Sylvania Silverstars - how long, how good?

[meng-chieh]

How long do these guys last? And how do they perform?

[sanengo]

Really bright, really white. Will last very long if you install correctly by swabing the bulb with alcohol and not touching the glass bulb with any form of greese.

[Daniel M. Dreifus]

SilverStars produce the whiter color by tinting the capsule - makes them look nice and white - but also cuts light (lumens) output - so Sylvania "overdrives" the filament - burning it hotter to compensate - and the net effect still conforms to applicable laws - so you get a whiter legal bulb but they do burn out much more quickly, and are quite a bit more expensive. If you like the look and are willing to pay for it, then you're ok. Otherwise their Xtravision with slightly higher light output, but not any whiter, are the best value.

[lenjack]

Sylvania's website will tell you they don't last as long as regular bulbs.

[Bossman]

Daniel Dreifus brings up a very good point. "If you like the look and are willing to pay for it" then, by all means, go for it. I installed them in my other non-Toyota vehicle and I like them very much although I've read on other forums that they will burn out sooner than OEM. I find the Silverstars to be about 20% brighter and about 100% more expensive than standard bulbs but I love the way they turn the yellow light into bright white light. Also, no one flashes their high beams at me at night either so I guess they're driver-friendly, so to speak. Look for a good sale on Silverstars in your area and give them a try. You might want to keep your original bulbs in storage though just in case.

[Toysrme]

Silvetrstars are cheap, which is why they're popular. By themselves they put out only slightly more light than a brand new halogen light, but the light is whiter on the kelvin scale, which makes them stand better against old halogen bulbs.

If the last thing you do is clean it with rubbing alcohol on a papertowell to get all the oils off of them - they last as long as anything else.
I suggest modding a brighter bulb to fit. A 9005 into a 9006 hole is very common as the harnesses & wiring, relays, fuses are identical, and handle the extra 10watts without problem. 9005's also have no paint on the end of the bulb.

It's still not that much different, but you're not wasting money.




1) Save money for an HID + HID Projector conversion
2) Mod HIR's to fit
3) Buy a pair of 10amp relays, some 10 gauge wiring, and get some 100watt+ bulbs. Run a 10 gauge wire from the batt onto a fuse/circuit breaker of suitable size. Then to the relay, from the relay to the bulb, from the bulb to a ground. Wire the relay to trigger VIA the stock headlight harness & ground the other side.
Do the same for the other bulb. (Make it seperate, don't use one main power wire)
Now you have 100watt + headlights, without the danger of melting harnesses, wiring, fuses, or relays of the stock system.
4) Do a silverstar 9005 into a 9006 conversion.
5) Buy normal silverstars.




If you're not up for HID's, I would do HIR's, or big halogen upgrades. The big halogen's will put out more light, but the HIR takes less time to do. (Not that it would take someone any time at all to install a few wires, and a pair of relays, and a fuse/circuit breaker.)

[Toysrme]

It doesn't matter what lights you use. If they're aim correctly, they don't cause problems. Except for HID's in non HID housings.


At 20' the headlight cutoff should be the exact same height off the ground as the headlights are. don't care if you put in an HID + projectors, or HIR's, or anything else far brighter than stock. If you've aimed them correctly, you're fine. (& just because people don't flash you, don't ever think that means your bulbs are aimed correctly)

[Bossman]

Meng,
Almost forgot........please be sure to wear a pair of plastic gloves when installing the new Silverstars. You don't want to get any natural acidity or anything else from your skin onto the bulb glass. Have fun!

[Dullboy]

How long do these guys last? And how do they perform?

Mine lasted about seven months. One went about a week after the other. I emailed Sylvania to complain, and they told me; "Thank you for contacting OSRAM Sylvania. I apologize for your disappointment in our Silver Star product. I would however like to touch on some points about Silver Star. They are a high performance product and do have to work harder to give off a whiter light and therefore there is a trade off of life. We do not suggest using Silver Star in a DRL application as they may need to be replaced more frequently. The type of gas used to provide a whiter light is not the same as the OEM lights that come installed in a new vehicle. Under normal driving conditions such as night time and bad weather driving Silver Star should last approximately 1 year.
We do stand behind our products and want our customers to be satisfied. If you would like to return the bulbs for replacement we would be happy to send you a new set. Please let us know when and where you made your purchase.
Please include this email and send the bulbs to :
OSRAM SYLVANIA
275 WEST MAIN ST
HILLSBORO, NH 03244"
I had mentioned in my email that they should let people know, ON THE PACKAGING", THAT THE BULBS DON'T LAST AS LONG AS OEM BULBS. Notice that they didn't address this in their reply.

[aznxthuggie]

they last about a year, even sylvania tells you that

[BlueFusion6851]

As long as they're clean they will last just as long as regular Halogen bulbs

[solidg]

I installed the silver stars they lasted about a year and burnt out. I think Im gonna buy oe from the dealer.

[Larcjv]

I purchased these lights a couple times. Both times they lasted a little over a year. Like an idiot I finally decided to do some research and on their website. I should have done this on the front end. It is as clear as day in their Q&A Section....

Q) How long do the headlights last?
A) "The life of any halogen bulb varies based on vehicle type, vehicle voltage, amount of time the bulb is on, road conditions, proper installation, and correct application. The average life of SilverStar® headlights is approximately one year......."
http://www.sylvania.com/en-us/innova...ages/FAQs.aspx

Well , you live & learn.

[dreager]

I bought GE nighthawks 5 years ago and they're still running strong.

[silicon212]

I'm on my second set of Silver Stars in my Caprice. First set was installed in 2004 when they were new on the market; the current set of Ultras were installed in 2009. Having worked around HID lamps (security and street lighting, not headlights) for several years, one learns to keep their hands off the glass envelope.