I installed the Syvania Silverstars in my car 5 months ago and both of them blew out this week. You would figure for the price, they would last a little longer. [thumbd]

I replaced them with the Sylvania Cool Blue's. Not as bright as the Silverstars, but better than other OEM replacements. I do not see any hint off blue (if you are supposed to).

What opinion does anyone else have of either of these lights?

Had silverstars on my wifes expedition for two years, no problems. Still have the OEM on my Focus, spending the money on other mods.

Silverstars are usually ok bulbs, should last at least 1-2 years under normal use.

I got mine a few months ago, no problems of any sort. I kept the OEMs just in case they crap out. Do you drive with your headlights on in the daytime, or have Daytime Running Lamps? This will contribute _greatly_ to bulb wear.

i have the cool blues. I dont think you are really supposed to see any blue off them, but i find when its really cold out, and the exhaust seems to hang in the air a little longer, when i back out of the driveway and end up backin through the exhaust, you can see the blue reflected off the particles in the air... same when its foggy out... it's kinda cool. only had them in for about a month now, hopefully they'll last.

keep the stock bulbs in. i had hyper white bulbs in my car for the longest time until i tried to change them the other day and noticed they melted the plastic plug that you put the bulb in.

if u go to target go get the xenon bulbs they are 55 watts each had them on for more than a year very white much much better than most lookalike h.i.d bulbs and here is the surprize they are 12 bucks a pair....ill take pics later on tonight to show u, i will compare them with my foglights.

Just yesterday while purchasing bulbs, I was told by a salesperson that the silverstars are not worth the dough and that they do blow out in a few months. So I went with the Halogen Extra Visions.

I do drive with my lights on alot. It is dark when I leave for work in the morning, and dark out on my way home at night. I was looking at the Halogen Extra Visions but the did not have them in 9003 at Wal Mart. I had to pick up something quick because both lights were out. I will look into Xenon Bulbs next time or for the hell of it. Maybe I will just save up and buy projectors. Speaking of which, If you buy projectors or any other aftermarket headlight for that matter, do they come with the bulbs?

Well, is you ask the guys at Hoen they do have some 9003. Its the H4 (aka 9003) and its a 60/55w. They do not have it posted, I just asked and they said they have it so I ordered them. I installed them in the 4Runner this weekend and they are awesome.

sorry, www.hoen-usa.com is the link.

focusD,

How much did they cost plus shipping? Might be worth it if they aren't too expensive.

I like mine

You have to be very careful with these type of bulbs, extra shaking during shipping can shorten the life of them, and careless installs will always screw things up.

here are the pics with my 12 dollar xenon bulbs from target............

and another

Damn, very nice!! Do you know the actual name of these? I will make the extra 20 minute drive to target.

it says xenon in big bold letters and its in the aisle with the radar detectors.....these bulbs i am very impressed with lights up the road very well. I have compared these bulbs with my friends silverstars and its so much brighter it makes the silverstars look like regular old halogen bulbs and he paid 40 bucks for a pair all i did was laugh in his face, he returned them and got the same bulbs as i do.

$29

the Target specials are from Light Glow Industries (Korea). They are famous for labeling 55w when the true output is 80+w so be careful. If they look that much brighter then somethings not right.

well i have had mine on for more than a year and no problems knocks on wood 29 dollars nope not here got it for 12 well 10 bucks because my mom works there[:p] [:p]

Anyone actually interested in the Cool Blues from Sylvania, they are are buy one-get one free at PePBoys til the 31st of Jan. I found it on a coupon in their ad, you might need it for the deal.

Originally posted by H&Rzx3
keep the stock bulbs in. i had hyper white bulbs in my car for the longest time until i tried to change them the other day and noticed they melted the plastic plug that you put the bulb in.


u r not alone i did the same thing recently i put silverstats in there now be theres nothing left of the plastic will hav to get them fixed soon

I have the Hella HIP's from BAT (http://www.batinc.net/focus.htm) .
They have been on the car for a few months now and I use them almost 10 hours a week. So
far, no issues. I have had true HID Mercedes and BMW's pass me on the road many times, and the color of the HIP's were to similar to tell apart. What may have been different was the amount of light, not the brightness or color. These would be around 20 shipped from BAT.

