Brighter than stock headlight bulb for 2002 Jetta

[Joe_Meehan]

.. just recently finished a rant in antoher thread explaining ohm's law and how it's impossible for one 55 w bulb to emit more light than another 55 w bulb..

It is easy to do so. A prime example are photoflood lamps. They are like 4-8 times brighter than normal lamps. Of course there is a price to pay. They last only a few hours. On the other side you can take a couple of lights and wire then in series and they will last many times longer than their design life, because they will be getting have the voltage (like 60 volts each rather than 120 volts each). They will burn a lot dimmer and longer.

In standard lamp design life and output are traded off against each other.

http://www.answers.com/topic/photoflood-lamp

 

[Joe_Meehan]

Edit: Ok I guess I got my wattage question answered from two posts up. Would someone show me where to buy cheap but good/blue/white/whatever.... bulbs?

Easy. Buy the OEM equivalent lamp at WallMart. If you don't mind paying 50¢ each extra the auto parts store should have them.

You never will know how much is too much unless you go too much and like your bright light experiment, that does now work out too well.

 

[roadhard1960]

Note that some lamp manufacturers mention uv coating for plastic lenses. My first lenses lasted 5 years without getting fuzzy. I use brand name lamps. I changed to Ecodes a year ago and fussed at the vendor as he sent some cheap chinese bulbs. I went to the auto parts store and got some Sylvanias in original wattage and no silly light reducing blue tint.

 

[Blue_Hen_TDI]

HIR bulbs may be an option if they have them in the right size for the Jetta. I put them in my Accord and they are great. 50 to 75% brighter with same wattage/amperage and heat output and no modification of the headlight housing needed. It's a GE patent produced by Toshiba.

http://hirheadlights.com/

FWIW, I bought mine from the local John Deere store. They stock them for an HIR light bar used on farm equipment.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

http://www.myhellalights.com/bulbs/Hella_High_Performance_Xenon_Blue_Bulbs.html

there are some "offroad only" bulbs in there that I have run for a while. (2 years) I've never had a problem with wiring or fuses or relays.

Which part number (from that list) are you using?

 

[WrEkkED]

I've had the next size up silverstars since December. I was really glad to have them in a few snow storms including that ice storm while driving back from FL.

Actually driving to Florida I hit a snow storm in PA also at night. Trust me, if you want to get a better bulb that is safe for stock, go with them. You won't be upset. Get the better ones too, the 50% better. The first set was better, but it was like eh I'd rather of payed 30$ less and had stock. I didn't feel it was worth the extra money. These other ones, def. worth the extra money. I think HID's are a waste as with these I see all that is to be seen. All that would be nice is to have 2 other smaller lights facing into the ditch.

Also, make sure for wire guage (if looking in the code) look at DC not AC.

 

[keggo]

Then you will burn the socket and housing.

False.

 

[MBoni]

Osram Nightbreaker is a good +90% bulb, and it looks like an online supplier is having a 20% off sale right now:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=236926

I put the Nightbreaker into my foglights about a week ago, it's noticeably brighter. I can't say 90% brighter, but it very well might be.

 

[Joe_Meehan]

False.

Are you willing to pay for the repairs if it happens to someone? It will not happen every time, but it has happened.

Anytime you subject a part to conditions beyond what it should expect, you should expect the unexpected.

 

[keggo]

Are you willing to pay for the repairs if it happens to someone? It will not happen every time, but it has happened.

Anytime you subject a part to conditions beyond what it should expect, you should expect the unexpected.

As with all modifications, those who do them take responsibility for the things they do to their cars. I'd like to see an example where a properly made relay harness has caused a a meltdown of the headlamp assembly. Has it happened to you? I'm very curious. Any situations that you might bring to my attention, I'd like to know as many details as possible. I'm not saying to put 100W bulbs in your headlight housings. Your stock bulbs (55/60) will achieve intended intensity, lifespan, and efficiency with a relay harness, especially on older vehicles.

My point is... there are things you do, that when done properly, prove to be very low risk to the wellbeing of you and your car.

