2018 Tahoe LT Light upgrade

20feetup · October 3, 2019

Hello all! Just picked up this 18 Tahoe LT for the wife as the third kid is on the way and we needed to upgrade for all of these childrens seats!! I noticed driving at night that the headlights were not as bright as my 16 Sierra and I was hoping for opinions on the best upgrade for whiter, better lighting. What does the collective brain believe is the best option for me at this time?

Bob2C · October 4, 2019

Hello all! Just picked up this 18 Tahoe LT for the wife as the third kid is on the way and we needed to upgrade for all of these childrens seats!! I noticed driving at night that the headlights were not as bright as my 16 Sierra and I was hoping for opinions on the best upgrade for whiter, better lighting. What does the collective brain believe is the best option for me at this time?

I had the same issue with my Tahoe as well. I didn’t feel like upgrading to LED yet so I put these in and they made a big difference and match led daytime running lights good.

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20feetup · October 4, 2019

53 minutes ago, Bob2C said:

I had the same issue with my Tahoe as well. I didn’t feel like upgrading to LED yet so I put these in and they made a big difference and match led daytime running lights good.

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Thanks for the suggestion, looking at the reviews on Amazon it’s kinda a mixed bag of people saying the life expectancy is 180 hrs and the burn out quickly. How long have yours been in?

EXSlider400 · October 4, 2019

Brighter they are the faster they burn out. These are very a good combination of brightness and longevity.

20feetup · October 4, 2019

How long have yours been in?

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Bob2C · October 4, 2019

Thanks for the suggestion, looking at the reviews on Amazon it’s kinda a mixed bag of people saying the life expectancy is 180 hrs and the burn out quickly. How long have yours been in?

Had them in 4 months. It’s a trade off. Brighter lights shorter life.

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dvzzz · February 8, 2020

OEMs are Philips so I bought these on Amazon B00U1OIESK they are German made and I had really good luck with Philips on all my cars including Philips HID. I am sure they will burn out but beam forming is quite good. If I am to keep this truck HID is a must.

BlaineBug · February 14, 2020

Brighter lights doesn't always mean they burn out quicker. Not that it applies to these new trucks but I can remember headlight wiring upgrades being a big thing for 1990s vehicles. Most of the people who upgraded showed substantial gains in brightness without a loss of longevity. Basically, the stock wiring in those vehicles was allowing less than 12 volts to the actual bulbs.

But I also tried Sylvania Silverstar sealed beam headlights in my 1995 Jeep Cherokee. One of them burned out rather quickly. I just went back to stock and never had to touch them again. I think the life of that on Sylvania bulb was absurd for what it was!

With that being said I feel as though the stock light output on my 2019 Yukon is exceptional and should be the same as your 2018 Tahoe. Same headlight projectors and all, just in a differently shaped housing.

Edited February 14, 2020 by BlaineBug

dvzzz · February 14, 2020

They might have upgraded the lights in 2019 because on 2018 Yukon SLE lights were weak to say the least. Even with Philips upgraded lights they are just passable. Would love to see output on 2019 or perhaps your Yukon is Denali?

BlaineBug · February 14, 2020

It's not a Denali and from what I see the Denali lights are no different front or rear. I'll try to grab some shots in the dark.

Edited February 14, 2020 by BlaineBug

dvzzz · February 14, 2020

Denali is HID from what I read and SLE is regular bulb.

BlaineBug · February 14, 2020

Maybe so. The light optics are all the same. If they have an HID versus a regular halogen light bulb I do not know. I have the SLT trim. And the headlights do not have to warm up to full brightness. I had a 2005 Mercury Montego that had factory HIDs and they would initially turn on dimmer and with a much more bluish visible tint, so I would have to say my Yukon SLT has standard halogen bulbs as they turn on to full brightness immediately.

Edited February 14, 2020 by BlaineBug

dvzzz · February 14, 2020

Definitely, SLT is a regular bulb but must be an upgraded version in 2019 because 2016-18 users of non-premium trims complaint about the poor light output. HIDs are dimmer at start but no comparison once warmed up, especially in 4300K temperatures. I had Philips HIDs on my previous truck and difference is just startling.