Headlight Bulb Replacement - Sylvania vs Phillips

[westwind77]

I am still running the original bulbs in my '10, and honestly I am happy with them overall. On rare occasions I find myself looking for a little more light. That being said I am looking at either the:

Sylvania Silverstar Ultra

or

Phillips X-tremeVision

I did I search here but found very limited information, which begs the question, is there a reason not to upgrade?

I know most people say go the HID route, but I plan to replace this 4R in the next year or so not do not feel it is worth the investment.

I have read these 'aftermarket' bulbs burn out faster than the OEM's, if so, at what rate? How long do OEM's bulbs typically last for reference?

I also don't want to be 'that guy' blinding others on the road, but if my lights are adjusted fine now, will going a brighter cause issues for other drivers?

Thanks!

 

[brian0128]

On the recommendation from Daniel Sterns Lighting I bought Philips H11 X-tremeVision Upgrade Bulb off Amazon for my low beams and I’m happy with the purchase.

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/

I did not have to realign my headlights afterward. I tested them on the garage door and had the same cutoff.

 

[Speeder757]

Does anyone know what oem bulb manufacture is in Toyota 4Runners from the factory?

 

[IslandJim]

OP the extremevisions are a little brighter, you will notice it. And unless you are driving a lot at night, they should last you another year easily. Good luck on replacing your 4Runner.

 

[westwind77]

OP the extremevisions are a little brighter, you will notice it. And unless you are driving a lot at night, they should last you another year easily. Good luck on replacing your 4Runner.

So these types of bulbs don't even last a year? Do most people buy 2 of each to keep a spare for when it blows?

 

[MannMade82]

Does anyone know what oem bulb manufacture is in Toyota 4Runners from the factory?

I believe when I removed my OEM bulbs they were OSRAM.

 

[oljedi11950]

Believe Osram is oem !

 

[1jzgte]

neither.. retrofit a h9 by simply cutting a small part of the tab and cleanng the glass throughly w/ alcohol. OEM H11's put out about 1300lumens vs h9's around 2000 lumens. Yes the h9's burn out faster than h11 just as the silverstars and xtremevision will burn out quicker as well. However h9's wil cost you a fraction of what you'd pay for those fancy bulbs.

If you're not keeping your car for that much longer, then just go with H11's again. Bulbs lose light output efficiency after a couple years of use and bulb makers recommend replacement. I find their claim to be very true. Take out your h11 and look at the filament. If it looks a bit burnt or ashy then you've lost some light output over time. Compare to a new h11 bulb and the filament is bright and shiny.

 

[IslandJim]

So these types of bulbs don't even last a year? Do most people buy 2 of each to keep a spare for when it blows?

When I was looking at them figured if you drove 2 hours at night 5 times a week for 11 months out of the year they would probably last a year. Most people don't drive that much at night though.

 

[1000MPH]

Just did mine several months ago with the Phillips X-treme vision. They were $26/$25 set for lows and highs. I do a lot of backroads night driving and I was very happy with my OEMs once I aimed them correctly. These are fine but no revelation. When these go I’ll go back to OEMs probably. Maybe just replace the high beams with the X-tremes?

Edit: Osram owns Sylvania.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Silverstar Ultras are great headlights and will last you well over a year

 

[1jzgte]

Just did mine several months ago with the Phillips X-treme vision. They were $26/$25 set for lows and highs. I do a lot of backroads night driving and I was very happy with my OEMs once I aimed them correctly. These are fine but no revelation. When these go I’ll go back to OEMs probably. Maybe just replace the high beams with the X-tremes?

Edit: Osram owns Sylvania.

I plan to mod my 9005 high beams to 9011 once they go out. According to Daniel Stern the 9005 bulb is spec'd for 1870 lumens and the 9011 (HIR) for 2350. That's more lumens than any of these fancy lightbars can throw out. Lots of info on this simple mod.

