Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

Has anyone investigated better (brighter) headlight bulbs for a Mariner? I looked into it a little and it seems the Mariner has a relatively new bulb type (H13?) that's difficult to find. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck with brighter bulbs.

Island Mariner

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

I actually think they are pretty bright to begin with. Personally, I avoid aftermarket bulbs that claim to be brighter because none of them really are. The only way to get brighter bulbs is to use a higher wattage bulb. Installing a higher wattage is usually not street legal. On top of that, the higher wattage draws more power and the wiring of the stock lamps is not setup to handle that kind of current. You could end up melting your wiring and damaging the housing.

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

I run Silverstar bulbs in my truck and will be replacing my '07 FEH's when I get around to it. They run the standard vehicle wattage. They have an H13 bulb (taken from the Sylvania website):

2006 MERCURY Mariner
High & low beam headlamp
H13 (9008)
H13ST Silverstar High Performance Lighting: The Whiter and Brighter Halogen
H13XV XtraVision Halogen Upgrade: Up to 20% Brighter

Having compared stock halogen and Silverstars side-by-side in my '00 F-150, I can tell you the Silverstars and noticeably whiter and brighter.

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

Some interesting reading on "brighter" bulbs...its all about the lumens.

http://www.bmwcca.org/members/AM/Tem...6_Light&page=2

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...good/good.html

http://www.talkaboutautos.com/group/...es/525825.html

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

Thanks, Tim and Casper.

Tim, I'm familiar with Daniel Sterns positions on the matter, and I'm a member of BMWCCA. I'm less interested in what people say that I'll see and more interested in what I actually see when it comes to the difference. My BMW has fabulous halogen lights. I've never changed from the stock halogen bulb. I have tried silverstars and other bulbs in my Saab, and I notice a definite improvement in my ability to see on the rural, dark roads where I drive.

I'm glad that you find your mariners' lights to be more than adequate for you. Speaking for myself and my mariner, I've never had a car with worse lighting. I don't doubt you and your experience. I just believe that somehow the combination of my headlights and my road characteristics and my old eyes is different than yours.

I think I'll try the silverstars out. I'm surprised more people haven't tried them.

-Island Mariner

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

I live in a major city so I suppose my needs in a headlight are pretty limited. I suppose things are quite different in rural areas.

I can tell you why I never tried the SilverStars....and this was before doing any reading on them......the $25 pricetag. After doing the reading, even if I thought they were better at lilluminating the road, I would also be concerned about bulb life. Have you noticed a shorter lifespan in your other vehicles?

The one thing I noticed in the Mariner is the big plastic "cover" in front of the bulb. I've seen other vehicles with smaller covers but nothing quite this large. I wonder if this could be modified to improve lighting. I know on my previous vehicle (01 Grand Cherokee) I modded the factory fogs to take a highbeam bulb that didn't have the coated tip and it made a huge difference.
Another option would be to replace/upgrade the factory fogs with some serious driving lights for use in really dark situations.

Re: Better Headlight Bulbs?
 

The silverstars (and the PIAA Xtremewhites) both have a significantly shorter life than the OEMS on my Saab. The OEM bulbs lasted 4 years. The silverstars and xtremewhites last about 8 months for me. It is aggravating, I admit. I have begun keeping an additional pair of bulbs in the glovebox.

And they also cost more, but not as much more as they used to. I bought H13 silverstars for my Mariner yesterday at autozone. The OEM sylvania halogen was $12 per bulb. The silverstars were $17 per bulb. The real additional cost comes in the 8-month lifespan.

So it is indeed additional cost. For me, it's worth it. Most of my driving is in areas where I can definitely see the difference.

I haven't installed the silverstars in the Mariner yet. I'll let you know if I see the same improvement. I kind of wonder, because the lights are physically higher off the ground. We'll see.