When I get round to it, I propose fitting Osram Silverstar +50% headlight bulbs to my Focus. However, I've heard reports that the increased brightness provokes a lot of headlight-flashing from oncoming cars. If I were to lower my lights to avoid this, wouldn't this defeat the object of the excercise?
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L'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I've just fitted them to my car. The difference is amazing. Before the lights were so poor and now cats eyes are illuminated enough to see where the road goes as far as during normal daylight hours. I don't remember seeing much flashing but as far as I know my headlights are set a little higher than I remember but they are directed a lot to the kerb. I have stood in front of them and they don't dazzle, they just seem a good white light that has well defined edges.
Try them and see what happens. It is worth setting them up properly by pointing the car at the wall and making sure the beam pattern isn't too scattered.
teabelly
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I had problems with them, but it does vary from car to car due to the reflector design.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/reply.htm?m=184849
ND
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Osram Silverstar and the equally excellent rival Philips Vision Plus are both excellently engineered bulbs, the filament placement and size is critical, and in these bulbs, it is spot on. What they are basically is bang on spec regerence bulbs. You should have headlamp adjustment checked after you change bubls anyway, as the relationship between the base and filament varies from bulb to bulb and maker to maker, a fraction of a millimetre in the lamp could mean a few degrees in projected light. I have only used and bought as gifts for family the Philips V+, no-one I know has had any problems. I haven't known any of these to blow either, and the oldest must be 4 years old. The most dramatic improvements are on the H4 and H1s with less of an improvement for the already well-designed H7.
A lot of dazzling on our roads is due to disguting quality bulbs, many of which are sold as gimmicks, such as with anodised metal and coloured coatings.
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Fitted Philips Vision Plus to my Fiesta. Great improvement, no problems with drivers flashing me, checked alignment on garage doors before and after switch. No adjustments needed.
madf
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Got to be fair to the philips ones, I have these on mainbeam and they were great. The plus50% on dipped beam were from Halfords and were pants.
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Sound good to me, think I'll get some!
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I've fitted them and no problems with others flashing.
Fit them and check your alignment on a garage door or wall from approx. 4 mts before and after, just to be sure of no changes.
Autumnboy
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As per an earlier post, a Scenic driver bought them only to discover that for some reason they wouldn't fit car without a dealer getting involved and having to make some alterations.
Might be worth making sure that your car is suitable .
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The next time a headlamp blows on my wife's Focus I'm going to buy a pair of uprated bulbs to replace them. The Focus has dipped beams so feeble as to be almost dangerous and the main beams are not much better.
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I have given up buying them for women Alan, you put them in and are amazed at the difference, and they just say "oh it doesn't look any different to me"
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It's the same with HiFi. When I upgraded my cd player and added a mains filter the difference was asrounding. Mrs ND's response was "doesn't sound any different to me"
Same with cars
Same with, ooh, everything really!
I think it's a natural defence mechanism that women have to stop men spending money on themselves, leaving more to buy shiny pretty things and kittens.
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Osram Silverstar +50 headlight bulbs have made my 32 mile journey to and from work much less painfull and I never get flashed. They are fantastic in fog as well, seems to be much less stray light banding around.
One question though, I know they are the same wattage as the original bulbs, but do they generate any more (or less!) heat? My car is fitted with plastic headlight fronts.
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" know they are the same wattage as the original bulbs, but do they generate any more (or less!) heat?"
Same wattage= same heat.
More light because better reflector design, higher manufacturing tolerances mean filament is aligned better..and no doubt better design..
madf
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