New bulbs -- PIAA or Luminic?

Just get Osram "Silverstar" or Philips "VisionPlus" lamps. The rest are really just snake-oil copies.

JB

Thanks! There's a kid out here who's got PIAA's -- I have to admit; they are bright; but that's compared to my old car (he's got one of those stupid coffee can mufflered hondas).

PIAA is a reputable specialty bulb producer.

I wouldn't consider them "snake oil" peddlers at all.!

Reputable? perhaps. Snake oil? Perhaps not. But they certainly do run fast and loose with the marketing hyperbole...

They claim their bulbs are brighter. One would infer this means that they put out more quantity of light than a standard halogen. They do not, at least not by any appreciable amount. By changing the gas mixture in the bulb envelope, the filament burns hotter which makes it put out a whiter color of light than standard halogen bulbs. Like when you are doing your laundry, it can be said to be "brighter" because it's whiter. Does it actually give you improved night vision, which afterall is the whole point of automotive lighting? Probably not.

And the prices they demand for their hyped up bulbs is ridiculous IMO.

those are called s*1t cans

The Phillips vision plus is reputed to have the highest output for a standard bulb. It's noticeable, but just. It's also not HID blue/white.

R / John

I've also heard, but have no FHE, that the Osram Silverstars have a higher lumen output. But these are not available in the US since Sylvania markets a different bulb under the Silverstar product name. The Sylvania bulbs are just blue bulbs at a premium price.

True. Try Daniel Stern's site:

Thanks, but I have read that site and find it to be very informative. Daniel sometimes passes through here (a.a.b) with a comment or two.