Sylvania Silver Star Bulbs Short life span

[Kmvreter]

Re: Just an update...

I originally bought the Silverstars after searching around the threads a year ago. Wanted better light (lots of night driving with short winter days) but knowing they might fail so I was waiting for this and saved the receipts. Both my low-beams just burnt out within a few days of each other. Had them for 10.5 months / almost 30K km (~18.5K mi) / 600 running hours (I drive with lights 90% of time). Took them back to the retailer (Canadian Tire) who has a 1 yr warranty on them.
Now, here's the catch. If you get an exchange then you don't get more warranty (I would have been SOL on the replacement set after only 1.5 mths because of the original date of purchase.) So, instead, I got a full refund. I still like the light output so then went and rebought them. The 1 yr clock starts ticking again. I figure I already bought them once so I can keep doing this, even if the price goes up slightly, until they actually burn out longer than a year.

Just burned out another one. A fog light went with ~25300 km (~520 running hours.) Time for another free replacement because it is only 9 months.

 

[bulldog-yota]

i have PIAA exterem white on my 4R and they have been fine for almost 2 years now. i also got a set of PIAAs for my GF freelander, both burned out in just over an year. Teh freelander uses H4 (or dual flimant) bulbs. The 4R single filament bulbs (9005 and 9006). So it seems that the dual filament bulbs do not last as long or it might be the specifc vehicle. I have now repalced the PIAAs with silverstars on the freelander adn will see how long they last.

BTW I didn't touch the bulbs, have worked with high output lights for along time, so I know the general rules.

 

[Hitman]

5 watt blue-white LEDs are now commercially available. A cluster of 12 of these should rival the light from an HID. I would expect that in a couple of years we will see LED auto headlights.

You are exactly right... look for factory LED lighting in the next few years....

There's a short article about LED headlights in the current issue of Road and Track. It explains that the addition of the blue LED (which is fairly recent--less than 10 yrs ago) along with the red and green will come white LEDs, which are good for high output headlights.

Plus, they should last just about forever.....

 

[Hitman]

By the way, I also tried the Silverstars in my last vehicle and they lasted almost exactly one year before burning out.

I guess it's normal though.... but I did like the whiter light.

 

[bool]

I have a set going on 2 years in my 3rd gen and another set going on 1.5 years in the 4th Gen. I must be very lucky.....better go find some wood to knock on!

 

[Kmvreter]

Re: Re: Just an update...

Just burned out another one. A fog light went with ~25300 km (~520 running hours.) Time for another free replacement because it is only 9 months.

Update:
The other Silverstar fog light just went with ~32650 km (~672 hours.) Unfortunately it was 22 days past the 1 year retail warranty so I'll have to pay for the replacement.

 

[jharris2]

Re: Re: Re: Just an update...

Update:
The other Silverstar fog light just went with ~32650 km (~672 hours.) Unfortunately it was 22 days past the 1 year retail warranty so I'll have to pay for the replacement.

Give them a call -- frequently a company will honor the warranty even though it's recently expired.

Worst they can do is say "no".

 

[Kmvreter]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Just an update...

Give them a call -- frequently a company will honor the warranty even though it's recently expired.

Worst they can do is say "no".

The retailer (large chain; Canadian Tire) has a 1 year satisfaction policy on this item. It is also specific as to the original selling location (which has already said no) so it won't do me any good to find a store that will bend the rule.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I had 'em in my '97 for over 18 months and were still fine when it was sold and now I have the headlamp and fog lights replaced with Silverstars and they're going on 8 months so far so I'll post back when they fail which hopefully won't be soon. They are a costly bulb to replace but the brighter light was worth it and you can actually tell the fogs are on compared to the OEM bulbs which hardly did a thing.

 

[JSB]

I've had mine close to three years now. No problems.

 

[hellothere]

From the website Frequently Asked Questions section:

----------------------
2. What is the life expectancy of SilverStar?

