LED car headllamp "bulb" -  any first hand experience before I take a plunge?

DavidEF · 2018-10-18T18:52:08.000Z

tatasal, when done correctly, LED headlights can totally blow away halogens. My friend with the misaligned emitters on his bulb nevertheless gets way more light out the front and loves them. He just doesn’t gain anything switching to “hi” beam because of the alignment issue. He is definitely a “budget” minded person. The LED bulbs, at least to him, are worth every bit of the price he paid. He wouldn’t go back to halogens.

I don’t know if you’ve seen this thread from last year. There’s some more good information there.

Greener · 2018-10-18T19:57:27.000Z

I use them for about 1 year. Just as good as my aftrrmarket xenon.

fireblade893 · 2018-10-20T10:04:32.000Z

tatasal:

So could you say they are worth the additional expense?

My original H4 halogeo and reflectors are actually decent already.

From tbe OEM compared to the leds, could you post your conclusion?

From my usage up to now I can say they are much better than the OEM bulbs( but my van is very poor out of the factory)

However one of the issues of using them in the UK is that it is illegal to use LED bulbs in a vehicle that did not come from the factory with LED headlights which means you could get in trouble with the law if they found out.

Tom_Tom · 2018-10-20T11:29:23.000Z

fireblade893:

tatasal:

So could you say they are worth the additional expense?

My original H4 halogeo and reflectors are actually decent already.

From tbe OEM compared to the leds, could you post your conclusion?

From my usage up to now I can say they are much better than the OEM bulbs( but my van is very poor out of the factory)

However one of the issues of using them in the UK is that it is illegal to use LED bulbs in a vehicle that did not come from the factory with LED headlights which means you could get in trouble with the law if they found out.

It’s not just the illegality worry, if you do sadly have an accident in the UK, and the investigators determine that your lighting was not correct, you could be in serious trouble. And your insurers will run away.

Looking at the headlamps is one of the first things a crash-investigator does, e.g. they can learn a lot from how the filaments have deformed in a big hit.

I’ve been in this position, fortunately everything checked out perfectly, and I was the one who received the compensation, despite the outright lies from the other party.

Halogen bulbs still work very effectively, in properly designed reflectors. Are cost-effective, reliable, maintainable, and dissipate waste heat by radiating it out of the front so need no particular special cooling, nevermind dinky little fans etc. (Never a good idea, under the bonnet). Or risking cooking, melting, frazzling, crazing, or otherwise messing up your very expensive plastic headlamps.

Mature technology, which is a good thing.

Designers and stylists like the possibilities that other technology can deliver, but whether it is really progress is debatable. HID is pretty much dead, LEDs now tick the boxes, with LERP at the high end. And CO2 emissions reduced, allegedly (I’d like to see the whole-life analysis on that). At a price though. Even with the cheapest non-homologated unknown retrofit imports, nevermind a properly engineered solution.

I like halogens, although my main vehicle has some very fancy matrix LED headlamps. I just hope nothing goes wrong with them, or they get damaged, because that might cost more than the car is worth to fix, a few years later.

Cereal_killer · 2018-10-20T20:09:54.000Z

Does anyone know anything about the MY2018 Toyota corolla LED headlights? The low beams are LED’s behind projectors.

I was thinking about trying to mod my halogen projectors with LED’s on my wife and my Subarus by retrofitting them but it’s quite the expense for an experiment.

I doubt they’re just using a “bulb” like these conversion bulbs, I was most curious which way the LED actually faces in the corolla setup. I oroginally thought it faced forwards like an aspheric flashlight but I check them out in parking lots as I walk by and you can’t see the LED like you could if it was the same setup as a zoomie flashlight so Idk what magic they’re using.

neo71665 · 2018-10-20T20:06:55.000Z

I tried all kinds of led bulbs in my blazer. Frankly none of them were worth a crap compared to halogens and most of them were blinding other drivers. As somebody with light sensitive eyes I refuse to drive around like an idiot blinding others just so I can see better.