 

[petersonpr]

Isn't Sylvanina the North American branding for Osram? If so, would'nt that make Sylvania SilverStars the same as Osram Nightbreakers?

On a side note, I installed the SilverStar Ultras this weekend and WOW what a difference from normal 9007's. I also plan on polishing my lens' when it gets warmer.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

Isn't Sylvanina the North American branding for Osram? If so, would'nt that make Sylvania SilverStars the same as Osram Nightbreakers?

On a side note, I installed the SilverStar Ultras this weekend and WOW what a difference from normal 9007's. I also plan on polishing my lens' when it gets warmer.

A lot of people seem to like those things; am I the ONLY naysayer?

 

[MBoni]

Isn't Sylvanina the North American branding for Osram? If so, would'nt that make Sylvania SilverStars the same as Osram Nightbreakers?

You are almost correct, Osram does own Sylvania. But both companies made a bulb marketed as the Silverstar, and the Osram one was slightly superior. Recently, I found a Sylvania Silverstar Ultra in PepBoys, and it's got the specs from the original Osram Silverstar. I think the Osram Silverstar finally arrived in the US, but was given the Ultra name to distinguish it from the original Sylvania one.

The Osram Nightbreaker is a good bit brighter than either Silverstar bulb, so it's yet another model.

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Incorrect... the euro version of the Osram Silverstar is a +50 bulb w/no blue coating whatsoever. The US versions of Sylvania Silverstars, whether plain or Ultra, are a blue coated bulb. The Sylvania SS is rated at 4100ºk and the Ultra @ 4300ºk. The uncoated Osram/Euro bulb is more like 3600ºk or so. Lots of confusion about Sylvania/Osram bulbs...

 

[keggo]

People have the general notion (and false at that) that the whiter the light, the higher the lumen output. It merely gives the things being lit up a "truer" color. Personally, when I purchase new bulbs (D2S) for my HID's, I'm going to get 3900K. Still a nice whiteness to them, but with greater output.

 

[79TA7.6]

Keggo, I thought that olmost every post that I read about HID was that 4300K was the closest to natural light that you could get. When do they start to look really yellow? The 6000K looks to be the whitest, but I have never seen any in person, this is al from pictures and from my good reading skills

 

[egibbys]

Ok so I have another question..... and yes I found these bulbs on ebay. Are these worth trying? Bulbs The reason I ask is they are cheap, claim to have a lifetime warranty, and I asked what the wattage was and they're 65/55W. So it's either these for $16 or the silverstar ultras for $23. This guy claims these are better than the silverstars.... So does anyone think they are worth a try?

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Ok so I have another question..... and yes I found these bulbs on ebay. Are these worth trying? Bulbs The reason I ask is they are cheap, claim to have a lifetime warranty, and I asked what the wattage was and they're 65/55W. So it's either these for $16 or the silverstar ultras for $23. This guy claims these are better than the silverstars.... So does anyone think they are worth a try?

You should probably spend some time reading over on Daniel Stern's site before you commit to buying some 'junk' bulbs off of eBay. I was looking last night under 'Xenon' and it's a minefield of false advertising.

www.danielsternlighting.com

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

You should probably spend some time reading over on Daniel Stern's site before you commit to buying some 'junk' bulbs off of eBay. I was looking last night under 'Xenon' and it's a minefield of false advertising.

www.danielsternlighting.com

Ebay, paypal, and, to a lesser extent, online shopping in general is a minefield. (I like your terminology.) I just got took for $35 this month. From now on, I won't do any business with an online retailer that can't accept my credit card directly.

I've made several purchases from ebay that simply were never delivered and, in reality, you have no recourse. PayPal transactions outside of ebay offer NO protections at all. You can always jump throgh a bunch of "dispute resolution" hoops but there is nothing that is enforceable on the seller; once they have your money, its their money with no obligation on their part to actually deliver your purchases.

Sorry for the rant. Back on topic, there are a lot of discussions here about how much crap and what poor quality those ebay headlights are.

