LED headlight bulbs

[mattyg]

Traditional headlight bulbs last for so long that it isn’t an issue. I’ve changed no more than half a dozen car bulbs in 30 years, and they’ve mainly been indicator or brake.

We had a Focus for 14 years that never needed a new bulb.

I half agree with you. I've not had a headlight bulb go since I had a 306 in 2001. However I run a fleet of 40 Vans and some go monthly. Yes they are being used only really at night but some cars just seem to go through bulbs... We've been trialing some LED bulbs from amazon and those vans no longer eat bulbs...

 

[jpaul]

the light is coming out in the wrong places

This pretty much, projector lenses generally give you a beautifully clear cut beam no matter what light source is used.

not true - misconceptions explains why I'm being blinded
eg a counter example ..pretty sur e46 is similar http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=217994

The E36 euro ellipsoid headlights, with H1 halogen projectors, were designed for H1 halogen bulbs. The cutoff shield features huge "upticks" to the right (or left, in RHD countries), in order to illuminate road signs with the halogen bulbs. The optics of the projector also focus most of the relatively weak halogen bulbs directly forward, and do not feature a very wide beam pattern. When used with HIDs, however, these lights become somewhat dangerous. They cause unacceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers, and because of their halogen E-code upticks, blind oncoming drivers in right-hand curves and drivers on the right on multi-lane roads.

Because these projectors send much of the light directly forward, they create significant hotspots in the center of beam pattern, which are quite a bit above the acceptable level of illumination. This amount of light leads drivers to believe that their lights are brighter, and therefore safer. However, in reality, these very bright hotspots cause tunnel-vision and significant eye strain and fatigue.

Any projector that is not designed for HID bulbs and instead relies on a "rebased" kit (such as the H1 kits sold for E36 euro ellipsoids) is subject to all these problems, and is not an proper HID solution, and using HID kits in these projectors is not by any means ideal.

 

[Finglonga]

Most have the option to rotate them in the housing to get the beam pattern. I have just fitted some H7 LED Mini sized as my cornering lights and the beam pattern is perfect with the reflector.

 

[Lashout_UK]

I had a similar experience with my SG5 Forester; the reflector assemblies were designed to accommodate HIDs which we didn't get in the UK market and have bulb shields, washers and the rest. I tested a set of Philips LED X-treme Ultinon units in them and the output and pattern was perfect. Which was unsurprising, really, given the cost and the headlight itself. I wouldn't hesitate to use them in a car. No glare, no blinding, perfect. I suspect the only reason Philips can't sell them as legal for road use is due to slow-moving regulations and the chance people might abuse the fitment of them.

The only downside is that the output colour isn't necessarily as good for your vision as the halogens. That cool blue light doesn't offer the same surface detail visibility as the softer light from the halogens, in my experience. Much longer range, though. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Yaayuh!]

The only downside is that the output colour isn't necessarily as good for your vision as the halogens. That cool blue light doesn't offer the same surface detail visibility as the softer light from the halogens, in my experience. Much longer range, though. Swings and roundabouts.

Indeed, it's quite astonishing how blue and bright headlights have got.
Main beam floodlighting is insane but more noticeably the cut-off is very sharp, especially on dipped and with the brightness and cool colour, it just destroys your night-vision beyond the cut-off. IMO we'd be better off with warmer, softer lights at least with dipped.

 

[jpaul]

despite the fact that fitting non-e marked led bulbs in halogen fittings is not road legal - hypocritically!
the seemingly genuine philips ones you can get https://www.philips.co.uk/c-m-au/car-lights/headlight-bulbs/led-headlight-bulb ,
can't have a beam that is so far off - can they ?

- only issue is they're like £50 for an h1 pair versus the £13 +130% philips halogen I currently use, they would look daft too, if the colour was so different to the adjacent halogen full beam reflector.

edit: one hiccup -insurance would be void if you were in a related accident .

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Indeed, it's quite astonishing how blue and bright headlights have got.
Main beam floodlighting is insane but more noticeably the cut-off is very sharp, especially on dipped and with the brightness and cool colour, it just destroys your night-vision beyond the cut-off. IMO we'd be better off with warmer, softer lights at least with dipped.

I think a lot of the issue is perception of whats good. People fixated on super well lit road where as a lot of the time on dipped your talking emergency reactions to avoid anything anyway, well unless your pootling along
Hologens then LEDs reinforce this.
When i am driving i am trying to look at the end of the lit area, and your right, now thats super clear then pitch black, the cut off being like a razor line, your not seeing anything past this point as your eyes are adjusted to the light levels you have.
The biggest benefit for me of better lights was the roadside area, where its much better lit, this helps to keep your road placement perception since whilst its hard to see the road due to lights oncoming, you can still get the road positioning from the peripheral roadside light.

I swear the battle for brighter lights is with the conception that if yours are brighter you will still be able to see when close to oncoming traffic. The reality is even an old halogen is brighter compared to the light you get to put down on the road at the end of your visible range. The benefit I suppose is that because your eyes are more used to a brighter light they react less to the oncoming than if you have them adjusted to a lower light level.

 

[jpaul]

The reality is even an old halogen is brighter compared to the light you get to put down on the road at the end of your visible range.

So ? Don't understand what you are saying ... the led (dipped) aspiration versus halogen, is that the visible range is extended, so that you can see upcoming road surface and direction better.

The benefit I suppose is that because your eyes are more used to a brighter light they react less to the oncoming than if you have them adjusted to a lower light level.

agree.

it's quite astonishing how blue and bright headlights have got

I assume this is because the native/efficient bulb emitters are in the blue frequency, you could shift them using phosphors, but it would then degenerate to halogen performance.


now watching video on latest philips halogen replacements https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_81nAVtXZI

per the initial comment ... these have active cooling with a fan, how will that work under a sealed cap, you'd just be blowing air around within the headlight enclosure ?
I trust philips technology ... if philips believe it is necessary for bulb life, then I tend to believe it.

 

[jpaul]

thread on latest philips led replacements to halogen - folks seem to see little improvement (dipped) versus halogen predecessor, but they like the colour
- negligible, even loss in distance penetration, plus inferior near roadside illumination.

https://www.hidplanet.com/forums/fo...-xtremeultinon-led-gen2-headlight-bulbs/page3

so, if philips cant solve it, I can see why they are not pushing/lobbying for EU standards to be enhanced to encompass these, and give them a e mark.

 

[Rilot]

I tried some of those Philips LEDs in my wife's Honda CR-V (halogen projectors) and they were useless. Beam pattern was all over the place and the general night visibility was poor. Swapped back to normal Xtreme Vision halogens and all is well with the world.