Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

Osram 65 watt headlight bulbs

32K views 24 replies 13 participants last post by  NewShockerGuy 
#1 ·
I purchased and installed a pair of theses Osram 65w bulbs:

Osram Rallye 65w Ultra High Output H7 Special-Service Bulb <b>SALE!</b>

You can also find them at suvlights:

suvlights.com Osram (Sylvania) - Hyper H7 (Clear) - 65W 190% - Each

Some places call them "Rallye", others use the name "Hyper" or some other expletive. These bulbs are simply a 65 watt H9 filament fused to the standard H7 base. No gimmicks, no silly blue tinting. They are UV blocked and are rated for a 500 hour life. Made in Germany.

I first installed just one bulb for comparison. The Osrams are brighter, especially so on farther distances, have a whiter color and a wider beam spread. This is good as some of the "brighter" bulbs have a narrower beam (which is how they can be brighter at the standard 55w). Again, no blue tinting which would increase glare and diminish the overall brightness.

The best way to describe the brightness is that there is now only a small difference between high beams and low beams.

The Osrams draw an additional 10 watts of power and the headlight lens cover does feel warmer with the new bulb, so I would not recommend using anything that draws more power than these.

DelJ
 
See less See more
#3 ·
That is a valid concern, and I would not go any higher than 65w. It is also important that the bulbs block the UV light or they will yellow (a verb?) the plastic.

I used to be a plastic/composite materials engineer and there are some plastics that can take quite of bit of heat, nevertheless I do not want to damage anything. I just wanted my lights to be on par with the average headlight brightness of newer cars, which these bulbs do quite nicely.

I installed extra bright backup (reverse) bulbs a couple of years ago with no ill effect. They are 35w instead of the standard 21w. This was for safety as I was previously not able to see much at night through the tinted windows. Here is the link:

http://www.taillightking.com/images/LightBulbs/1156BrightBulb_39112.jpg

Unfortunately, these do have some blue tinting but it is not very much and the light is more white than blue. No heat damage as they are not on for very long. I did try the 50w backup bulbs that are for sale at the local stores, but they were too bright and generated too much heat.

DelJ
 
#4 ·
I bought a set of these Osram Rallye H7, 65watt as well.

Here is a blurry pic, Osram Rallye on the left of your screen, stock 55W bulb on your right (next to the key).



I can't tell much difference in the two, except the Osram Rallye with the H9 bulb seems to be a tad smaller, but thicker glass at the base, and the filiament area (spiral part of the wire) is a little bigger.

Installation was EASY in the C230, probably the easiest headlight I have ever replaced, thanks to the forum telling me about the ring you have to rotate, not the bulb, to release and lock the bulb into place.

I only have one installed right now, so I can take a pic of the light and pattern once it gets dark. :thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
OK, here are the pics of one of the bulbs installed.

First pic is the Osram Rallye bulb, 65 watts. Definitelly looks a little bluer in the pics, but in real life, the difference is not that noticeable.

The second pic is the stock 55 watt bulb. Looks a little yellower, not as bright, and doesn't seem to be as wide of a beam or go as far.

Third pic, head on. Not really much of a difference in the pic, and even less of a difference to the naked eye.

Goods about these bulbs:
1. Don't worry about getting flashed for having lights that are too bright. Not really all that different than stock. Most people (non enthusiasts) will never notice.
2. Don't worry about plastic melting and temperature. Yes, the Osram lens did feel a tad warmer, but only a few degrees. No fear of plastic melting or fires here.
3. They are brighter than stock, and bluer, and only 40 bucks a pair.
4. They are halogens, and no worry about throwing codes or high light scatter like some aftermarket HIDs.

The only other:
1. Has for "offroad use only" plastered all over the box, so not street legal. But to be honest, I don't think a cop in the world can look at these and think they are too bright for on coming traffic, or any different than stock without a side by side comparison.

Overall, I give them a :thumbsup:

Hope this helps someone, someday.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
Osram lights are great. I had them in my c230 then I installed Sylvania Silverstars. What a downgrade. The Osrams were much brighter. Never buy Silverstars, they are junk, one burned out already and had to be replaced
Doesn't make sence because Sylvania owns Osram...
 
#8 ·
I agree, the Sylvania Silverstars don't last. It even says it in the box. The boxes have the lifetime expectancy bar comparisons between the bulbs, and they were about 1/3 of the standard ones..

I went through several pairs, in less than 6 monhs, before I read the packaging information and realized their short lifetime span..

AC
 
#9 ·
Hola! I just installed some Osram 65w 'off-road' in my 2001 W210 4Matic Wagon. After reading much discussion about the upgrade I decided on the Osram.
Results:
I am extremely happy with the increased visability and the ease of install (DIY), very easy. Living in Oregon with rain and fog I can report a tremdous upgrade from 55w factory.
 
#11 ·
Nice, glad you like them! I love mine too!

On the topic of Silverstars, I have some in my Mustang, fog lights and headlights, and they seem "OK", but nothing compared to the Osram 65's. They are 5 years old and still doing fine. I had a set of Silverstars in another car for 8 years and they were still working, but VERY dim.
 
#21 ·
I picked up a couple of these bulbs from Suvlights about a week ago and installed them this last weekend. Not terribly different from the PIAA 55W H7 that I removed but definately a whiter light that has more distance. These paired up with the PIAA H3 Crystal Ion 13556 are about the best I can expect with halogen lighting while on low beam. The 55W H1's that are located in the factory headlights and in the Hella 4000 compact driving lights on the light bar do a great job on high beam.

If I ever feel the need for more candlepower I will probably upgrade the Hella 4000's to their 4000 compact xenon. Pretty pricy though !

BTW.....I belive the ebay listing and seller is legit. If you look at his feedback over the last year or so, he has sold quite a few of these bulbs and most buyers comment on the quality of the bulbs and fast shipping from China. Definately a boatload cheaper !!

Here is a picture of my ML with the current light set-up :
 

Attachments

#22 ·
Thanks for your feedback.

I just ordered and installed a pair in my 08 C300. A thread on these bulbs doesn't exist in the W204 section so I Googled it and came here. This is a long shot question but has anyone installed them in halogen projectors? The light isn't focused and spread out. The bulbs are installed and seated properly. Has anyone noticed a difference in light pattern with these bulbs? Maybe they're no good in projector housings?
 
#23 ·
April 28, 2013
Just installed 2 Osram 65w "off road" bulbs in the foglights in my 09 W204. Easy install through the front(take off lamp grills,you can see from the side, which direction spin off is) Bulb is not as white or bluish as the HID headlights above them (Canadian version 09's) but that's OK, the online lab charts show how blue filters actual inhibit light getting to the road, the bluies are pretty if that's the look you want. Will report later on the night vision.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top