I just pulled the OEM Sylvania standard bulds out and put in some of their Silver Star Ultra's that I picked fairly cheap. I usually don't have good life expectancy with these Silver Star lights from past experience in my last 2-3 vehicles so want to try some Phillips X-Treme Vision. Just from others point of view, anyone have good/bad words for these, especially in the 9008/H13 version? Oh and since I'm the 2nd owner, also found that the PO had broken a $40 light socket and lost a headlight assembly mounting bolt (possibly against Bambi that Carfax says he encountered) dammit!!!!!

 

Surprise!! No responses, good or otherwise

Looks like I'll be the 'test dummy' for these headlights - they'll be ordered today through AMAZON.

I'll try to remember to eventually post the results once they have been used a few nights and maybe guide some other folks that are unhappy with the OEM candles.

 

Thanks for being a guinea pig, I have wanted to upgrade on past vechicles but am just to tight to change out perfectly good bulbs. If you have good results I may need to loosen up the strings a little.:-)

 

I'm interested in your results too. Had the Silver Star in mine too, but they don't last long. I ended up sticking the OEM bulb back in when it burned out since I had it still around.

 

As far as being tight - while I'm half Irish, the other half is Scottish. I have short arms but very deep pockets and seldom can reach the bottom where the bucks lie resting.

I just punched the 'buy' button on AMAZON so it will be a couple weeks or more before I get them in and some use.

 

[QUOTE=Irelands child;14748754]As far as being tight - while I'm half Irish, the other half is Scottish. I have short arms but very deep pockets and seldom can reach the bottom where the bucks lie resting.

Amen

 

As a note; Almost all bulbs claiming higher output will give shorter life. The wattage, being regulated, has caused bulb makers to be creative with the filament and glass to increase lumes. While the type of filament seams to be the most tampered with in terms of higher output. Color of glass tends to have a lesser effect on total lumes, but can give the driver greater perception. HID at our highest allowed give violent amounts of light and life. At great cost tho. Best wishes.

 

All headlight bulbs have a finite life. I'm looking to find one with greater output (3000-4000K) with a good compromise between light output and that life. While I've found through personal experience plus doing some internet searching that while the Sylvania Silver Star line have great light output, their life expectancy leaves something to be desired. I'm trying the Phillips as a change, hopefully for the better. Heck, even the Phillips home light bulbs seem to last longer then Sylvanias and GE's. As far as HID's - if Ford has installed them in any future truck or car of mine, then I'll use 'em, but most of the after market Chinese made kits aren't worth the big bucks for my needs. Other owners - if they are happy with their HID kits, so be it.

 

Quick update.
I installed the Phillips bulbs in my truck yesterday along with a new $40 light socket for the RH side. Only driven a very short distance so far but have to say that they are a bunch better then the OEM Sylvanias and a bit better then the interim Silver Stars. This is a very easy changeout on these SD trucks - pull the grille - it's 4 bolts across the top of the radiator splash shield, 5 tabs that need to be compressed on the bottom then 4 bolts for each light assembly. The project would have taken 15-20 minutes had that new socket not been needed to be soldered in. Tools - 10mm socket and a long screw driver. You can only adjust the up/down alignment with a long Phillips screwdriver - sideways, no adjusters

Now, and today as a comparison, my wife had been complaining about the poor headlights in her 2012 Fusion. That's a change out I don't wish on an enemy. The LH side, relatively easy - pull the air cleaner box out of the engine compartment and dig in. RH side - Ford says pull the fender splash shield - didn't work except to pull the socket out of the assembly. Ford in their wisdom didn't leave enough wire slack to work with one hand from underneath. I had to pull the radiator puke tank and do it all from above. In this case I used Wagner BPH7BLX and BPH11BLX BriteLites from Rock Auto and quite frankly, think they are almost as good as the Phillips and for about 15 bucks a pair less

 

That's not bad on my wife's malibu you have to pull the bumper off to change the light bulb. They changed it on the '13's. But from '08-'12 same deal not even a 30 min job once you know where everything is but is still a dumb design.

 

The mfrs use bulbs with LL (long life) in the part number. Unfortunately that means a heavy filament and ppoor light output

 

I have the Phillips Extreme, put in a month or so ago. Unfortunately can't tell you much about longevity or brightness. I have done very little night driving with the days relatively long still (but due to change soon).

I do run with my lights on in the daytime on the highway. I want to be SEEN and people apparently cannot see a 250 in broad daylight. I mean people pull right smack out in front of me on a daily basis. I certainly get to test my brakes frequently. My brother in law found out the worst way just 3 days ago. Totaled a very nice F 150 with only a few broken ribs and air bag burns. The driver of the other vehicle faired MUCH worse.

A slight digression from the OP but PLEASE drive safely out there. The roads are full inept and/or inattentive drivers. Cell phone use and increasingly complicated dash controls really compound the problem!

 

Digressions (hijacks) often make threads much better and more fun.

My last truck was an F350 with roof lights as well as the usual Lariat mirror lights. That put, I believe 14 or 15 lights you could see from the front while the '11 F250 has 5 less with no roof lights. It's amazing how many people just don't see a well lit and huge (24 feet long) vehicle. I almost ran over a Ford Flex on Saturday where the driver was fooling with a cell phone while pulling out of his driveway - so yes, the ABS does chatter well. Then there are the idiots in Prius's that brake check you after you almost hit them when they pull out directly in front of you - of course to teach you a lesson about your big carbon footprint.

You got me going on one of my pet peeves so I hijacked my own thread.

Yes, I try to use my headlights during the day as well!!