GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I got tired of my crappy yellow headlights. So i wetsanded it and polished them. Now they look like new. I also replaced the burned out bulb (and the other one) with a set of silverstars. Very good difference !!

Now i read on forums that the stock wires suck. And you lose a lot of voltage. Also that voltage drop to headlights is non linear. Meaning a 1 volt drop will output a lot less lumens (about 25% less aparently!!)

I tested it and the voltage at the battery withengine running is 14.2. Voltage at the bulb was 13.1. That does seem like quite a lot of voltage loss. I was thinking of testing one directly connected to the battery to see if the 1.1 volt really will make a good difference. And if it does i would make a relay system for the lows/highs and fogs.

Has anybody tested this ?
Have any of you found a way to make the lighting system better ? I would like to stay legal. So i dont want to go ebay h.i.d conversion. But i did find some bulbs that fit in oem with better wattage (ex: i replaced the stock 9006 fog bulbs with 9012 wich is 10 more watts, it made a noticeable difference)

I live in canada and work night shift. So about 75% of my driving is in the dark....

What kind of SilverStars are you using i.e. regular, Ultras or zXes?

Definitely interested in this as well. I know with my motorcycle the headlight gained power when I swapped out other lights for LEDs since they put less drain on the system. Is that at all possible in a car or are the headlights on a separate circuit and swapping turn signals and such to LED wouldn't make a difference? I'm not exactly well versed in electronics...

vibenvy wrote:What kind of SilverStars are you using i.e. regular, Ultras or zXes?

I bought thr ultras. 60$ for 2. They say 50% brigjter but i would say its about 20% brighter. Not sure i would pay 60$ next time.

treesleavedents wrote:Is that at all possible in a car or are the headlights on a separate circuit and swapping turn signals and such to LED wouldn't make a difference?

I swapped out all flashers and brake lights on my 93 celica convertible. I did not make a difference on the headlights. Cars have alternators that give plenty of power. Maybe motorcycles dont ? I dont know about those.

I will try to connect the bulb straight to the battery this weekend. I do all my driving at night. I want something better than stock, but legal so no ebay hid kit.

That makes sense, my bike has a stator and a rotor, not an alternator. Only charges the battery when revving over 3k RPM. It's also a 1981 so could be that too...

oldelpaseo wrote:I bought thr ultras. 60$ for 2. They say 50% brigjter but i would say its about 20% brighter. Not sure i would pay 60$ next time.

The Ultras are okay, but the zXes are now their top of the line bulbs and they are awesome! When buying any SilverStars, your best bet is to buy them on eBay. You'll pay half the price of what you'd pay at Walmart, Auto Zone, etc.