First Road Trip in the CRD----------ADDED PICTURES

RFCRD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 04, 2006 11:28 am

jeep06 wrote:

I am very impressed with the stock ones in my Jeep so far...

Wait until you have to drive at night in blowing snow. They are about worthless giving the same glare effect as running with highbeams. I have to shut them off and use the fog lights to see anything. There is something seriously wrong with some combination of focal distance, intensity, and aim given the number of oncomming motorists flashing their brights at me. Oh well, atleast they are great for spotting deer in the woods next to the highway. Just another example of how Jeep engineers missed the mark on this vehicle.

retmil46 · **Posted:** Mon Sep 04, 2006 12:35 pm

The '87 MB I have is the opposite extreme, seems like the U.S. spec low beams don't even go out 30 feet ahead of you, and I can drive with the high beams on without getting flashed.

On the CRD, it could be the adjustment is slightly different on different vehicles. After driving my friend's on the move to TX last year, and then purchasing mine, one of the first things I noticed was that the low beams on mine looked to be aimed noticeably lower. Only time I've gotten flashed on low beams was when I had the fogs on as well.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Quote:

The Silverstars are available in most auto stores but often behind the counter as they are $20 plus and only last about a year.

Interesting. The OEM's were so bad on my 02 Liberty that I put a set of Silverstars in. Huge improvement. Still going strong 5 years later. However, if you touch them with bare hands, you'll be lucky if they last a year. Warnings about that on the instructions, which take a microscope to read, suggest using alcohol to clean them first and then not touching them or the oil on your skin will cause premature failure. I used alcohol and used a cloth to install them.

However, the OEM lights on the 05 CRD are much, much better than the 02's factory bulbs.

RFCRD · **Posted:** Mon Sep 04, 2006 6:41 pm

Ranger1 wrote:

Quote:

The Silverstars are available in most auto stores but often behind the counter as they are $20 plus and only last about a year.

Interesting. The OEM's were so bad on my 02 Liberty that I put a set of Silverstars in. Huge improvement. Still going strong 5 years later. However, if you touch them with bare hands, you'll be lucky if they last a year. Warnings about that on the instructions, which take a microscope to read, suggest using alcohol to clean them first and then not touching them or the oil on your skin will cause premature failure. I used alcohol and used a cloth to install them.

However, the OEM lights on the 05 CRD are much, much better than the 02's factory bulbs.

One of the tricks I used on buses was to aim low beams downward (slightly) and inward (cross-eyed). We got a lot of oncoming flashes because I ran hallogens and the headlights were mounted high off the ground and had a wide spacing due to the width of the coach. This adjustment trick help vision considerably. Something is just wrong when you can see into the woods better than the road ahead. Maybe it's just a Jeep thing, just wants to ditch the expressway and go wheeling?!?

no-blue-screen · **Posted:** Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:32 am

I never had good luck with them on my 2004 Volvo. My mother now has that car, but they never lasted me longer than a year. I was lucky to get 3-months out of them if I left the factory running lights enabled. Luckily, Volvo built it a trick that you could perform to disable them, and now they last close to a year before burning out. Not sure if there is a difference in the bulb types, but the Volvo took H7 bulbs. I got flashes...but not very often. I should also note that I never touched the bulbs.

The reason why you don't touch them is because the oil from your hands will create a hot-spot on the bulb and cause premature failure.

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

Yes, the instructions also stated that some oil or other contamination during manufactering could have occured and they recommended cleaning the bulbs. The high temperature the SS's burn at cause premature burnout if any foreign material gets on the surface. Very similar instructions on the CRD glow plugs - they hit 2200F and specifically warn about touching the ceramic tips with human skin or any liquids as it will cause premature burnout also. What's strange to me about that is the CRD gp's have hot oil sprayed on them during compression/combustion - yet the instructions warn about it. There must be something else in the skin oils that accelerates the burnout process. Water/salts?

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:24 am

Easiset solution is to wear rubber surgical gloves...great for working on vehicles also...fingernails stay clean...They should include a pair in the SS box with instructions to use them after you have pulled the stock bulbs. :idea:

Then when you are done...you can do the old "Howie Mandel" trick and pull them over your head to just below your nose...blow thru your nose and the fingers stand up on your head like a chicken...ChickHead

RFCRD · **Posted:** Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:18 am

This topic really got off subject quickly.

Taz,
Gotta know. Did you stop at Wall Drug? :lol:

kjfishman · **Posted:** Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:27 pm

Zonie wrote:

Talk some more about your headlights. Do you have an example of "big difference?

Do you have part numbers? Are these self-install?

The light is whiter, the amount of improvement is a subjective thing. I had them on my 02 anf forgot to take them out before trading it in for this one. The headligts are very easy to change. Watch for them to start going on sale as we are getiing closer to winter. Last time I bought them they were $25 for the pair on sale.

The Sylvania web site has some pictures that compare them to standard lights. Note thses bulbs have a much shorter life span, this info is also on the Sylvania web site.

First Road Trip in the CRD----------ADDED PICTURES

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