Didn't find anything on the search.

Wifes '90 has one out, need to replace them and I see various "replacements" at places like Autozone et al. What is everyone using?

I figure if I'm going to dig in and replace one, I might as well do all 4 on the cars and I don't want to go with the old DOT standards with the dim bulbs. Both have the H-5 lenses and I'd like to go with a higher wattage bulb.

Suggestions?

 

they are (2x) dual beam H5/9004's bulbs

You can find 80/100W many people use them. (stock is 45/65). Standard quartz/halogen's are fine and should only cost you about $10 each. If you go with fancy bulbs much more...

Silverstars are about double that - others may be up to $60 for a pair - likely you are paying for the fancy packaging on those...

The silverstars are OK (whiter light) but its a trade off against expense...

Alan

 

Silverstars suck. They simply put a blue filter on the bulbs to pretend that they're HID. If you know anything about lighting a blue filter is probably the worst color filter you can put in front of a light source. I've had a set in my Explorer for about a year, and after driving in some horrendous rain a few weeks ago, I'd have to say they're so **** poor that I would consider them unsafe. I've got a set of regular bulbs ready to go back in when I get a few minutes to install them.

As for the what kind of bulb to get, do the rest of us a favor, get something with a 55 watt low-beam, as it's rather inconsiderate to other drivers to use something with higher wattage.

If you really want a drastic improvement in your lighting, you'll need to step up to H4$.

 

I like my real HID H4 replacements in the GT.

 

Anybody got views on the headlight wiring and use of higher wattage bulbs? Could it be a problem for the wiring?

Marton

 

Really? That's pretty much the opposite of what I read, and my Silverstars have no blue filter whatsoever. They're actually quite white.

Are you sure you're talking about these:
http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...ce/Silverstar/

 

I have seen the Euro H4 and the US H5 assemblies at about the same price from the Big 3, so H4s are not THAT expensive.

With the sharp cut-off of the H4 lens and reflector, the lights in my 944S2 have never blinded an on-coming driver, and I use flamethrower globes (130W/100W).

That is what I am putting into the new-to-me 928, and if that isn't enough, I'll go full HID Bi-xenon.

Of course, I'm still in the "nothing is too good for my 928" mode of spending.

 

Yes, those are the ricer garbage I'm talking about. And that certainly is a blue filter on them.

 

Up to 100W you are OK with stock wiring (although you will lose some voltage as a result -> slightly lower power). At 100W I recommend changing the fuse from 7.5A (S4+) to 10A.

130W is beyond the capacity of the stock wiring - it will work... but not well and will deteriorate over time... also H5 bulb connectors have a small surface area and will often have connection issues for the higher power applications esp. over 100W - H4's are better in this respect.

I do agree that 80W low beam in an H5 is somewhat anoying to other drivers due to the significant 'spill' effects unless you are very conservative with aiming (a bit pointless). In H4's I see no issues at all for other drivers using 80W low beams if well adjusted.

I think the silverstars are actually marginally useful - the PIAA style expensive bulbs - much less so - for the money. Again - aside from the yellower color temp - there is nothing wrong with standard Quartz Halogens - they work well are available everywhere and are cheap - they probably last longer than the more expensive bulbs also.

If you change your headlights to silverstars - you probably also want to change your driving & fog lamps or the color difference looks quite odd (same applies to HID - in which case you probably want 6000K incandescents in the fog/driving lamps) It gets expensive!

Alan

 

Where is this blue filter? And why is the light, you know, not at all blue?

 

I have a set of the silverstar ultra's in my 928 right now and was actually pretty happy with the lighting. It is a "whiter" light and better IMO than the basic sylvanias. At $45 for the set I thought it wasn't priced that bad.

I have heard that the H4's are a great upgrade but can be pricey.

Michael

 

Thanks Alan, now I am going to have to look when I get home.

Michael

 

Alan
Thanks for the info on stock wiring
better news than I feared

Marton

 

You know how most headlight bulbs are clear? The bulb on the silverstars has that blue tint to it. That blue tint is a filter. It's a filter because it filters out all colors but blue. When you take the natural color of the halogen bulb and pass it through the blue filter, the colors mix and the result is this white light. But in passing it through a filter you filter out other colors of light which diminishes the amount of light that goes down on the road.

You have to think outside the box for this to make some sense. I sum it up by thinking back to drama class from my freshman year in highschool.

you remember the three primary colors? Red, blue, and yellow. If you mix them together, ideally you would produce black which is the presence of all color. In reality it's more of a very dark, muddy brown. This is where it gets weird and I can't remember the exact science behind it. If you take a light source like a normal incandescent light bulb, and then you take transparent films that are yellow, red, and blue, and place them over the light source the result is a white light. What's interesting is that when you remove the three transparent films and try to look through them with light, you see a dark muddy brown color. What happens when you pass the light through is they cancel each other out which results in white which is the absence of color.

Silverstars are a ricer gimmick with the intention of looking like HID. What's the telltale sign of HID? That bluish color. The thing is, that bluish color is created in the arc the bulb generates. It's not created by passing it through a filter.

 

I too had Silverstar's in an Explorer when they first came out, I liked the "white" light but they only lasted a year!
They both went out on a dark road, right after I had stopped for gas. I had to drive home w/fog lights only.
The store replaced them and w/in 6mo's another one went out, so I returned them both for store credit.

Oh.. I am now running the Silverstar Sealed beam units in my '85 the old bulbs worked but were just worn out. one day I would like to do the H4's w/HID.