LED Headlight Globes

Murray, interested in LED globes also. Please be aware that HID low beams in a 4wd will be very bright to oncoming traffic due to the height of the head light, unless you aim them very low, which negates the benefits of the HID globes. I fitted them a few years ago in a Patrol and then removed them after repeated flashes from oncoming traffic. Ended up fitting Philips Bright White Halogen Globes, so that the difference between HID Spots and headlights was minimal. Have recently obtained headlights for the Patrol that have separate high and low beam, see how they go?

LED headlights are very good and in most circumstances better then HID.

BUT there is a big difference between cheap and expensive LED lights, the difference in price reflex quality but more importantly the LED them selves (graded like diamonds for colour and light output) and the actual driver unit that drives the LED, LED lights generate a lot of heat so controlling this heat is paramount.

We fit many of them to trucks that can not run a bull bar due to lengths.

My Muzz,

I know of a globe that +100%, halogen but much brighter, throwing out much more light. HID's have an issue with how they use the reflector for a retrofit and never seem to work right.

Just be aware that they need about 50MM clearance behind the light socket as they have a fan there.
I checked out the lumens and they are not much brighter than halogens in lumen output.
I cannot fit them because the D2 does not have possible 50 MM behind the RH headlight because of the battery.
I have er "slightly" higher wattage Halogens in mine which are strictly illegal but don't dazzle as they have the same pattern as stock.
Regards Philip A

YOU can not legally fit any other lamp type than that headlight assembly was approved with.

There is no HID conversion that is legall in existing headlights.....this is very clear and simple.

There is no practical, legal way of fitting HID headlights to a vehicle that did not come come with them.
There are extensive requirements for the use of HID headlights in the ADRs and it goes way beyond the headlights......headlight washers and self leveling suspension come to mind.

Likewise there is no legal way of fitting an LED conversion to an existing headlight....even if the LED conversions where viable and as it stands they are not....those currently offered are piss poor.

Its all to do with how the reflector is designed to operate with the lamp.



If you want to keep your existing headlight inserts, you best option is to fit a headlight loom upgrade and fit some new generation halogen lamps.



Almost without exception factory healight looms are piss poor and do not deliver full battery voltage to the lamps.....significant improvements can be achieved by fitting heavier wiring.

Do not be tempted to fit 100watt high beam lamps to existing headlight wiring....Toyotas in particular have a problem with the dipper switch not copeing with the extra load long term......I have been bitten......price a replacment dipper assembly..hmmm

The current new generation halogen globes have improved colour temperature, closer and more accurate filament geometry and slightly higher light output for the wattage.

Philips have been rolling this technology out right across their range of halogen lamps.
I've just replaced some of the 1000 watt lamps in my theatre fittings....the appearance and performance of the lamps is significant copmpared to those of a few years ago. The improvement in the automotive lamps is not as great but significant all the same.

There are new generation properly engineered and approved LED headlight inserts available.....they are starting to get some exposure in the trucking industry.......a few of the new trucks are comming with them fitted or as an option.......but they aint cheap.
Check you local diesel spares shop.



THERE IS ONE THING YOU MUST UNDERSTAND

Automotive headlights are heavily regulated and extensivly specified.....the ADRs have broken the headlight section into 2 parts because it is so big.....hundreds of pages.

Driving lights on the other hand rate only a couple of paragraphs

The pattern and brightness of headlights is rigidly specified.

You will not get any more brightness..particularly on low beam than a good quality standard halogen headlight running at full voltage.

A fully compliant HID or LED headlight may give a marginally better beam quality and put more of the light produced where it is needed and less where it isnt......but the fact is the output is rigidly specified.


This has been discussed extensivly on other forums and the federal and state regulations are ubundantly clear.

cheers

Bantam is correct on one front - the fact that headlights and globes specifications are extensively controlled in hundreds of pages of regulations.
The problem is that rarely are those regulations enforced on the road by police carrying out roadside stops. They do cursory inspections at best. They're under a lot of pressure to find crims on the move, to find drugs on the move, to find unlicenced drivers. Headlights rate well below tyre tread depth when it comes to a roadside stop.

All of the above advice is good. Your headlights were designed for a specific style of globe. To alter the style of globe to something the designers never intended (or never knew about, because it wasn't invented when they designed the headlight) will only produce an incorrect light pattern on the road that will do nothing to improve your road lighting.

I use "improved" globes such as halogens with the same wattage as original but with increased light output (Osram Silverstar or Phillips X-treme Vision) and I find they provide substantially improved road lighting without dazzle for oncoming drivers.

Bantam is correct about standard headlight wiring being marginal at best, and he's also correct in that increasing wattage draw of globes will result in a fried light switch. Been there and done that, too.

If you really want to improve your lighting, you should install a relay and heavier wiring directly to your headlights.
You would probably be surprised at how marginal the standard current flow is to your headlights.
Add in some mild corrosion and ageing and you have lights that are suffering enough drop in current flow to reduce lighting quality appreciably.

Cheers, Ron.

There has been a lot written about the legality of fitting HID globes to original lamps and I can't agree with some of the statements made under this posting.

Bantam stated the reflectors are different, that may or may not be correct for example the reflectors for a 200 series Sahara fitted with HID lamps are identical to the reflectors fitted to a 200 series GXL cruiser. This makes me think that the characteristics for a particular lamp type will be basically the same for HID and Halogen, apart from luminosity and colour course.

The fitting HID lamps to Low beam which exceed 2000 lumen does require the fitting of headlight washers. A typical 35 watt HID head lamp produces approx 3000 lumen which automatically necessitates washers. There is some lack of clarity about the need for self-levelling devices which are mandatory in the EU and fitted to all vehicles arriving in Australia from the EU. The Sahara on the other hand has manual levelling adjustment.

HID lamps may be fitted to the High beam without the need for washers or levelling devices. In both cases the installation must not cause dazzling to oncoming traffic.

Cheers
Jon

Just an indication on price To do it properly on a VW Passat like mine (which came with them) can cost upwards of $4000 plus labour.

Really needs a new bumper with fittings and apertures for washers, the washers and motors, the levelling system that works off the suspension and the lights need a different loom.

An awful lot of work.