spr01sts Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Hey all I changed my headlight bulbs to Sylvannia Silverstars a couple of weaks ago and it seems to have helped with the dim light output for my non-zenon STS. The bulbs do put out more light and whiter light. The only problem was with brighter headlights my fog lights appeared dim. So, I went to Automod Atlanta and purchased some super-plasma bulbs for my fogs. Now people flash there brights at me thinking my brights are on. Money well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Is that Automod at 5940 PT Road?? Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 26, 2004 Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 I went to Automod Atlanta and purchased some super-plasma bulbs for my fogs. Now people flash there brights at me thinking my brights are on. Money well spent. Now, does oncoming traffic flash at you with only your fogs on? '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spr01sts Posted January 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2004 Yeah the Automod on Peachtree in Chamblee, and they flash me when riding with fogs and headlights on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I guess what I'm trying to determine is ..what's bugging the oncoming drivers, the new headlight bulbs, the new foglamp bulbs..or both. The reason I ask is, I very recently changed both my stock low and high beam bulbs to the Silverstars. Additionally, I put all high beam bulbs in all four sockets for a little more wattage. The result is outstanding, and I've not had one flash from on coming drivers. (I even had one of my sons drive the STS while I came at it on a dark county roadin another car), and I did not find the Silverstars offensive, on low beam. I'm thinking about upgrading my fog lamps as well, so I'm interested in the brand and part number you used. The results also intetrests (and concerns) me as too bright fogs (or low beams) are one of my pet peeves. (I'm a do-unto-others kind of guy...) That's why I'm questioning what's really bothering the oncoming drivers with your setup...just the low beams, ...just the fog lamps...or both? You might consider re-adjusting the aim of the low beams if that's all it is.. Try only the fogs if you can, and let us know if that bugs anybody. We'd be interested to know. Thanks! '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spr01sts Posted January 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Yeah Bobd i think its the combination of the fogs and headlights that's causing the oncoming drivers to flash. It wasn't until I changed the fods that oncoming drivers started flashing me. I think it's when I'm either on an uphill grade or if I'm slightly higher than the oncoming traffic. The fogs are alot brighter than stock, the stock bulbs were 27.5 watts and the new ones are 37.5 watts. The reflecter for the fogs makes them seem brighter than the headlights. I have checked the alignment on my headlights and foglights and both are almost dead on. Now as far as the bulbs I used, Eurolite Xenon superplasma #893XB. Apparently Cadillac used several different bulbs and sockets for the fog lights. Depending when your car was built. The 2001 model year used 3 different bulbs for the fog lights. My car actually had #880 bulbs in it but the 893 are the same connector. We had to call three different Cadillac dealers to find out which bulb connector my car has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Hey, that all helps, thanks.... A little less research to do before I make the change. '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spr01sts Posted January 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Your welcome, glad to help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 So now you can blind the oncoming drivers and claim stupidity, wonderful. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abrankod Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Have you checked the aim of your foglights since you've changed bulbs? Each bulb is slightly different from others and will spill light in a different way. Also, DONT USE FOGLIGHTS WHEN ITS NOT BLOODY FOGGY AND YOU WONT GET FLASHED. -Dan (who uses front and rear foglights CORRECTLY) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 DONT USE FOGLIGHTS WHEN ITS NOT BLOODY FOGGY AND YOU WONT GET FLASHED.-Dan (who uses front and rear foglights CORRECTLY) YESSIRR!! What is that, an order? LOL So in your personal driving manual Dan, where does it say exactly what the CORRECT level of fog is for proper light operation? Do you have a measuring device for ambient light ? Backscattering? I know, you have a calibrated light attenuation meter and reflectometer in your car, eh? You know, I use my fogs ALL the time, in the middle of the day, can you believe it?? They act as DRL's, and work great, especially on long shady country roads where it can be very hard to see someone coming, especaily on cloudy days. Funny thing...not one oncoming driver's flashed at me in years, and not one ticket for 'incorrect operation' of the fog lights. Just lucky I guess...:-) '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 So now you can blind the oncoming drivers and claim stupidity, wonderful. Would you care to clarify that judgment, Johnny? '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Sure! I have explained this before, but one more time won't hurt. As a person gets older, like mid fortys older, their eyes begin to lose some of the elasticity in the iris and some muscle control, which prevents them from "shutting down" the opening in their eyes. Therfore, more and more light tends to reach the retina. As this progresses with years, the