headlights Sylvania Silver Star XV or ST?

[lawsoncl]

He's also totally ignoring the fact that there are TWO versions of the SilverStars. The US version is the one that has the slight blue tint on the glass (seems that one sells better). I've used the clear Euro H4s and thought they were decent but nothing overwhelming.

I've got e-code housings in my MJ with generic Napa brand 80/100 bulbs and they kick butt. The ecodes have a sharp enough cutoff and I have them aimed a tad low, so I've never een flashed. Low beams are good and the high beams will pick out deer and moose at two miles - an important thing in this neck of the woods.

 

[Simon 88YJ94XJ]

You have your opinion and others have theirs....but nobody has pointed at a legitimate source of data that is demonstrably comparative, instead of just more opinion. I suggested that people's experiences may differ from mine....you suggest we're all just wrong. I can't believe you relied on one guy on a message forum as your data source as your link suggests. Share the research!:idea:

I stated it was a good "starting point" and your implication that it is the only thing I read is just disengenuous bs.

I'll take that obviously informed opinion and obviously non-brand loyal assesment of the available products over the thousands of chants of "I spent 40 dollars on headlights and they are the best ever".

Now all that said, I stupidly didn't keep bookmarks of what I managed to sift from the google noise, I didn't plan on upsetting a bunch of fierce brand loyalists :sure:honest.

 

[viperbaron]

SILVERSTARS!
Holy lumins Batman! I was going to take a photo of the diffrence; before, during & after...but it just isn't worth my time...The new bulbs are SO MUCH BETTER that if you ever had a doubt...let me put that to rest.
I picked up a pair from Autozone for $19 each. 5 minute swap and presto!

 

[Fish'nCarz]

Seems like a lot of hoopla over $40 worth of light bulbs!

I looked around and it seemed that Siverstars were a good lamp, so I bought them. Mine don't appear blue. My neighbor's new Audi has blue lights!
I aimed them on the garage door and think they may be a bit high, but no one has complained in about a year. Lots of light that to my untrained eye seems to be very white. The cut off on the top end is very distinct, don't see a lot of scatter, but then, I'm just using my eyes and not a meter of any sort.

I like them and will probably buy them again.

 

[87manche]

silverstars made a decent difference on the wife's camry. I think that they're best suited to use in the composite type headlamp assemblys that have a crisper cutoff point.
I put xtravisions in the junk when I bought it, they have a much wider pattern to them that's handy when offroad, and the low beams were brighter. High beams are like stock, and leave a little to be desired. I'm going to upgrade the wiring harness before I think about new housings and bulbs.

 

[Simon 88YJ94XJ]

Every review and personal endorsement I read of Silverstars comes from someone replacing the tired old stock Wagners... And then "wow what a difference". well duh.:banghead:

Point is ANY halogen you stick in there to replace a light that is AT LEAST 6 years old (in an 01 XJ) or older is going to be a vast improvement... Even new normal output Wagner halogens identical to the OEM. When you're putting is a higher output light like Silverstars that is ALSO a different color temperature the difference is going to be even more in your face and obvious.

 

[Colorado_XJ]

FWIW, I replaced the Sylvania halogens (that were installed in June of '06) in my '99 XJ with XV SilverStars around Halloween '06 after one of the halogens burned out. Be sure and read the part where I replaced almost-new Sylvania halogen bulbs with Sylvania SilverStars. I bought them instead of buying regular halogens because they were a cheap (on sale) upgrade that I figured I would try. The pictures at rockcrawler.com are pretty accurate. The light looks not much different shone on a garage door or down your street, but driving on a dirt road in the dead of night, you notice the difference. I've had them on a few vehicles over the years and for a handful of dollars I would do it every time. I do a fair amount of driving in the mountains, but most of my night driving is through this "city", so I cover a lot of different night driving conditions. Do they emit less lumens or CP than a normal aftermarket halogen? I couldn't tell you. They are rated at the same wattage and a lot of people will tell you they light up your surroundings better. Different temperatures of light take less power to illuminate things than others. So even if they do emit less CP, they may very well do a more efficient job of lighting. Example:I use a much lower wattage air conditioner to cool my house now than I did 10 years ago; does that mean it's any less cool in my home now? Things get more efficient with time. Perhaps (just perhaps), the SilverStars are such animals. And as far as my actual driving experiences with the SilverStars? I do wear glasses and am not particularly light-sensitive. I don't notice any increased glare or any of the conditions that others have mentioned here. Do they piss people off in front of me? Well, I often follow my girlfriend home at night and I would hope that she would speak up if they did, and she drives a little Kia. Basically, go buy them and check it out for yourself. Everyone has different results with EVERYTHING, especially in a forum like this with 50 million different users, each with their own tastes, preconceptions and biases. If you don' like them, someone will buy them from you without a doubt. Hell, I'd buy them from you to have some spares. You wanted some opinions? You got 'em!

