2004 GXP headlight & tail lights

[FrankAR15]

Noticed a headlight and tail light out on the wife's car.

Noticed during the day, so it was the daytime running light out on the headlight. Is the actual headlight beam used at night the same bulb?

Also the right tail light bulb is out. I think it's on, on low, bat as you hit the brakes, the outer one doesn't light. ( or I could have that backwards )

Uhgg. I am at work and I want to pick up the parts from autozone on the way home.
Thinking of getting Sylvannia silver star ultras?

Does anyone know the type of bulbs I need for headlight and tail light?
And is there a link on this forum for installing either?(I'm sure the tail light is quite simple.)

Thanks for any help. I just have been working a lot of OT lately and haven't had time to search

[2003 SSEi]

only Buy the Silverstar Bulbs if you feel like spending $40 every 2 months. They are a Gimmick, and are run hotter that make them burnout at a incredible rate.

I would do some bulb swapping to make sure its a bulb and not a wiring issue, and procede from there

[FrankAR15]

Wow, the silver stars have been great in my dodge....

[2003 SSEi]

It depends on the design of the headlights. The more vibration, the less life, the Silverstars seem really sensitive to the shakey shakey.

Also the price for the silverstar is not worth the cost. they are not any brighter, they are more "whiter"

[CMNTMXR57]

SEARCH!!! Headlights have been talked about ad nauseum here.

Every GM Vehicle with a dual headlight assembly uses a 9006/9005 setup. It is a standard bulb and probably one of the most common bulbs on the market. The ONLY difference on the GXP (as you have), is that the 9005 high beam bulb is not a 9005. It is an HIR1 bulb.

DO NOT BUY SILVERSTARS!!! Silverare complete CRAP! As mentioned, it is a gimmick. It is a blue colored bulb to create a higher kelvin rating which is what makes you, the consumer, think you're actually seeing better. You are not. What IS important is lumen output. And a Silverstar bulb generates the same light output (lumen output), as a regular OEM bulb. Anytime you coat something with a layer of coloring or blocking, to achieve that desired kelvin rating, in order to maintain the same level of OEM lumen output, you have to make the bulb more powerful. In this case, that's what Silverstars do. They "overdrive" the filament. As such, the average lifespan of an Silverstar bulb is about the same as a loaf of bread in your pantry. Then because you "think" you're seeing better because of the color temp (kelvin rating), you go out and dump more $$$ on another set. Rinse, lather, and repeat.

Here are the cold hard facts...

Your stock bulbs are 9005 (high beam), and 9006 (low beams)
9006 Lumen Output: 1,000 lumens
9006 Kelvin Rating: 3,100k
Life: 1,000 hours

9005 Lumen Output: 1,700 lumens
9005 Kelvin Rating: 3,100k
Life: 320 hours

Now, here are the Silverstar specs;
9006 Lumen Output: 1,000 lumens (the same as the stock 9006)
9006 Kelvin Rating: 4,000k
Life: 200 hours

9005 Lumen Output: 1,700 lumens (the same as the stock 9005)
9005 Kelvin Rating: 4,000k
Life: 100 hours

Silverstar Ultra's
9006 Lumen Output: 1,000 Lumens (same as stock)
9006 Kelvin Rating: 4,100k
Life: 200 hours

9005 Lumen Output: 1,700 lumens (same as stock)
9005 Kelvin Rating: 4,100k
Life: 100 hours

I wish we car enthusiasts could come up with a lawsuit or some other way, to get Sylvania to stop making these things and tricking people into thinking they're actually seeing better... THEY'RE NOT!

[repinS]

Is the actual headlight beam used at night the same bulb?

GXP uses the low beam as the daytime running lights, yes.

[FrankAR15]

Ok. Guess ill axe the silver stars. Although in my Durango they are going on 3 years. They look white, not blue at all. Maybe it's a different design, can't remember. And they really do seem brighter, especially in the rain, lol.

Any other preferred brand? Or is Sylvannia standard 3100k ok?

[CMNTMXR57]

The blue'ish tint is what gives it that "pure white" appearance or increased kelvin temp rating. Check out the kelvin color spectrum.



Please note, the increase in kelvin temp rating DOES NOT increase visibility. All it does is color the light. Lumen output is what determines increased (or decreased), visibility.

[CosmicVagabond]

Would 6k in LED appear the same as 6k in HID?

[CMNTMXR57]

Close, but probably not exact. LED's are also more prone to focus refraction coloration (I just made that up), than HID's are. Meaning as the angle of view as you're looking at the light, LED can have completely different kelvin amounts. How many times do one of those new Acura's with LED's, Toyota Corolla with LED's or even K2Y Escalades with their LED headlights come at you, as they crest over the hill, it's REALLY blue, then as they even out to the plane you're on, they become more white... That's what I am referring to.

Also, comparing to HID's, even they can have differences at 6k. A 35w, 6k HID setup will have more "blue" to it than a 55w, 6k kit, because all that extra wattage "washes out" the kelvin rating a little.