I recently installed low beam Silverstars in my 99 Accord sedan, and they are not even as bright as the stock low beams. I was wondering if any of you have had the same result with these bulbs. The illumination is actually comparable to the fogged up headlights on the 93 ford escort i used to drive...which is really sad. My headlight housing seems to be fine, so i dont think its due to those.

Any info would be appreciated

 

Totally opposite from my experience.
I consider them the best bang/buck item available for headlamps short of H.I.D.'s (if you can find a legal set).
I took a few hours and installed PIAA super whites on one side and Silverstars on the other on my '97SE and could not pick out any discernible difference.
You may have other issues.

P

 

i had silverstars before i got HID, and it was a bit brighters and whiter than stock

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by P_Adams &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">short of H.I.D.'s (if you can find a legal set). </TD></TR></TABLE>
technically there's no such thing as a legal set of HID's on a car that did not come equipped with them from the factory

 

i have nokya hyper whites and they are bright and i can see the road great. had them for 6 months now with no problems

 

I had MTEC's off of eBay, they lasted 2 years. My stock low beams were 55W, the eBay bulbs were 80W. Huge difference, and they were only 12.00 for the pair. Silverstars are a rip at like 25.00 each. They're just bulbs, what are they....made of Platinum?! I'd just assume do a Xenon retrofit kit for 200-300 and call it good.

 

instad of getting the one for the low just get the high and dremel out the tab inside the light blub and you'll be good. you'll be able to see the road better than the low one since they don't have a cap at the front.

 

i had the Sylvania Silverstars for less than a year and they burn out ... it didnt last long at all, i switch back to oem and it last me 2 yrs and still going

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by notoriousB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
technically there's no such thing as a legal set of HID's on a car that did not come equipped with them from the factory</TD></TR></TABLE>

I heard that 7000k and 8000k weren't legal, but they don't look much different from my gs 400 lex.... So I have 8000k on my 03 cpe. I had to re-aim them though. Because they don't have the cut-off that oem / retro-fit's have I just had to aim them down a bit. They still look good and lights up the ground great!!!! 8000k I think is a mixture of both color and light. Anything over that, then your really losing light output and gaining color. Those I think are illegal.

 

Does this mean i could just remove the caps on my low beams instead?


Thanks for the replies everyone. Anybody have any suggestions on what I should do in this situation? I've also tried some generic bulbs i got from ebay, but they have the same result. The only information i have that may be related is that my headlight housings are aftermarket pieces.

 

I too had the silverstars installed prior to the install of my ECE HID retrofit. They were a bit brighter then stock

Also took this fromanother forum so Im not sure of it's validity regarding HID's

SEMA Prevails on Motor Vehicle Lighting Rule; NHTSA Alters Interpretation on Enhanced Replacement Headlamp Systems

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2005--Following a challenge by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has withdrawn a controversial interpretation of the federal lighting standard. SEMA disputed NHTSA's constitutional and statutory authority to prohibit vehicle headlamp replacement systems that are different than the headlamps and components which came with the original vehicle. The agency's latest action reverses this ruling.


In a Nov. 1, 2005, notice published in the Federal Register, NHTSA agreed with SEMA that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 is a performance standard that allows for different types of replacement headlamp systems, lamps and sources so long as the system meets the photometry and functionality requirements of the standard. It had been NHTSA's contention that replacement headlamps must comply with all applicable photometry requirements using the same light source as the original equipment. This interpretation would have prohibited, for example, replacing a halogen-based system with high-intensity discharge (HID) headlamps that otherwise meet all requirements of FMVSS 108.

"NHTSA's reversal is wholly consistent with the statutory requirement that replacement lighting equipment meet an objective performance standard. We applaud the agency for issuing this revised ruling," said SEMA President and CEO Chris Kersting. "A policy limiting the consumer's choice of design runs contrary to long-standing precedent, is beyond authority as delegated by Congress and could have threatened other equipment beyond lighting in the future. We are pleased that by acting on our members' behalf, we were able to overturn this policy."

NHTSA first issued its controversial interpretation in 2003 as a draft opinion letter subject to public comment. None of the 25 organizations and businesses that commented agreed with NHTSA's proposal that replacement equipment conform to the standard in the same manner as the original equipment. Instead, commenters argued that aftermarket manufacturers should be allowed to certify replacement lighting equipment under FMVSS No. 108 in such manner as complies with the performance standard it sets forth. Despite these recommendations, NHTSA stuck with its position and published a final opinion letter in October 2004. SEMA immediately petitioned the agency to reconsider its action.

"SEMA continues to stand for the right to responsibly accessorize, modify, and improve vehicles with enhanced aftermarket lighting," said SEMA Chairman Mitch Williams. "Enhanced headlamp lighting systems improve safety aspects of the vehicle and can be fully compliant with all relevant federal standards. SEMA vigorously opposed this interpretation of a long-standing regulation. It threatened to inhibit many legitimate companies who are in the business of improving vehicle lighting to the benefit of the motoring public. SEMA welcomes NHTSA's reversal and will continue to work with the agency to ensure fair and accurate implementation of this new interpretation."

