So thoughts on what could be burning them out so quickly? I'm not stuck on swapping out for LED's, just want something that lasts longer than 6 months...

 

 

Try handling them with a clean cloth.
Residue from disposable gloves can also stick to the bulb's glass, causing hot spots, and shorten their life, just like oil from your skin.

 

With a couple of previous cars I've had, I used to use the Silverstars. They are not known for their longevity. Best I got out of them was about a year before replacing the pair. The usual was closer to 6 months.

The headlight housings are reflector-type (for all years, including your '04). You'll create glare for on-coming vehicles using an HID or LED retrofit. I recommend Philips Vision Plus bulbs. Build quality is far better to Sylvania. Puts out more light, and are uncoated (which is one of the reasons for the Silverstar's short life). I've had a pair in my 2000 D2 last for more than two years.

 

There is no glare with a retrofit, that is the point of doing it.
It is correct that using an HID bulb, in a non HID housing, scatters the beam and will cause poor visibility to the driver, and oncoming traffic.
A retrofit is putting an HID bulb that is in an HID projector housing, into your current housing, with some modification.

 

When doing a true retrofit where you use a proper projector meant for an HID bulb, then you are correct that there wouldn't/shouldn't be any glare. However, the term "retrofit" has been used quite loosely when people talk about HID/LED conversions, where for most it meant replacing the original halogen bulb with an HID/LED bulb in a halogen housing and nothing else.

 

Well, they are incorrect, and that's how bad information spreads.

 

Thanks for the input guys! I'm going with a Philips Vision Plus bulb for the moment but going to take a look at the outfit mentioned in the LED conversion link. The company, The Retrofit Source, is located in Atlanta where I live. Going to go down and take a look at their show room and have a conversation with them. I'd love to replace all of the bulbs in my headlamp with LED's and do a proper retrofit with the right projector but don't know the cost effectiveness of it all. Might be a fun do it yourself project but to do it right it looks like it would run close to $400 per headlamp for the four bulbs, the modifications and wiring it up properly. And that's doing the work myself.

If I do go that route I'll be sure to post a thread detailing what I do.

In the meantime thanks for all of the non Sylvania bulb recommendations. They sell that crap everywhere!

 

Well, what’s the verdict? Has anyone replaced the factory HID Xenons with LEDs yet?

 

Factory D2s don't come with HIDs. Best case is to do a HID or LED projector retrofit into the 03/04 headlight housings.