Has anyone heard of, or actually done, a replacement of the headlights (hi and lo beams) with sylvania silverstars??? I have heard they will improve the lighting quite a bit.

HID better than any regular bulbs. I replaced mine with REAL HID ( Ballast, Relay & HID Bulbs)

allrighty...cool! Can someone tell me which bulbs to buy, and how to install?? I was under the impression that it took a lot of doing to put HID's in there.

I put the silverstars in and they work great, the color is a nice white vs a yellowish halogen. I have been considering moving to HID but it's another $500.. I put a dual headrest video system in for the kids instead. Stick with a name brand like Sylvania or PIAA. I tried other brands with a similar look and had one explode inside the light housing (not easy to clean out).

Joe

Also, I have read in other posts that you have to file the housing opening to fit the bulb. Not sure if newer bulbs fit correctly now.

If you are not going to true HID, Silverstars are probably the whitest of the standart type bulbs.

All the PIAA, ect high color temp bulbs just look blue, but put our less actual light.

looks like ill be getting the sylvanias...they seem the easiest to put it...just take one out and put this one in. Not willing to do any mods/shaving,etc. Also, $500 is too much for better lighting with hid.

thanks!!!

perry

Good Luck but just becareful because i had bad experienced with those hi-wattage bulbs which i drove @nite time & leave the lights on constantly for few hours and end up melted both of the headlights wiring ( Factory socket & wiring )

Since that happened no more those junk replacement bulbs for me, get Real Time
HID

that can actually happen with the sylvanias???????

I didnt know about Sylvanias but my advice just be carefull u dont know until try it & find out. Back then i had some good brand name ( Sorry i dont mention product name here ) and happened to bad & melted all the headlight wiring socket
i had those hi-wattage bulbs for about 5/6 months in my car and will ever/never put that in any of my car again.
Since then i only stick with REAL HID (Ballast, Relay & HID Bulbs)

No there will be no problems with the Sylvanias. . They meet OEM specs and are the same wattage as original bulbs.

People get into trouble when they go with higher wattages.

I experimented with a higher wattage bulb 80W and 100Watt but they overall light was dimmer due to the extra draw on the system. It was quite odd. Sylvanias will be fine and they are easy for a nice tweak.

FWIW, I've been running the higher wattage bulbs (if I recall, I use 60W for lows and 80W for highs, will double check) for about 8 months without any problems. I installed Slee's upgrade harness, which you can purchase at Sleeoffroad.com. Apparently the OEM wiring is inadequate (as some of you have noticed) for carrying the load needed to run the higher wattage bulbs. I didn't notice much difference in the low beam output, but there is a significant difference in the high beams.

Quote of Slee's site: "The single most cost effective upgrade one can do to the headlights on a 80 Series is to install a upgraded wiring harness. Low voltage due to losses in the stock wiring can reduce the light output of the headlight bulbs. In addition,. if higher wattage headlights bulbs are installed, the oem harness and plugs can melt due to excessive current draw."

Everything with the harness is plug and play. Takes about an hour, most of which is removing some pieces and parts to place the wiring.

I've heard mixed reviews on the Sylvanias, from good to crap. Although the white light from these bulbs looks neato, question is are they putting more light down on the road at a distance. I haven't sat behind them, so I donno.

Total cost for me to put in the harness and 4 new bulbs was about $80.


Rookie

I upgraded to the Sylvanias about 4 months ago and they are only marginally better than stock lights. My biggest problem with this style of headlight (projector) is the actual light pattern that they throw on the road - although the Sylvanias are a bit brighter, they don't seem to overcome the pattern limitations. Other than that, they work just fine and are a breeze to install. I am looking into HIDs, but heard that they are no longer street legal.

