I installed some Osram's in my 96 Impreza LX after reading that they were some of the best, brightest bulbs you can get. I don't notice much, if any difference over stock. Is there a way to get some more brightness out of them? Will the grounding mod really increase the brightness? I drive on unlit, winding roads often and need some good visibility!

 

did you purchase the osram ones or the sylvania ones? there is a difference.

 

They are the Osram Silverstar +50 bulbs.

Maybe adding some relays, in order to counteract voltage loss to the headlights?

 

if you need a lot of lighting on private roads get some good driving lights, a decent set of Hellas is only like 70 bucks

 

if you upgrade your stock head light harness with a good 2 realy system, the will be brighter as you will be giving them more voltage.
Shane
www.paranoidfabrications.com

 

Okay, so I did some searches for installing relays. I didn't find anything like a how to or DIY. I'm not an electrical whiz, but I'm fairly comfortable with it. Can anyone do a quick explain of how to add relays to the lighting system?

 

I added the Sylvania Xtravisions to my 98 Legacy wagon, and saw almost no difference over stock lamps. 55W bulbs all pretty much look the same.

 

Sorry to hijack a bit, but where did you get your Osrams? They're impossible to come by in North America.

 

You can get them from www.powerbulbs.com , but I got mine off ebay. Same price, but didn't have to wait for shipping. I know that ebay can be risky as far as getting what's advertised, but the seller was reputable, and I double checked the stamping on the bulb SilverStars I did another test, (back to originals then back to SilverStars) and I do notice a significant difference. They don't look much different in whiteness, but they do throw quite a bit more light over the road. I had some El Cheapo blue bulbs in before, so I was comparing those to my Osram's and there is a difference in contrast, which is good! So after all, I am actually quite happy with these bulbs...still want to get some Hella driving lights. Maybe a big light bar up front? Like....

 

you can get a dual relay kit here http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html
along with lots of great info.
or, you can just look at there design, and make your own, for a lot less. a new harness will give you more voltage to your lights therefore making them brigher.

Also, make sure you headlights are aimed corectly.
Shane

 

When I upgraded my bulbs I did a "stop sign test" -- I live on a street with a stop sign at the end of it, so I parked my car at the point where the headlights just started to reflect off the stop sign, and then marked the curb with chalk. After I changed out the bulbs, I tried it again from the same position. The Osram Xtravisions made a slight difference; the reflection on the sign was brighter and less yellow in color.

I know a lot of people on this board criticize the US Silverstars, and I understand why they do so, but you can't deny that these bulbs throw more light than the bulbs that Subaru stocks. When I did the stoplight test with those, the Silverstars lit up the entire stop sign from almost two yards farther away, and were superior even to the Xtravisions. Also, they look different than the majority of bulbs out there, which makes my car more visible at night -- different is good, if it gets you noticed.

Now all I need is morettes with Angel Eyes... I'm kidding of course.