4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999) Visit the 4th Generation forum to ask specific questions or find out more about the 4th Generation Maxima.

Has anyone tried the Silverstar headlights?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-27-2003, 02:11 AM
  #1  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (29)
 
phatmax95's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Kernersville, NC
Posts: 1,766
Has anyone tried the Silverstar headlights?

A friend mentioned them the other day and said they were supposed to be good, and ive seen the commercials. Sylvania Silverstars I believe. I think they are like 20-30$. They are supposed to be equal to about 4000k. Has anyone tried them?
phatmax95 is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 08:02 AM
  #2  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Rowan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,634
Originally Posted by phatmax95
A friend mentioned them the other day and said they were supposed to be good, and ive seen the commercials. Sylvania Silverstars I believe. I think they are like 20-30$. They are supposed to be equal to about 4000k. Has anyone tried them?
I have a pair. Loved the look when walking around the car. Much whiter than stock with maybe the slightest hint of blue though it may be my imagination. Nothing compares to HID of course. Silverstars were brighter than stock but pretty crappy in the rain. Not dangerous or anything but simply not bright enough on the road for my liking.

There are brighter bulbs out there I believe if you don't want to go HID. Check the FAQ/HOW2 section.

As for me, HID is night and day difference. If you can afford it, get it! But maybe wait for Indigomax to start churning out the HID with projectors. Should happen soon!

-Rowan
Rowan is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 08:13 AM
  #3  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (4)
 
skeelo34's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Queens, NYC
Posts: 1,527
Nice bulb that you have to replace every half a year. They burn out too quickly. Not cheap spending 20 bucks ona bulb every six months....when the HIDs on my stepdads acura haven't blown for 3 years.
skeelo34 is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 08:47 AM
  #4  
Banned
iTrader: (3)
 
blkhawk500's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 281
Originally Posted by Rowan
I have a pair. Loved the look when walking around the car. Much whiter than stock with maybe the slightest hint of blue though it may be my imagination. Nothing compares to HID of course. Silverstars were brighter than stock but pretty crappy in the rain. Not dangerous or anything but simply not bright enough on the road for my liking.

There are brighter bulbs out there I believe if you don't want to go HID. Check the FAQ/HOW2 section.

As for me, HID is night and day difference. If you can afford it, get it! But maybe wait for Indigomax to start churning out the HID with projectors. Should happen soon!

-Rowan
Well said...
blkhawk500 is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 02:09 PM
  #5  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (1)
 
Rowan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,634
Originally Posted by blkhawk500
Well said...
ty kind sir!
Rowan is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 08:15 PM
  #6  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (29)
 
phatmax95's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Kernersville, NC
Posts: 1,766
Thanks for the replies guys.
phatmax95 is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 11:13 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
(_8*(l)Homer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 384
I have Silver Star's in my Sentra, same 9004 bulb for Maxima. I got a pre-production pair in 1999 and they've been super. Brighter than stock and they don't fade with age like cheap bulbs. Only a slight drop in lumens by 5. They are also OEM. If you can, get the Canadian version Osram/Sylvania I can't rember the name though, it wasn't Silverstar, but they are the Canadian equivilent. They have a slightly higher light output than the N. American version. Well, that's my 2¢.
(_8*(l)Homer is offline  
Old 12-27-2003, 11:40 PM
  #8  
Senior Member
iTrader: (26)
 
aznprid972's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 1,044
do these bulbs get your headlight hotter than stock? a friend of mine put some aftermarket bulbs in his headlight before and they started to mess up the chrome housing inside.
aznprid972 is offline  
Old 12-28-2003, 01:08 PM
  #9  
Member
 
proguitar04's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 87
Lok at my homepage in the sig.
proguitar04 is offline  
Old 12-28-2003, 05:29 PM
  #10  
2060lbs and falling...
iTrader: (10)
 
