Xenon LED headlights

masterboy123

I am looking to switch my cars yellow headlights to LED highlights. I saw headlights on eBay for like 30€ each. So a a pair around 60 euros.
But is it safe to replace them at home?
The current headlights are not giving any trouble and just want to change it for the sake of good looks only.
Do i need to look at anything specific before buying LED as it may melt the glass??

Thanks

masterboy123

But even the main dealer is able to put them at 10th times price so should be NCT compatible.

Any idea how to check what LED light is compatible? Of course something which is legally allowed without dazzling others.

OSI wrote: »

Only your headlights have been designed to accommodate them, you'll blind oncoming traffic and fail the NCT.

colm_mcm

What do your u mean by the main dealer putting them in?

Some cars come with LED headlights from factory alright, completely different deal to what you'd get on eBay or in Halfords though,

Also, LED and HID - completely different,


Just to be clear, are you talking parking lights, dipped headlights, fog lights. Just to be certain.

Wibbs

masterboy123 wrote: »

Do i need to look at anything specific before buying LED as it may melt the glass??

LED's run cooler than standard bulbs so no worries there. I have HID main lights, with standard bulb sidelights and I switched to LED on the sides and my car has passed three NCT's since.



They're about the same brightness as ordinary filament bulbs, but whiter in colour. They're fine for sidelights, but I dunno how good the aftermarket ones might be for main lights though?

What will get you into trouble is DIY shoehorning HID kits into standard bulb lights.

cml387

You dont say what car you have.
In some you cannot swap because it will set off the blown bulb alarms and mess with the electronics

bazz26

There is no such thing as Xenon LED headlights. They are either Xenon or LED. And any aftermarket Xenon or LED headlight kit bought off ebay for ?60 are absolute rubbish. Also they are nowhere near the same as ones fitted by car manufacturers.

Del2005

cml387 wrote: »

You dont say what car you have.
In some you cannot swap because it will set off the blown bulb alarms and mess with the electronics

Can't you wire in a resistor to fool the system?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Wibbs wrote: »

98spec ITR?

cml387

Del2005 wrote: »

Can't you wire in a resistor to fool the system?

It's possible but you are approaching the "why bother" stage then.

masterboy123

Pardon my ignorance everyone.

It's a C class W205. There are day time LED lights on it. But in the night it's yellow halogen type bulbs. And I am talking about the low-beam head lights.

So it looks like it's highly risky to change the headlight of my own. It's good i posted it here.

cml387 wrote: »

You dont say what car you have.
In some you cannot swap because it will set off the blown bulb alarms and mess with the electronics

grogi

Wibbs wrote: »

LED's run cooler than standard bulbs so no worries there. I have HID main lights, with standard bulb sidelights and I switched to LED on the sides and my car has passed three NCT's since.



They're about the same brightness as ordinary filament bulbs, but whiter in colour. They're fine for sidelights, but I dunno how good the aftermarket ones might be for main lights though?

What will get you into trouble is DIY shoehorning HID kits into standard bulb lights.

LEDs headlights might be cooler, but need to be actively cooled to remain in operational temperature.

Each headlight is type approved for certain sources of light. If the one you are using is not homologated for High Intensity Discharge source, it should be an NCT fail.

masterboy123

I have attached picture of my headlights, if that's of any help?

grogi

masterboy123 wrote: »

I have attached picture of my headlights, if that's of any help?

Just don't fix what isn't broken...

colm_mcm

Halfords do some very nice looking regular type bulbs that give a very white, almost blue light. They don't look knackery or anything, only downside is they don't last as long as normal bulbs. You'd need to be using a trade card to buy them as they're almost €60 a pair retail. €27 with trade card. Different figments are probably different prices.

http://www.halfords.ie/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/car-bulbs/halfords-477-h7-pure-white-hid-effect-upgrade-pack

Another almost identical option is osram nightbreaker unlimited bulbs. Think you'd get them for €25-30 a pair. Big advantage is they're much more widely available and you don't need to mess around with a trade card. Again they don't last a terribly long time, but they would look the part.

https://www.osram.com/osram_com/news-and-knowledge/automotive-special/automotive-performance-lamps-full-power-of-light-for-your-vehicle/night-breaker-unlimited-product-details/index.jsp

masterboy123

Now i am very skeptical to change my headlights given issue around NCT friendly and the fact that it could damage the whole circuit.

