Lightbulbs, specs all the same, so what gives?

No, it's a scam.

What they're showing you is *NOMINAL* output, not actual. Nominal output has nothing to do with how any given bulb actually performs. It's just the legal spec contained in Federal code 49CFR564. The spec for each bulb contains a nominal flux as well as the allowable tolerance range as either a plus-minus percentage or an absolute maximum. Take a look for yourself here:

and you'll see how coincidentally all those Sylvania bulbs just happen to (be claimed to produce) exactly the nominal value, right on the nose. Quoting nominal values is the same as saying "These bulbs are all legal". Sure they are, but nominal values do not describe the differences in performance amongst the different bulbs. Can you think of a reason why Silverstar (which produces near the low end of the legal output, and costs more than a regular bulb) and Xtravision (which produces light nearer the high end, but costs less than Silverstar) would be quoted at nominal rather than actual? I can.

Nominal.

Yeah. Here's manufacturer data for output and lifespan at 13.2v for all the Osram/Sylvania H1 bulbs. Lifespan is given as Tc, the hour figure at which 63.2 percent of the bulbs have failed. Obviously you're looking at

9004s rather than H1s, so the absolute numbers would be different, but what you're looking at here is the pattern:

Osram or Sylvania H1 (regular normal):

1550 lumens, 650 hours

Osram or Sylvania H1 long life:

1460 lumens, 1200 hours

Osram H1 Super (if Sylvania Xtravision line included H1, this'd be it):

1700 lumens, 350 hours

Osram H1 Silverstar (NOT Sylvania Silverstar!):

1750 lumens, 350 hours

Osram H1 CoolBlue or Sylvania H1 Silver Star:

1380 lumens, 250 hours

Now, looking over these results, which one would you rather:

(a) Buy? (b) Sell?

The answer to (a) depends on how well you want to see versus how often to change the bulb. If you want the best possible seeing, you pick the Osram Silver Star. If you don't care as long as it works and you don't want to hassle with it, you pick the long life or Daytime Running. The answer to (b) is determined by how rich your company's shareholders want you to be, and is obvious: You want to sell the bulb with the shortest lifespan and highest price. That'd be the Sylvania Silver Star.

It is an improper abbreviation of Mean Spherical Candlepower (MSCP). To get lumens, multiply MSCP by 12.57.

GE Nighthawk is much better than Xtravision or anything else Sylvania sells. You can find 9004NH at Wal-Mart.

DS

That makes a lot of sense and is what I see with regular lightbulbs with the long life bulbs having slightly less output and the brighter bulbs have more output but less longevity.

And I see now your point about the lumens output to meet the federal regulations versus what is the actual output.

Okay. Thanks.

But Consumer Reports tests on some bulbs found that of all the bulbs tested on only one, the GE did better than OEM, and only in one of the cars tested. In some applications they found it less effective than the OEM bulb.

I found that the GE's did improve the performance of the lights in my 04 Town and Country.

With the new Toshiba bulbs I found a huge difference in our 98 RAV4 and almost no improvement on low beam in my 01 PT Crusier (did not try the high beam bulbs yet). Dan, can the light assembly really make the difference as Consumer Reports suggests and as my limited experience seems to confirm? Seems strange to me.

Richard.

The new Toshiba bulbs were different from the old bulbs, which were also Toshiba? Or did you mean to say GE Nighthawks in the Toshiba?

But you did not use Toshiba bulbs in the 01 PT Cruiser or did you? I'm confused by your last paragraph. I think you meant GE Nighthawks as the bulbs in question, not Toshiba bulbs?

But you did use GE's Nighthawks in the 04 T&C?

I was surprised by the negative findings in the article which can be found here to be read by all:

The bulbs are not identical. Could it be slight, very slight, differences in diameter and the height of the filaments' make a tremendous difference? Would the aiming of the bulbs have any effect or that's irrelevant?

I put in regular GE's in my regular '94 Voyager. And I used the TR3-12A blue labeled can to polish up the lenses, as per DS's suggestion for an economical polisher. I can see the road now. The only problem is that the back of the can says something about silver metallic paint and to see the web site. Uh oh, I have silver metallic paint and I was hoping to use the TR3 on the body as well as the headlamps' housings.

Just to clarify:

I put GE NighHawks in my 04 Town and Country and saw a significant improvement. I put 9011 and 9012 bulbs in the RAV4 and the difference was beyond significant. I put 9011's into my low beam's on the Cruiser and saw not much of an improvement over the Sylvania Xtravision bulbs.

Richard.

Consumer reports _found_ very little of substance. They *printed* their usual pseudoscientific claptrap having little to do with reality.

Credit where it's due, their halfbaked headlamp "test" protocol discerned that Sylvania Silverstar bulbs put out very much less light than regular bulbs. But that's about the only kernel of truth in the whole article. They just took the bulb makers' word regarding DOT compliance ("All the tested bulbs claim DOT compliance") without checking -- shame on them. Had they checked, they'd likely have found that the APC Plasma Ultra White bulbs are very definitely *not* compliant in several important ways.

They've made a lot of noise regarding their newly implemented headlamp "tests" over the last year or so. Typical CR selfgratulatory crapola. I won't bother rehashing the exact reasons why their headlamp "tests" are largely bogus; I've posted the analysis before in this forum and others. It's not just a question of "Dan Stern doesn't agree with Consumer Reports"; it's much more serious than that: Many of their assumptions and recommendations regarding headlamps are just plain nonsense fabricated out of the same whole cloth that allows CR to consider themselves expert in everything from red wine to oil filters to washing machines to insurance policies.

DS

9011s don't belong in low beams.

OK, I guess I put the 9012's in the low beams.

Richard.