 

[egibbys]

You should probably spend some time reading over on Daniel Stern's site before you commit to buying some 'junk' bulbs off of eBay. I was looking last night under 'Xenon' and it's a minefield of false advertising.

www.danielsternlighting.com

Thank you for that. That answered a lot of questions I had. Lots of reading, but totally worth the knowledge.

 

[MBoni]

I've made several purchases from ebay that simply were never delivered and, in reality, you have no recourse. PayPal transactions outside of ebay offer NO protections at all. You can always jump throgh a bunch of "dispute resolution" hoops but there is nothing that is enforceable on the seller; once they have your money, its their money with no obligation on their part to actually deliver your purchases.

Not strictly true. PayPal can suspend the account of a seller, blocking all further sales through that account. I had a problem a few years back where I ordered a motorcycle trailer, and had to dispute the transaction when it was not shipped. The seller apparently had some process problems, since they really thought it had been shipped, but a UPS tracking confirmation showed that it had never left the seller's warehouse. I did get my money back eventually, though there certainly were a number of hoops to hop through. Of course, a truly dishonest seller will simply disappear and create a new identity, but that's a different problem.

 

[keggo]

Quite true in the sense that 4300k approximately matches the color temp. of noontime sunlight. 6000k has a much "cooler" appearance, but the lumens are reduced by a pretty good amount. 4300k is the best all around I suppose, which is why vehicle manufacturers offer them as OE. As a note, as the bulbs age they shift in color to a higher color temp, thus cooling the appearance, as well as slightly diminishing the output. Of course, as with all bulbs, you'll need to replace them as part of your regular maintenance... though the interval for change is far longer with HID bulbs than with halogens or incandescents. Did I mention, I'm going to retrofit some kerosene lamps into my car? And for my taillights I'll just have an arrary of laser diodes (high powered I might add).

Keggo, I thought that almost every post that I read about HID was that 4300K was the closest to natural light that you could get. When do they start to look really yellow? The 6000K looks to be the whitest, but I have never seen any in person, this is all from pictures and from my good reading skills

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

Not strictly true. PayPal can suspend the account of a seller, blocking all further sales through that account...Of course, a truly dishonest seller will simply disappear and create a new identity, but that's a different problem.

Asked an answered.

For me, the bottom line is that, no matter what insignificant slap on the wrist that ebay or paypal can do to a seller, if you've lost your money, then the retailer wins, regardless if dishonesty is involved.

However, there are pitfalls to buying online with your credit card, the biggest one being that I have never heard of anyone successfully disputing a transaction and actually having the charges reversed; invariably, the credit card companies always side with the retailer, not the purchaser.

However, in my most recent $35 paypal ride, there is a happy ending in that the retailer, out of "the kindness of his heart," has agreed to a refund. So I suppose that there is a first time for everything.

 

[79TA7.6]

I had someone "tap" into my paypal account and pay someone else for something tha tI never bought. I check my account every couple of days whether I am using it or not. Paypal froze my account for about 2 days while they disputed the claim, refunded my money, and all was well. All I had to do was tell them about it and they took care of the rest. Pretty painless I thought.

All of this I think is way off topic though, sorry.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

I had someone "tap" into my paypal account and pay someone else for something tha tI never bought. I check my account every couple of days whether I am using it or not. Paypal froze my account for about 2 days while they disputed the claim, refunded my money, and all was well. All I had to do was tell them about it and they took care of the rest. Pretty painless I thought.

I suppose in cases of blatantly criminal activity they must not have a choice or something. Although, one of the things that I have done is I have stripped my checking account from paypal and have only a credit card with a very small limit as my funding source.

All of this I think is way off topic though, sorry.

You know, I think that topics of threads here meander like an old river. (especially when I'm around...coincidence?) =) At least this diversion is somewhat pleasant compared to many others.

 

[DEZLBOY]

I second using Dan Stern. He knows his stuff and won't BS you. Send him an email. I've bought headlight bulbs and brake light bulbs from him. I don't recall what my headlight bulbs are at the moment. But it's a European brand...