I feel the white light do not make your eyes go fatigue easily.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Halfords do some very nice looking regular type bulbs that give a very white, almost blue light. They don't look knackery or anything, only downside is they don't last as long as normal bulbs. You'd need to be using a trade card to buy them as they're almost €60 a pair retail. €27 with trade card. Different figments are probably different prices.

http://www.halfords.ie/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/car-bulbs/halfords-477-h7-pure-white-hid-effect-upgrade-pack

Another almost identical option is osram nightbreaker unlimited bulbs. Think you'd get them for €25-30 a pair. Big advantage is they're much more widely available and you don't need to mess around with a trade card. Again they don't last a terribly long time, but they would look the part.

https://www.osram.com/osram_com/news-and-knowledge/automotive-special/automotive-performance-lamps-full-power-of-light-for-your-vehicle/night-breaker-unlimited-product-details/index.jsp

Wibbs

grogi wrote: »

LEDs headlights might be cooler, but need to be actively cooled to remain in operational temperature.

Each headlight is type approved for certain sources of light. If the one you are using is not homologated for High Intensity Discharge source, it should be an NCT fail.

Eh... for a start methinks you're confused about the HID/LED difference. If he had a HID, why would he be thinking of a LED setup? And it was already mentioned that replacing filament bulbs with HID was a no no. Oh and the fact remains LED's are cooler in operation compared to filament bulbs. The "actively cooled to remain in operational temperature" reads like "The Man In The Pub" broscience and is practically meaningless.

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

98spec ITR?

Give the man a prize. Fair play. Expert level shizzle there.

colm_mcm wrote: »

Halfords do some very nice looking regular type bulbs that give a very white, almost blue light. They don't look knackery or anything, only downside is they don't last as long as normal bulbs. You'd need to be using a trade card to buy them as they're almost ?60 a pair retail. ?27 with trade card. Different figments are probably different prices.

http://www.halfords.ie/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/car-bulbs/halfords-477-h7-pure-white-hid-effect-upgrade-pack

Another almost identical option is osram nightbreaker unlimited bulbs. Think you'd get them for ?25-30 a pair. Big advantage is they're much more widely available and you don't need to mess around with a trade card. Again they don't last a terribly long time, but they would look the part.

https://www.osram.com/osram_com/news-and-knowledge/automotive-special/automotive-performance-lamps-full-power-of-light-for-your-vehicle/night-breaker-unlimited-product-details/index.jsp

This post. I say follow the advice of CM.

colm_mcm

LEDs in headlamps (proper setups anyway) need cooling fans because the chip can overheat. Not because of the amount of heat that's being generated overall, if that makes sense.
Not sure about the latest ones, but that was certainly the case recently.

Wibbs

colm_mcm wrote: »

LEDs in headlamps (proper setups anyway) need cooling fans because the chip can overheat. Not because of the amount of heat that's being generated overall, if that makes sense.
Not sure about the latest ones, but that was certainly the case recently.

Oh sure CM, in OEM examples, but I mean in swapping like with like scenarios. I can say that my yoke was a curse for blowing the standard sidelights a few times a year(glovebox full of spares ), but the direct replacement couple of quid from eBay LED's have lasted a couple of years.

grogi

Wibbs wrote: »

Oh sure CM, in OEM examples, but I mean in swapping like with like scenarios. I can say that my yoke was a curse for blowing the standard sidelights a few times a year(glovebox full of spares ), but the direct replacement couple of quid from eBay LED's have lasted a couple of years.

In non-oem applications LED headlights are horrible.

Wibbs

grogi wrote: »

In non-oem applications LED headlights are horrible.

In your opinion. In my case and in my humble they were a good(and far more durable) replacement for the standard sidelights. My OEM HID's take up the main lighting duties anyway.

grogi

Wibbs wrote: »

In your opinion. In my case and in my humble they were a good(and far more durable) replacement for the standard sidelights. My OEM HID's take up the main lighting duties anyway.

You're talking for sidelights, Leds should be grand in that case. I am talking about headlights...

ironclaw

Wibbs wrote: »

fact remains LED's are cooler in operation compared to filament bulbs. The "actively cooled to remain in operational temperature" .

LEDs can generate a lot of heat. You're effectively compressing a very pure wavelenth of light into a tiny cross sectional area. A 1W LED is actually immensely bright compared to a 55W standard bulb and will easily generate 100 to 120C of heat off the back panel. You'll easily burn through plastic and your hand if you held it while in operation. Most have mandatory heat sinks. Its the trade off you get with everything: Great light, great life but more heat than standard bulbs off the back panel.

Although LEDs are cool to the touch, within the devices themselves, there is plenty of unwanted heat. This heat comes from the inefficiency of the semiconductors that generate the light. The radiant efficiency (total optical output power divided by total electrical input power) of LEDs is typically between 5 and 40%, meaning that 60-95% of the input power is lost as heat. So what do you do with all this excess internal heat?!

Source: http://www.ledsupply.com/blog/why-you-need-an-led-heat-sink/

So in an example of a small 1W Star LED, your trying to dump maybe upwards of 0.75 Watts of heat from something with a cross sectional area of a 1 cent coin. Burnt out plenty a PCB I can assure you!