Question about headlamps?

peter78

peter78

Super Moderator
I have noticed that the power on the headlamps on my 3rd generation seems to be lower than it was. Since my son is driving it, I thought I might get an upgrade. In today's Sunday paper, Pep Boys has an ad with Sylvania Silverstar Headlamp Capsules Twinpack. It is $39.99 with a $10 reabate.

So my question is, are these lamps noticably more powerful, especially at low beam. Are Sylvania Silverstar an siginficant upgrade? Is that a decent price? I am wondering if I should go ahead and get new lights, even though both of my headlights still are working. Should I go with another set of headlamps? The headlights are the original headlamps and they are day time head lights with about 130,000 miles. Thanks.
 
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Lamp output fades over time so even if you had headlamps only a few years old, you would notice a difference by replacing the lamps with new ones. I like the Silverstars and that is a great price for them with the rebate. I think the Silverstars have a nicer color than a standard halogen and they definitely have a brighter light output. Overall, I would definitely upgrade to the Silverstars. Stay away from the Silverstar Ultras though. They were only slightly brighter than the standard Silverstars for about a day or two. Now if you took out my Ultras and put in Silverstars I would not even notice it. And the Ultras are about $10 more. FWIW, I have also heard good things about the PIAA Extreme White Plus, but you probably will not find them at the local auto store and they will not be as cheap either.
 
Silverstars appear brighter initially when making the switch from a regular Halogen. But I believe that's mainly due to the tinting at the glass level and a slight change in color temperature. I didn't notice an improvement in wet weather performance with Silverstars. Also, Silverstars are rated at the same wattage as regular Halogens, so I doubt there is any 'real' measurable increase in brightness.

My biggest gripe with Silverstars is the short life span. But for the price and a better look, Silverstars is a good compromise.
 
I'm not a big fan of SilverStars. In my opinion, they are more about providing that "whitish blue" tint that people love because of HID lighting then they are about giving the driver more light output.

If you're the kind of guy who doesn't mind being a little creative, just buy a set of new hibeam bulbs and modify them to fit the low beam sockets. The output of lumens is very noticeable and you'll put a lot more light on the road. I've done it with my 4th gen and I'm VERY happy with the additional light output. And there's absolutely no way that you'll cause any kind of damage to the vehicle or its wiring. You will only modify the bulbs to make them fit...nothing else. On the 4th gen, you just have to use a razor blade or something similar to shave off a small protrusion inside the connector socket of the bulb, and then snip off a tiny portion of one of the plastic tabs on the bulb base. Then it will plug right in and work perfectly. All for the same cost as your basic replacement bulbs.
 
I have the Silverstar Ultras and have had them for about two and a half years. No problems.

I got mine on Ebay for less than $30.
 
I went to Pep Boys and looked at them. It does say that they are engineered to be brighter, but they don't last as long. It has better side view and length, so I went ahead a got a pair. I got #9003 which has both high and low beam. So $30 for the pair, I think that might help my 18 year old son driving at night. If they wear out too fast, I may go with something else, but I like the idea of more light. Thanks for all the responses.

I also bought the Castrol GTX oil and filter deal, 5 quarts plus a filter for $12. The regular price of Castrol GTX at the store was $3.99. Wow, I think that is a lot for regualr oil. I usually try and get Mobil 1 for $4 a quart.
 
Make sure you don't touch the lamps. Once you touch 'em you're screwed no matter how you wipe your fingerprints with a cloth. I wore a pair of socks in my hands when i installed mine. The package says it lasts for 1 year. I had mine in there for 4+ years.
 
MikesToy said:
Make sure you don't touch the lamps. Once you touch 'em you're screwed no matter how you wipe your fingerprints with a cloth. I wore a pair of socks in my hands when i installed mine. The package says it lasts for 1 year. I had mine in there for 4+ years.
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Nah, you can wipe the bulbs with a cloth soaked in Windex to clean them if you touch them with your fingers. All you need to do is remove the skin oils from the glass...it's not rocket science. Then the bulbs are good to go.

BTW, if you had Silverstars that lasted for 4 years, you should call the Guiness Book of World Records. You must not drive much at night! LOL
 
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MikesToy said:
The only time i drive at night is my way home from work.
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Well, I guess that makes sense then....especially if you only have a short drive home.

But for the average user, the life expectancy of Silverstar bulbs seems to be around 1 year. I tried a set and they died almost one year to the day. I only remember because it was Halloween when I installed them and they died right before Halloween the following year. The driver's side died first and the passenger side died two days later. And yes, I had on latex gloves to avoid getting body oils on the bulbs.

But anyway, I still recommend buying a set of hi-beam bulbs and fitting them into the low-beam sockets. Now that I think about it, that doesn't work on the 3rd gen because they have a combination hi-beam/low-beam bulb. But for us 4th gen guys, you get your biggest bang for the buck because you only have to buy standard bulbs, but you'll get a bunch more lumens on the road without blinding oncoming traffic. I'll never go back to the low-beam bulbs again.
 
Jed said:
But for the average user, the life expectancy of Silverstar bulbs seems to be around 1 year. I tried a set and they died almost one year to the day. I only remember because it was Halloween when I installed them and they died right before Halloween the following year. The driver's side died first and the passenger side died two days later. And yes, I had on latex gloves to avoid getting body oils on the bulbs.
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:iagree: I squeezed two years on mine, and others I know got a year or less. I didn't touch the glass on mine either. Could always wipe the bulb with rubbing alcohol if the glass is touched.

Are you referring to the 9005 to 9006 conversion? If so, just want to clarify for others, that's for 2003-05. 2006+ uses H11 for low beams.
 
Uneek said:
:iagree:

Are you referring to the 9005 to 9006 conversion? If so, just want to clarify for others, that's for 2003-05. 2006+ uses H11 for low beams.
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Yes, best conversion ever. But the 2006+ guys can do a similar mod, I just forgot which bulb they need. Same deal though...just slightly modify the bulb base and you'll have much more light from your low-beam headlights.

If I had a 2006+ 4Runner, I'd probably just go ahead and do an HID system since the projectors are already there. But for someone who wants the best bang for the buck, the bulb conversion is a great option.
 
Just a quick up-date. After I put them on, there is a noticable increase of light. Yesterday, my wife followed me home in the 2001 4Runner and I notice the nice bright white lights. It was a good buy, I hope they last a few years.
 
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