situation for older drivers becomes dangerous. The effect of too bright a car's oncoming headlights can actually result in temporary blindness. This can lead to accidents if the road suddenly changes when the temporary blindness is occuring. The first "retaliation" as we soon learn, is to flash your headlights to the oncoming driver, just in case he just "forgot" for a moment that his lights were much too bright. But evrybody on this board now knows that you have been "told" by other drivers that your lights are too bright for their driving comfort and safety. Therfore, if you do cause an accident, you would have to claim "stupidity" for installing lights that were dangerous. Well maybe stupidity was a bad choice of words, ignorance may have been more correct. However, now that the process has been explained to you, you cannot claim ignorance any longer. What word would you use to describe your apparent disregard for other's safety? Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentham Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 What I learned in Drivers Ed... If the lights are too bright for your eyes, focus your eyes away from the bright light and onto the 'fog line' until they pass. If their tailing you, turn on your neon light on your mirror Or tint your back window BLACK and you won't have any problems. Eric 93 Cad Seville 100K 95 Chev Blazer 143K [garaged summers] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob D Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 However, now that the process has been explained to you, you cannot claim ignorance any longer. What word would you use to describe your apparent disregard for other's safety? Well, Johnny, I'm afraid your "explanation" is a bit of a stretch. Forgive my "ignorance" LOL, but I am a few years beyond your numerical description of a biological process. I have no problem seeing at night, nor doing any of my other driving enthusiasts friends in my age group. But lets be a little more objective about this. Most car manufacturers in the last few years have upgraded the lighting devices in their designs by increased wattage (lumens) and the actual spectral transmission in the output of the bulb design. This is all done within the guidelines and standards set by the federal DOT. The scientists and engineers involved in these design upgrades are very aware, and held by law as to what is acceptable or excessive transmitted light. By upgrading some of our vehicles to the newer revisions of bulb design, we all within those standards. Now, it is up to the individual owner/driver to make sure the aiming is correct on the vehicle. Poorly aimed Old ''yellow', low wattage bulbs will blind a ten year old just a surely as a poorly aimed new type high wattage white or blue bulb. Therein lies the "ignorance". One must make sure the aiming is correct. On all my cars, regardless of what type of light bulbs I'm currently running, I make sure the aim is dialed for both low and high beam. (Fogs too) It's not rocket science, if you can't do it yourself, there are stations at many shops that will adjust your headlight aim for a nominal price. Use this one as a model, a tune your other cars to it's aiming geometry. Like I said in my post (don't know if you read that far..) I'm a "do unto others" kind of guy, one of my pet peeves being poorly aimed headlights (NOT newly designed bulbs and transmitters). My final test is to have one of my sons drive at me at night on our long, flat, straight, DARK country road, (while I'm coming at him in another one of my cars...a LOW one..) The intent of this is to see if these old eyes can take it...Funny thing..I have no problem whatsoever with these upgrades and apparently no one else does either. Not one 'flash' at me in many miles of driving. '93 STS.. opened, dropped, wide...fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Actually I thought it was spr01sts that was asking for the explanation, he's the one getting flashed. I guess I need to be more careful on who I reply to. Regardless, the explanation is still the same and I'm glad you're not having eye problems or cataracts or anything. Maybe the age is later in life, I'm in my mid 50's and can notice the difference on some cars...particularly the ones with the careless "upgrades". Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAB Posted January 28, 2004 Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Has anyone installed Silverstar part # 880 for their Fog lights? Sylvania shows this as a replacement and this bulb has the correct 27.5 watts as the factory bulbs. The reason I'm asking is that I have the HID headlamps, and would like the bottom fogs to match in color as closely as possible. The factory fogs look yellow compared to the HID. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spr01sts Posted January 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2004 Boy I started something with this post. Sorry, I did how ever aim my fogs a little lower. But like I said before I get flashed from oncoming traffic when going uphill or I'm on slightly higher ground than oncoming traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
careldo Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 SPR01STS You must live in a tough town LOL careldo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northstar Posted January 29, 2004 Report Share Posted January 29, 2004 The best thing you 98+ guys can do is buy the real HID lights off of E-bay. You do have to buy the whole headlamp unit with the D-1 bulbs and ballasts. He got two complete units for about $500. It looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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