Now there are some led housings I can swap in but I’m not willing to fork over a few hundred for a set yet. I have been in a jeep cherokee (uses the same as my blazer) that had them and they rocked. I did notice china has started making JW speaker knockoffs and I might try them. If they work well enough I can throw the cheap ones in my offroad rig and fork over for the good ones in my road driver.

Agro · 2018-10-22T05:54:32.000Z

Once I almost killed a pedestrian on a crossing because I was blinded by some idiot with LEDs.

tatasal · 2018-10-22T06:13:33.000Z

Agro:

Once I almost killed a pedestrian on a crossing because I was blinded by some idiot with LEDs.

This is one of my concerns in bringing up this thread.

I wonder how are the high/low beams managed by just ‘bolt-on’ led lamps on OEM reflector housings.

One of the advantage of these led bulbs are the low current draw compared to halogens.

I wonder if the sample beamshots in my op are manipulated or not, hence this thread addressed to fellow members with actual experience from these ‘wonder’ led lamps.

Lightbringer · 2018-10-22T06:50:32.000Z

Back when I had four 4×6 rectangular headlamps (high inboard, high+low outboard), I got a set of H4 housings for the outboard lights, and stuck in 90W/130W capsules. Same for the inboard lights, only I “recycled” the capsules where the lowbeam filament burned out but the highbeam had almost no mileage on it. All on separate circuits, with fuses+relays, and the stock wiring only powered the relay-coils.

Beautiful blanket of light vs the sissy-pansy hotspots of dim light and even dimmer spill of the stock halogens, fairly steep cutoff so no blinding oncoming drivers (never once got flashed), and even drawing twice the current was so worth it in terms of visibility.

They beat the crap out of even today’s “precision” headlights.

And someone being a jackass in front of you? Just light ’em up with >500W of raw halogen power. :smiling_imp:

Today, I’m using H11s and want to do the H9 conversion. to squeeze some more lemons out of them.

Dunno if I’d try LEDs, as I want to keep the weatherproofing caps on the back of the housings. Depending on the weather you have there, you might want to consider that aspect.

tatasal · 2018-10-22T06:58:27.000Z

Just watched this video and it’s quite informative:

fireblade893 · 2018-12-16T13:21:12.000Z

tatasal:

Agro:

Once I almost killed a pedestrian on a crossing because I was blinded by some idiot with LEDs.

This is one of my concerns in bringing up this thread.

I wonder how are the high/low beams managed by just ‘bolt-on’ led lamps on OEM reflector housings.

One of the advantage of these led bulbs are the low current draw compared to halogens.

I wonder if the sample beamshots in my op are manipulated or not, hence this thread addressed to fellow members with actual experience from these ‘wonder’ led lamps.

Here is a side by side of my work van on dipped beam with a colleagues, identical models apart from his is a year newer and did have better OEM than mine.
On mine the bulbs are feed via an ECU not direct feed of 12v line so if I flash someone the main beam comes on then stays on for around 2 seconds before going off the later van doesn’t do this and has slightly more output than mine had.

Looking at the two the LED is much cooler with a very similar beam pattern but with more of a hotspot to the beam in front of the van.

I am from England which is why the beam is going to the left for RHD cars.

mudguts · 2018-12-16T10:36:34.000Z

use these in my car and 2 motorcycles H4

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nighteye-9005-9006-H4-H7-H11-Car-LED-Headlight-Kit-Bulbs-8000LM-Super-Bright/123282978932?hash=item1cb43cf874:m:mKvni18ei1PnFG07Q8oGpEQ

Awesome much better that the plus 150% bulbs

tatasal · 2018-12-16T11:05:12.000Z

fireblade893:

tatasal:

Agro:

Once I almost killed a pedestrian on a crossing because I was blinded by some idiot with LEDs.

This is one of my concerns in bringing up this thread.

I wonder how are the high/low beams managed by just ‘bolt-on’ led lamps on OEM reflector housings.

One of the advantage of these led bulbs are the low current draw compared to halogens.

