Headlight bulb question

I bought a pair of Silverstar bulbs a year or so ago. I work 2nd shift and come home at night on dark country roads so they are really nice and bright and illuminate a lot farther down the road and I have been able to avoid a couple of possible car/deer encounters. However, I have noticed lately that they don't seem as bright as they used to be. Do you guys know if they lose some of their intensity over time? Could be with my stock bulbs that they might have dimmed some over time, but with the Silverstars as bright as they are you definitely notice a slight reduction as time as went on.

Thanks, Eric

Reply to
Eric L. Hulliberger
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Is it possible that the plastic covers are starting to glaze a bit?

mg

Reply to
MG

Your lens may be clouded over. UV light causes the coating of the lens to become opaque over time. Sand and dust hitting the lens has the same effect.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

But how do you get rid of the glaze?

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

I used a kit called Crystal View that worked pretty well. 20 bucks at Advance Auto Parts, IIRC.

mg

Reply to
MG

Actually my lenses are the crystal clear type plastic and although they have a few small pits from road debris hitting them they haven't clouded over one bit, yet...I put a good coat of wax on them about every month or so the protect them.

Reply to
Sadie2 Hulliberger

You are correct, clouded leases are for the most part a result of owner neglect. Proper preventive maintenance will keep ones lenses clear.

The preferred cleaner is a polymer cleaner which both cleans the lenses, like the dedicated plastic cleaners sued on motorcycle windshields, and lets a protect coating as well.

We used NuFinish, a comparably low cost polymer, on thousands of fleet cars with great results.

Reply to
Mike hunt

Hey guys- Since my lenses are the crystal clear variety and they are not one bit clouded....getting back to the original question though...do any of you know if the actual Silverstar bulbs dim over time? I hate to spend $40 on a new set if their 'bright' life is less than 2 years...

Thanks, Eric

Reply to
Eric L. Hulliberger

ALL Halogen lamps loose output with age. Coated or coloured glas likely faster than clear.

Reply to
clare at snyder dot ontario do

Actually, the color of the glass shouldn't make a different in how fast the output goes down, as a percentage of the light when the bulb was new.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

But some of the "colored" bulb glass is also an emissive or Phosphour coating that changes the light colour to a whiter or bluer colour which is not visible by looking at the glass.

Reply to
clare at snyder dot ontario do

If the coating is destroyed, then, you're right, the light output would decrease at a faster rate than if there is no coating.

Reply to
Jeff

Jeff - the glass on the bulbs have a slightly bluish tint to them, but they still look good after 2 years, just seem dimmer than before...maybe it's just me, who knows...thanks for the input anyway

Eric

Reply to
Eric L. Hulliberger

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