Headlight advice please

[chicknlcker]

I know headlights have been discussed a good deal on this site. Forgive me if I am inquiring to something that has already been answered.

I have an '07 Aveo5 SV. I am burning through Sylvania Silverstar headlights about every 3-4 months. I have one dead low beam right now. I am tired of buying headlight bulbs at $50-$60 a pair every few months.

First thing I will do tomorrow is pull the DRL fuse. (Does anyone know off the top of their head if DRL fuse is under the dash or in the fuse panel in an '07 Aveo5?)

I am looking for opinions on my headlight issue. After pulling the DRL fuse should I replace my lights with another set of Silverstars (or similar) and hope that running without DRL will increase the life of the Silverstars? Or should I buy a LED conversion kit? Was looking at this: Amazon.com: New Brights LED Headlight Conversion Kit - All Bulb Sizes - 50W 3600LM Cree LED - Replaces Halogen & HID Bulbs - H4 (HB2) (9003) Dual-beam LED: Automotive.

Forgive my ignorance but, if I go LED route:
*Do I leave all of the stock headlight assembly alone and just insert the bulb? (I know I have to mount ballast and such, but does the bulb itself mount just as a regular 9003 bulb?)

*Will the LEDs reflect properly and not blind the hell out of oncoming vehicles?

*What is the life expectancy of LED vs the halogens?
*When replacing LED bulbs after they eventually die, do I need to replace them with the same brand/model as the originals that came with the ballast? Or will any 9003 style LED bulb work?

Thanks for the help and feedback.

[petrified.rabbit]

they will probably blind oncoming traffic. I cannot say for sure though, the light housings are set up to reflect a set brightness of bulb with the filament in a particular location, brighter bulbs and movement of the filament will result in aim changes.

LED is like 4-5X life expectancy if it is like all the other led bulbs. it you go by hours, do a search. Those silverstars are junk, i got a notice in the mail of a money back class action lawsuit about them burning put too often.

everything else is dependent of what you buy and what comes in the kit, just because it is a build replacement does not mean it is 100% match to the original bulb design.

I would thin any led bulb would work if you replace them in pairs and match specs to the ballast.

[chicknlcker]

If the Silverstars are junk, which has been my experience, what would you recommend as a good replacement bulb? Are the Philips bulbs any good?

[thankful_ragamuffin]

Any higher output bulb will burn hotter and burn out faster. Vibration will also shorten their service life. My factory bulbs lasted over 100,000 miles. Put in Silverstars almost a year ago with no issues - but there are very few potholes and bad bumps in my area.