The life expectancy of a SilverStar halogen light source is dependent on the driver

 

[JSB]

I put on about 20k a year, but obviously that's not all night driving. I guess I've been lucky. If I would have read that aobut only lasting one year I wouldn't have bought them. Although they weren't as expensive as some of my piaas.

 

[lightfoot]

On July 6, 2004 miles I replace the original headlamp halogen bulbs in my 99 4Runner with Sylvania 9003XV Xtravision halogen bulbs.

On July 30, 2005 the 9003XV Xtravision halogen bulb on the driver's side failed. I replaced the bulb with another 9003XV Xtravision halogen bulb. Today, November 26, 2005 the 9003XV Xtravision halogen bulb on the passenger's side failed. I replaced it with the original OEM bulb I removed on July 6, 2004.

All failures were on the low-beam portion of the bulb.

This vehicle is driven mostly during daylight hours and is not driven off-road.

Neither my fingers or anything else touched the glass part of the bulb during the installation of the bulbs.

I've decided to switch back to the standard halogen bulbs. May go with Wagner or another major brand.

 

[mikes4runner]

I have had mine in my 93 for about 2 yrs no problems at all.

Now I jinxed myself they will go tonight

Mike

 

[eorange]

I had Silverstars in my Exploder for almost 2 years with no problem. The light was whiter, but not brighter, so IMO they weren't worth it.

The main cause of bulb burnouts is handling them with your bare hands. Oil from your fingers stays on the bulb, which creates an abnormal hotspot when the bulb is lit, causing a burnout. I always used rubber gloves when handling my PIAA and Silverstar bulbs and never had a problem.

 

[kimboy]

The mean time before failure (MTBF) on these are not that great. But, that should be well know.

Always change bulbs out in pairs. That way, you can wear them out at the same rate.

Also, use some dielectric grease to keep contaminants/elements from reaching the bulb terminals. It's cheap insurance, and may prolong the life of the bulbs.

 

[atomic punk]

Always change bulbs out in pairs. That way, you can wear them out at the same rate.

Are you a Sylvania employee or something???? :
That's certainly not cost effective. I'm sure as hell not dropping $40 on a pair of Silverstars every time 1 of them burns out at my current rate of every 8-10 months. I'll replace them one at a time... the beam spread of each of the 4R's headlamps is wide enough so you hardly notice a difference on the road when 1 bulb is out, nevermind dimmer than the other.

 

[kimboy]

Are you a Sylvania employee or something???? :
That's certainly not cost effective. I'm sure as hell not dropping $40 on a pair of Silverstars every time 1 of them burns out at my current rate of every 8-10 months. I'll replace them one at a time... the beam spread of each of the 4R's headlamps is wide enough so you hardly notice a difference on the road when 1 bulb is out, nevermind dimmer than the other.

It may not cost effective, but it may be smarter.

I've changed a few blown break lights in my past only to find out the otherside would blow a few days later. I can't explain why, I just know that somethings are best left in pairs. i.e. sneakers, sox, gloves, headlights and tail lights. When one of my silverstars blows, I'll put both oem headlights back into the 4runner. I work for an engineering company, and though i'm not an engineer, i certainly make fun of them because they think they know it all.

Changing things in pairs may save you an extra trip to the market.
Hope your not an engineer :arrow:

 

[atomic punk]

well, actually I am an enginerd. But I don't claim to know everything. (I can't possibly be really, really, really, rediculously good looking AND know everything!!!!). Ha-ha...

**If you have any used but working Silverstars lying around, let me know. I'm not forking over that kind of loot for pairs of lights if they only last a year or less. I could buy a nice set of HIDs for that total price. I think I will?!

Two other things best left in pairs that you missed.. Tanguay and Tonic..... and the Olson twins.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I think Silverstars lasting less than a year is still not the norm unless you do all your driving at night and run them during the day also. I work at nite so I use my bulbs alot and I'm on a full year and a half on them right now. If they burned out tomorrow I'd still get another set.