Why are my Lo Beams burning out?

[df2x4]

No problem! The real credit belongs to @shovelbill for making this thread, where we proceeded to nerd out on this stuff for 200+ pages.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/spyder-headlamps-my-take-on-em-and-lighting-in-general.36647/

 

[Frank Enstein]

Any "blue" on the glass inline with the filament will not only reduce output but the "bluer/whiter" light actually focuses in front of the retina making everything fuzzy and overly reflective on road signs further reducing visibility.

Also the 4HI mod has too much foreground light reducing downrange vision because the retinas contract reducing the amount of light (vision) that is allowed to enter the eyes.

Now with our trucks turning the lows off with the high beam is great in the summer (the alternator will thank you as well) but in heavy snowfall the highs can get snow covered and when you hit the highs you effectively go blind!

So I pull the relay that makes the 4 HI go in the summer but put it back in in the winter!

I always keep an extra relay and like to have extra bulbs for low and high beams onboard as well (admittedly a bit more difficult with 4 glass headlamps).

I would put one low and one high in the fancy plastic box the pair of crappy blue painted 9006 bulbs came in. When the paint burned off I had much better vision!

See https://www.danielsternlighting.com/ and https://www.candlepowerforums.com/ for WAY too much extra info on the subject!

 

[someotherguy]

A few weeks ago I replaced both low beams in my stepdaughter's Subaru; she'd been driving around on high beams because the dealer had quoted her friend (w/same model) an ungodly amount to replace them. "Got to take the bumper off and blah blah blah"... nah..

Anyway so I go to the hassle of peeling back the fender liners, turn/knock the bulb covers off, and unclip the bulbs and get 'em out, and they're... Silverstar "ZXE gold" or whatever. Blue bulbs, gold caps, they're like $75 a pair in H7. Replaced with regular ol' halogen "Xtravision" without the gimmickry (clear glass, 1571 lumens, 3200k color temp - basically a stock bulb.) About an hour of cussing and scraping up the arms, and $35 for the pair of bulbs.

Felt weird having a Subie in the garage.. hope to not make a habit of it.

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By the way take a look at the expected life in hours on the various Sylvania halogens - all specs given are from the 9006 since that's low beams for a GMT400:

Clear halogen 1000 lumen / 1000 hr / 3200k / $28/pair
Xtravision 1000 lumen / 850 hr / 3200k / $35/pair
Silverstar 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4000k / $48/pair
Silverstar Ultra 1000 lumen / 300 hr / 4100k / $55/pair
Silverstar ZXE 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4200k / $64/pair
Silverstar ZXE Gold 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4200k / $75/pair

Once you take a moment to read the specs, short lifespan on those Silverstars really shouldn't surprise anyone. Even Sylvania doesn't seem to think much of them, other than what they charge.

Richard

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Very interesting about the SilverStar. Especially since we drive the Burb a lot at night with the shorter days now .... I'll post up if the one I put in it in early September conks out anytime soon. And I got one for the driver's side low beam to change soon, since the ones the replacement headlight lens assemblies came with are the same age. Might not have been the brightest bulbs, but they've lasted for 3 1/2 years....

 

[454cid]

A few weeks ago I replaced both low beams in my stepdaughter's Subaru...

I had no idea you had a kid.

Felt weird having a Subie in the garage.. hope to not make a habit of it.

The idea of a Subaru sounds nice..... 4wd off-road-ish car, but then I hear that some of thier weirdo flat engines have issues.

Clear halogen 1000 lumen / 1000 hr / 3200k / $28/pair
Xtravision 1000 lumen / 850 hr / 3200k / $35/pair
Silverstar 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4000k / $48/pair
Silverstar Ultra 1000 lumen / 300 hr / 4100k / $55/pair
Silverstar ZXE 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4200k / $64/pair
Silverstar ZXE Gold 1000 lumen / 200 hr / 4200k / $75/pair

Once you take a moment to read the specs, short lifespan on those Silverstars really shouldn't surprise anyone. Even Sylvania doesn't seem to think much of them, other than what they charge.

