Questions and Answers

Headlight Bulbs And Headlamps Q. I have a very easy and quick question. I am looking to buy some replacement bulbs for my car headlights. I have the 9006 and 9005 series lamps. I have the Sylvania Silverstar lights currently in my car and am very pleased with them, except one just blew out. Main Question: When purchasing a new lights for autos, what makes one bulb different than the others?

I know the Wattage is the power but, how does this make the light whiter? How does the temperature of the light bulbs effect the appearance of the bulbs? I do not want to spend a lot of money, but I want the best for my buck. I was looking at the PIAA, Sylvania, Hella and I am not sure how to compare them.

They all seem the same, but I am sure they will all look different. Are you familiar with the Projection Headlamps? I am just curious how they work? Maybe this is not easy and quick, but I appreciate your time.

Have a nice day,
Paul

A. The Number of the bulb denotes it's type. 9005 is a high beam with a 90° connector, 9006 is a low beam with a 90° connector. The 9004 is a straight connector is a low/high beam bulb and the 9007 is a low beam bulb.

9004	9005
9006	9007

Other than that, it's a matter of quality. Like anything else, the better the quality, the more expensive the bulb.

The operating temperature of the bulb is in indication of it's brightness. The higher the temperature, the brighter the bulb. Bulb manufacturers use a variety of inert gasses, like Argon and Krypton, to keep the heat of the bulb from melting everything around it and to prolong the life of the bulb. Most of these bulbs operate at a temperature higher than the melting point of steel.

Projection Headlamps are used to more accurately focus the light beams to illuminate the road for a longer distance in front of the vehicle. Some Projection Headlamps even have motors that turn them into a curve as the steering wheel turns