Broaner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 5,160
I have these. They look awesome if your in front of the car. But when raining they don't light up ****. Check my homepage. When combined with a nice foglight wet visibility is fine. And they don't have a blue tint. It is purple. A very slight hue that isn't visible in the projected light only in the headlight housing. I give these a 8 out of 10 only because the only true solution is HID or PIAA.
Broaner is offline  
Old 12-28-2003, 07:21 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Maxima 504's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 860
yeah i like mine a lot given that they are not hid's , i wish... id say that these are a lot more brighter and whiter looking than the Nokya's i use to have... ive had these on for over 6 months and they are just as bright as the day i put them on. the only problem is that i have the ****ty 96 headlight housing that is dull
Maxima 504 is offline  
Old 12-28-2003, 08:23 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
DR-Max's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,781
I have a pair as well and I also got a pair of H3 Silverstars. The headlights and fogs match up well now. When the fog lights are on, visibility is improved while driving at night in the rain. Of course, nothing beats the real HID performance but for a very high price. For my next car, I'm going to upgrade the headlight harness and put a pair of good higher wattage bulbs instead.

-Dennis
DR-Max is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 05:11 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Maxima97'SE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 103
I installed some a month ago. Much better than the stock ones. $40 is alot to spend on light bulbs. I may just upgrade to HID because I hate the burnt out light bulb game every few months. Nick
Maxima97'SE is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 05:43 AM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
supercobraz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 204
$40 is too much for a bulb that doesn't last even close to stock. Mine lasted all of 8 months. They do look better then stock, but that much better for the extra month.
supercobraz is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 10:09 AM
  #15  
Most Perverted Member of the SE-L Club
 
fearthegecko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,512
everyone else's experiences is the same as mine: the bulbs sucked in the rain, looked good from the outside, but were only a little brighter from the inside, and now, within the space of 4 days, both bulbs have burned out after like 10 months of having them in. Never again...........
fearthegecko is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 10:11 AM
  #16  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
2k3TitaniumSe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,761
Get eurolite xenon super plasmas at circuit city for like 35 dollars. It's really bright and cheap. Get em. Look at my sig for a pic of them on my 93 max.
2k3TitaniumSe is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 10:13 AM
  #17  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
2k3TitaniumSe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,761
Go to my website on cardomain and go to page 6 for more pics. I even have a comparison between them and my HIDs.
2k3TitaniumSe is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 12:05 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
pocketrocket's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,057
I have a comparison on a 4th gen between regular halogens and Silverstars right here:



After almost 1 1/2 years, my Silverstars are still working fine but I retired them in favor of my 8600K HIDs.
pocketrocket is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 12:28 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
supercobraz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 204
Guess it depends on whether you do more driving in the day or at night. Personally I keep my headlights on even in the day. Don't know why Nissan doesn't have daytime running lights, that would surely help out alot....Then again, it would just give you guys another set of lights to change around to street mode..lol
supercobraz is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 12:59 PM
  #20  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
pocketrocket's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,057
Originally Posted by supercobraz
Don't know why Nissan doesn't have daytime running lights, that would surely help out alot....
Two things that contribute to the degradation of driving etiquette.

1) Daytime Running Lamps

2) EL gauges.

Two things that make drivers forget to turn their lights on during lousy weather and at night. My 0.02
pocketrocket is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 01:10 PM
  #21  
Minister of Silly Walks
iTrader: (11)
 
mzmtg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 13,786
Originally Posted by pocketrocket
Two things that contribute to the degradation of driving etiquette.

1) Daytime Running Lamps

2) EL gauges.

Two things that make drivers forget to turn their lights on during lousy weather and at night. My 0.02
www.lightsout.org
mzmtg is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 04:43 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
iTrader: (1)
 
pocketrocket's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,057
Originally Posted by mzmtg
I am in support of lightsout!
pocketrocket is offline  
Old 12-31-2003, 06:16 PM
  #23  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Max Noob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: 90706 so cal
Posts: 1,728
i use the first click as my daytime running lights.. yellow corners make it stand out..

anyway.i have the silverstars.. im not a fan of blueish lights.. i wanted as pure white as possibel without going hid..(too costly)..silverstars are probably as good as it gets.. color temp is dope.. however, u lose a lil night vision in the rain or fog, higher temps = less visibility in rain.. thats why i have yellow fogs...

if your into a clean stock look and not the blueish HID wannabes.. get them..
Max Noob is offline  
Old 01-02-2004, 05:41 AM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
supercobraz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 204
Don't blame daytime running lights for idiots that don't turn on lights at night or during bad weather. that was one of the reasons for coming out with DRL in the first place.

