Sylvania SilverStar/ZEVO LED Exterior Lighting Upgrade

[Zane]

Review: Sylvania Silverstar/ZEVO LED Exterior Lighting Upgrade

 

Zane Merva
Executive Editor, GM-Trucks.com
9/14/15

Are you looking for more visibility and a distinctive look for your vehicle when the sun goes down? We installed replacement SilverStar headlight bulbs to see better at night and ZEVO LED marker bulbs to give Project Sierra a high tech look. Here’s how it went.
 

Product Reviewed
Sylvania SilverStar ZXE headlight bulbs (9005/H11)

Sylvania ZEVO LED 194 Replacement Bulb

Current Retail Cost
SilverStar zXe H11: $49 / set
SilverStar zXe 9005: $51 / set
ZEVO 194 LED: $9.85 x 6 = $59
Total Cost ~ $159 (as of 9/14/2015)

Editor's Note: This product was provided at no cost for the purposes of a review. We only publish our honest opinions and give no consideration for the gratis product.

What are they?
Replacement headlight and marker light bulbs that shine brighter and with a whiter color temperature than stock. The LED bulbs will also never need replaced.

Tested On

2011 GMC Sierra All-Terrain Extended Cab SLT

SilverStar zXe Headlight Bulbs

The SilverStar zXe bulbs are Sylvania’s premium headlight bulbs. Sold in pairs, our Sierra takes H11 for the low beams and 9005 type bulbs for the high beams.

SilverStar zXe bulbs are supposed to be the brightest whitest and most "Xenon like" bulbs that Sylvania offers. They provide the bright daylight colored light closer in the spectrum to HID systems without going over the top and having a fake blue tint that only serves to annoy oncoming traffic. Updated: Sylvania has clarified to us that the SilverStar Ultra is the brightest downroad bulb, while zXe bulbs have the highest/whitest color temperature.

Installation is as easy as replacing any other headlight bulb. We had the best results on our 2011 using small hands and removing the air filter assembly.

ZEVO LED Marker Bulbs

Our trucks have around a half dozen mini-bulbs used around the exterior as marker lights. In some new vehicles, these bulbs are now LED. LED's bulbs are brighter, have a high-tech look, and never burn out.

Our Sierra came from the factory with 194-sized incandescent marker bulbs that give off a dim yellow light. Even the rear license plate lighting used two of these little outdated bulbs. Thankfully replacing all of them is very easy.



Our truck has two 194 bulbs in the headlights, two in the tail lights, and two to illuminate the rear plate at night. We started in the rear and removed the tail light housings using a Phillips head screwdriver. The license plate bulb housings pop out by squeezing a few tabs located behind the bumper. The four bulbs in the rear took under 15 minutes to swap out.

The headlight marker bulbs are slightly harder to get to. They reside on the side of the headlight housing, tucked tightly in the front fenders. We used a pair of needle nose pliers to very carefully remove and replace the bulbs up front.

Stock vs Sylvania

The stock headlight bulbs (left in each photo) vs the SilverStar zXe bulbs (right in each photo). The Sylvania bulbs have a blue tint that can only be seen during the day.


That blue tint on the bulbs translates to a slight blue hue in the headlight housing during the day. At night the blue tint isn't apparent.


The stock 194 marker light and license plate bulbs are light and fragile. The ZEVO led replacements are sturdy and feel heavier duty.


The right/driver side headlight is still stock. The left/passenger side is a SilverStar zXe bulb. The stock halogen bulb light looks yellow and dimmer in comparison.


Replacing the 194 marker light bulb in each tail light is a quick job. The reward is a significantly brighter 6000k white light. Stock on left, ZEVO LED on right. The LED bulbs are so much brighter that you can see the light spilling over into the lower part of the taillight. At first we thought this might be a problem but ending up deciding we liked the more aftermarket look it gave our truck.


Up close, it's even more obvious that the rear tail lamps benefit from the brighter ZEVO LED bulbs. The stock marker lights are almost unnoticeable. The LED bulbs are unmistakable.


The result is the most dramatic when illuminating the rear license plate. The stock 194 bulb(left photo) is yellow and dim. The Sylvania ZEVO LED bulb is much brighter and gives the exterior a better overall appearance.


Side by side, it's easy to see the ZEVO LED bulb (left) is a big upgrade in brightness from the stock bulb(right). Since LED's never burn out, you'll most likely never have to replace them again.


Conclusion
We replaced 10 bulbs on our 2011 Sierra during this lighting makeover. We began enjoying the results the first night and we noticed the difference immediately. Just by looking at the photos above, we’re sure you can too, and that says a lot considering it is very hard to photograph the lights in a way that accurately represents them in real life.

The biggest reason that someone would want to buy SilverStar zXe bulbs is for the exterior look they give your vehicle. Sure, the whiter color temperature light is easier on the eyes when driving at night. We'd even go as far to say that we could see the road better because of this. However, in our test, there was not much discernible difference in overall brightness over stock. After all, they both use the same wattage and the same reflective housing. Sylvania offers the SilverStar Ultra line of bulbs for enthusiasts who value brightness over color temperature.

 

In other words, don't expect this upgrade to be as bright as a HID upgrade which adds extra power to the lights. Where SilverStar zXe bulbs really "shine" is that from outside a vehicle, the headlights have a very crisp, almost HID like appearance.

The ZEVO LED 194 bulbs are similar in nature. Completely hidden to the driver, LED marker bulbs are great because they will never burn out and they look better and brighter than stock. However, with that said, the brighter corner marker lighting really stands out and we've fallen in love with the modern look.

