GE Nighthawk vs. Sylvania Silverstar

I know that there are several discussions about these two headlight replacements on here, but i wanted to share my reviews of them, and also share some insight from Sylvania on their product...

The short version is this: BUY THE GE NIGHTHAWKS!! (Amazon has a great price.)

My review on Amazon..

If you but these bulbs after reading all the negative reviews on
here, you deserve what you get.

In May of 2008, I purchased my first pair of Silverstar replacement
bulbs on Amazon for my 2007 Honda Ridgeline. I had wanted to increase
the brightness of my headlights, and thought that Sylvania was a company
with superior products. By September 2008, one of them had already
burned out. I contacted Sylvania customer service, and was told that
because of their brightness and high heat, the life expectancy was less
that other bulbs. But because of the extreme failure rate of my bulbs,
they would sent me a replacement pair.

While waiting for the replacement pair, I purchased another set at
Kraagen, thinking I would keep the free pair as a backup. Shortly after
installing the bulbs from Kraagen they burned out, so I had to resort to
using the free pair I received from Sylvania.

BY MARCH OF 2009, LESS THAN A YEAR LATER- the third pair of bulbs burned
out. Yes, I went through 3 sets of bulbs in less than one year. And it's
not like it was the same headlight burning out, either. I was
experiencing failure on both headlights, and replacing them together as
a set, as recommended by Sylvania. And NO, I do not touch the actual
bulb with my fingers

I ordered GE Nighthawk Sport bulbs from Amazon in March 2009, and have
had them in my truck ever since. No burnouts, and the color and
brightness is outstanding.

DO NOT BUY THESE BULBS, UNLESS YOU HAVE MONEY TO "BURN!

The response from Sylvania:


Thank you for taking the time to follow-up with us regarding your
additional product concerns. I assure you that we take Customer
Satisfaction very seriously and apologize for the inconvenience you've
encountered while using our SilverStar(r) high performance lamps.

We offer a wide variety of products to satisfy customer needs including
brightness, durability, color options and increased visibility. All of
our high performance halogen lamps, including the SilverStar(r), are
made to the same specifications for amperage and voltage draw as their
original equipment counterparts so they create no more heat than
standard halogen lamps. The primary goal with our SilverStar(r) product
line is to produce brightest, whitest light that still complies with all
guidelines for on-road use. Research has shown SilverStar(r) headlights
improve driver visibility and reaction time. However, since the
SilverStar(r) products are up to 35% brighter than standard halogen,
they will have a shorter life span compared to some of our other
products. The life of any halogen bulb varies based on proper
installation, vehicle type, vehicle voltage, and the amount of time the
bulb is on. The average life for the SilverStar(r) headlights is
approximately one year and may be further reduced if the lamps are used
in a daytime running light application. It's possible that given your
personal driving habits you're exhausting the life span more quickly
than most.

Additionally, halogen bulbs are designed to perform at a nominal 12.8
volts DC to achieve optimal performance. However, some vehicles are
running much higher, in some cases at 15+ volts at start-up. Such
over-voltage is typically not an issue for general vehicle operation,
but an increase in voltage by as little as 5% will reduce the rated bulb
life of a halogen lamp by as much as half. Unfortunately, no
adjustments can be made to the operating voltage since it's a function
of the alternator output and electrical architecture of the vehicle, but
if you find the operating voltage to the headlamp to be higher than 13.5
volts, that may also explain why the SilverStar(r) lamps are failing shy
of the one year average.

For those consumers who are particularly concerned about product
longevity, we suggest our XtraVision(r) product line. The XtraVision(r)
lamps have a color temperature of approximately 3200K, compared to an
average color temperature of 4000K for the SilverStar(r), so they will
not produce the crisp white light found with the SilverStar(r).
However, the XtraVision(r) lamps leverage the technology of a
specifically engineered filament and a proprietary gas mixture to create
up to 30% more illumination than standard halogens. This increased
light output allows drivers to see more clearly at night and enhances
driving safety. Our XtraVision(r) products have been designed for
maximum durability and performance without as much of a tradeoff in
terms of the life span.

After having Silverstar's in both my trucks now as well as my last truck they have been great in both more and 'whiter' light and longevity. I put them both my wife's car and mine about 3 years ago with no problems.