YMMV....Rich.

 

[TRAILREADYXJ]

Every review and personal endorsement I read of Silverstars comes from someone replacing the tired old stock Wagners... And then "wow what a difference". well duh.:banghead:

It probably still won't change your opinion, but When I replaced my burned out silverstar, with a near new Xtra Vision I had, the Silverstar is still brighter with more usable light.
I couln't get a shot of the pattern due to parking location and no steering, but here you can see a nice bright white silverstar, next to a Xtra Vision that are supposed to be brighter than a standard halogen. It's not the best pic cause my batt was dying and I was in a hurry, but the halo effect helps show the emitted light. (please note my pass side parking lamp is out, so the light on the drivers looks bigger, not brighter.)

 

[unrealtrip]

Even more on the silverstars.

http://www.secretreality.com/jeep/xj/tech/silverstarST.htm

Notice the duller more amber colored light coming from my factory fog lamps. That color light is what my headlights used to look like. It is a pretty dramatic difference in brightness and whiteness wouldn't you say? Also, I have upgraded my headlight wiring loom to 10AWG and use relays, that in itself made my halogens burn whiter and brighter. So much in fact, that even when one was out, it was brighter than both of my wife's headlights on her 318i. I recommend the loom upgrade, as well as the Silverstars.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Geez! You guys turned a simple topic such as this into a BS scientific circus sideshow! I bought a pair of SilverStars, mounted them and use them...might I mention I really do like them. There is absolutely NO blue hue anywhere near them exept for when I'm rolling over a Russian in his stolen Honda! -and the blue is from the once already totaled rice burner. Some of you rely on scientific proof -what better proof than to try them yourself...unless you don't trust your own judgement. You can sit there and research everything till the cows come home...I explore by using as much first hand. Now get out there and enjoy it!aperwork

 

[RichP]

Alll argument aside there is NO comparison between halogen sealed beams and high quality Hella E codes, CIBIE's or BOSH H4 styles. The H4 types that we use have a well cut lense and the lense is the be all/end all of where that light goes and how it's focused. The US DoT approved lenses are basically a flood light with minimal focus. The silverstar sealed beams I picked up on sale prior to putting the CIBIE's in were interesting, in the TJ with the top off I noticed they did an awsome job of lighting up the trees overhead on both lowbeam and high beam, never noticed that with the top up.
I have both, Hella E codes in the XJ and CIBIE 7" rounds in my TJ. For bulbs I have run a variety of them, the Hellas in the XJ are H4 silverstar motorcycle ones that you had to buy indivdually, been in there about 18 months. They are whiter but thats the gas they use, xeon vs halogen, the halogen gives a more yellow orangeish color the xenon whiter. Long term the E codes are a bit better, $12-$14 bulbs vs $19 sealed beams if they are on sale. As far as the CIBIE, better lights and the lenses in the CIBIE's are awsome but thats the difference between stamped/molded plastic lenses and cut glass which is also reflected in the price but then my cibie's I purchased in 73' and they have been in several of my vehicles.
I also want to do the harness upgrade when time and money permit, there is no substitue for increased wattage to the bulbs.

 

[99GeeP]

I have been following this post and googled theses lights in comparison to say the GE Nighthawks. The most common thing that I have read on other forums etc. is that the Silverstars seem to burn out faster ( at around @350hrs.).

I just bought a 99XJ ( my 3rd overall jeep ), and discovered a high beam out after follwing this post. I have no plans on doing the wire loom upgrade anytime soon, but know that the stock headlamps are crap. So, what other sealed beam is going to compare or outlast the Silverstars?

They seem to be worth my time and money. They will be better than stock; I do not seem to drive at night as much anyways; so, if they burn out prematurely....I'm out $20-40 bucks and will be on to the wire loom upgrade.

 

[loke]

As most of us on this forum are using the XJ's off road as well as driving in all kind of weather, I would like to share a trick I have found making my (stock) head lights shine a lot brighter.

Clean the head lights. I was astounded with the improvement it made wiping the road grime of.

:laugh3:

 

[raypla]

That and I upgraded all my wireing, from 5-90 :clap, and my lights got noticebly brighter from that alone. It includes the 5 major wires and it is excellent.