What are the facts around aftermarket LED bulb upgrades?

Haggisman said:
Just to point out that the MOT regulations quoted above state that the headlamp unit should not be CONVERTED to use HID/LED bulbs. If the bulb is a straight swap then you're not actually converting anything, so that doesn't necessarily apply.

Not that I'm saying they are legal, but the regulations quoted above aren't quite that simple.
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That is really interesting point. Some will argue its semantics and not in the spirit of the law, but yeah I get what you're saying. Is swapping a halogen bulb with an LED or HID bulb and doing nothing else, actually a conversion. Hmm.
 
I'd be confident that changing a halogen bulb for an LED bulb would absolutely count as 'converting' a halogen headlamp to LED. The failure is "light source and lamp not compatible" which an LED bulb will never fulfil in a headlight unit only ever designed and approved to have halogen bulbs fitted.

I don't think you'd get anywhere trying to convince a tester it isn't 'converted' with a semantic argument about what conversion really means.

(that's all assuming it was noticed, as previously said)
 
Kenai said:
I'd be confident that changing a halogen bulb for an LED bulb would absolutely count as 'converting' a halogen headlamp to LED. The failure is "light source and lamp not compatible" which an LED bulb will never fulfil in a headlight unit only ever designed and approved to have halogen bulbs fitted.

I don't think you'd get anywhere trying to convince a tester it isn't 'converted' with a semantic argument about what conversion really means.

(that's all assuming it was noticed, as previously said)
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Fair enough on LEDs. However as xenons are an OE option, Im guessing the bulb and lamp ARE compatible. The failure then would rest on the absence of headlight washers and autolevelers.

My old Mk3 Mondeo had OE xenons and auto levelers but it definitely didn't have headlight washers.
 
The pre-86 exemption is interesting, presumably they’ve taken a common sense approach that old vehicles typically have such poor standard lights that the improvement in visibility overrides any misgivings about potential incompatibility.

Nice to know I’ve got options for a potentially legal LED/HID conversion on my (1985) truck should the halogens not be up to the job (Currently got some Philips vision plus fitted to some aftermarket Raybrig units), not that I expect to be driving it in the dark a great deal
 
danlightbulb said:
However as xenons are an OE option, Im guessing the bulb and lamp ARE compatible.
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Possibly, no idea if they use literally the exact same headlight part for halogen bulbs and xenon bulbs.

It'd have the appropriate type approval markings for halogens and xenons on it if so.
 
I've had a car fitted with hid kit tested loads of times over the years by many pages and never had so much as a remark about it. I suspect they really don't care as long as the beam pattern is OK.
 
Just do the same as everyone else. Mot the car with halogens and then take them out and replace with LEDs or hids. No one really cares that much to stop or barely take notice apart from you :D
 
Nothings changed since earlier threads ... and the prevalence of sealed led units now means after market led manufacturers are less likely to try for european/uk certification.
 
Dipped beams are the problem, it will likely fail on the beam pattern if you stick LEDs in halogen lamps. You can change the other bulbs and get through the MOT, mine did just a few weeks ago. A tester can't confirm what bulbs are installed without removing them, so cant fail it just for having them.
 
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yes, even with halogens, does anyone need better main beam lights ? - so yes dipped power is the only/main game.

I wouldn't mind trying some aftermarket leds , but they are not going to be <£10/pop like the philips +130%'s I currently use,
plus beyond the headline lumen figures, those lumens need to be in the right direction onto the road, also, as is often written with sharp cut-off versus halogen,
this may just give illusion of better penetration.
(it's a bit like those who change to oled tv's based on spec, even though unless you are viewing/unhealthily in the dark, human eyes cannot discern additional contrast -
yes it's their money)
 
Ive abandoned the idea of LEDs now. I read that they didn't work well with projector headlamps, and the quality of the bulbs and heatsinks is not yet robust enough for me.

HIDs on the other hand, seem an easy and reliable retrofit into my existing projector lights and a decent kit with good reviews is available for about £60, so I'm going to go with that option I think.
 
TBH its not worth the hasstle just to get whiter looking lights. A good set of LED headlight bulbs costs about 20 years worth of halogens and there is a good chance they wont be as good. LEDs aren't automatically better.
 
Nasher said:
TBH its not worth the hasstle just to get whiter looking lights. A good set of LED headlight bulbs costs about 20 years worth of halogens and there is a good chance they wont be as good. LEDs aren't automatically better.
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For me its about getting headlights that are better than a candle. I had OE xenons on my mk3 mondeo then when i switched to an Accord a few years ago and then more recently to a MOndeo mk4, the headlights are truly awful. Honestly in heavy rain in this car I can barely see anything in front of me. On my old mk3, on dark country roads, the xenons were that good i didn't need to use main beam. On this car I feel I need main beam in the town they are that bad.

There is really no excuse for such god awful headlights on modern cars. The problem is xenons are always an optional extra which obviously no one takes because of the BIK impact and then down the line in the used market you establish these issues.

Hopefully in the future if all new cars have LEDs then the problem will weed itself out.
 
hate Osram with a passion , tried house bulbs and car bulbs, sometimes instantly popped or die within a month,
Philips and Ring Automotive i use, they seemed to last 10 times longer !
 
jpaul said:
subsequently watched below video
these bulbs look as thoogh they are permitted on some cars in germany - the improvement doesn't seem enormous, even though install is not too hard.

Osram Night Breaker Led H7 and Ford Mondeo mk5
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Lol did he really just leave the light housing open at the back? That is another issue, keeping them cool but keeping them sealed.

The difference isn't anything really, just less yellow. Also the white light from LEDs causes harsh reflections off signs and other things.
 
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