You are correct on the legality of xenon. Apparently august or september of 93 did them in. You have to order them as an "off road" option to get them. Again, they look great, the sylvania's are probably the better of the other options. I have had two fail on me. They are just easy to install. At some point I may invest in xenon. I use the sylvania's in my crossfire as well. The dealer told me that the projectors are setup for a xenon kit but who knows. I recall checking into a replacement xenon headlight for my mercedes C280 and it was $1,250 for one headlight. I finally convinced then I only needed a glass lens replacement ($100). Sylvanias are a good consumer grade tweak...

GlennR, HID no longer street legal? since when? who said that?
I had Phillips Real HID system since '98 until now... 7 years i had no problem @all.
Now when you mention street legal ~ how much/ which candle power you talking about here? for the HID system that street legal is not more than 8K bright /candle
power <~ thats same use on the Benz,Bimmer 7 series & Lexus SC430 all of those car use 8K. Probably that you got mixed up & misunderstood with the 15K .
I know theres some real/very bright HID out there,I mean super bright it can blind other driver & cause accidents.Now that you definetely asking for ticket..LOL..

There are two articles on the web regarding the HID. The article from July 2003 at the following link:
http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosinsider/0.../b01-221695.htm

and the one from Nov 17, 2004 at: http://www.detnews.com/2004/commuting/0411/17/C10-7214.htm

It appears that some of the conversion kits are targeted.

I just recently upgraded to Silver Stars and there was only a marginal improvement as GlennR also mentioned (I have been so accustomed to the standard halogen, that I am really just adjusting to the whiter beam, but they are 'growing' on me). I live in a predominately rural area and was looking for better lighting on the backroads in my area which have no streetlights. Of course, you cannot tell any difference in urban areas due to all the surrounding lighting.
Chip

I may be incorrect about the "street-legal" aspects of HID headlights - perhaps it was Xenon, etc. Chip's articles are close to way I remember seeing. Either way, I am disappointed in the overall headlight coverage of the LX470, with or without the Silvania's. What options exist now?

The thing that caused the problem with HID kits was that some people were using D2S bulbs made for projectors, but putting them in reflector housings which would call for a D2R bulb. The result is lots of light scatter, and a poor beam cutoff, which blinded other drivers. These people kinda ruined it for the rest of us.

Some places still sell kits which are said to be "off road only". You can install one of those and take your chances. I'd just try to make sure that you have the correct bulbs for your housings, and that the HID capsule is located the proper distance from the reflector so that it focuses correctly.

LiteSwap.com used to sell beam corrected H4's etc which worked fine. However, when the NHTSA ruling cam along they stopped selling kits.

Well i totally agreed with those article but did you guys at least lowered the headlights after installed the new bulbs. By lowering/adjusting the headlights also reduce the glare. When that time i installed HID i was surprised with the brightness
and i figured it out theres no way i can drive with this thing on, so i adjusted my low beam.
Probably right with Chip said about the urban area n suburb area, hey at least did you try adjust your low beam lower?who know maybe works .

What bulb do you have and in what housing? That's what makes the big difference.

If you have projector bulbs in a reflector housing, you're still going to get scatter, no matter how you adjust.

If you have the proper kit that was made for your headlight setup, then you are probably ok. Since you put them in in '98, they should be grandfathered. You just can't legally install and run with a new kit now.

Why weren't HID headlights an option on the 2004 LX470?

I initially thought it was due to the size/weight of the vehicle, but I have seen several comparable SUVs with HID...?

I do know that the LX470 which is sold overseas comes equipped with an HID headlight system. It also comes with a back up sonar sensing system as well.

So they do make the parts for the Lx470 you would just have to find it.
Lexus Saudi Arabia

Scroll down a little and you will see Xenon light and Xenon lamp center

Hi all, new here, sorry for a late reply to this but I did the Sylvania Silverstar upgrade to my 2001 LX about 2-3 months ago and am pleased with the results. Some of the earlier comments about HIDs being way brighter are right on - but then again for $35 it's a very worthwhile upgrade.

Here's a side-by-side mid-install pic with the Sylvania upgrade on the passenger side, stock on the driver side. I replaced the low beams and the fog lights (the low beams are H1ST and the fogs are H3ST).

