Don't expect the Silverstars to last any longer than the others you have tried...I've replaced a headlight and fog in less than a year...and they age and get yellower......against my garage I can now see that 1 light is a little more whiter and the other older one that didn't blow has a yellower tinge to it....




Goose

 

I had switched over to SilverStars on my '03 Silverado,tho the factory bulbs were pretty good on putting out good light/pattern, i tried the S-Stars ,and love the results even better! .I do a lot of nitetime/rural driving, and need all the help i can . True, they do seem to burn out early (as a electrician, knew early on about finger oil on the bulbs, the same goes for the quartz home floodlight bulbs too ) and have gone thru a few of them over the yrs i've had them.

Planning on switching over the SS to S-Stars (WallyMart did not carry the H3's last time i checked ) So i'll check the new Advance Auto near me, or go the eBay route on getting some. Changing them out on the Silverado was a breeze, pull a pin , yank the fixture out and change em, with the HHR , it's a lil more involved , so i'm hopin i don't have to do it all that often.(Never did in the past, but WILL complain to Sylvania if the next set i get craps out prematurely ,in case it does some good.)

Dunno if the SS fogs are the same bulbs as the reg HHRs, but mebbe i'll look into getting them for mine one day too.

Hellas,,, got 'em on my '65 Shelby GT350,,tho not correct for car shows etc., LOTS better driving at night compared to the 'ol sealbeams (pre halogen) Had Hellas on it since '79 and they are flat on the lens surface, compared to the round/normal bulbs. Took a lil time to get used to, but the way better light outa them made the switch easier to get over about that.

 

Yup, they DO age over time, and most always it's recommended that they are replaced as a pair (which hurts buyin a pair when you need only one ) but i look at it this way, i have a spare on hand when i need it(the remaining good bulb) and since they burnt out kinda early on a few times, the remaining bulb still had some decent life (non aged) left in it.

Plus , it's usually a lil cheaper when you buy the pair vs one(per bulb) at a time

 

One word of caution......we had a guy in the shop the other day with damaged headlamp capsules, the outer lense area was MELTED from some sort of aftermarket "hot" bulb.......GM will not buy a melted headlamp capsule from running aftermarket bulbs.

 

thanks alot for the info man!! treeelee orland FL

 

Honestly, what a hassle it is to change the headlights. These are the kinds of things I wish i had known before I decided on the HHR.

I just replaced both headlights with new bulbs, and the plastic plugs were impossible to get out. Got them out anyways. My hands aren't that big and it was hard getting the new bulbs into their home without banging them around alot. Next time i will be taking it to the dealer and let them mess around with it. Love the super bright white bulbs i have in now though, a definite difference, makes the old bulbs look very yellow.

 

Do you think the PIAA Xtreme Lights run hot? They make them now for the HHR.

 

In my experience, PIAA bulbs aren't the longest lasting out there. Good light, though. I would use the wattage as a guide for how hot they could get in that a higher wattage should run hotter.

 

I think the gm book - computer shows, 1-hour labor to change a headlight bulb.

 

Thats very very sad indeed.