Headlights

Gopher4 · January 25, 2017

Okay folks I'm on here and posting with the hope that someone can help me out.... I've got an '05 Silverado 1500 and I've really been struggling with seeing at night lately so I was thinking of replacing the factory headlights. I don't want/or need anything fancy but just want to replace them with something that is "plug and play." My lenses might be a little bit cloudy but I don't think that's the big problem, just think I need to replace the bulbs with something a little bit brighter or better. After doing a lot of research online I've been thinking about putting in the Sylvania Silverstar or Silverstar Ultras... Its my understanding those are bulbs that I can just replace without messing with ballasts, harness, or any of that... (not looking to do the whole HID thing) After looking at Sylvanias website it looks like I'll probably do low beam and high beam just to make them equal but does anyone have any sort of suggestions or advice on this? I would also like new bulbs (or brighter bulbs) in my fog lights as well. Any help/or advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance, Jayson.

O_J_Simpson · January 25, 2017

If you still have OEM, clean the lenses and replace the bulbs. If water has leaked in, replace the assemblies as water kills the reflective coating.

NSFW · January 25, 2017

I run Sylvania SilverStar zXe low beam and Sylvania Ultra for the high beam in new lenses and I am very sadisfied with this pairing

r1byker · January 26, 2017

My experience has been that the Silverstars don't last very long. They both burned out in about a year. I had better luck with Phillips bulbs.

NSFW · January 26, 2017

My experience has been that the Silverstars don't last very long. They both burned out in about a year. I had better luck with Phillips bulbs.

I was looking at these last night: http://www.xenondepot.com/9005-Xtreme-LED-kit-p/xt-led-9005.htm and the concept of LED is not new tech to me.

I will definitely stand by the fact that LED's have a much faster on/off response between HB and LB when ya switch em. They only draw a pithy 2A (as compared to the halogens 20A) to make 3 times the light of a halogen bulb. AAAND thier indexable to the refector. So I 'expect' that one could safely run both sets at the same time (HB and LB) and not burn the enclosure down in the process. The only down side is the durability. A halogen can be crashed around and vibrated the crap out of it, and it still hangs together. EVEN thru hard impacts that would dislodge fillings and rupture spleens.

Maybe the engineering is getting better to a point where now they can be crashed around, and are a better investment then they were back in 2005 when I last considered something else for lighting what I had to choose from was varying levels of crap.

I know about the diode between the relay trick, but I never attempted it because the light lens is plastic, and it's allot of amp draw (heat). If I change to the LED's (or unless someone directs me to a better set, meh) I might put the money down on it. It's still cheaper to go that route (1 set sum price) then a quality light-bar that looks like an afterthought and effects airflow into the rad.

Gopher4 · February 7, 2017

I run Sylvania SilverStar zXe low beam and Sylvania Ultra for the high beam in new lenses and I am very sadisfied with this pairing

@NSFW have you had any problems with the SilverStars burning out quickly like another member mentioned? Did you replace just your lenses or the whole assembly? My lenses dont see to be in terrible shape, thought maybe try the old toothpaste trick to clean them up a little bit unless anyone has any other ideas? Thanks for the help guys!

My experience has been that the Silverstars don't last very long. They both burned out in about a year. I had better luck with Phillips bulbs.

@r1byker which Philips bulbs do you recommend?

michigan2500hd · February 8, 2017

I switched to the Sylvania xfe after burning several other bulbs out and surprisingly they have been great. Not nearly as blue as I thought they would be..I wanted the light to be white. Happy so far.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

r1byker · February 8, 2017

@NSFW have you had any problems with the SilverStars burning out quickly like another member mentioned? Did you replace just your lenses or the whole assembly? My lenses dont see to be in terrible shape, thought maybe try the old toothpaste trick to clean them up a little bit unless anyone has any other ideas? Thanks for the help guys!

@r1byker which Philips bulbs do you recommend?

X-TremeVision, which claims a 100% increase. Go big or go home, right?

arcasey · February 8, 2017

I've ran all of the Sylvania headlights on my trucks. None of them are going to last very long but I care more about being able to see than the price of headlight bulbs. What's $120-$240 a year when compared to your life or someone else's? I have been running the Sylvania ZXE's for the last 3 years and have been very satisfied with them. Mine typically burn out within a year so I just carry them back to the store where I bought them and get replacements and then when the replacements burn out I just buy another set. The bulbs put out a lot of light for a halogen bulb. I get flashed pretty regularly with just my low beams and I have them aimed properly.

Roscopcoletrain · February 8, 2017

I did the H9 upgrade with good results. Just had a bulb go out on me a few days ago. I replaced it back in 15. Probably gonna go H9 again.

NSFW · February 11, 2017

@NSFW have you had any problems with the SilverStars burning out quickly like another member mentioned? Did you replace just your lenses or the whole assembly? My lenses dont see to be in terrible shape, thought maybe try the old toothpaste trick to clean them up a little bit unless anyone has any other ideas? Thanks for the help guys!

@r1byker which Philips bulbs do you recommend?

@Gopher4: No haven't had such issues, Visibility though with a stock lens is really remarkable. Was going to install a light bar, but after the headlamp change, I never bothered. I installed mine around mid August 2016, In the stock lenses. As for cleaning up the old lenses, I believe them to be a standard shock resistant poly-carbonate lens with a clear-coat of somesort. I had an old Cavalier once that had badly yellowed lenses and that clear they use is some hard stuff. I am assuming its the same stuff. Ended up scraping them with a olfa-blade finally. Wet sanded the lenses with 2400 grit, then re-applied some dupont clear coat. Fixed it, but I think the coating is a closely guarded OEM secret.

Seemed to hold up for a few seasons, then rock-chipped and pitted.. seems there's no way to totally protect them from becoming thrashed after a while.

Gopher4 · February 11, 2017

I did the H9 upgrade with good results. Just had a bulb go out on me a few days ago. I replaced it back in 15. Probably gonna go H9 again.

Roscopcoletrain... When you say H9 Upgrade does that mean that you had to add a ballast system or is the H9 just "plug and play" into the existing socket?

Gopher4 · February 11, 2017

Im also wondering why the newer bulbs burn out so quick? My truck is an 05 which I've had since 05 and have never replaced an actual headlight bulb... Replaced markers, license plate, running lights, etc but never a headlight bulb.

Roscopcoletrain · February 11, 2017

Roscopcoletrain... When you say H9 Upgrade does that mean that you had to add a ballast system or is the H9 just "plug and play" into the existing socket?

Its mostly plug n play. Stock is H11. The H9 is a lot brighter. But it doesnt exactly fit the stock plug. You gotta spend 5min and grind a tab on each light.

Gopher4 · February 11, 2017

Its mostly plug n play. Stock is H11. The H9 is a lot brighter. But it doesnt exactly fit the stock plug. You gotta spend 5min and grind a tab on each light.

Very good... Have you had them installed awhile? Do they last?