I got the Stock H.I.D. on my SVT those headlights are so cool, They do sell Aftermarket H.I.D. I would spend the money personaly. You can see the road better for one and they put out four times the light of regular halogen bulbs yet use less then half the wattage. And aftermarket kits come in three shades. Blueish White, White, and Puplish White. They start at $400 to $600, but look around you might get some cheaper on ebay. So if you want the hyperwhite look do it the right way.

Also note: if you plan on doing Projectors the bulbs might be different so buy the projectors first. Also if you are look at aftermarket projectors, many brands come with h3 bulbs, thats a fog light bulb (not very bright even with aftermarket bulbs, I had some on my accord)

Originally posted by xero2099
u r not alone i did the same thing recently i put silverstats in there now be theres nothing left of the plastic will hav to get them fixed soon

I didn't think Silverstars melted the plastic plug. I'll have to check in the morning..

silverstars don't put out more wattage than the stock. so if you burnt anything, i wouldn't jump to blaming the bulb. yes, silverstars don't last as long. sylvania will even tell you that if you go to their site. mine lasted a little over a year. i ended up replacing them with a cheap set of blue ones from best buy bc they were so damn cheap (got them for $10 from a friend who works there). as far as only lasting a couple of months.... eitherr you do a lot of night driving or this is one helluva fluke.

Mike

Originally posted by whiteboyslo
silverstars don't put out more wattage than the stock. so if you burnt anything, i wouldn't jump to blaming the bulb

Thank God.

no i blame the highe wattage bulbas i had in before the the silverstars, all thas left are the metal connectores, and i was already warned at the dealer about the lights, so they are not gonna cover this under my warranty.....bummer

from Sylvania website
What is the life expectancy of SilverStar?

The life expectancy of a SilverStar halogen light source is dependent on the driver’s use of the lights, which vary by season, time of day and number of miles driven. We estimate the SilverStar halogen lights to have a life span of up to one year under average driving conditions.
Sylvania FAQ (http://www.sylvania.com/auto/sstar_faq.htm)

I bought some Silverstars about a year ago. One blew out within 2 months. Exchanged and replaced.

Fast forward 6 weeks... The other side blew out. Exchanged and replaced.

Fast forward 3 months... The second one that blew out, burned out again.

Went to exchange it the next day, got tired of dealing with the bullshit. Put the stock bulbs back in.

Took to the dealership (when she was still under warranty) to have the lighting system tested, everything's fine. Stock bulbs still burning bright to this day.

Wrote a nasty letter to Sylvania, too. Boo.

Sounds like a bad bulb experience.

Originally posted by Racer X SVT
I got the Stock H.I.D. on my SVT those headlights are so cool, They do sell Aftermarket H.I.D. I would spend the money personaly. You can see the road better for one and they put out four times the light of regular halogen bulbs yet use less then half the wattage. And aftermarket kits come in three shades. Blueish White, White, and Puplish White. They start at $400 to $600, but look around you might get some cheaper on ebay. So if you want the hyperwhite look do it the right way.

For those who do not know, most aftermarket "plug and play" Hid kits (esp. Taiwanese/Korean made) for what it's worth, probably won't even last more than a year - just look at them....they are not quality components (not to mention illegal) and will most likely create a lot of glare installed in headlamps that were not meant for Hid. If you need some good info on Hid lighting please check out:

HID Forum (http://www.hidforum.com)
HID Tutorial (http://www.intellexual.net/hid.html)
Automotive Lighting FAQ (http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/)

Good luck [:)]

To help extend light bulb life do not turn your lights on before you start the car or turn them off after you have turned off the ignition. When your car is running your lights are getting as much as 14 volts directly from the alternator. When you turn the car off the voltage drops (with a good battery) to somewhere between 12 and 13 volts. Why this increase and decrease in voltage change doesn't sound like much, its enough to play havic on the bulb filament and can greatly reduce bulb life.

never thought of that, geezer. makes sense, though. i'll have to remember that.

Mike

PIAA Super Plasma GT-X in mine. They make a big difference in my opinion, I've had no melting as they are a 55/60 bulb like stock. I have a picture comparing stock to these...hold on...

Oh and just so people know this...PIAA makes a Super Plasma which is a higher wattage, and can melt the plastics, the GT-X does not. I guarantee this statement as fact, I have NO melting whatsoever.