Good luck!

I have the GE Nighthawk Sports as well, and love 'em.

Silverstars are my choice and have been for 6 years. Make sure to wipe with alcohol swabs before you install

have the nighthawks for 2years now. luv em

Silverstars for some two plus years now..

I quite enjoy my silverstar ultras however I am looking to take the jump and go HID. I miss brilliant white color of my last set of aftermarket lights a bit too much.

I'm also using the GE nighthawks 921NH for my backup bulbs. They also are brighter then the stock 921's...

I installed Silverstars about 9 months ago. One burned out last night. I will not be going back with them again. I guess I'll try the Nighthawks this time.

I put a set of Sylvania SilverStars in my wife's 2000 Caravan about 2 months ago and a set in my Ridge about a month ago. BOTH lights in the Ridge blew out within the past week. I bought them at WalMart so I simply returned them for replacements. Oddly, the wife's lights are still burning brightly. Makes me wonder about that whole amperage thing at start-up. Maybe I'll start turning the lights off manualy. Shouldn't have to though...

I put a set of Sylvania SilverStars in my wife's 2000 Caravan about 2 months ago and a set in my Ridge about a month ago. BOTH lights in the Ridge blew out within the past week. I bought them at WalMart so I simply returned them for replacements. Oddly, the wife's lights are still burning brightly. Makes me wonder about that whole amperage thing at start-up. Maybe I'll start turning the lights off manualy. Shouldn't have to though...interesting. I always turn off everything when shutting down a vehicle, that way no weirdness at startup. Hopefully that is the issue. I'm sure you know this, make sure to wipe the bulbs fully with an alcohol pad before installing them

I started out with NightHawks 53 months ago and they were good for about 17 months and the Right one burned out. Replaced both with Sylvania Silverstar Xtra 4,000. They were very white and bright but didnot last 12 months.

I finally found an on line store that would sell the Nighthawks at a reasonable price. Walmart quite carring them. They have been in place since April of this year. So far no problems.

I replaced the OEM bulbs with the Slyvania Silverstar ultras back in Jul 09. The left headlight burnt out the first week of Dec, bought a replacement and the Right headlight burnt out the first week of Jan 10. Bought the Nighthawk Platinums, hope they work out better. I haven't installed them yet so I can't comment on brightness compatibility.

Put Nighthawks in my RL when I first bought it (Jan '07) and when one of them blew out about a year ago I replaced them with Silverstars - simply because it was more convenient. Don't see any huge difference in performance (although it's my perception that the Silverstars perform a bit better on low beam) and we'll see if the Sylvania bulbs last as long as the GEs.

I replaced the OEM bulbs with the Slyvania Silverstar ultras back in Jul 09. The left headlight burnt out the first week of Dec, bought a replacement and the Right headlight burnt out the first week of Jan 10. Bought the Nighthawk Platinums, hope they work out better. I haven't installed them yet so I can't comment on brightness compatibility.

I was also looking at the new platinum’s. They still do not list the lumen specs on the website.

http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/products/nighthawk/

Please keep us updated on your findings.

[They still do not list the lumen specs on the website.
If you look at the very bottom of the 2nd page of the sell sheet (http://www.gelighting.com/na/business_lighting/education_resources/literature_library/sell_sheets/downloads/automotive/nighthawk_platinum_sellsheet.pdf) you'll see that they're rated at 15,000/40,000 candela for low beam/high beam.

Can't seem to find any comparative specs for the SilverStar Ultra bulbs.

I have used both with good results except for the short shelf life on the Sylvania. They had really white light with wide coverage but they didnot last one year.
My GE nighthawks's have great vision at night. The first set lasted 16-18months.
I put in another set of Nighthawk's last May 0r June So far, so good!!!:act035:

Additionally, halogen bulbs are designed to perform at a nominal 12.8 volts DC to achieve optimal performance. However, some vehicles are running much higher, in some cases at 15+ volts at start-up.

Umm, nearly every car runs at a charging voltage between 13.8 and 14.4 volts. If they didn't, they wouldn't be charging the battery, but "floating" it.

And at startup, the voltage is lower because of the large drain the starter motor places on the battery.

So I call BS on their reply. Another reason to go with a vendor that doesn't try and blow smoke at you.