I don't know if this is kosher over here but here's a thread about the same topic on another forum: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...threadid=133223

No one has mentioned it but just in case you did not know, it is very important you do not touch the bulbs with your hands. Wear clean gloves.

If you can't go HID, then SilverStars are the best thing going. I always handle bulbs by the base, no finger oil on the glass.

Hi. I'm new here and just picked up a 2001 LX470 a few months back for my wife with only 20K on it. I purchased the Sylvanias (H1ST) and want to install them over the weekend. I just looked under the hood and had a few questions: on the driver's side, do I need to remove the battery first? and as far as adjusting the height, i see on the passenger side, there's a long screw that I think is for adjusting that has a phillips head. is that what it's for? and where do I find the adjustment for the driver's side? I called the dealer and they said to bring it in and I couldn't find the answers in the manual. I'd love to do this myself. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

gtom61, i've been able to get to all the bulbs on the driver side without actually removing and disconnecting the battery. If you unbolt the tie-down clamp you can lift and slide the battery back far enough to get your hand in there to get to the bulbs. Just unscrew the cap and pop out the bulb. Remember to pick up some gloves from Home Depot or a drug store so you don't touch the bulbs!

I did not have to height adjust after I replaced with silverstars, since you are just doing a bulb replacement, your headlight is still pointing in the same place.

thanks for the help. Glad i can just slide the battery back and have enough room to work. i actually do need to adjust the headlights because they both are aimed too high right now. can you confirm how to adjust both? thanks.

The Landscruiser Cygnus in Japan (LX470 here) comes w/ HID's...not sure when they changed, but the parts are made. Otherwise, if you happen to be in Germany, you can get E-code lamps (not DOT legal, but that's why they're a lot brighter than the DOT approved ones!), which have a very even light pattern and sharp cutoff. About the harness: stock harnesses are really only designed for 55w bulbs. For higher wattage bulbs, I'd recommend one of those plug & play upgrade harnesses. I installed one of these into my old 4Runner (already running e-codes w/ Hella 55w xenon+50% bulbs) and light output improved 40%, as measured by a photographic light meter capable of reading light changes in 10% increments. Another possibilty is adding HID fog lamps.

Actually thats not true. The ONLY street legal color temp is 4100k, all OEM HID lights are 4100k be they on Audis, BMWs, Mercedes or Lexus. Some look different colors but that is because of the design of the projector housings NOT because of the color temp.

in some states i know a new law was passed; if you have a car wothout the auto-leveling headlamp system, xenon's can not be put in. without the auto-leveling feature, when there is weight in the back seat, the car drops in the back causing the front to lean upwards, shining the light directly into oncoming traffic. The auto-leveling feature "automatically" levels the headlight parallel to the ground preventing this.

Hey ShadyJC. I just wanted to get back to you to let you know I finally got the bulbs in. My local Lexus dealer was going to charge me $85.00 for labor. I already paid him over $1100.00 for a 30K service and new rear brakes and rotors. I felt he got enough out of me.

You were right. I was able to lift the battery up and even slide it towards the radiator which gave me plenty of room. These H1ST SilverStars are very nice. Not quite Xenon, but definitely nicer than stock. I think I'll also give these bulbs a shot in my fog lamps. Thanks, again.

Glad to hear it gtom61, the fog replacement is pretty easy (nothing to move out of the way), just gotta get down there, should be no more than 10-min or so to get to both sides.

The high beam/DRLs are also worth replacing, I got a generic 6000K bulb off eBay and it works well. I also replaced my corner parking lights (that was a PITA to get to) but have since gone back to stock.

I just ordered the H3ST fogs and i think i'll try some PIAA 9005 high beams... Keep you posted and thanks...

One thing that bothered me about thbe LX470 was the lack of HID headlights as an option. The Halogen headlights were adequate, but a truck at that price really should offer HIDs.

