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Latest thinking on LED headlights


andydavy

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That would be very helpful, John. Please:

  • Cost.
  • Fitting notes.
  • Illumination: preferably comparison shots down the road with the same exposure, on the door ditto, and subjective.
  • Opinion on legality.

Email sent.

...

I know lots has been said before but whats the very latest recommendation.

There isn't one: the information is too scattered. And TTBOMK no-one has done a back-to-back comparison of current alternatives. In the absence of a wiki it would be great if someone could write a summary of what's already in the archives.

Jonathan

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I am just about to fit JAL leds to some new carbon headlight bowls that I have purchased from Daviid Lale of Classic Carbon.  I should have fitted them a few weeks ago but the bowls had to be returned for a modification.  I have the garage wall marked to indicate where dipped and main beam project with the existing lights.  I did have the leds fitted temporarily prior to the bowls being returned and the pattern is really quite different, dipped is very wide ... and exceptionally bright.  I will maybe fit one and take a photo of the two together for comparison purposes..  With the JAL lights, the sidelight is in the form of a horizontal running light across the centre of the lens.  There are cheaper options available (probably Chinese), but JAL are assured quality IMO.

On the subject of lower headlights, my first 2008 CSR had the standard 7" and my wife and I always thought the nearside light often obscured a lot of vision.  What a great improvement to vision when I bought the 2011 CSR with the lower 5.75" headlights, much improved vision.

David

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many new style car lights are   'flat dip'   ie they have no kick up to the left, much like motorbike lights thus enabling manufactures to use the same lights be the car left or right hand drive.

no issue driving abroad either 

My LED headlights are the same

https://furoreproducts.co.uk/headlight-3850-lumen-pair

and 1/3 of the price of the ones mentioned in #9  *biggrin* 

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many new style car lights are   'flat dip'   ie they have no kick up to the left, much like motorbike lights thus enabling manufactures to use the same lights be the car left or right hand drive.

The current MOT Inspection Manual has two different sets of criteria: "British American type" and "European type". 

I haven't heard of any problems with testing. (But the wording is tortuous.)

Jonathan

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Just for Jonathan (and of course others who are interested...) below are some amateur pics of the Dave Gemzoe LED's per John's post #4.

It wasn't dark at the time nor a scientific test but more of an "alignment aid" process - however you can see how brighter they are and how well they cut-off on dipped beam (similar pattern to the original H4 bulbs) to avoid glare to on-coming vehicles. At night they are much more impressive *cool*

Dipped beam:

20190819_195959.thumb.jpg.387a4361846efc00bd5a4647cf1879c0.jpg

Main beam:

20190819_200012.thumb.jpg.2751742b0626982fa9b88b1ee3bcac91.jpg

Neil

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Ian - 7" with the original reflectors and lenses from 1995 (with a quick polish inside).

I should add that the non-LED was also a Phillip's Extreme 140% bulb ....so even more impressive! You can actually rotate the LED bulb in its plastic holder (which itself slots perfectly into the reflector housing) in case you need to adjust get the horizontal alignment (there are placement notches as you rotate but I didn't need to).

Neil

 

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... using LED bulbs in a headlight designed for a H4 bulb no longer meets the regs for on road use. 

That's interesting.  Is that because the lighting regs were drawn up (1989?) before LED lighting existed?  And if the LED bulb is designed to produce the same beam pattern and cut-offs as the filament bulb (which I believe the Gemzoe bulb is), does the problem become more of a "technical" breach?

What are the downsides in practice?  Insurance? Plod? MOT? Roadside checks?

JV

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What are the downsides in practice?  Insurance? Plod? MOT? Roadside checks?

I wouldn't expect problems at MoT testing with LEDs per se if the illumination looks right to the tester because:

  1. They don't fall foul fall of the inspection processes and rules.
  2. We haven't heard of any so far.

Jonathan

 

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