Chip H.

i've had the nighthawks in for about a year and a half with no problems. have a back up set just incase that i bought when amazon was running a buy one get one deal..

are the nighthawk platinums supposed to be better then the regular ones?

Had the same short life problem with the Silverstar bulbs in my '01 Civic EX. Rather frustrating but very easy to change the bulbs so always had a spare one on hand. Seems like I might have to look into the GE bulbs if I decide to replace the OEM ones.

Had the same short life problem with the Silverstar bulbs in my '01 Civic EX. Rather frustrating but very easy to change the bulbs so always had a spare one on hand. Seems like I might have to look into the GE bulbs if I decide to replace the OEM ones.

I loved the Silverstars for brightness, but they didn't last very long.
Switched to the Philips Extreme. Very bright. And just won't quit.
Very happy.

I have the Silverstar Ultras installed in my '06 for about a year now, so far so good. Quite pleased with them so far.

Has anyone ever tried these blubs, expensive. Are they just plug and go to the oem headlight harness or do you need to have different wiring?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Has anyone ever tried these blubs, expensive. Are they just plug and go to the oem headlight harness or do you need to have different wiring?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:ITThose are just Silverstar Ultras... yes, get them!!! They are plug & play as I had them in both my Ridges. Also, they are not blue, just their crappy photo is. I would never pay $50 for them. You should be able to find them in the $25-30 range.

visual comparison: http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/Products/ProductComparison/

Has anyone ever tried these blubs, expensive. Are they just plug and go to the oem headlight harness or do you need to have different wiring?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200449046041&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

in my truck i use Luminics they are good bulbs, i run my lights all the time when driving the SilverStars blew out in a few months, so far the Luminics have lasted longer then the Luminics and unlike other blueish lights they have NOT lost the blueish color, i want to get the Krypton type they have (they are suppose to be brighter) but cant justify spending that money when these bulbs are working, the lights look so nice at night with the yellow fogs while driving
these are the Hyper White
http://i335.photobucket.com/albums/m462/rakapur/Ridgeline/100_0577.jpg

website i buy from, http://luminicsbulbs.com/

and i did upgrade the wire harness just to be on the safe side, but the wire harness just plugs into the socket of the original wire harness

In 2005 I started with the GE Nighthawks and loved them, but on vacation about 1 year later, right side burned out and I could not find them anywhere.

Pepboys told me to try Sylvania Silverstar Ultra's cost me almost 50.00
I was very pleased with how bright they were and excellent at night driving.
To my surprise one of them burned out in the first 8 months.

I couldnot find GE Nighthawk's anywhere, so I went to Sylvania Silverstar regular. The lights lasted over two years, but were no where near as bright as the Ultra's or Nighthawk's.

The last change about 15 months ago, I ordered GE Nighthawk's on line , Amazon.com got a great price. Have been very happy with them, they are a very bright white color and night driving is great.:car004::

in my truck i use Luminics they are good bulbs, i run my lights all the time when driving the SilverStars blew out in a few months, so far the Luminics have lasted longer then the Luminics and unlike other blueish lights they have NOT lost the blueish color, i want to get the Krypton type they have (they are suppose to be brighter) but cant justify spending that money when these bulbs are working, the lights look so nice at night with the yellow fogs while driving


website i buy from, http://luminicsbulbs.com/

and i did upgrade the wire harness just to be on the safe side, but the wire harness just plugs into the socket of the original wire harnessI have used many luminics and they are great as well. My fogs are also yellow Luminics

I have used many luminics and they are great as well. My fogs are also yellow Luminics

Just lost my right Ultra after only six months. Not happy. :act043:

Just lost my right Ultra after only six months. Not happy. :act043:I can understand that. Give Luminics a chance as they are much cheaper than Sylvania but still quality.

Also do an eBay search for OSRAM bulbs as they are Sylvania as well and can be bought for FAR less on eBay. My Impreza has eBay-bought OSRAM silverstar installed
http://www.sylvania.com/ then look at the browser title.... "OSRAM Sylvania" :)

The ultimate answer is get a projector conversion kit and then install HIDs (4300K or 6000K will be what you want)

I got Silverstars for my old Civic, then for my Ridgeline. In the civic, they lasted years, but in the Ridgeline, I got two or three months. I'm thinking that either there is a compatibility issue with the Ridgeline (no idea what it would be...) Or Sylvania has poor quality control at one factory and Some of us are getting bulbs from that factory only.