I changed both Hi/Low beam & foglight on my '01 Rx300...I didn't had any problems & it's really bright compare to stock halogen. It's been six month since I install it & it's still working fine & bright.

Just a quick update on the Silverstar replacement bulbs - I am now replacing my 2nd set in about a year and a half. Yes, I wore gloves to assure no finger oil on the bulb during installation. No, I don't use the headlights any more than an average amount of time. I expected to get more than 10 months use out of the low-beams - this seems like incredibly short lifespan for this product.

Hey folks - a quick note to let you know that I have had my 4th warranty replacement for my Silverstars in less than 2 years. Yes, the replacements are free (and the O'Reilly employee always smiles when I walk thru the door) - but the Silverstars are total POS. I have taken a VOM to make certain that the bulbs weren't getting too much current. The guy at O'Reilly said that they are thinking of no longer carrying them - too much of a pain in the ass, as many people are experiencing the same issues as I am.

YMMV.

silverstars are a good choice for an easy replacement. They provide much whiter light than stock bulbs. HID are even brighter and whiter. They are also much more expensive. I have had the silverstars for over a year with no issues.

Hi everyone. New to the board and a first time Lexus owner. I recently bought a 93 SC400 with 145,000 miles on it from a second owner for $4600. It was by far the cleanest I had looked at, relative to what I paid for it. (I almost bought one from a hack dealer in LA who I found out from the mechanic next door that he cut the airbag light to keep it from coming back on.) The car had one or two minor issues asthetically and did need bushings in the rack and pinon.

That all being said, I wanted to upgrade the headlights, so I first removed the slight haze with some 3M rubbing compound. I found a guy on craigslist.org here in Los Angeles who had the HID conversions listed for $160. I was a bit skeptical at first, but proceeded to buy them anyhow. They were incredibly simple to install and the end result was phenomenal. His website is www.xenonguru.com For whatever reason, they are more expensive on his site, but if you live in the LA area and want a relatively inexpensive upgrade, this is it. I installed the 1200K light and it's awesome. I think they are $199 on the site. I almost had a local shop do the conversion for me because I thought it would be a big pain in the ass. They wanted $350 installed and were using the same kit!

I don't know if I've ever been this excited about owning a car, let alone a used car. I put a K&N on it and want to put exhaust on it. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance and look forward to all of the informative posts you all put up...-R

SC300 uses separate bulb for low/high. Unfortunately the HID retrofit option is not ideal for us 1LS owners due to the 9004 bulb and poor glass pattern design, which will result in blinding oncoming drivers if we put in HID.

Still looking for good solutions, such as fog light replacement, etc. Anyone have an idea of what actual pattern the fog light housing produces?

I know that the 2005 Toyota Sienna could be ordered with HID headlights without Auto-leveling. My son has one and it has a Manual leveling system where you can raise and lower the headlight aim from the drivers seat while the car is moving.

the silver stars work good! go for em

auto level or not it doesn't matter, most cars with hids don't have that feature from the factory. projectors though are a good idea, although I've been riding with hids for a while now in my oem fluted lenses and haven't had any problems or gotten highbeamed. Never Burn Out has a lifetime warranty on all their kits if interested.

Auto leveling only works at speeds between 0 - (and I think) 35 MPH. So, no it really doesn't matter all that much. If you have an auto leveling system you'll still blind people on steep hills.

The HID kits that I have installed on non-oem equipped cars work great. Yes - I occasionally got "high beamed" but I just ignored it. The problem (if you want to call it a "problem") that I have now on my '05 RX is that I had the dealer raise the level of the beams b/c they were just too low and not effective - and now I get high beamed once in a while. But again, I just ignore it.

In my book, the benefits of HID are worth every cent! FWIW

Hey this site has great deals on headlights and other accessory's for your Lexus try them out!!!!!
Click Here

if you need hid hit me up i can get them for under 300$ any color and bulb except for h4