Sylvania Silverstar Ultra headlights

[neverendz]

I just put these in my VX. Outstanding. Far better illumination. Pricey, $45 for a pair, but well worth it.

, Bill

[bobc455]

Do they blind oncoming cars? I find that many oncoming headlights are far too bright, especially on hilly roads or foggy nights.

-BC

[VetteOwner]

lol ive tried the regular silverstars (non ultras) and well lets just say both melted the glass and burned out in less than a year...

ive been runnign the cool blue bulbs (lots brighter than stock and not much different than silverstars besides being half the price) for 2 years now and work great. have them in the chevette too and they are very nice.

lol they cant blind any worse than the HID headlights...

[kamesama980]

silverstars are tinted for color then overdrive the filament to compensate hence the shorter life and increased heat.

HIDs don't blind if they're aimed right.

more light isn't necessarily better. the more blue you get, the more it messes up your night vision and causes glare. the more yellow/red the less glare/nightblindness.

[bobc455]

Originally Posted by kamesama980

HIDs don't blind if they're aimed right.

The only way that statement would be true is if you live on perfectly flat roads (maybe the case in Illinois but not here), if your headlights are low to the ground (plenty of SUVs follow me around in my saturn, and I can promise that no matter how hard you try to aim them, they still blind me in all 3 mirrors), and there is no fog or rain. And if your car squats slightly when it accelerates (and all cars do), the headlights will blind the car in front like laserbeams.

Those things should be illegal. If you need more light, and there are no other cars around, turn on your high beams.

The 40year old incandescent (not Halogen) lights work fine in my Buick. If you'd like to see how well you can see the road without blinding other traffic, you're invited for a ride.

-BC

[theholycow]

I commute through forested deer-heavy areas and need lots of light, but I do NOT want to blind anyone. So, on my truck I have lots of lights aimed differently, none of which is excessively bright, and I can turn on whichever lights I need to cover whatever I can't see...and I can turn it all back down to basic headlights (and the dim fog lights that GM provides) when there's other traffic around.

I hate glare and I never want to cause it.

[gork57]

I tried Silverstars. They burned out much faster than standard bulbs. I just couldn't justify the outrageous cost of Silverstars vs. OEM bulbs, so I went back to the regular ones. Blinding oncoming drivers is also an issue; I've been on the receiving end of this-it's like having the brights on all the time. Silverstars may improve visibility for you, but if other drivers can't see, how much good are they?

[jeep45238]

I have the ultras, put them in about a year ago (still going). I think the problem is that many people touch the glass just a bit when putting them in, and the bulb itself runs hotter, leading to a shorter lifespan when combined together.

I'm not going to pay the extra money for them again. The only time I see the difference is when I'm the only source of light. Can't tell a difference in the city or if there's other cars around.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Talking of good lights. Permatex now does a headlight restoration kit for defogging your headlamps and getting them crystal clear again. There has been several howtos on the internet for a few years, but this kit has all the right grades of paper and polish. I think it's around $15.

[VetteOwner]

weve tried it, kinda works but i dunno. seems polishing compound rubbed in circles on em does just as well.