Here it is:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=643&password=&sort=1&cat=500

Geezer: I never knew that! Thanks for the info!

ya i hav to take pics of what a higher wattage bulb can do still havnot decided when to get mine fixed thoug [bigcry]

so those really bright piaa's like the xtreme white ones that are 55-60 watt light with 125-135 light out put will melt the housings? does anyone have these? how bright are the silverstars over the stock lights? thanks.

i just checked piaa's site all there bulbs are rated 55/65 watt and light out put of over 100 in each style light so if the plasma ct-x dosent burn out why would the piaa extreme white's cause a problem? thanks.

I didn't say the extreme whites would, I said they make a Super Plasma bulb and a Super Plasma GT-X, I don't know if the Super Plasma melts or not. The Super Plasma GT-X does not. I have had the Super Plasma GT-X in my car for about 8 months now...I have no melting anywhere, the reflector housing or the wiring harness. The bulb is a 55/60 bulb just like stock, it outputs light equivalent too a 100+ watt bulb. Though I don't have any lumens information to back that up. All I have is the pic showing the difference...if you want I can take pictures of the housing and the harness to prove that there is no melting going on.

oh no need to take pics i beleive ya i want some piaa bulbs also i just dont want to get anything that will hurt my car thats all.. thanks alot.

i have the PIAA Xtreme White bulbs, and they are 55/60w bulbs. they are VERY bright and have a light bluish tint to them. my friends mom has a lexus with true hid lights, and i pulled my car next to it, and the lights look identical in color. these lights do not get very hot at all. i had my lights on the whole way on a trip i took for about 4 hours, and i checked the wires and bulbs during that trip and they didnt seem hot at all. so i wouldnt worry about them. the only problem i had was the low beams on one of the bulbs went out a few weeks ago, and since they were only 5 months old, i sent them back to piaa, and they sent me a new pack of bulbs in a few days for free.

thanks thats the answer i was looking for.

Originally posted by JoeZX3
I installed the Syvania Silverstars in my car 5 months ago and both of them blew out this week. You would figure for the price, they would last a little longer. [thumbd]

I replaced them with the Sylvania Cool Blue's. Not as bright as the Silverstars, but better than other OEM replacements. I do not see any hint off blue (if you are supposed to).

What opinion does anyone else have of either of these lights?
THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND, ONLY HE AS GONE THROUGH 4 IN 5 WEEKS, I KEEP TELLING HIM TO STOP BUYING THEM, BUT HE IS TOO STUPID TO LISTEN TO ME!!!! [xx(] [8] [:)~]

I like the 12.00 ones best as posted above, buying some tonight, if I hate them, I'm only out 24 dollars. and not 45.

Hoens look the best IMO. I wonder if their upgraded connectors stop the melting on the because the Xenonmatch Plus' are 80 watts. Maybe someone can use Hoens connectors for their other bulbs so they dont melt stuff.

i have had my silverstars for over a year and a half now, i love them to death, there very bright and white light and have had no issues what so ever with them, i have them in my fogs and my headlights....

did you touch them at all when putting them in? If you touch them even on accident it could cause themn to fail faster, I had my set in about 6 mo. and they blew so I sent em back to sylvania and got new ones., These have lasted over 6 mo. so far.

SilverStars are just for looks. They're expensive and they don't last as long.
Here's some actual data from Osram-Sylvania for 9007 HB5 type lamps used in 2005 Focus:

9007 regular:
500hr low, 250 hi

9007 long life(warranty friendly, but lower performing. There is a range of acceptable output and long life often puts it near the very bottom)
1500hr low, 250hr hi. Keep in mind that almost all OEM lamps are of long life type, because they're more bumper to bumper warranty friendly.

9007 SilverStar:
150 hour low, 90 hour hi

Now for the H1/9003's used in 2000-2004
Standard/SilverStar/CooBlue:
150hr low, 50 hour high

Long Life H1/9003:
800 hour low, 150 hour hi

For some reason, the standard(not the OEM, OEM is almost always long life) and SilverStar's life is the same for 9003. They're different for most other lamps.

You can see that SilverStar will usually cost three times much, and last about one third as long just from seeing the actual data from Sylvania effecting making the cost per operating hour nine times.

Focus headlight lamps are pain in the ass to replace and SilverStar lamps are expensive, therefore I would stay away from it.

