Short Lifetime Sylvania Silver Stars

[BBCB]

Last summer I installed Kennedy's wiring harness - big difference. The following month, finances allowed for the installation of Sylvania Silver Star's - based on suggestions here on the DP. The difference between them and the OEM bulbs was like night & day. Now the wife enjoys driving the burb @ night too.

The problem is that they don't seem to last very long - I just lost the pass side again yesterday. This would be the 4th bulb in about the year they've been in the truck.

Before you ask - NO, I don't touch the bulbs, and yes, they tic-tock back and forth with burn-outs - so no side is preferred for going dark. As this is the wife's main ride, DRL is enabled so the lights do see usage whenever the truck is on the road.

Ideas?

Don't get me wrong - I like the Silver Stars, the "whiteness" of the light they put out make it a pleasure to drive at night, but I've better things to do than change bulbs every 3 months.


In advance, Thanks!

BBCB
Hou-TX

[catmandoo]

tell me about it,had some in for maybe at the most 3 weeks and i don't drive much at night and one went out.i'd say it had actual working time of maybe 1 1/2 hours at most,what a piece of junk.got rid of em and went back to the old bulbs and not a problem since.keeps me off the road at nite,and around here the deer are so thick you don't want to be out there anyway.

[Kennedy]

I'm not a fan of Sylvania, and have found the Phillips Premium to perform equally as well, and are of better quality. I do believe that the Xenon gas shortens the life as they "burn" hotter.

One other thing that I have found is that the older DRL setup seems to be excessively hard on the bulbs as they are now on full voltage, AND subject to the nasty voltage spikes and dips of the glow plug cycles. I pulled the fuse for the DRL's on my '96 and found that the bulb life was much better.

[pannhead]

i got em and have had the same ones in for over a year and love em...you may want to make sure your bulb housings are sealed real well...do you notice any condensation inside ?

[JoeyD]

I will back the DRL as a bad thing when the life of the lamps is concerned. I pulled the fuse at the dealer when I bought my truck and have not touched the bulbs yet.