I do like the Silver Stars, but I also think that headlights are getting so bright that at some point they are hazardous in themselves. I'm contiously being blinded by bright headlights whether they are HID, zenon, or halagen.
supercobraz is offline  
Old 01-02-2004, 06:58 AM
  #25  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
deezo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: FV, NC
Posts: 14,287
Originally Posted by mzmtg
So I guess they should be boycotting the Cayenne too.
deezo is offline  
Old 01-02-2004, 10:46 AM
  #26  
Senior Member
iTrader: (27)
 
venompwr2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 1,434
I have silverstars...but I keep taking them out. I cant see much of anything in the rain with them on, but they do look pretty good on the car. I've had them for over a year and still havent burned out. But the crystal hyper whites are better IMO.
venompwr2 is offline  
Old 01-02-2004, 02:55 PM
  #27  
Most Perverted Member of the SE-L Club
 
fearthegecko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,512
Originally Posted by Max Noob
i use the first click as my daytime running lights.. yellow corners make it stand out..

anyway.i have the silverstars.. im not a fan of blueish lights.. i wanted as pure white as possibel without going hid..(too costly)..silverstars are probably as good as it gets.. color temp is dope.. however, u lose a lil night vision in the rain or fog, higher temps = less visibility in rain.. thats why i have yellow fogs...

if your into a clean stock look and not the blueish HID wannabes.. get them..
I've heard phillips bluevisions give you a near match on the silverstars light output without the loss of vision in bad weather.

Originally Posted by supercobraz
Don't blame daytime running lights for idiots that don't turn on lights at night or during bad weather. that was one of the reasons for coming out with DRL in the first place.
my personal pet peeve is the morons without DRL that turn on their hibeams during the day to make up for it. Or the idiots that turn on their lights at dusk and forget that they still have their high beams on from the night before.
fearthegecko is offline  
Old 01-02-2004, 07:26 PM
  #28  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Max Noob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: 90706 so cal
Posts: 1,728
Originally Posted by fearthegecko
I've heard phillips bluevisions give you a near match on the silverstars light output without the loss of vision in bad weather.

thanks alot man.. ill look into that when my silverstars finally blow..how much do they cost roughly?
Max Noob is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 12:42 AM
  #29  
Senior Member
 
Shift_my vq's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 501
looks like i have the record here my silverstars in my 91 lasted 5 months.
Shift_my vq is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 02:06 AM
  #30  
Always sunny in philly
iTrader: (25)
 
Nismotic's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 5,245
i've had a pair and they werent great at all. IMO, i believe the best bulbs were the Nokya Artic White bulbs, but of course you'll need upgraded headlight harnessing as well.

For the amount of money i spent on new bulbs and wiring harnesses, i would have saved more money on HIDS.
Nismotic is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 10:39 AM
  #31  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
DR-Max's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,781
I've had my Silverstars for 6 months and its still going. I know this question will be a little bit off-topic but since we are talking about headlights, what would be a good quality higher wattage bulb that puts out white light and doesn't blow up as much? Take into consideration that the car will have upgraded wire harnesses.
DR-Max is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 04:33 PM
  #32  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (7)
 
MAXimumHP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 1,561
What 1175 corner bulbs do you guys use to match your silverstars.
MAXimumHP is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 04:56 PM
  #33  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
DR-Max's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,781
I used the hyper white bulbs. The Silverstar 1175 lights amber (made for clear lenses w/o amber reflectors) eventhough the coating isn't.

Originally Posted by MAXimumHP
What 1175 corner bulbs do you guys use to match your silverstars.
DR-Max is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 08:47 PM
  #34  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Max Noob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: 90706 so cal
Posts: 1,728
???..duno.use amber 1175 bulbs. i couldnt find any clean white 1175 bulbs that were good enough for my taste. all to blueish..so i went with amber..
Max Noob is offline  
Old 01-03-2004, 09:18 PM
  #35  
Donating Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (3)
 
Mishmosh's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 2,654
The major problem with the Silverstars is their durability. As others have mentioned, they sometimes burn out rather fast. I installed a pair of H1 Silverstars in his G35 and not 3 weeks later, one side burned out. And yes, I did take all steps to ensure that my grubby paws didn't contaminate them. Personally, the color is slightly less halogen-looking (easily noticeable side by side) then OEM but NOT pure white.
Mishmosh is offline  
Old 01-04-2004, 11:20 AM
  #36  
Most Perverted Member of the SE-L Club
 
fearthegecko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,512
Originally Posted by Max Noob
thanks alot man.. ill look into that when my silverstars finally blow..how much do they cost roughly?

