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9003SU Silverstar ULTRA Headlight reliability?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Cogtx, Jan 4, 2010.

  1. Cogtx

    Cogtx Junior Member

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    Wife has an '05 Prius with over 135K. I have noticed from the posts that some people reported that the Silverstar halogen lights have a short life span. I will second that for sure...have been thru 2 pairs of these lights since Sept of 09 (about 3 months). Installed second set last week on left headlight and tonight the right light went out. The Silverstar put out more light then the OEM light but that sure is poor longevity for the price ($45 for the pair)...anyone have data on various headlights and longevity with the Prius? I plan on buying the cheapest one possible next time...;)
     
  2. maseace

    maseace Prius enthusiast

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    2004 Prius
    I also had a bad experience with Silverstar bulbs (only lasted a few months each). For about the same price as the Silverstars, you can get true HID kits on eBay (about $50-$60). I got a cheap HID kit for the fog lights and they have been working great for over a year, and they are MUCH brighter than ANY halogen bulb. You can even choose the color temperature you like.
     
  3. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    If you haven't seen it already, this thread has some reports of people's experiences with brighter aftermarket bulbs like the Philips X-treme Power, Philips Vision Plus, and Osram Night Breaker:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...rmarket-replacement-halogen-bulbs-geniii.html

    Personally, I'm sold on the Philips X-treme Power bulbs, even though they only lasted about 9500 miles for me. With my declining night vision and the terrific brightness of these bulbs, I'm willing to spend $50 for them every 9500 miles or so.