Silverstars...Disapointed...

[EddieS'04]

Changed my headlights to 9007 silverstar ultra. Changed the fogs to 9005 silverstar. Iam very disapointed...Even the High beams are worse than stock.

I drove down a particular dark street in my hood last night. I made note of how the factory lights,lite up the area. Also stoped in one spot to make note of how one area and a sign lite up.

I repeated those steps tonight with the silverstars. There is no difference. The high beams are worse than the low beams. I checked the alignment on my garage door for a comparison to the stock bulbs. Alignment is the same.

All I can say is. I spent $95 for hype. I hope sylvania has a not satisfied return policy. They honestly suck..:angry:

 

[A1cntrler]

Seriously? This is the first post or comment I have ever seen complaining about the light output of Silverstar light bulbs. I have the regulars in my ST and the difference was quite noticeable.



I am a manager at Advance Auto and daily I sell a few sets and the customers that come back and speak to me about it have nothing but good things to say. Where did you buy them at? If you bough them at Advance, take them back. Should have no problem getting you a refund

 

[Keola P]

Sorry your experience with the silverstars are a disappointment.



I installed my set right after I painted my headlights and I noticed a considerable improvement over stock even with a decrease of reflective surface after painting. The bulbs project the beam farther and the light is whiter and brighter compared to the stock ones.



I'm sticking with the silverstars and I'll never put a stock bulb back in as long as I own my trac.

 

[Dave S 2]

Yeah Eddie, I have had and heard NOTHING but positive results regarding the Silver Stars. Hate to hear you're dis-appointed with them. Can't fathom why though?



Get a light meter (candle power) and measure the output with it. Surely they'll outshine the OEM lights.

 

[shawn stonbraker 2]

I had regular Silverstars (liked them) in mine till one went out about 4 months ago. Replaced them with the Sylvania Xtra Vision. Half the price and no noticable difference. Not much difference since the Silverstars were 50% brighter than stock, and the Xtra visions are 30%. Just couldn't justify spending the money on the Silverstars again.

 

[EddieS'04]

I got them from auto zone. Im serious about the light output. It is no better than the stock ones. When I first fired them up. I could see a difference in the whiter light. The road trip tonight was disapointing. The test of how for down the road they would shine was the same on low as stock. On high beam they were less than stock. Stoped the trac in the exact spot as last night.

I have a pair of helolite brand, 85watt low/100watt high. They were a spare set I had for my stang. Im going to try them tommorow.



I also have 2 pair of 9004, 85w/100w. I will sell. They were for another car but the wiring wouldnt carry the amp load. I dont know what 9004 will fit now. Most manufactors have switched to 9007.

 

[ray moyer]

wow... really?



i love my ultras, they destroyed the stock lights!

 

[Bill Barber]

Eddie, mine were a huge diff, now we are aging, been to the eye doc latley

clean your glasses, wash the windshield and the headlgts.

The diff is huge.

 

[EddieS'04]

been to the eye doc latley

clean your glasses, wash the windshield and the headlgts.

Bill,:banana::lol:

 

[Shaun Tucker]

Eddie,



I have to agree with the majority on this one buddy. I changed my headlights to the silverstar ultras and have been raving about them since. I love them and I'm waiting for my fog lights to burn out so I can justify replacing them!



st

 

[Don Pertz]

If its any consolation, I put them in about a year ago, and I didn't think they were better than factory either.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

I have to agree with the majority too. The Silverstars were an improvement, but the Ultras are a huge improvement. I even did a side-by-side comparison with another site member, TracettPaul who has an '03 ST; his with OEM and mine with the Ultras - even in late evening (not completely dark) there was a noticable difference. Did you clean you headlight lens? Also, thanks to Cayman at the '06 meet in L'ville, I am running the 9007 wiring harness too. Don't know if the harness makes a difference in brightness and / or longevity, but I would like to think so.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Oops

 

[kevinbakon]

Going with the majority here too.

All I can say is my first mod for every vehicle I've ever owned is replacing the stock bulbs with silverstar xtras or ultras. I've never used the regular silverstars, so I can speak to those. . . . I'm sure they'll let you return them and try using ultras instead.

I came across this comparison in case you find it helpful:

 

[kevinbakon]

Also, here's Sylvania's comparison chart

 

[Les]

I have to agree with Eddie, I didn't think the improvement was worth the $$$...

 

[Johnny O]

Replaced the OE's in my first Sport Trac with the Silverstars I had in my Ranger, didn't see any difference. I don't think that Silverstars are bad, just that OE lights have gotten better.



FWIW, Consumer Reports rated GE Nighthawks better than Silverstars.



In my old Ranger I replaced the OE fogs with all-weather 9005's I got from J.C. Whitney. Slight yellow tint to the light, I liked them. Somehow I can't wedge them into the '08 Trac's fog light housings though.

 

[Richard L]

A number of years ago, Caymen checked the light ouput of the SilverStars and found them to be significantly brighter than the stock 9007's.



You might want to check your headlight aim. I thought the stock headlights were crap when I first bought my new 2001 ST. About 4 months later my wife got in an accident which required nearly $3000 in damage repairs to the frontend. The body shop rechecked the headlight aim when they finished and that made a dramatic improvement. Others here have indicated that the correcting the factory headlight aim was a major improvement in headlight performance. About a year or so later I installed my SilverStars and again, noticed a big improvement.



...Rich

 

[EddieS'04]

Maybe I need to aim them differently. I left them at factory aim. Also Im going to run a voltage check at the plug. Could be low voltage not carrying the amp load. If anyone knows what the amp draw should be, I can check that also.

 

[Gavin Allan]

They seem a little brighter, but they burn out very fast in my Trac and in my wife's Outback. I hate that they only last about six months. Not gonna use SilverStars anymore- too expensive for very little benefit and all the trouble of them burning out all the time.