Founded in 1963, SEMA represents the $32 billion specialty automotive industry of 6,466 member companies. It is the authoritative source for research, data, trends and market growth information for automakers and the specialty auto products industry. The industry provides appearance, performance, comfort, convenience and technology products for passenger and recreational vehicles. For more information contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765-0910; call 909-396-0289; or visit http://www.sema.org and http://www.enjoythedrive.com"

 

Thank you for that update (it now resides as a "Word.doc" on my computer as reference).
and i'd like to say

"WAY TO GO SEMA !!! "

P

 

I had a 4th gen, now I have a 7th gen. I didn't see anything wrong with the stock headlights on either (they lit up the road pretty good). What are you guys trying to do? Blind everyone that crosses your path. I just don't see the need.

 

Make sure someone did not switch the bulbs in the pack.
I had this kidd tell me how he switched bulbs and glued the pack back.

However I retro-fitted my one piece projectors with two hella ballasts, projectors, machined housings and D2R bulbs. Oh, H3 running lights.
a little money and a little time.

 

i like the silverstar, but since i got my e46 retro done. i'm loving it. since i got the retro and now my eyes are adjusted to it i think i want something brigher and a little bit more color at the cutoff.

 

Along with your retrofit... Did you add HID's?
I have Ballasts on my high and low beams.
Nothing compares.
A friend of mine also has LEDs for running lights and brake lights.

 

I have silverstars in my 2000 Accord, and I love them. They are much brighter than stock, and also much whiter. It's nice not to have the same yellowish lights that everyone does. You should install them on your high beams too, and then you'll realize how much brighter they are. As for the people that say they burnt out quickly or broke or something, you need to be careful not to touch the bulb when you are installing them because the oil from your fingers will cause them to burst when they get hot. Also, silverstars are intended for a car with stock suspension. If your car is lowered and stiff suspended, it may cause the filament to break in the bulb if it is bounced around for too long. By the way, someone said something about how it's better to get a higher wattage on your bulb so they are brighter....well it's not. The wiring harness behind your bulbs can burn out because of this. It wasn't intended to handle that much voltage above the stock bulbs wattage. Oh, and don't bother with "Projector" headlamps because they really don't project anything, and make your lighting worse. As for Silverstars, I think they are the best affordable upgrade from stock that you can get.

 

i have also read this article. I wanna see more.

 

I have all silverstars (Low and High Beam, and the turn signals). I noticed the change as soon as I turned on the headlights, a cleaner brighter light. Then everytime I drive someone elses car, and they drive mine, they are usually behind me and I see how the lights have a slight blue tint to them, and the further the car is away, the harder it is to tell if its actual H.I.D's or bulbs. Two thumbs up for these bulbs

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Slowdriver &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i had the Sylvania Silverstars for less than a year and they burn out .... </TD></TR></TABLE>
There's going to be a tendency for Silverstars to burn out more quickly than regular bulbs because they are still conventional halogen bulbs, so the only way to get the whiter, brighter light is to burn hotter.

Some people think this is worth the price, some people don't.

I had some in the EP3 before I went with the EP3 CTR Xenon OEM lights, and those Silverstars burned out too quickly to suite me. A friend, however, has them in his EP3 and they're still doing just fine, close to a year later.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RMRf23 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has withdrawn a controversial interpretation of the federal lighting standard. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I noticed that in Virginia (which is quite strict sometimes, about any number of things) you can get a state inspection with no hassle at all with the German CTR Xenon lights on your EP3. These are proper left hand drive lights, and they do say "Honda" in any number of places.

So I know you can get a state inspection with at least some kinds of Xenon conversions.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PhukaDonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Along with your retrofit... Did you add HID's?
I have Ballasts on my high and low beams.
Nothing compares.
A friend of mine also has LEDs for running lights and brake lights.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea, I retro a e46 hid projector into my housing.

 

I was going to ask if you actually had the proper left-hand drive lights, or if you were using some sort of Japanese/UK spec lights. Kudos to you for doing it correctly. Do they sweep up nicely to the right side?

I've often wondered about the headlights on my old Bimmer, since I've put in the Cibie (E3/France) headlamps and if they'd pass inspection if I were to try and sell the car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mike P. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Do they sweep up nicely to the right side?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes, there's a nice flare on the right making it very easy to read road signs. I can recommend them to anyone with an EP3 who can find the German CTR Xenon lights.

They even come with the motors already attached to adjust the lights from inside the cabin. User "Ocelaris" knows how to set up the switch inside the cabin to do this.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've often wondered about the headlights on my old Bimmer, since I've put in the Cibie (E3/France) headlamps and if they'd pass inspection if I were to try and sell the car.</TD></TR></TABLE>
There's a chance, if they actually say "BMW" somewhere on them.