Dang it.  Those marketing folks have conned me again.   I thought I was smarter than they are.  I thought it was always obvious when they were trying to sell me something at a premium price that actually performed worse than a normal price.   Where did I fall victim to their marketing scheme?  Headlights.

Who doesn't want the cool, almost blue looking headlights you see on BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis?   Well, if your car didn't come with high intensity discharge (HID) lights, then you better be prepared to dish-out several hundred for a set... assuming anyone makes a conversion kit that fits your car and doesn't blind anyone coming at you.

For some of us, like myself, having HID headlights isn't something I'm willing to sell a kidney for, but I wouldn't mind getting the most light out of my OEM headlights.  For most people, a trip to the local auto parts store is all you need to see that this goal of bright OEM headlights can be attained with the somewhat magical "extreme white" headlights.  Not only are they readily available, but they seem to come in flavors:  extreme white, super extreme white, ludicrous extreme mega white... well, you get the picture.

To lure you in, the packaging on these high-end bulbs is much nicer than it is on the low-end lights.   Those marketing folks put all sorts of statistics and photos on the packaging that proves these extreme white bulbs will nearly start the road on fire because they're so bright... and DOT approved, too!   That's all the proof I needed to plunk down over $40 for a pair of Sylvania Silverstar headlights.   What?!?!? Forty dollars for some stupid headlights?  Oh well, it's not like I buy headlights often and after all, it's all about safety.  Who can put a price on safety, right?

Upon installing the SilverStars, the were definitely whiter than my OEM bulbs, and we all know that whiter light is better because... well, because that's what the Bimmer guys have so it must be good.   I think the bulbs were brighter than my OEM bulbs as well, but it's not like I drove around with one SilverStar buld and one OEM bulb to compare.   For $40, they're brighter as far as I'm concerned.   Heck, they must be bright because people have started flashing their high-beams at me when I'm the only other car on the road.  I find this rather odd since I know my lights are aimed properly.  Hmmm.

A few months down the road, I was surprised to see that one of my bulbs burned out.  What the heck?  I just spent a fortune on high-end bulbs and they didn't last a year?  I must've gotten a bad bulb.   Or maybe not.   After sticking with the SilverStars for several years, it appears as though these bulbs have a life of about 1 year or less, at least on my vehicle.   I know this for sure because they always go out in the winter when I really don't want to be replacing bulbs.   After doing a bit of research on Sylvania's web site, they even state that the SilverStar bulbs hava a shorter life than most standard bulbs.   Ugh.   Well, at least they're still way brigher than my OEM bulbs, right?  And that's important because safety is important... and we can't put a price on safety.

After replacing yet another bulb yesterday, a 27 degree day, I started doing some research for some other brand of bulb because I'm tired of spending a fortune on bulbs that don't last very long.   While doing my research online (because the Internet knows everything), I came across some very informative articles that made me realize that I'm a victim of marketing:

• Daniel Stern Lighting: Safe, Legal, Blue...But Are They Any Good?
• Daniel Stern Lighting: Dangerous, Illegal, Blue Headlight Bulbs

Yikes.  If what Mr. Stern wrote is true, I've just wasted hundreds of dollars on light bulbs over the years for not much more than a whiter light that kind of makes my vehicle look nicer, at least in my opinion.   Now that I think about it, I'm not even sure why I associate white light with 'better' light.  After all, at least in the lighting industry, the reference standard light is sunlight, and it's not white.

It's interesting that some people are more sensitive to blue light than others.   I think that would explain why my father hates HID headlights but I don't mind them at all.  It might also explain why people feel the need to flash their brights at me.

Mr. Stearn almost hurt my feelings with the following statement:

"Some motorists believe that the blue light makes their car look "cool". This would fall into the same category as the dark plastic headlamp and taillamp covers that are snapped-up by certain drivers for their appearance "enhancement" value, despite the fact that these covers, like the blue bulbs, are illegal and dangerous."

After that comment, I almost felt like cutting off my mullet, selling my 80's Trans-Am, and giving my Zubas to Goodwill.   After all, I spent a lot of time ripping on people who bought those tinted light covers... and now I'm no better than they are.