I bought a new pair of PIAA Super Plasma GT-X and they look AWESOME!!! Way better than Sylvania IMO.

pix!^^

i have no probs with my silverstars.. only had to replace one fog light, that was a while back...

pix!^^

i have no probs with my silverstars.. only had to replace one fog light, that was a while back...

lol I'll try to take some pics. [goofydrunk]

OMFG@@@@@@!!!!!!!1111111 WTF.... this is an old ass thread.

talk about Zombie Thread. [hihi]

whoooooooooooooops

OMFG@@@@@@!!!!!!!1111111 WTF.... this is an old ass thread.

talk about Zombie Thread. [hihi]

whoooooooooooooops

My fault. [chair] haha I was trying to get more reviews about those lights. Anyways it was very helpful.

I'd like to see some pics of these bulbs too!!

ok, i haven't read through all the posts but i've had silverstars for a year with no problems at all.

I put silverstars in my car a few weeks after i got it. Her birthday is coming up 'jan 1st' so they will have lasted a full year with no problems here soon.

I ordered HID bulb thru eBay, not a true HID, I know, and it was only $10 for a pair. Unfortunately, Silverstars Ultra OWNS HID bulb. It wasn't brighter than Ultra.

I can't wait for a full true HID kit.

I installed the Syvania Silverstars in my car 5 months ago and both of them blew out this week. You would figure for the price, they would last a little longer. [thumbd]

you didnt touch the actual bulb with your fingers did you? no bulb will last very long if this is done, the oils off your fingers cook into the glass and destroy the bulbs causing a very short life. handle them with a paper towel to avoid contaminating them.
i've has silverstars in my svt for about 3 years now without a problem.

isnt there something you can use to clean the oil off if you touched them accidentally? i just wanted to clean some extras i had and keep them in case i ever need them. i bought some used hl off someone and there are silverstar bulbs in them so i was going to use them as spares just (from the sounds of it, when and how soon)in case one of mine blows.

i love silverstar. had them in my zx4 and now have them in my st and they lasted a the whole time of my old car and a year so far in the focus and i use the highmeans withlow on alot

im gonna try the xenon bulbs. i had the silverstar bulbs, one blew out this week after a few months

I had silverstar bulbs in my 02 zx3 for a year then when I started tearing the car down I moved them into my 00 zx3 and they have been going fine all year so far. I even had a problem with my battery causing the lights to constantly flicker and they still never had a problem.

ive had mine for over a year in the focus.... just for x-mas i got my dad some for his f350, he was so impressed that friday when i came home from work there was another set of silverstars for my moms jeep on the counter for me to install...

To add my frustration, I have those silverstar bulbs too and changed untill now 5 bulbs in one year. I had the car wiring checked just in case but all is fine so I blame it on poor qualityof the material. What really frustrates me is that you pay them a lot but only one filament in the bulb burns (low) while the other (high) is still good but useless

yeah. my low filament blew (usually what goes on cars). so today i went to target to get the xenon bulbs mentioned at the beginning of the thread.....they dont carry them. so i went to pep boys and got them. im going to put them in my car tomorrow if i get my car back. it's in the shop for a trans line leak. in the mean time, i have an 08 focus loaner car.

the xenon's i got are cool. nice and bright

i have piaa bulbs and they are great! no problems and i have some for sale as well! they are great bulbs and are bright as hell

Pretty much any blue-coated bulb is going to be shorter-lived than its clear glass counterpart. There are strict DOT guidelines regarding headlight bulbs and lumen output, the bulb must fall within a certain range to be considered legal. More on this later.

Halogen bulbs generate most of their light towards the "warm" side of the spectrum, which is why halogen light is typically yellow-white. Coating the bulb blue cuts down significantly on the amount of light that gets past the coating, as halogens generate very little light on the "cool" side of the spectrum.

Now to combine the two...for bulb manufacturers to make a blue-coated bulb that meets DOT guidelines they have to make the filament burn hotter -resulting in higher lumen counts- to overcome the lumen-reducing nature of the blue coating. As a result the bulbs have a significantly lower life expectancy and higher cost. And the joke is really on the consumer - blue coated bulbs only produce the illusion of better lighting, due to the nature of the bulb they tend to generate a lumen count towards the low side of the DOT range standard, while most OE-replacement bulbs fall somewhere in the middle. So you're pretty much better off buying a plain OE-replacement bulb from a cost and performance standpoint.

