Headlight Bulb Options? (2006 SR5)

[PhantomF4E]

So I had to replace a bulb in my right-hand fog light, and I went with the Sylvania Silverstar Ultra and at first glance it certainly seems to be a vast improvement.

I'm considering getting the same brand and type for my headlights as well (I decided to just go ahead and replace both fog lamps).

Anyone have any experience with that particular type of bulb? I'm tempted to try LEDs at some point, but not sure just yet.

My headlights are fine for the moment, but just figured I'd poll the audience.

Bonus Question...Are the rear lights (brakes, turn signals, etc.) already LED on a 2006? I thought I read that somewhere, but maybe I'm just crazy? Haha.

 

[Too Stroked]

So I had to replace a bulb in my right-hand fog light, and I went with the Sylvania Silverstar Ultra and at first glance it certainly seems to be a vast improvement.

I'm considering getting the same brand and type for my headlights as well (I decided to just go ahead and replace both fog lamps).

Anyone have any experience with that particular type of bulb? I'm tempted to try LEDs at some point, but not sure just yet.

My headlights are fine for the moment, but just figured I'd poll the audience.

Bonus Question...Are the rear lights (brakes, turn signals, etc.) already LED on a 2006? I thought I read that somewhere, but maybe I'm just crazy? Haha.

Based on personal experience, I think you're going to discover that the Silverstars have a very short lifespan. (Not as short as regular Silverstars though.) If the bulb that blew in your fog lamp was more than a couple of years old, its performance would have degraded over that time and just about any new bulb would look brighter.

I'm a regular over at TacomaWorld.com and based on extensive testing, their resident expert on automotive lighting wrote this about 9003/H4 bulbs and I'm pretty sure the advice goes for all replacement bulbs even though your fog light bulbs are single filament.

Stock wattage high performance bulbs do not actually put out more light, instead they use smaller high precision filaments to make the light more focused and intense for the headlight to use more efficiently and project a brighter hotspot further.

These are currently the highest performing stock wattage bulbs on the market:

Philips Racing Vision +150 or +200 - Best low beam, reduced high beam output. Followed by Osram Nightbreaker +200.

Which bulb is best? Depends on your needs. The +150 bulbs are going to provide excellent low beam performance, but coat the high beam reducing performance. The Philips are rated at 200hrs. The GE +120s have a blue coating on the tip but leave both the low and high beam uncoated giving superior high beam performance with a slightly lower low beam performance over the other bulbs.

 

[PhantomF4E]

Thank you for your comments. I hope I haven't made a mistaken, but hopefully since they are fog lights they will last a while.

 

[Hi-desertT4R]

Our stock 06-09 taillights/brake lights are LED. Halogen hi stop unless You have the spoiler which I believe is LED. Turn signal bulbs are halogen. I’m currently running LED hi and lows. I have my low beam cut off pattern adjusted about 2.5” below centerline at 25’. I plan on going back to halogen low beams and will run modified H9 bulbs. Before removing my stock front bumper I was running Sealight 3000k LED fog lights and loved the yellow color.
FWIW I had poor luck with sylvania bulbs in my Scion but they’re 9012 so probably a moot point.

 

[PhantomF4E]

Well, I guess I'll hold off on replacing my headlights for now, and I'll just see how the fog lights work out. Thanks all!

 

[AdmiralAugbar]

I put these in my 2006, MASSIVE improvement. I would never go back to non-LED. Plug and play.

Amazon.com: Fahren H11/H9/H8 LED Headlight Bulbs, 60W 14000 Lumens Super Bright LED Headlights Conversion Kit 6500K Cool White IP68 Waterproof, Pack of 2 : Automotive

 

[rcvoelkel]

Happy with them? Looking to do the same. Thanks.