Silver Vision Bulbs

[jimmy]

I went to a new automotive cash and carry the other day and got some really cool stuff for myself as well as boring stuff for work.

I got some Phillips silver vision indicator bulbs, a very cool mod for clear indicator lenses, bulbs look silver but light up orange.:bannana:

I also got some Phillips Vision Plus halogen bulbs, H7's and H1's, claim to give 30% more light than other bulbs, certainly appear to be good.

DANGER, DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE!!

Also picked up an inverter very cheap, plugs into lighter socket in car and gives you 240V.......very cool, don't know what I'm gonna use it for but it was a must have for me being a gadget man.

They had lots of other good stuff but I had to restrain myself!! For example 5L can of MER polish for £17+VAT.

If anyone is intersted in anything for the GTG let me know, I shall be going again soon, perhaps a group buy on silver vision bulbs? All the stuff is at least half retail price.

 

[Sp!ke]

Those silver vision indicator bulbs are crazy money here......how much can u get 'em for op nooorth?

 

[Steve_Perry]

I decided on 'Ring Silver Enigmas' they're very similar to the Philips only they have a blue hue to them rather than the Philip's pure silver. They also cost silly money like the Philips, I got mine for £13 quid for 2 bulbs. I'm not sure what the Philips Silver Visions are these days but same ball park I'd imagine.

I actually prefer the blue look to the bulbs as they really compliment the bodywork colour of the car, pic below:

S.

 

[Shude]

If you look in Steve Perry's sig pic you will see both Koolvin and myself have silver vision indicator bulbs, fitted last April

I got the bulbs from powerbulbs.com, they were in a special offer, buy two pairs of silvervision bulbs for about £20 and they come with a free set of bluevision sidelight bulbs too. I fitted one pair immediately and gave the other pair to Koolvin in exchange for a pint in the pub at the gtg . Powerbulbs have started the offer again but the price has gone up and you don't get the free blue sidelight bulbs anymore

I am seriously considering LED replacement units all round soon, I just need to work out which ones I need and how/where I will install the load adjustment units to keep the bulb failure light from coming on.

 

[jimmy]

The RING Silver Enigmas are good too, we stock RING bulbs but not the Enigmas - way too expensive for round here.

I can get the Silver Visions for £10.49 a pair, not cheap but worth it I reckon. We don't stock them but I can get some for the GTG if anybody wants them.

My old bulbs had very little of the orange film left on them, the new ones give a much better amber colour.

 

[Steve_Perry]

Shude,

are LED's street legal? If or when they become legal I might consider them. Also tempting would be if someone could combine the LED bulb unit with load adjuster too, making them plug 'n' play.

I've noticed when checking all my lights (I check them once in a while, outside the building where I work - large glass frontage, with big reflections) that the centre high level brake light illuminates a fraction of a second quicker than the side rear brake lights. Would I be correct in thinking this is due to the fact that LED's have a faster response time?


S.

 

[Koolvin]

LED's not street legal!

 

[fuzzer]

The new W220 uses led's for the brake lights ....

 

[V12]

Rear LED's (brake light only) are street legal.

facelift 220 is a good example.

they are 'safer'

Only one will blow at a time, out of 9 or so, each side
And they light a whole fraction of a fraction of a second quicker...

 

[RichardM]

Originally posted by Shude
Powerbulbs have started the offer again but the price has gone up and you don't get the free blue sidelight bulbs anymore

I am seriously considering LED replacement units all round soon, I just need to work out which ones I need and how/where I will install the load adjustment units to keep the bulb failure light from coming on.

I ordered some Silver Vision last week and they still come with the free side light bulbs. I do think they look good not seeing the yellow through the lenses.

I was also thinking of getting some LED sidelights, I'm looking to try to get something that will match the HID head lights in colour. Does this mean the bulb failure light will come on?

 

[Shude]

Originally posted by Koolvin
LED's not street legal!

LEDs are OEM on the facelifted S class taillights. They MUST be street legal.

EDIT: I just realised that several people stated exactly the same a few posts up!

My w210 mirror indicators flash fractionally before the others, because they're LEDs and don't have to heat up like the other indicator bulbs.

Red brakelight LED:

load adjuster:

You need a load adjuster for each bulb you replace I think, they're $7.95 each and they need to be mounted somewhere that won't be bothered by the heat they put out. If you don't install the load adjuster, because of the small current drawn by the LEDs, your car will think a bulb is blown and will give you a warning light.

 

[Surf Blau]

Originally posted by Shude
load adjuster:

You need a load adjuster for each bulb you replace I think, they're $7.95 each and they need to be mounted somewhere that won't be bothered by the heat they put out. If you don't install the load adjuster, because of the small current drawn by the LEDs, your car will think a bulb is blown and will give you a warning light.

Is this still needed even if one doesn't have a bulb-out warning light? I am asking because I have heard that since they draw so little current they will cause the indicators to blink really fast (Ford-style)..

If/when I get clear/red taillights for my car I might get LED's in the clear sections to prevent colour from shining through you see..

 

[paulrstaylor]

Originally posted by Shude

You need a load adjuster for each bulb you replace I think, they're $7.95 each and they need to be mounted somewhere that won't be bothered by the heat they put out. If you don't install the load adjuster, because of the small current drawn by the LEDs, your car will think a bulb is blown and will give you a warning light.

That "load adjuster" just looks like a wire-wound resistor and a couple of scotch locks. Should be able to buy those for less than a quid. Try Maplin's or RS.

All it does its dissapate some current as the LED's draw very little current, which would cause the bulb warning light to come on, or even the indicators to flash very quickly in some systems.

Dare I ask, what is the problem with the filement bulb?? It emits light in all directions, LED's are directional (only emit light in a relativly narrow beam in one direction) and hence myst be defused in order that they may be seen from all angles. Clusterd designed for standard bulbs were not designed with this in mind! As for if they are street legal of not, I would guess that without a specificaly designed defuser, which enables the light emited to be viewable from all angles they are not. Ask your local MOT station for advice on that tho.

The only benifit is you don't have to change bulbs, but be aware that WW resistors do "burn-out" in time just like bulbs.

In the S class the system was designed arroung LED's, good idea - retrofit, not so sure