I have owned a 1995 850 GLT for two years. I was unhappy with the headlights. The lower beams seemed dull and out of alignment. My solution was to buy replacement bulbs and have the beams adjusted. I installed new bulbs yesterday: Sylvania Silverstar (in the silver clamshell pack). These bulbs are rated 55W with a color temperature of 4000K. The old bulbs were mismatched: one was Sylvanvia 55W at 3100K and the other was a Phillips 51W (temperature rating unknown).
When I turned on the new lights they appeared to be much brighter than the old bulbs. I did notice that I could feel the heat when I touched the headlight housings !
I was cautioned by a mechanic today that the new lights might melt my headlight housing if the car was designed before such bulbs were on the market.
My question is: Will the new bulbs damage my wires or headlight housing ? To complicate this, I discovered I have two different headlight housings. On the passenger side, the bulb is plugged into what seems to be a brass socket, but on the driver side it plugs into a plastic socket.
Are there other bulbs that would have been a better choice?

 

Tough question to answer since it is heat that melts.

 

I would just run with them. The good thing is that you normally drive the car when the lights are on and the air blowing across the front of the car will cool them a little. If they do melt the socket or something replace it with one that is a match to the one that did NOT melt. I could not imagine a 4000k bulb melting anything but I guess there is a chance. A lot of people go up to 6000k, probably with new assemblies. If the old assemblies fail, go with new assemblies with the brightness you like, that is likely what you would do if a brighter bulb would not work.

 

I have them in my 850, a Regal, Thunderbird and a Lincoln Towncar. The 850 has glass lenses on it but the others are plastic housing and plastic lenses and I haven't had a problem. I've run them for over five years. I really like the light but I worked with a guy who swore by the Phillips night guides.

Silverstars are DOT (department of Transportation) approved and will not damage your wiring. If you had a 9006 low beam and you replace it with a 9006 silverstar it will run a bit hotter but should not be enough to cause any damage to the lens or housing.

WARNING ... first hand experience with the Silverstars that have a metal base where the wire attaches, do NOT buy them. You will be replacing them in a month or two. Don't know why but have had terrible luck with the metal based ones in all kinds of different makes of vehicles. If you want a brighter bulb for the metal based bulbs I'd try the Phillips. With metal bases you pretty much are best off with just a regular name brand bulb, GE, Sylvania, Wagner ... the off brands may save you a buck or two but they don't last as long.

 

Thank you both RSPI and Kiss4afrog ! I shall moniter the plastic lens housings and wiring. I just discovered I have glass headlight lenses. My silverstar bulbs have plastic bases - not metal. Thanks for the tip on them.

 

I know for sure the 850 uses the high 9005 and low 9006 and are plastic bases. As are the 9007. If you need H1 H3 9003 or ..... little fuzzy here they would be the metal ones.

One trick you can try if you'd like a little more light is take a dremel to a 9005 and cut out the divider between the contacts on the bulb. That way you can plug a high beam 60Watt 9005 into the 55 watt 9006 socket. Not that I'd ever do that ! ! !
The 9005 and 9006 are identical in how they mount to a housing it's just that one has one "divider" between the contacts and the other has two. That way you can't plug the electrical connector into the wrong bulb.

 

I don't like my fog lights. I think they are useless. I see absolutely NO difference in the view when I turn them on. Nor did I see anything with my yellow sedan. On all other types of Volvo's that I had fogs on I could see them on. On the 960, they showed a wide pattern that showed what was going on off the edges of the road. I've even tried to adjust them. The only good I see in them is for other people to see you have fogs, what ever that is worth.

 

With my car I had the same issue because the inside of my headlight assembly was chipped to the point there was no reflective surface. I ended up getting some silver metalic paint and re-painting the surface which helped alot. Right nowI have the ultrastar platinums in(i think thats what there called) and there great.