After I read the articles, I thought I had almost out-smarted the marketing folks because Mr. Stern does recommend Silver Star bulbs.   However, he is recommending Osram Silver Star bulbs, not their cousin the Sylvania SilverStar bulb.  As one would expect, it's darn near impossible to find the Osram version here in America.  Drats.  None-the-less, my SilverStar days are over.   Even if Mr. Stern's articles are full of rubbish, I still know for sure that SilverStar bulbs don't last very long, they're overly expensive, and apparently too bright for the other drivers.  

I guess it's time to start convincing myself that yellow headlights are cool.

Tags: extreme, white, headlights, silvania, silverstar, blue, hid

http://www.vwparts.com/parts-outlet-center/

Times are tight... gotta find them deals...

Take a peek at the "hotlist" every week for new stuff that VW is closing out.  You'll find deals like aluminum rims that originally listed for $361 each... now priced at $49!!  Need a new transmission for the Audi?  Original price $8,399.. your price $299. 

Sometimes things you find on the internet seem too good to be true, and often times are.  This is the "Real Deal".  You can order the parts on this list and get the pricing right from any VW dealer.

Picked myself up a brand new starter for the Rabbit diesel project. Original price $353... blow out price $29.

I love a good deal!

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For the next few months in Wisconsin, the definition of "cool" becomes completely flip-flopped.   The lower profile summer tires and monster wheels you were sporting in the summer are no longer cool.   Those pretty carpet floormats and mono-wiper blades are no longer cool.  Having your coilovers cranked down so your oil pan screams every time it sees an ant is no longer cool.  

Having clear windows so you can see others is cool.   Having good snow tires that will help you stop, start, and turn in inches of snow is cool.   Having a few inches of ground clearance so you don't get stuck every ten feet is cool.   Having black steel wheels that don't care if you pound a curb or two and don't care about road salt is cool.  In the winter, getting from point A to B without having a heart-attack and without risking someone's life (or your own) is cool.

I see so many people in the dead of winter still sporting their huge, chrome 'bling-bling' wheels, their windshields are covered with ice so they can't see, and their cars are so low that they might as well be driving sleds.   What's the point?   In the winter, no one cares what your car looks like under that gray pile of sludge.   Sure, there might be that one sunny day or maybe even a week where the roads are clear enough to *almost* justify keeping your car looking nice, but is it really worth it?  Safety aspects aside, the fact that road salt is eating away at those 20" wheels should be enough reason to put them away for the season.

Here are some suggestions for being 'the new cool' this winter:

• Get dedicated snow tires.   You'll be amazed at how well they work... these aren't your grandfather's snow tires.   I highly recommend purchasing them from a place like the Tire Rack.  Not only will you get excellent snow traction, but your summer tires will last longer and your summer wheels won't get pitted with road salt.
• Get good winter wiper blades.  Many new Volkswagens already come with all-rubber wiper blades that are easy to clean in the winter and work very well in the winter.  Aftermarket blades like the Bosch Icon blades are a bit more expensive, but you'll wish you had them when your el-cheapo blades fall apart in the worst possible storm.
• Use Rain-X on your windows.   Although it has to be applied often in the winter, Rain-X usually works so well that you don't even need to use your wiper blades.  It also makes it easier to clean an ice-covered windshield.
• Get all-weather floor mats.  Put your pretty carpet mats away for the summer and get some heavy, rubber mats with deep channels to keep all that snow, slush, and salt away from your car's carpetting.  Yuck.
• If you have coil-overs, raise your car.   For those of you who like to ride low in the summer, forget about that in the winter unless you like ruining the bottom of your car and getting stuck!   If you do change your car's ride height, don't forget to get a wheel alignment as well.
• Pack some emergency supplies.   Pack a portable shovel, some warm clothes, and some warm boots in your trunk.   Hopefully you won't ever need any of it, but you'll be happy you have it if you do need it... or someone else needs your help.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of making your care safe (ur, I mean 'cool') in the winter is that you'll appreciate your car more in the spring.   If you manage to make it through the winter without any fender-benders, the day you get to put on your big summer wheels and put away those ugly rubber floormats will be just about enough to make you fall in-love with your car all over again.

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