I wonder if the sample beamshots in my op are manipulated or not, hence this thread addressed to fellow members with actual experience from these ‘wonder’ led lamps.

Here is a side by side of my work van on dipped beam with a colleagues, identical models apart from his is a year newer and did have better OEM than mine.
On mine the bulbs are feed via an ECU not direct feed of 12v line so if I flash someone the main beam comes on then stays on for around 2 seconds before going off the later van doesn’t do this and has slightly more output than mine had.

Looking at the two the LED is much cooler with a very similar beam pattern but with more of a hotspot to the beam in front of the van.

I am from England which is why the beam is going to the left for LHD cars.

Compared to the OEM lamps, how is the light distribution on high beams? Is it just about the same (throw and width), but brighter?

fireblade893 · 2018-12-16T13:28:30.000Z

tatasal:

Compared to the OEM lamps, how is the light distribution on high beams? Is it just about the same (throw and width), but brighter?

Very similar to OEM It does have more of a hotspot than OEM and I find the cooler temp is better for seeing road markings and reflective surfaces.

Overall they are definitely batter in my van than OEM the brightness level is a good percentage better which does increase the distance you can see down the road.

Macka17 · 2018-12-26T09:53:01.000Z

Hi.
I bought a pr of H4 LED from EBay a yr or so ago. $35AUD del.

C6. H4-6000k.
Had to find a kid with skinny hands to fit L/H one in,
gave him $20. they magic.
White flat top beam. much greater throw than Original Isuzu Ute’s.
BUT. Not so much spread.
Blind on both sides going round tightish corners

Ended up buying a pr of 4in Square LED’s throw centre/spread around them.
$24AUD del. Fitted to inside rail on B Bar lower rail.
Wired into dip light. magic…

Lighting on ute now around 85% better than original and cleaner light.
Plus. When I turn on the 24in, single row, LED Light bar. ($240) WOW.
600yds ahead just like a sunny day.

TIP.
The Single row 10w led bars are MUCH better than the dual row 3w LED ones.
Less spread. but throw goes forever.

There are a lot on the net. Pick one that fits.
then Google “reviews” on that model globes.
Some good/some not so.
Get a good review one you normally happy.
I am. Same with bar. Always ask.

tatasal · 2019-01-07T06:34:18.000Z

One slice of spam above … well guys, you know what to do!

Jerommel · 2019-01-07T10:03:42.000Z

Cool white headlights should be banned.

BlueSwordM · 2019-01-07T15:03:16.000Z

Yeah I hate CW 6000k+ LED headlights.

5700k should be the max IMO.

Jerommel · 2019-01-07T15:11:58.000Z

BlueSwordM:

Yeah I hate CW 6000k+ LED headlights.

5700k should be the max IMO.

Still cold in my book.
Causes glare.
Incandescent lights are still the best tint / color temp.
You see better with warm white too.
Less scattering light in fog too.
Cool white sells because it’s more lumen and distinguishes from old cars.
But the governments are plain stupid to allow it in headlights.
They should all be 4000K or even warmer.
Preferably 3000K or 3500K.
It’s safer for upcoming traffick because it’s much less blinding than cool white, it provides better vision in fog and rain, it provides better vision all round because it doesn’t wash out contrast as much as cool white.

Lightbringer · 2019-01-07T16:31:53.000Z

fireblade893:

However one of the issues of using them in the UK is that it is illegal to use LED bulbs in a vehicle that did not come from the factory with LED headlights which means you could get in trouble with the law if they found out.

Hence the crying need for way lower CTs vs the usual Angry Blue™ crap that’s out there.

I was Out East™ over the weekend where lots of roads are unlit, and my stock halogens were… okay. If anything, I was going to do an H11 to H9 conversion (55W→65W, but 1200lm→2100lm) and be happy, even put 1-2 dropping diodes to slightly lower the voltage and increase their service life.

Unless/Until I can find LEDs that would give the same clean beam, but also tolerate a sealed housing (ain’t about to remove the dustcaps for a fan or ribbons), I’ll probably stay with hotwire bulbs.

Still looking, though.