Hey guys, I just finished installing my new Sylvania Silver Star "Blue" DRLs/Turn blinkers. The reason I say "blue" is that they are not as blue as I had hoped for, but still are not bad. Can someone host a "before and after" pic that I took...I have PICS!!!

Here's what I did. Let me warn you...this was no easy job.

I used the 3157/4157 AST from Sylvania. They are a perfect match to stock in size, and in operating brightnesses, but look blue-ish when off. The scrambled egg effect of the stock DRLs (when off) is reduced by about 90% - 95% I'd guess. The new bulbs are blue, but there is still a touch of amber inside which is I guess how they still produce legal amber when lit. When off, there is just a little blue effect.

Here's how to install (or replace if yours are burned out). It was a bitch, and my fingers still hurt.

Since I didn't have access to tire removal gear, I elected to just turn the wheel to gain access to the front of the wheel well. Removal of the wheel would make this job much easier. I found that turning the wheel on a piece of thick carboard helped save tire tread and wear on my garage floor. Turn the wheel left for the left well, and right for right.

Remove 3 or 4 of the plastic "nails" in the upper circular access door. Just remove the outboard ones as the plastic access cover will easily fold back to allow...well...access, to the lights.

Once in there, the most outboard light is the one you want. It is tough because GM designed the access door/opening to be just small enough to conceal 1/2 of the DRL light housing...and it covers the most crucial spot....the "Retarded Tab."

After much feeling around and use of my wifes pocket mirrors, I could see the problem. The manual says rotate the housing counter-clockwise to remove the bulb housing. What it doesn't say is that there is a "retarded tab" that prevents the housing from being rotated. Another reason it's retarded, and it doesn't say then which way to press the tab to get the thing unlocked. It may sound like an easy fix, but when you're working by feel only and the tab can only be pressed by using a carefully placed screwdriver, in a direction that you're not sure of...well, you get my point.

The Retarded Tab works like a locking tab on a bottle of Tylenol. Press it closer to the bottle to allow rotation, than rotate the bulb housing 90 degrees to unlock it from the mother ship. You'll feel like you just saved the Apollo 13 after doing this. Oh, and one other thing, the wires coming from the car to the back of the housing are too short (on my car) to allow easy rotation of the full 90 degrees. I had to really mess with it on the left side to get it loose. They are so taught that it actually impedes the full rotation of the housing before stretching the wires. I'd love to meet the genius that installed "taught" wires to the back of my lights.

Repeat this on the other side of the car. Always press the Retarded Tab IN toward the center of the cap, and rotate the whole mess counter-clockwise. Install new bulb and reinstallation was super easy...like 30 seconds for housing and 4 plastic nails. Go figure.

Good luck, I hope this helps. Was it worth it, you bet. Would I do it again...never!

 

Shoot me the pics.

Noggles@gmail.com

Good write up.