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Well, I just looked at the ad on eBay and the claims made are common ones made by many other sellers of 'magic' bulbs. At $13 a pair, go ahead and buy them and report back your findings... I've probably bought worse. Lifetime warranty, now that's a good one. At $5 plus S&H to the customer, I can't imagine what they're paying for them.

This kind of stuff reminds me of the vendor tents you find at swap-meets where they're selling stuff like car amps putting out 2000w by mfg's with names you can't pronounce all in a package the size of a pack of cigarettes. Regardless, buy them if you must and see for yourself if these are the 'cats-meow'. I gotta tell you though, these guys didn't...

http://www.epinions.com/msg/show_~threads/cat_id_~3/id_~5738/forum_id_~124

BTW, the good stuff on Daniel Stern's site is here...
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

 

[egibbys]

Well, I just looked at the ad on eBay and the claims made are common ones made by many other sellers of 'magic' bulbs. At $13 a pair, go ahead and buy them and report back your findings... I've probably bought worse. Lifetime warranty, now that's a good one. At $5 plus S&H to the customer, I can't imagine what they're paying for them.

This kind of stuff reminds me of the vendor tents you find at swap-meets where they're selling stuff like car amps putting out 2000w by mfg's with names you can't pronounce all in a package the size of a pack of cigarettes. Regardless, buy them if you must and see for yourself if these are the 'cats-meow'. I gotta tell you though, these guys didn't...

http://www.epinions.com/msg/show_~threads/cat_id_~3/id_~5738/forum_id_~124

BTW, the good stuff on Daniel Stern's site is here...
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulbs.html

Well I after I read Daniel Stern's site I decided not to go with those blue bulbs on eBay. Good thing too, I was looking for other people’s reviews on these bulbs. Thanks for that link. Well this may contradict a little but I did go with the Silverstar Ultras. For $23 I decided what the heck. They are a name I have heard of and have good and bad reviews. Plus I have my DRL's disabled to they won't be running all the time. Maybe they can last a while. haha. I'm just excited that I will have high beams again.

 

[FL2AK-tdi]

Thanks for posting the Daniel Sterns link, it was just what I was looking for.

This pretty much sums up what I've been trying to say:

BOTTOM LINE: The laws of physics are the laws of physics. They don't bend even for the highest-paid advertising agency. There is no way to get "85 watts of light for 55 watts of electricity."

Color Temperature rating is really valid only at extremely high light intensity, such as that produced by the sun. At the lower intensities produced by most electric lamps including headlamps, the rating no longer says much about the light, but only allows a limited, referential comparison of different light colors.

PS, what is the part number for our headlights?

 

[FlyTDI Guy]

Well I after I read Daniel Stern's site I decided not to go with those blue bulbs on eBay. Good thing too, I was looking for other people’s reviews on these bulbs. Thanks for that link. Well this may contradict a little but I did go with the Silverstar Ultras. For $23 I decided what the heck. They are a name I have heard of and have good and bad reviews. Plus I have my DRL's disabled to they won't be running all the time. Maybe they can last a while. haha. I'm just excited that I will have high beams again.

Actually, I'm running them as we speak. I don't have big problems w/coated bulbs from reputable manufacturers. It's a matter of degree. If you check the Sylvania Cool Blues, SilverStar and Ultra-SilverStar, the coating is very light and nearly transparent. I've seen many much heavier than this (PIAA). In clear conditions, the 'whiter' white is kind of nice. Part of me wants to like that. The only thing that I have read and personally observed is that in wet conditions, the whiter light scatters more easily and is actually worse. There's a reason for the 'old world' yellow fogs, they work. Lower temperature lighting (3000k-3600k) lights are better for rainy/foggy situations. I don't know about HID's. Maybe the way stronger light overcomes the color disadvantage. Again, Daniel Stern explains this quite well. I have to agree based on personal experience. Enjoy your new Ultras. My only concern about them is longevity. All Sylvania's 'hyper' bulbs have relatively short lives. I've been getting about 1 year out of the regular SilverStars. I expect a little less from the Ultras.