If you want to spend the extra money, look into GE Nighthawks or (assuming you can find them) Osram Silverstars (which are different from the Sylvania Silverstars commonly found in most chain parts stores.)

I've had mine for a few months, and the output is nice. After these go, it's back to a normal replacement, they're not worth the money.
Just remember, they're German made. Translated, that means over-engineered and not-so-relaible.[idea]

Not really.

They don't fail frequently because they're a German-designed product (which they aren't), they fail because (like I posted) the filament has to burn hotter to make the blue-coated bulb pass DOT requirements for lumen output. Increasing filament temperature reduces its lifespan.

Not really.

They don't fail frequently because they're a German-designed product (which they aren't), they fail because (like I posted) the filament has to burn hotter to make the blue-coated bulb pass DOT requirements for lumen output. Increasing filament temperature reduces its lifespan.

Forgive my humor above. Close inspection of my bulbs indicate "Made in Germany." I didn't say designed.

Additiontally, most filaments are engineered to last a certain amount of time given under certain conditions. They certainly could enhance the filament to increase the life expectancy. My assumption is that they did just that in the Silverstar ultra bulbs, no????

Hi all,
It's not in my nature to go on abt this but just for fun I complained to Sylvania abt the whole thing. They gave a fairly good explanation (sort like SKA did) and guess what they even trow in a few free bulbs to compensate for the inconvenience and the cost, Sweet of them. I currently have the Halogen XtraVision from Sylvania and they seem good, till now LOL. I might try out the Nighthawks though (still cheaper than Silverstar but hard to get where I live).

I have silverstars in my FoFo and about 2 or 3 weeks ago one blew out. I cant remember exactly when we got em but i think its only been like 7-8 months since they have been in. I really want some nice bright blue ones but i gotta stick with these for a lil while longer.

lmao, i just had to change out a bulb ( right fog ).

i think it lasted about a year... lol

i dont know whats so funny... ^ haha.

whats with all the bad luck with silverstars? I had a set in my old ZX3 for about 2 years, got rid of that car and took them out. leased a dodge for 2 years, then bought a SVT which i put the same silverstars in. been working fine for close to another year now.

i had my silverstars in my foci since brand new, no probs so far. and its been 8ish months ago

3 years and counting in the svt, 11 mos in the 07
as long as you dont touch the bulb with your fingers there will be no problem, use a clean paper towel to handle them. The slightest touch will leave oils from your skin on them which cooks into the glass causing a hotspot which shortens the life significantly. the instructions even specifically state how to handle them.

I hate silver star...i have bought two sets with in 3 months and the set i just got blew out all ready...no i didn't touch the glass they are just poor quality lights...but on the bright side this gives me an excuse to get some HID...lol [woot]

I have silverstars in both of my 01 ZX3's, and have had zero problems after 3 years on each. I wore gloves as i pulled the old ones out, changed gloves, and installed the new ones. No problems at all. can't say anything bad about them.

Silverstar actually cost me a ticket... and more that I've explained in the general chat forum. I've been impressed with the light output but not the life. I believe SKAAddict is right in his post. I'll have to try some alternatives before my other silverstar goes out on me. My ride looks funny with one silverstar, one stock halogen.

I've always used Silverstar Ultras. Never had a problem. In my Mountaineer I've had them in for 3 years and never had a problem. As long as you make sure they're in right and don't touch the bulb, etc. you won't have any problems. Even if I did have problems my dad works at sylvania so I get them for free. :)

i just got some for my new headlight assemblies and i love them. i usually use xenon hid look alike's, but they didnt have them in the size i needed. the silverstars are good tho.

I have news for this thread!

2008 Focus use DIFFERENT plug than '00-'07. It's 9008 now, not 9007.

Anyway, I have bought the Silverstars for the car, and honestly, can't tell much of a difference. I don't know if the stock bulbs were just really really good, or the Silverstars just aren't that great. I have nothing to complain about, and I kept my stock bulbs just in case, but anyway.

I'll look for better alternatives sometime soon.