Richard

Wow, I had no idea they were THAT much. I bought mine years ago, and I don't recall what I paid for them, but I don't think it was that expensive. Mine are probably the "original" Silverstars. I think I still have one, because I only installed one. My passenger side mounting bracket has a stripped bolt or something on it, and I think I was under the impression that I had to remove it, or somesuch non-sense. If I'm carefull, I can get my hand in there without removing the battery.

Maybe I should try selling my original Silverstar as "vintage".

I see they are all 1000 lumens...

 

[GoToGuy]

Yeah put the silverstars in 95 i liked the brighter white than the original. But after so many years i think there ageing out. I have a set of those uber EXE bulbs hmmm.. It does say because these bulbs are much brighter they have shorter service life. Robbing peter to pay paul.

 

[Dariusz Salomon]

So what headlight assemblies did you buy to go with the HIR's?

None-look at the drawing-you just clip a bit of 9012's tab-just one-and that was it. They fit right in-I'm on my old composites. They already are in rather "used"condition and beyond polishing out so if hirs will ever damage them(some say they might) I don't care.

 

[alpinecrick]

They already are in rather "used"condition and beyond polishing out so if hirs will ever damage them(some say they might) I don't care.

Aha! There's almost always a trade off with our "upgrades".......
Where I live in the Rockies rocks are flying up from other vehicles on the road often. Also, new windshields will soon be "peppered" with tiny divots from wind blown sand/pebbles thrown up by vehicles. Three new windshields in my trucks/vans in the last two years, and e very one of them are now cracked. Composite lens take hits better than glass, which is why I stay with them rather than buy the Spider glass headlight assemblies.
Thanks Salomon for the info!

 

[Pinger]

Iv heard other people say they have a 3 relay headlight harness, I only have 2. one for just the low beams and one that triggers the low beams back on with the high beams. what's the 3rd for?

One is for the low beam on its own. The other two take their signal from the high beam and switch on high and low beams. That coupled pair is independent of the solo one for low so that low can be switched on independently without bringing on the highs.

I've heard - though I don't know if it is true - that 'brighter' bulbs are brighter because they have thinner filaments and thus fail sooner. My experience of such bulbs is very short life.

For brighter, I go to 100W bulbs for the high beams (but not on the 'Burb) wired through a relay and be careful that they are only on when in motion to keep them cool. They don't blind oncoming traffic as they are then switched off - same as with any high beam bulb.

 

[alpinecrick]

Any "blue" on the glass inline with the filament will not only reduce output but the "bluer/whiter" light actually focuses in front of the retina making everything fuzzy and overly reflective on road signs further reducing visibility.

Also the 4HI mod has too much foreground light reducing downrange vision because the retinas contract reducing the amount of light (vision) that is allowed to enter the eyes.

Now with our trucks turning the lows off with the high beam is great in the summer (the alternator will thank you as well) but in heavy snowfall the highs can get snow covered and when you hit the highs you effectively go blind!

So I pull the relay that makes the 4 HI go in the summer but put it back in in the winter!

I always keep an extra relay and like to have extra bulbs for low and high beams onboard as well (admittedly a bit more difficult with 4 glass headlamps).

I would put one low and one high in the fancy plastic box the pair of crappy blue painted 9006 bulbs came in. When the paint burned off I had much better vision!

See https://www.danielsternlighting.com/ and https://www.candlepowerforums.com/ for WAY too much extra info on the subject!

Frank,
As I mentioned I had the SilverStar Ultra's in both my 96 and 97 before I installed the Painless wiring upgrade and 4hi mod. The 4 hi upgrade definitely help my 64 year old eyes see down the road and to the sides. As our eyes age they cannot dilate as much as when we are younger, so more and cleaner light is more better in most cases.