 

[mountainair26]

I've been planning to do this to my 2010 sr5 hoping for more lumens at the same wattage. Does anyone have some before and after pics of the beams? Or any regrets on doing the mod? Since the stock headlight housings have a cover over the lowbeams, the glare shouldnt be dangerous for other drivers right?

 

[Michael-Dallas]

I've been planning to do this to my 2010 sr5 hoping for more lumens at the same wattage. Does anyone have some before and after pics of the beams? Or any regrets on doing the mod? Since the stock headlight housings have a cover over the lowbeams, the glare shouldnt be dangerous for other drivers right?

I have the Philips Xtreme Vision ( https://smile.amazon.com/Philips-X-...4905&sr=8-1&keywords=philips+xtreme+power+h11 ) on my 4R (and had them on my Xterra before that). No regrets, just be aware of the trade-off - a little more lumens for less life. Much cheaper and safer (non-blinding) alternative over HID or LED bulbs.

If your 4R is a 2010 and you've never changed the bulbs, then I would imagine this would be a significant difference for you, as halogen filaments wear out over time w/ usage.

 

[J.F. Sebastian]

Just got a couple of pairs of Phillips bulbs from XenonDepot. Great reviews on these bulbs, reviews on Sylvania bulbs make them look even better.

 

[Donovan1]

Just got a couple of pairs of Phillips bulbs from XenonDepot. Great reviews on these bulbs, reviews on Sylvania bulbs make them look even better.

Amazon has better prices. I just got all the LED for interior lighting and they also had a $3 off coupon for the bulbs. The trick was to create a new and separate order for each bulb so I got $3 off on every one.

Also:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/214398-consolidated-lighting-info-thread.html

 

[J.F. Sebastian]

Amazon has better prices. I just got all the LED for interior lighting and they also had a $3 off coupon for the bulbs. The trick was to create a new and separate order for each bulb so I got $3 off on every one.

Also:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/214398-consolidated-lighting-info-thread.html

Amazon ceased to exist a while ago as far as I'm concerned but thanks. I'd rather support a company like XenonDepot than a monster. I can afford to deploy my capital in a way that supports people, not oligarchs and monopoly.

 

[westwind77]

Following up on my thread.....never made the jump for new bulbs....but would like to now and have been doing more digging. They 'brighter' ones just do not seem to last long at all!

Phillips X-Treme = 400hrs
Phillips Vision+ = 500hrs
Phillips Vision = ? (can't find data but guessing around 600hrs)

The reviews on the Sylvania bulbs seem worse than the Phillips for early burn out.

I bought my 4R new in November of '09 and the bulbs are all original.

I was happy with the OEM brightness - do I just replace them with OEM to gain whatever has been lost over the last 10 years?

Will the replacements from the dealer really be what was in there from the factory or a cheap replacement since they are not produced that way anymore?

I live in the NE so this time of year driving after 4pm onward requires lights, I just don't see how a few hundred hours is anywhere near enough unless you keep a spare set ready to swap out yearly.

 

[J.F. Sebastian]

The Phillips Crystalvision halogens I got from XenonDepot have an advertised life of 150 hours. That's somewhat ridiculous in this day and age but I just use them as spares and am going to go LED eventually if I want more light.

What do the stock replacements cost at the dealership?

 

[Paragon1]

Good call on not taking the HID route. I cant stand it when drivers install them in non-projector housings because as you said, they blind everyone! I ran silverstar platinums in my 10 before i upgraded to my 15. What I can recommend, as someone else has, take a good look at the philips LED bulbs. I run them in my fogs and they're fantastic, and not so bright as to blind everyone on the road. Not expensive, easy install, and better performance.

if there's one gripe i have about the 4Runner, outside being hopelessly underpowered of course, is the lighting. While you're at it, swap to LED interior lights if you haven't already. A kit off amazon only costs $80. The license plate bulbs are worth swapping too, just because it looks cleaner. If anything its worth looking at when you trade up to your next 4R. Cheers