Headlight bulb recommendations

[_HighVoltage_]

Thanks, but for the moment I have to put the extra lights on the backburner. There is a rather serious oil leak that I need to address first...

[IceBone]

I'm getting all my bulbs in the Audi replaced by LEDs (just replacement bulbs with LEDs instead of actual bulbs, no modding). They're whiter and brighter than normal bulbs (the headlamp ones) and they consume about 1/10th of the power.

[Dr.Kamiya]

Phillips X-Treme Power is awesome. It's still halogen, so none of the trouble you get when fitting HIDs into crappy reflector housings, but it also uses a new design called HIR so it's very very bright.

HIR, or Halogen Infrared Reflective which it stands for basically means there's a coating on the bulb itself that reflects invisible infrared light back inside where it can be put to use heating the filament further, instead of being radiated out uselessly.

[IceBone]

Wouldn't that shorten the life expectancy of the bulb?

[ChrisSRT4]

Originally Posted by MattD1zzl3

I have a similar problem in my 1997 Camry, is this the same horrible DOT era spectre?

I had this same pod on my old Galant VR4 with PIAA lights and it was amazing! I mean it was not cheap, but I could see everything within a mile with no problem (plus tailgaters have no clue what they are going to encounter when they pass you!).

[Spice_Rack]

HID's for $40? Hmm... I question if they are even real at that price. I'd definitely concentrate on some good quality reflector headlamps if you can. But keep in mind HID's are actually worse in the rain than halogens too, because the whiter/bluish light scatters more. If you have four headlamps can you use yellow bulbs in a pair? Yellow bulbs help a fair bit in the rain.

I'd check out hidplanet.com if you wanna get serious. There are some extremely knowledgeable people there that can point you in the right direction.

[lv2xlr8]

Not to threadjack but has anyone tried the SilverStar Ultras? I found a pair for $30 but I've heard mixed reviews. Most people complained about the life of the bulb but I don't do much night driving so I'm not worried about that, I just want something that is bright especially when I drive down south on the rural roads.

[un-dee]

I've had Osram Silverstars for some years now, best bulbs I ever had, and the longest-lasting so far.

[Spectre]

Osram Silverstars are not the same bulbs Sylvania sells here under the same name.

[Dr.Kamiya]

Originally Posted by IceBone

Wouldn't that shorten the life expectancy of the bulb?

That i'm not too sure of. I haven't had the new bulbs long enough to make a judgement, but then again it's usually some sort of electrical gremlin that kills bulbs for me instead of them naturally dying out.

[lv2xlr8]

Originally Posted by Spectre

Osram Silverstars are not the same bulbs Sylvania sells here under the same name.

You can pick up both variants on amazon assuming they are real and not knockoffs.

Not sure if I should get these or the PIAAs.

[Spice_Rack]

They don't last as long... the silverstars. I had them several years ago and they would last about a year and a half then go out. Regular halogens last 3-6 years usually sometimes longer. But the extra brightness and more white color temp are worth it I think.

[ninjacoco]

Originally Posted by Spectre

I wouldn't assume that the bulbs are crap. It's the lens design - it is deliberately crippled by US DOT regulations of the time period. A higher power bulb won't help a whole lot and it'll just melt the housing. Many cars from the era suffer from the same issue; including my Pathfinder.

I'm having this problem (can't see crap on low beams EVER), too, but my car is newer (2002). Would this still be an issue or am I just a lazy bum who needs to get off the internets and clean out her headlights?

[Spectre]

Yes, it can be an issue if the designer was lazy or being cheap with the reflector or projector design on newer cars. Clarkson himself commented that the projectors on the Ferrari Scuderia were pretty much worthless, for example.

That said, are your lenses perfectly clear, or have they yellowed and hazed over? If the latter, that's most likely your problem.

[Nabster]

Might be worth checking the aim on them as well. I believe the DOT specs the focus of the beam 2" lower then the bulbs at 20".

[Spectre]

IIRC, the Altima has a little spirit level in the headlight unit to tell you when they're properly levelled. The modern composite types also don't get knocked out of alignment or go off like the old sealed beam units did.

[Nabster]

Originally Posted by Spectre

IIRC, the Altima has a little spirit level in the headlight unit to tell you when they're properly levelled. The modern composite types also don't get knocked out of alignment or go off like the old sealed beam units did.

The sealed beams in my Mustang are much tighter and bounce resistant than the lenses in my Grand Prix- to a point they have zero bounce at all and you can't wiggle them by hand whatsoever. Solid metal, heavy springs and screws versus a thin plastic lens housing with easily stripped adjusting screws. I wouldn't necessarily say that the modern system is better in the case of headlight adjustment.

[Spectre]

Originally Posted by Nabster

The sealed beams in my Mustang are much tighter and bounce resistant than the lenses in my Grand Prix- to a point they have zero bounce at all and you can't wiggle them by hand whatsoever. Solid metal, heavy springs and screws versus a thin plastic lens housing with easily stripped adjusting screws. I wouldn't necessarily say that the modern system is better in the case of headlight adjustment.

That's because you bought a General Morons product. Most of the rest of the world makes cars where unless something smashes the composite headlight or bends the bodywork, the headlights stay aimed.

[_HighVoltage_]

The Volvo also has the spirit level, but I find it a little inaccurate. Or at least, I am not happy with their alignment when they are perfectly balanced.

[Nabster]

The problem with the level in the headlights is that it assumes the rest of the car is perfectly level as well, I don't know that I'd trust them. I'll stick with the traditional measurement based aiming.