By
Bull6791, January 11, 2014
What is the Toyota OEM head light bulb. I thought I was Sylvania. I have one out and what to replace it with OEM and I do not know which brand is OEM. The only thing I know is I have heard the Sylvania Silver star do not last that long. I do not know if the GE NIghthawk bulbs are better I never used them.
Any input would be great thanks
Frank
Which year and which Toyota model? High beam or low beam?
2005 Toyota corolla. Bulb #9006 is out. I thought Sylvania was OEM for Toyota but I do not know.
I just do not want to get Slyvania Silver star because I heard they do not last that long. I would want to try something else but I do not know what is good and will last a long time
Frank
You can get long life 9006 bulbs, such as Wagner # BP9006LL which are actually made by Philips in Germany.
I do not know if they sell Wagner bulbs locally. Meaning auto zone or advanced auto etc.
But your point is when I buy the 9006 bulb I want the 9006LL for long life. Regardless of what brand I get.
I guess most brands Sylvania or GE etc. have regular and also long life bulbs.
Thanks
You'll have a hard time finding 9006LL (1000 hours) versions at any parts distributor... Regular bulbs do last longer than all the fancy expensive bulbs typically with light blue tint, with a life rating of 850 hours compared to about 600 hours.
Pretty sure the OEM ones are Sylvania bulbs. I know on the 8th gen were a LL part number - picked up some Sylvania 9006LL to replacement them, looks identical except for the gasket color (OEM was yellow, aftermarket was red/orange). Can't image they'd change for the 9th gen Corolla.
Personally - I didn't really like them too much. Sure they lasted over three years (were still working when I pulled them) - but didn't like the throw they had. Not enough light to see low objects close to the road surface. Switched to Cool Blue from Sylvania - shifted color temperature up, slight blue tint. Could resolve objects better, but didn't have a very far throw (blue light is more easily scattered - shorter wavelength). Those lasted about 2 years before they failed.
Ended up with Philips bulbs then GE Nighthawks - both I would consider superior to the Sylvania ones, in terms of visual light output for about the same amount of money. Silverstars (the clear ones, not the tinted ones) - might be the next ones I try. They last a lot longer than the previous Silverstars (some only got a couple of months life out of them, most didn't even make it a year). Made in Germany - better QC and construction.
Fish
On my 05 corolla the first bulb I replaced was the passenger side. The factory bulb that came out was Sylvania 9006 with letters next to it. When I put the Sylvania 9006 and the letters into google Sylvania Silver Star came up. So I replaced it with a silver star. The bulb did not last that long because when I went for an oil change my mechanic said a headlight was out. It turned out to be the same bulb.
This weekend I did the driver side for first time. I do not need a bulb that is really bright. I need on to last long. I wanted Sylvania long life but could not find them at auto parts store. So I got Sylvania standard. I hope the standard bulb last longer than the Silver Star
Frank
How long did that Silver Star last - a couple of months or was it less? Assuming you made sure that there wasn't any moisture leaking past the socket? Didn't make any contact with the bulb with your hands (have to use gloves or be really careful)?
Yeah, LL bulbs can be hard to find. Might have to get those online. Don't believe the hype that they can last up to 6x longer than standards. My guess is that they will last about 1000-1500 hours - about 25-50% longer than a standard bulb. Downside is that they don't seem that bright, compared to the OEM life bulb. If you got the "standard" SiliverStar bulb last time - those are only designed to last about 200 hours.
The only bulb that I've seen at an automotive retailer that is like the old Sylvania LL bulb is Philips LongLife EcoVision bulb. But from I gather - it is a superior bulb, light output wise, to the LL bulb with similar lifespans.
Consider getting HIR bulbs. They're a little brighter and more white(not blue like HID) without increased heat and they're easy to modify where they fit your oem housings. I just did that and I'm pleased with them much more than the oem bulbs and the Sylvania replacements I had beforehand. I could only see 40ft in front of me at night but now I can see 80ft. I also adjusted the lights higher and have not had people flashing their lights at me either.
I used a pair of snips to cut the tabs but it can be done with a dremel or toe nail clippers too. Only takes a couple minutes to cut both bulb tabs to size with the snips. This site shows how to cut them to fit the oem housings.
Nur O'Moore
I live in Michigan and have a 2015 Corola with Sylvania bulb. I guess a random on-line description would be your Toyota parts came with Sylvania bulbs. They are a little smaller than the Sylvania bulbs. I am guessing if they had the Sylvania in stock, they would have come with the Sylvania bulbs. I don't know if they had any other OEM bulbs (w/o Sylvania) on the Toyota
Can get OEM bulbs from Toyota parts counter. It will be more expensive than going to local auto parts.
RockAuto might also have them. My discount code which you can use is 131822470122531130
That said, Philips makes good bulbs. I found that AC/Delco bulbs were actually a pricier German brand, sold at much lower prices, and they were brighter than stock without running hotter. (A tip from Daniel Stern of danielsternlighting).
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