Oh yeah, changing bulbs on an '08 is a HUGE PITA.

bought silverstars today, spent almost $70 on them, took me forever to figure out how to get the bulb out, couldnt figure out, got so pissed so took the whole thing off and put the bulb in and def touched it like a million of times, so tomorrow im gonna return them :).. just ordered those super plasma gtx and now im thinkin about somethin for my fog lights, but can't really find anything except this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XD5-899-Quartz-5800K-Xenon-Whitest-Bulbs-Fog-Driving_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33709QQihZ005QQitemZ150235811598QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
5800k its too much i think, doesnt say anything about the power, but wouldnt it burn the plastic?

yeah foci aren't the funnest things in the world to change the headlight bulbs in...... One of mine burned out so I replaced it in the dark in the rain in a parking lot under a streetlight so I could get home.... It really sucked. You cant freaking get your hand in there or twist it far enough to get any leverage on the stupid retainer. Its so dumb.

bought silverstars today, spent almost $70 on them, took me forever to figure out how to get the bulb out, couldnt figure out, got so pissed so took the whole thing off and put the bulb in and def touched it like a million of times, so tomorrow im gonna return them :).. just ordered those super plasma gtx and now im thinkin about somethin for my fog lights, but can't really find anything except this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/XD5-899-Quartz-5800K-Xenon-Whitest-Bulbs-Fog-Driving_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33709QQihZ005QQitemZ150235811598QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
5800k its too much i think, doesnt say anything about the power, but wouldnt it burn the plastic?

Those bulbs are the immitation type bulbs. The only reason they say 5800k is cause they immitate that color. Which is a little tint of blue, not much. In my oppinion not worth the money at all. Because of that blue tinting they have less light output then regular bulbs. Also there comparison is fake. The lower the 'k' number, the brighter they are. As in, 4300k has more output then 8000k.

over a year now on my silverstars and still working great

I tried the silverstars last year on my mazda 6. Most definitely a PITA to change. Yes, I did use gloves to install the new bulbs. One burnt out after like 2 months, the other after about 3. I sent them back to the manufacturer and they sent me replacements, so they honored their warranty. I kept stock bulbs in the glove box just in case and good thing I did, because those replacement silverstars also burned out after just a few weeks. Finall gave up on those POS and put the stock bulbs back in. No problems since. Silverstars are most definitely POS.

I've had mine for 2 weeks now and I'm a fan. It took about 3 days for me to see a noticeable difference in the light. And because I've heard so much about these bulbs not lasting I got 2 sets.... hey at 7 bux a pair from the clearance section, how can you not buy extra sets? Oh yea, and I'm keeping the old ones in the glove box [thumb]

i have had a set of silverstars on my stock headlights , my fogs and my ST170's. ZERO issues after a year with the stockers and the fogs and so far about 8 months on the ST170's....the fogs have been in the longest too.


I can tell you RIGHT NOW, you touched the bulb, or something did.

Before I install EACH bulb, I use a fresh clean brand new microfiber towel and I rub each glass part thoroughly and immediately install. if I THINK I touched it I TAKE IT OUT and re-clean the bulb.


it pays to have a good clean bulb

^exactly

Been changing halogen bulbs on my cars since 1987. That makes it......um let's see....21 years now. Never had a problem with any bulb except the silverstar. If it happened to one or two of them I could say well it was only bad luck...but when every single silverstar bulb I tried burnt out way too soon....you can only come to one conclusion...that they are a POS. For the few who have used them and didn't experience any problems....consider yourselves lucky. Even my mom owned a Pinto in the 70's and she never had any problems with it. Doesn't prove that that millions of them were great cars. Nuff said.

just talked to my friend, he has silverstars for over a year now on his mazda 6, and its completely fine..

as with any bulb, just make sure that you dont touch the bulb itself, just the base. Oil from your fingers will make the bulb too hot and burst it.

yeah foci aren't the funnest things in the world to change the headlight bulbs in...... One of mine burned out so I replaced it in the dark in the rain in a parking lot under a streetlight so I could get home.... It really sucked. You cant freaking get your hand in there or twist it far enough to get any leverage on the stupid retainer. Its so dumb.
I just installed silverstar bulbs today and had the same problem with the retainer-Ford could have done a better job designing a better fit

Thread revival if it's OK with you.
Sylvania is owned by the German OSRAM.
There are two lines of Silverstars: Sylvania Silverstar and OSRAM Silverstar.
If you want the good Silverstars, then get the OSRAMs

Stop wasting money on overwattage, tinted, gimmicky, expensive bulbs that are not brighter than stock, just louder. Get true upgrades, such as Narva Rangepower.