I keep losing my Silverstar Ultra left light...it goes out after about 6-8 months. Each time they burn out, I contact the company, tell them a bulb burnt out in less than 8 months, and they replace them for free (there is the cost of shipping the old bulbs back to them...so it's not "free" per se). As soon as they quit replacing them for free, I will quit using them.

Hey Keith and rak,

Thanks for the heads-up on Luminics. My passenger side PIAA Ultra White blew out this week after exactly one year. I was about to order a set of bulbs from Luminics. While looking for a coupon code, I saw their Twitter promo. Tweet them with "today's phrase" and they'll send you a set of bulbs of your choice for free.

I was going to go with the Hyper White, but I saw reference to the Krypton Ultra White. I like a crisp, white beam, no color, like the PIAA.

Which ones should I get?

I am going to make it worth their while and order a set of fog bulbs as well because my yellow iodine bulbs are almost 4 years old now and one is bound to blow.

Thanks!!!

I put a set of Sylvania SilverStars in my wife's 2000 Caravan about 2 months ago and a set in my Ridge about a month ago. BOTH lights in the Ridge blew out within the past week. I bought them at WalMart so I simply returned them for replacements. Oddly, the wife's lights are still burning brightly. Makes me wonder about that whole amperage thing at start-up. Maybe I'll start turning the lights off manualy. Shouldn't have to though...

UPDATE:

Bulbs kept blowing out in the Ridge so I went back to OEM. No problems so far but much less light. Bulbs in the wife's Grand Caravan are STILL burning fine. Must be something with the Ridge like excess amps at startup or something.

I was going to go with the Hyper White, but I saw reference to the Krypton Ultra White. I like a crisp, white beam, no color, like the PIAA.

Which ones should I get?The "Krypton" bulbs are much larger than the standard size and also give off much more light. Always get the Krypton series when available.

http://www.luminicsusa.com/default.asp
They also make a Krypton Titanium White which looks like something interesting

Luminics Krypton JDM Yellow
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q178/keith_757/2008%20Honda%20Accord/IMG_1227Large.jpg

I had a really strange experience with the Sylvania Silverstars at the Ridgeline meet in Memphis earlier this year.

When we were at the last part of the meet, Larry R noticed I had a bulb out. I started the trip before daylight, and I knew both were working on the trip over to Memphis. Larry R had an extra bulb and we replaced it on the parking lot there at the meet.

A few minutes later, I was following Dusty out of the parking lot, with my lights on. He stopped in front of me and walked back to let me know I had a headlight out -- yet again. He knew we had just replaced one of the lights a few minutes earlier.

Talk about programmed bulb life hours!

So both bulbs burned out on the same day. That really scared me as if a few more minutes had passed, I would have been on I-40, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, when both bulbs blew out.

I went to an Autozone to purchase two new bulbs, Silverstars was the only option they had available. So I purchased two new bulbs out of desperation.

From now on, I will keep a spare bulb in the truck as you never know when both will burn out on a trip.

Thanks to Larry R and Dusty for noticing my burned out bulbs.

Having had to drive 300 miles a day in the 70's and 80's to commute to work ( I covered Maryland to Florida and Tennessee south (except Louisiana) a big territory and flying was not always an option - I had a trunk full of test equipment and parts ). I was one of the first to replace my OEM headlight's with Bosch H4 halogen headlights to see better, the problem back then was almost no one carried those bulbs, so I carried a set, just in case, I did a lot of 11pm to 3am driving when the speed limit was 55MPH. One night driving on I95 home the right bulb went out. I stopped at a Hardee's (their lights were on) and changed out the bad bulb. 2 exits later the left bulb went out, I ended up at a Burger King and replaced that bulb. After that I never went anywhere without a set of spare bulbs ( and a spare for them ).

I have used both Nighthawk and Sylvania.
Loved the bright light from both of them.
Found the Sylvania had a short lifespan.
Running Philips Xtreme now. Somebody on this site turned me on to them.
Ordered them from the UK. Love them. And they have lasted 1.5 years so far.