SilverStars, EuroLights, X-treme Power & other Halogen Bulbs

9006 - 51 oem, 55 a/m trend
9005 - 60 oem, 61-65 a/m

Did you guys buy the euro lights in 9006 or 9006XS?

9006

Well it got cold again, and one of the Eurolights (driver side) failed at around 300 days. That's less than 6¢/day of near continuous operation for that bulb. I like these so much I'll be ordering a new pair tonight. Maybe the other side will last longer? We'll see.

I will absolutely never buy another silver star bulb. They are not worth the $. I'm convinced the only way to go is to somehow retro-fit in a set of projector beam housings with HID.

Forgot to report, 3 days after the first Eurolight failed, the other one failed, too. This is exactly how the SilverStars went out - about the same time.

I wonder if it's anything to do with the load presented to the working lamp when the other one fails. Or, could it be the weather conditions that exist at the time they go out?

Put a new set of Eurolights in about 2 weeks ago, and plan to take them out next winter when it starts getting really cold. Maybe this will help them last a bit longer.

thanks for the update. any comment on your alternator voltage booster in relation to bulb life?? the SS bulbs went out before the resistor was added right?
cold weather really takes life out of bulbs. i am still on my first set of silvers, and it's been since 11/1/05. lots of variables to consider though.

I thought about the 14.5 volts being an issue. I'm sure it doesn't help them last any longer. On the other hand, the SilverStars died long before I did the voltage boost. They lasted about the same as the Eurolights.

If the new bulbs last the same or longer, I'm attributing it to very cold temps. Both sets of bulbs failed at subfreezing temperatures.

98riviera98 wrote:

i bought some extreme blue ones off ebay by HELLA or something and everyone told me not to and i havent had a probem since i bought them which was last JULY (:

UPDATED!!!!!!!!!!! do NOT buy bulbs offf ebay........... they will melt your wiring harness for the bulb

Aaron, where do you get these Eurobulbs? Tell me more about them, please.

For anyone still thinking about Silverstars, the 'Ultras' don't last a damn more than the regular bulbs. Maybe 7 months instead of 6 but still for crap. I've had it with Silverstars.

Derek, read page 1,2... of this thread. Jack provides the link, and I wrote a few comments. Good stuff, imo.

Btw, happy B-day. Get yourself a pair of Eurolights for the 36th!

Sorry to renew the thread, but recently, one of my bulbs blew in my Riv and I had read this thread a couple weeks before that happened. I decided to go with Aaron's recommendation for these bulbs and bought them. Even though I still have my airbox in there, it took under 15 minutes to install.

The end result is pretty much what I expected. They are not very blue. The pic you supplied seems almost like a different product, AA. They're very white (which I love) with an almost unnoticeable hue of blue. Regardless, for $35, they make the car look much better cruising, I can seem to see better at night, and I'm very satisfied with them. I'll be getting a pair in a bit for the highs too.

If you look at the daytime pic I posted, they aren't blue at all. The nighttime pic is straight from the flash card, unedited - I did not add any blue color. So, it had to come from somewhere, right?

Glad you like'em, though. That's all that really matters.

Are you still running silverstars? I put them in our Jeep Grand Cherokee lows and fogs a year ago and they are still running strong.

They still burn out every 8 months or so in my Riv. Even the "Ultra" version. I hate them but I keep putting them in because I forget to get something else ahead of time.

what should i get...what make and what bulb

For all the failure problems I keep reading about aftermarket bulbs, I don't know why anyone would want to mess with them. jmho.

I can't see sh*t with stock bulbs when it's wet/dark roads. That's why it's worth it...

It's uncanny - my Eurolights both went out within a couple hours of each other last night during the freezing rain. They lasted 364 days since the previous ones failed last year on Dec 18th.

Duct tape over the brights again...

I just don't understand why they have such a high failure rate, or preceived as high? Seems like a ridiculously short lifespan for the investment, compared to stock bulbs. Why can't they make them to be more long lasting?

Derek, I also could use better lighting in wet conditions, but I won't replace bulbs yearly. However, I might do an OEM replacement in the spring, I've read bulbs will dim with age. Maybe a fresh oem set will be a decent improvement.

As mentioned back in August, ours are still running strong in the lows and fogs on the Jeep. We got the Silverstar Ultras

Quote :

I just don't understand why they have such a high failure rate, or preceived as high? Seems like a ridiculously short lifespan for the investment, compared to stock bulbs. Why can't they make them to be more long lasting?

I think it's packaging and the pricing. The bulbs are the same size, yet they burn 30W hotter than stock. That heat takes a toll. For the price of $35/pair, the Eurolights could be made better at a higher cost, but that's about as much as I'd want to pay.

$35.00 / 364 days < 10 cents per day

I guess I got lucky.
I put Silverstar Ultras in the Park Ave. 3 years ago when I bought the car, and they are still going strong.
If they go out now they are my son's problem.

Hmmm., maybe I could do a switcheroo between my car and his while he's sleeping till Noon on a Saturday.

Naw.

How much $$ are the HID kits I've read about on here?
For about $40 per bulb PIAA makes a bulb that burns cooler, uses less wattage yet puts out more lumens. I have one of their Xtreme White Plus bulbs in one of my bikes and makes a huge difference in nightime visibilty. Put it in a couple of years ago with no problems yet.
The stock one for the bike is 55w and the PIAA is rated @ 55watts with an equivalent wattage rating as a 110watt.
I got this one for the bike at www.whitehorsegear.com it's a motorcycle supply catalog but I'm sure if someone did a little research there are other places to buy.
PIAA makes the what they call a Star White, Xtreme White Plus and an Ion Crystal. Each one gives off diferrent kinds/amount of light.
I've been thinking about looking for the size that fits the low beams from PIAA or the HID's if there not too awfully expensive. Edit: PIAA site = http://www.piaa.com/home-html.html
Low beam is 9006, High beam is 9005

One of my Silverstars just burnt out. It lasted three years I think. Very bright, but I don't know what to go with next.