I've seen them in K-mart for as low as $15 a pair. There are a large number of threads about the comarisons between bluevisions and silverstars, and the general opinion, it seems, is that most of the people who got fed up with the silverstars switched to bluevisions and never went back.

i decided to get silverstars because i wanted a brighter, whiter light without upgrading the wire harness, or putting "blue" tinted bulbs in. They are brighter and whiter for the first 2 weeks or so, but then they fade to just a little bit brighter than stock, and that's when the poor bad weather visibility comes in. All this would be all that bad, but on top of iot all, bulbs are an average of $25 a piece, which wouldn't be too bad if they didn't burn out so quickly.
fearthegecko is offline  
Old 01-04-2004, 06:23 PM
  #37  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (13)
 
ThurzNite's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,489
I had 4350k MTEC bulbs. They were overwatted 80/120watts. Brilliantly bright and white. However, like others have said, rain sucks.

I just ordered a harness with 2 relays (high and low beam). Just for kicks, I'm gonna add another relay to separate the right and left bulbs. Then gonna run the (+) and (-) straight from the battery.

After that's done, I'm tossing everything out and starting over w/a bulb from 1st gen Altima. Theoretically, the light should be brighter and sharper beam pattern.

going back to the silverstars, cheapest I've seen them is $40 shipped online, or sometimes cheaper on ebay (for new ones)

Jae
ThurzNite is offline  
Old 01-04-2004, 08:56 PM
  #38  
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
 
DR-Max's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,781
I read somewhere in this forum that part of the lighting deficiency is the headlight reflectors in the 95/96 Maximas and not solely the 9004 bulb. The 97+ Maximas have better reflectors in their headlights thus better lighting pattern. So after you upgrade your wiring, perhaps changing the headlights to the 97+ ones would yield to a more dramatic improvement, unless you already have the 97 headlights or a 97 Maxima.


Originally Posted by ThurzNite
I had 4350k MTEC bulbs. They were overwatted 80/120watts. Brilliantly bright and white. However, like others have said, rain sucks.

I just ordered a harness with 2 relays (high and low beam). Just for kicks, I'm gonna add another relay to separate the right and left bulbs. Then gonna run the (+) and (-) straight from the battery.

After that's done, I'm tossing everything out and starting over w/a bulb from 1st gen Altima. Theoretically, the light should be brighter and sharper beam pattern.

going back to the silverstars, cheapest I've seen them is $40 shipped online, or sometimes cheaper on ebay (for new ones)

Jae
DR-Max is offline  
Old 01-04-2004, 09:05 PM
  #39  
Member
iTrader: (3)
 
kaptainkrunk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 224
I wont lie, I was a little dissapointed in the bulbs. I compared them side by side in the night and the silverstars didnt put enough light on the road. But I really do like the chrisp look of them, especially if you are running hyperwhites all in front. I think the only way to get the look you really want is to go HID, save those nickels and dimes....I am.
kaptainkrunk is offline  
Old 01-04-2004, 10:00 PM
  #40  
Supporting Maxima.org Member
iTrader: (13)
 
ThurzNite's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,489
kaptainkrunk has a good point. For anybody offering opinions/reviews, please specify if you are in your car looking out, or if you're looking at your own headlights (assuming oncoming traffic).

For instance, some BMW bulbs look blue when you're looking at the headlights, but from inside the car, they're white.

Jae
ThurzNite is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
doctorpullit
8th Generation Maxima (2016-)
21
10-28-2019 10:58 PM
trsandrew
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
17
04-08-2016 06:45 PM
knight_yyz
5th Generation Classifieds (2000-2003)
12
11-01-2015 01:34 PM
trsandrew
Group Deals / Sponsors Forum
2
10-25-2015 02:47 PM
Noela
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
5
09-26-2015 08:22 AM



Quick Reply: Has anyone tried the Silverstar headlights?



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:27 PM.