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How To: Change Headlamp / Headlight bulb

Discussion in 'Knowledge Base Articles Discussion' started by usbseawolf2000, Oct 20, 2007.

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  1. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Powerbulbs.com (where I bought it) has not reply yet. Since they are in UK, I will not be making an international call.

    I called up Philips USA and they simply refuse to replace the dead bulb. The support lady said that Philips only do store level returns. She did not answer my question of the length of the warranty for the X-Treme Power bulbs.

    I went to R & Strauss and bought another pair of X-Treme Power for $49.99. I just replaced a dead one and keeping an extra bulb, just in case. We'll see.

    While replacing the dead bulb under the sun today, I noticed "stuffs" on the brand new bulb. I put it back in and got the 2nd one out. The 2nd one looked cleaner but it still had smaller "stuffs" on the glass. The bulbs are made in Germany. I feel disappointed with Philips quality and support.

    I already spent over 100 bucks on light bulbs and I do not have confidence how long they are going to last. Let's hope my dead bulb is a fluke / defective one. :(
     
    #21 usbseawolf2000, Dec 28, 2007
  2. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Ouch. 2 months/5000 miles is not a good sign, even in the world of flukes.

    I was expecting the Philips X-Treme Power bulbs to last at least as long as the Sylvania Silverstars lasted on Tideland Prius' Prius (1 year).

    BTW, I still have not received a response from Philips to the email I sent them more than 2 months ago wherein I asked Philips what the life expectancy of the X-Treme Power bulbs were.
     
    #22 Boo, Dec 28, 2007
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Hmm interesting. It better last as long as the Sylvannias although I have noticed they are running quite hot. I have seen smoke rise from my headlight cover after driving in cold rain/snow.

    What you could do is go back 2 months later and say that the bulb you bought at R & Strauss burned out.
     
    #23 Tideland Prius, Dec 28, 2007
  4. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Thanks for the suggestion.

    I just found out that the bulb has two filaments. I really looked into the bulb because my highbeam was still working. I found the filament at the tip edge was broken while the one close to the base was still good.
     
    #24 usbseawolf2000, Dec 28, 2007
  5. ScottY

    ScottY New Member

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    lol... I did the same thing two weeks ago. No words yet. I guess I shouldn't expect them to get back to me any time soon.

    Boy, this is bad news. I was hoping to replace the OEM's with the X-treme Power when they go out.
     
    #25 ScottY, Dec 29, 2007
  6. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Hmmm. Maybe Philips' response to me got lost in the email lol.

    Maybe you still can. By the time your new OEM's go out, you should have the benefit of additional anecdotal experiences of usbseawolf2000, Tideland Prius and me. Personally, I like the 80% greater brightness so much, that if the X-Treme Power bulbs last around 12,000 miles, then I'll be willing to replace them with the same. If they don't last that long, then I'm just going to try a different brand of brighter bulb like the Sylvania Silverstars Ultra, which, based on Tideland Prius' experience, should last at least 12,000 miles. [EDIT: Per Tideland Prius' post below, he had the Silverstars, NOT the Silverstars Ultra.]
     
    #26 Boo, Dec 29, 2007
  7. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    When I was at the store, I was thinking of getting the Philips Vision Plus that is 50% brighter. I used it in my previous car for two years before trading it in for the Prius. I decided to give X-Treme Power another chance and bought it.

    We will see how things go with my bulbs as Tideland Prius and Boo's bulbs are still working fine. It is still too early to conclude.
     
    #27 usbseawolf2000, Dec 29, 2007
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Note I used the Silverstars NOT the Silverstars Ultra.


    I managed to see my X-Treme Power bulbs in the front of the car for the first time (dad was parking the car when I was leaving the house in my friend's car). They are damn bright :eek:. Almost high beam in intensity but aimed low.
     
    #28 Tideland Prius, Dec 29, 2007
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Any updates?
     
    #29 Tideland Prius, Jan 16, 2008
  10. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    None on my end. Everything remains fine, but I've only driven 500 miles since I put in the X-Treme Power bulbs. Gotta get out of my room more often.
     
    #30 Boo, Jan 16, 2008
  11. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    So far so good.
     
    #31 usbseawolf2000, Jan 16, 2008
  12. ScottY

    ScottY New Member

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    #32 ScottY, Jan 16, 2008
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    #33 Tideland Prius, Jan 17, 2008
  14. LRP114

    LRP114 Little Lou

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    This forum is wonderful, and I really appreciate it so much.
     
    #34 LRP114, Jan 21, 2008
  15. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    My passenger side bulb just died today. It is the bulb I bought from UK.

    I don't think I will be buying Xtreme Power again. I might go with their Vision Plus since it was reliable in my last car.
     
    #35 usbseawolf2000, Feb 17, 2008
  16. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Oh man. Now I'm depressed.
     
    #36 Boo, Feb 17, 2008
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    oye. It's been... half a year? Dang.

    Mine are ok but it doesn't bode well for longevity cause again mine are used as DRLs so they're always on.

    Which ones are the Vision Plus?
     
    #37 Tideland Prius, Feb 17, 2008
  18. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Damn. I wish manufacturers would post the life expectancy/longevity of their headlight bulbs in hours (the same way they post them for household lightbulbs).

    FYI, and as a point of reference, Philips says that the typical OEM halogen bulbs last around 500 hours (that's around 25,000 miles if you leave your bulbs on all the time while driving, and average 50 mph).
     
    #38 Boo, Feb 19, 2008
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well the ones in our old Camry (9006 type) lasted 5 years (100,000kms). They're not used all the time since the high beams were used as DRLs. So yeah, 500 hours sounds decent.

    I'm probably close to 200 hours (assume 2 hours per day for 30 days times 3 months).

    I wonder if continuous running for 1 hour is better than having it cycle several times within that hour.
     
    #39 Tideland Prius, Feb 19, 2008
  20. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Hello Tideland Prius... I see you've been busy since the last time I dropped in!... LOL!

    forgive me for my ignorance, but Does your installation procedure cover the 06 prius too... or are there differences?
     
    #40 windstrings, Apr 26, 2008
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