive and didn't know any better I dropped in an eBay 9006 8000K PnP kit in the stock headlights. Lighting on the road improved a little but not much.

Now that I have completed my 4th retrofit the difference between PnP kit and a true retrofit (using all OEM materials; projector/ballasts/bulbs) I would NEVER do a PnP again in halogen projectors.

[guy48065]

I used Silverstars in my first Aurora and replaced them way too often--sometimes burned out in as little as 4 months. Kept my receipt and packaging and just kept returning for new ones--but still a hassle. When that car went away I used them in my Impala and never burned one out. Same bulb. I suspect the DRL function in the Aurora uses a pulsed-output dimmer that kills Silverstars.

I knew better than to get on that treadmill with my 2nd Aurora so this time I installed HIR 9012's. Fabulous lights!

Don't even consider a PnP HID retrofit kit. There's a good reason they're illegal in most countries.

[awehlage]

2G DRL functions at 12v but having both halogen bulbs on the same circuit cuts voltage in half so each bulb receives 6v. DRL is not controlled by PWM like newer cars.

[guy48065]

There must be SOME explanation for why 9006 Silverstars die so fast in an Aurora. Maybe the projector housing gets much hotter than a typical larger enclosure.

On a related topic--what does that reduced DRL feed to the low beams do to a HID ballast? Did you have to feed your HIDs from relay-switched 12V?

[plato442]

Jul 16, 2014 13:00:48 GMT -6 guy48065 said:

I used Silverstars in my first Aurora and replaced them way too often--sometimes burned out in as little as 4 months. Kept my receipt and packaging and just kept returning for new ones--but still a hassle.

I bought a pair for my 06 GMC Sierra, and they burnt out often and I too just kept exchanging them, and what a PITA! I switched to PIAA in the truck and liked them, so i bought a pair for the Aurora also!

[tigger]

Wait, 2G DRL's are 12v to the HIGH beams(in series), right?

[awehlage]

^ Yes

[guy48065]

Oops--you're right. So DRL can't contribute to the Silverstar's quick demise. I'm liking the heat explanation more all the time...

[awehlage]

The halogen projector is an open design which means its not enclosed to allow the heat to dissipate and hopefully vent.

Curious....do any of the connections on the bulb side or connector side have some indications of burning/scorching when the bulb goes out? Do the low beam wires (yellow and black) get super hot when the low beams are on?

[malibu5437]

I have hir bulbs for my low beams. The reason why the bluish bulbs etc dont last long is because they overdrive the filament to make them brighter. When hir bulbs first come out, they had ir coating to bounce heat back onto the filament making it brighter but last longer.