We are looking forward to expanding our exterior makeover to LED tail light and backup bulbs someday in the future. Right now Sylvania doesn't make a set of LED brake light bulbs that are street legal for our Sierra but promises a solution. On the other hand, Sylvania does have backup light bulbs that fit and we're testing them now. We're also excited to share our thoughts of the ZEVO LED Pixelated DRL with you soon.

[Jsdirt]

Wow, spendy bulbs!

 

 

I had the same experience with the regular Silverstars when I threw a set of H11's in my '07 back around that time. Couldn't tell a difference in light output, but also couldn't see a difference in looks either.

 

Strange part is, they're still in the truck - haven't burned out yet! Every sealed-beam Silverstar I bought for the vintage vehicles burned out after less than 10 hours use! The H11's have a much longer life - maybe better construction there.

[f5fstop]

What about Hyper flash since the LEDs do not draw enough amps, thus the computer thinks a bulb is burnt out. Did you have to install a 6 Ohm 50 Watt Resistor for each turn signal bulb; including the back park and turn bulbs?

 

Also, it is usually recommended to install amber bulbs into amber housing, red bulbs into red housings etc. And there are tons of red and amber LEDs on the market.

Edited September 14, 2015 by f5fstop

[barry G]

don't need resistors, find the electronic relay for your truck.

resistors for LED is soooo 2007.

 

you do not need to get LED to be brighter, the stronger reason is lower energy.

I got mad at the bright ones, put amber in the license plate...and front parking.

looks factory.

 

They should have a full housing tail lamp LED swap prebuilt by now for the newer trucks...have not searched.

the 88-98 has been out for some time selling like hotcakes..swap the whole assembly out for prebuilt led circuits, I am finishing off my 96 just this week with the tail lamps.

There is a chance for an error if you have the wrong year tail lamp circuit installed. The 1996 needs one that is not like 1988. Took me along time to figure that one out..as no one is giving advice.

anyway, the full led swap gets rid of the whole 10 year quagmire.

 

My truck is the entire parking circuit LED. No incandescent.

44 bulbs so far, interior, exterior.

The traditional headlamps, I have found some reasoning to stay old school. Keep the good incandescent bulbs for those.

[J-Doc]

So just "how bright" is HID over stock anyway? Article above says it adds more power. Is it a nuance to oncoming drivers? I've seen a lot of Mercedes with super bright super white headlights and they blind oncoming traffic.

Zane...

Great write up by the way!!

[gammafrench]

Great Topic and how-to! I believe stock lighting is insufficient and upgrading really helps with nighttime driving safety concerns.

 

I believe whether or not the HIDs affect oncoming drivers is all in the headlight aiming. I replaced my 2007 Silverado headlights with 55w 6000K HIDs (low and high beam) and have been extremely happy. I live in a rural area and when high beams are on, the road in front of me is lit up! The lows don't seem to bother anyone coming the other way, at least I've never been flashed.

 

Recently I've had to restore the headlight's surfaces due to pitting and clouding and now the lexan is like brand new. The 3M kit with the drill attachment for sanding/buffing is the BOMB.

 

Gamma

Edited September 15, 2015 by gamma

[Zane]

What about Hyper flash since the LEDs do not draw enough amps, thus the computer thinks a bulb is burnt out. Did you have to install a 6 Ohm 50 Watt Resistor for each turn signal bulb; including the back park and turn bulbs?

 

Also, it is usually recommended to install amber bulbs into amber housing, red bulbs into red housings etc. And there are tons of red and amber LEDs on the market.

That's the reason we didn't install brake light bulbs yet. The 3157 LED bulb that Sylvania currently makes has two issues. First, the bulb is so much brighter the difference between dimmed and illuminated is hard to differentiate. Second, the turn signals flash quickly and no longer work right.

 

The marker bulbs and plate bulbs work perfectly out of the box. No changes, resistors, fuses, or relays required. Plug and play.

[Jsdirt]

We put HID's in our '86 Grand Marquis. BEST upgrade we've ever done! Light output defies explanation - like the sun! My only gripe with them is, the place I bought them from only offered 6k color temp. A little more bluish than I like. 5K would've probably been perfect. I wanted PURE WHITE light. Now as they are aging, they have a definite blue hue to them, which I hate. I don't mind the trade off in being able to see well at night, though.

 

The color difference between the HID & stock high beam is VERY noticeable, even on camera:

 

[MikeNH]

HIDs in halogen housings is crap. You get tons of light scatter. If I had my truck still I'd buy these LEDs before the china junk HIDs.

[Jsdirt]

Funny - mine work great. Probably because they're German and not chinese ...

Edited September 15, 2015 by Jsdirt

[MikeNH]

Yours probably won't fail but it doesn't change that HIDs have no business being in halogen housings.

[bakerman]

Zane, thanks for the review and write up. Where did you purchase the ZEVO 194 LED's? I can't seem to find the exact ones for sale anywhere.

[Jsdirt]

Yours probably won't fail but it doesn't change that HIDs have no business being in halogen housings.

Thanks pal - I'll take that under advisement ...

[WilliamBos]

Thanks for the write up. I ususlly get 1 1/2 years from Silverstars. But they are my bulb of choice.

[f5fstop]

That's the reason we didn't install brake light bulbs yet. The 3157 LED bulb that Sylvania currently makes has two issues. First, the bulb is so much brighter the difference between dimmed and illuminated is hard to differentiate. Second, the turn signals flash quickly and no longer work right.

 

The marker bulbs and plate bulbs work perfectly out of the box. No changes, resistors, fuses, or relays required. Plug and play.

 

Understand!