Sylvania Silverstar Lights
 

Does anyone have any expierence with the Sylvania Silverstar lights before I buy them? I heard that if you run lights with a higher temperature then stock you can possibly burn your headlights? The Silverstars run at 4000k and the standard halogens run at 3200k,does this really matter to the point where it should be a concern?

Hi,

The Main issue is the reflectors built inside the Headlight case. If it gets too hot in there (and they are poorly ventilated), the heat will deform the reflectors and you'll never be able to properly aim the Headlights. It's not so much an issue of the Temp of the Bulbs as it is the Build-up of heat inside the Case(s). Plus, the problem is progressive, that is, the deformation occurs slowly over time.

Personally, I wouldn't do it. The gain you'd get with these bulbs would not, IMHO, be significant enough to warrant the risk...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I'll respectfully disagree with Jim on this one. The color temperature and the heat generated by the bulb are two completely separate things. Color temperature is a measure of the frequency of the light, heat is measured by the wattage output.

The Sylvania Silver Stars are a perfectly fine addition to the Boxster. I've used them in all my none HID vehicles ever since they were introduced with absolutely zero problems.

For some info...
http://www.xclusivecar.com/Auto_101.htm#See%20Where%20Youre%20Going,%20Not%20 Where%20Youve%20Been...
Click on LIGHTING
:cheers:

Hey,

You're absolutely correct on this one... late night BrainFart by me I'm afraid. Thanks for the clarification...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I've been using them for the last 6 months, no problems at all....They are brighter and whiter thats for sure! ;)

I have them in my Box 2001S. They are much brighter and whiter! Huge difference compared to the normal halogens. Absolutely no sign of heat build up.

I highly recommend them!

I've had them in for 1-2 years now with no problems and much better light than stock. Not as good as xenon or litronic, but waaaaay less $$$$. :cheers:

HI,

Something I ran across on the Miata Board which I repost here merely as a Caveat to those considering these lights. It appears, direct from Sylvania, that you should plan on an annual expense of $40-$50 if you switch to these lights.

I am not advocating that you don't use them - you may find it a good Trade-Off, I'm simply passing along this consumer information.

Direct from the Lister:

Sylvania Silverstar
[1/23/2005] Reviewed by: Earl Muray - emurray@charter.net
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter

Silverstare 9003 replacement headlight bulbs.

Great light output and color. Bought in Dec '03. Both suffered broken filaments in Oct '04. Same experience with Sylvania Cool Blue bulbs. $20 bulbs

Complained to Sylvania. Got the following Reply: Thank you for your inquiry, and please accept my apologies for any inconvenience the failure of these SilverStars may have caused you. Due to the performance of the SilverStar, it does have the shortest life of any of our product upgrades. The shorter life span is directly related to the performance nature of the lamps. The blue absorption coating on the glass contributes to the crisp white light emitted, but also traps heat inside the capsule, causing the filament to burn out more quickly, thus decreasing the life. As with most high performance products, there is a trade-off between the higher performance and the life hours, unfortunately. The SilverStar product works harder (not burns hotter, however) to give the whiter, brighter light and this impacts the life hours. The life expectancy of a SilverStar halogen light source is dependent on the driver's use of the lights, which vary by season, time of day and number of miles driven. We estimate the SilverStar halogen light! s to have a life span of up to one year under average driving conditions. The life of the SilverStar is further decreased if being used in a day-time running light application. Note: Expect one year of life. Headlight bulbs have become a consumable like air filters

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

All lamps (light bulbs) have a temperature rating in Kelvin which relates to the color of a flame at that same temperaure. If you look at the flame from a lighter you'll see that it's blue/white at the center (hottest) and gets progressively orange as you move out (cooler).

Interestingly, the color of lamp generally has no correlation to the amount of light (lumens). However, it can dramatically affect the perception of brightness. Most people find bluer or whiter light to be brighter than orange even when both produce the same amount of light.

i bought some lights from ebay for about $13.00 plus shipping and they were way better than stock. they have some what of a blue look to them not ricey but more of a xenon look. the brand was eurodesigns

There's a bit of info about this in this thread also:

http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/2517-lookalike-litronics.html

silverstar experience
 

Been using them for a year, no problem. Had thought about the litronics, but the folks at Eurocarwerk in Houston (who I've come to trust) said for the money, you cannot beat the Silverstars in the Boxster.

SilverStar Bulbs
 

You can use whatever type of bulb you like as long as it is an H7 with 55 watts output. An H7 with 100 watts output will probably help melt your reflectors and or light housing.
The color temperature (4000k vs. 3200k) only shows the whiteness of the light.