LED Headlights

[Incognegro]

Cool thanks for clearing that up but. I'd rather not flash with a dimmer light so maybe this is a better way.

[billybradshaw]

ChimpOnGas said:

DaiBakes said:

Did anybody end up testing the later fanless type?

Yes, I have the new no-fan 4000 lumen units in my Mk3 faired headlight conversion.



Here they are in action



However, what I've discovered after extensive testing of two types of these LED units is....

I can adjust the headlight to either deliver devastating main beam performance with a little less reach than I'd like on dip.

Or...

Crazy dip beam performance but with a main beam that illuminates the tree tops above the road. In this state you can get flashed occasionally too.

It would seem to be impossible to get the perfect beam on both dip & main. Adjust the dip up so it's spot on and the mains are too high, adjust for the perfect main beam and the dips are a little too low.

I've chosen to set mine so the mains are like Zeppelin search lights and the dips are completely safe for oncoming drivers, the problem with this is when you go from main down to dip you're eyes can take a split second to adjust to the big transition in light output.

This can be tricky on narrow country roads as invariably you're going to dip because there's car coming towards you, and that's when you realise you could do with a bit more reach from the dips to set your possession in the road.

I've now got a set of super small Ring Micro Cruiselites (BRL0370) that will be set into the grill aperture.





As you can see these lights really are tiny but are very bright indeed, they should also give me the dip beam reach I need to just fill the area the LED units are lacking without dazzling oncoming drivers.

All in all I'd say these new LED units are fantastically good and make a massive difference to night driving in a Chimaera, but only on dip or main beam depending on how you've chosen to adjust them.

If you don't want to dazzle oncoming drivers and you dont want to fit a set of Ring Micro Cruiselites like me, then people are advised to just fit a set of Phillips X-Treme Vision H4 bulbs (the new +130% version).

That's the honest truth from me about these LED units, they're almost there but my guess is they may well be designed to work best with projector lenses rather than our old school reflector and engraved lens setups.

I'm not saying they're no good, actually I love mine and with a little more reach on dip they'll be completely unbeatable.

But you pays your money and make your choice, in this case I've done the spending, testing and write-up so you can make your own decision on fitting them or not without risk of being disappointed.

I've tried to keep my feedback honest throughout so I hope this complete post will be seen as helpful to all my TVR mates on here?

Dave

Afternoon Dave,

Would you post a link for the fan-less LEDs that you now have please. I'm going to have a bash at installing them in my Cerbera.

Ta

Ian

[magpies]

is it possible to run both dip and main at the same time while on main - would that not 'fill in' the area under the main beam pattern - or is there a distinct blank area between the two beam patterns?

[ChimpOnGas]

magpies said:

is it possible to run both dip and main at the same time while on main - would that not 'fill in' the area under the main beam pattern - or is there a distinct blank area between the two beam patterns?

This is exactly how they work already, the slight issue I've covered a number of times now is a function of the reflectors and how they work with the H4 LED bulb replacement units, the proper solution is to get proper dedicated LED`reflectors or better still dedicated LED projector units.

This isn't really an option on the original headlight units but as soon as you upgrade to Mk3 headlights you are working with the very common 7" round headlight unit which is fitted to everything from Morris Minors to the Jeeps to Land Rovers and a gazillion vehicles in between.

The 7" headlight is so common it's viable to manufacture units that are designed specifically to work with LED technology, and there are lots of manufacturers getting on the band wagon. But be careful, like all these things there are good and bad products out there so it can be a bit of a mine field.

Basically there are two different LED headlight unit technologies available:


1: The reflector type

This type is characterised by a split reflector that separates the dip & maim beam reflector, this solves the problem I've experienced when just fitting LED H4 replacement units in a standard reflector headlight, but they are still effectively using old school reflector technology.



Like I say there are good and bad, my research seems to indicate the LED split reflector type units to go for are from a company called TruckLite.

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servle...



2. The projector type

These are a bit aesthetically challenging and may be a step too far for some (looks wise), but they are meant to be even better than the dedicated LED split reflector type as they offer even more precise beam control.



Again there are good and bad out there, my research indicates the ones to go for are from a US company called JW Speaker.

http://www.jwspeaker.com/products/categories/headl...


Another important consideration is we (as UK buyers) need both these options to be specified for left hand traffic, watch buying cheap Chinese alternatives as they'll almost certainly be designed for the far bigger markets where traffic drives on the right.

The other thing to consider is a set of the 7" LED TruckLite units will likely cost you at least £400 a set and if you want the even better performing JW Speaker (Model 8700 Evolution 2) units you will be looking at spending more like £600 a set!!!

And remember both these expensive choices are only options for those of us with Mk3 headlights, people with the bigger corrosion prone Mk1/2 Chimaera headlights need not apply.

If you do have the Mk3 faired headlights you are still in for a big bill if you really want to do this LED thing properly, but don't let all this put you off, sure there are compromises involved in simply sticking a set of these new super bright LED H4 bulb replacement units in your your current Mk1/2 or even the Mk3 headlight units, but they are still an excellent upgrade in my opinion.

So if you want to cheaply fill in the areas where the LEDs need help then you can simply and cheaply do so by fitting a set of inexpensive H3 driving lights.

As per my former posts I've gone for a set of super small Ring Micro Cruise Lites (BRL0370) which are available for just £25, I fully expect these lights to sort the reach & spread areas the LED dips aren't quite filling in perfectly when you adjust the headlights to give amazing LED main beam performance.

While we are waiting for the split reflector or projector LED units to come down in price (and they will), a set of these LED H4 bulb replacement units combined with a set of small H3 driving lights will give you brilliant Chimaera headlights.... at a very realistic price

Edited by ChimpOnGas on Monday 21st December 20:17

[billybradshaw]

Dave, don't forget me.......any chance of that link to the bulbs please?

Ta

Ian

[Transmitter Man]

Dave,

JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/182-2716693...

Even with shipping, duty & VAT still half price $$$$.

Phil

[ChimpOnGas]

billybradshaw said:

Dave, don't forget me.......any chance of that link to the bulbs please?

Ta

Ian

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-H7-LED-Headlight-Kit-H13-9004-9007-H11-9005-9006-H1-H3-9008-6000K-White-Bulbs-/161671477022?var=&hash=item25a45ef71e:m:mQpq4dDablTUr6l-eXeeFrQ


eBay item number: 161671477022

[billybradshaw]

ChimpOnGas said:

billybradshaw said:

Dave, don't forget me.......any chance of that link to the bulbs please?

Ta

Ian

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-H7-LED-Headlight-Kit-H13-9004-9007-H11-9005-9006-H1-H3-9008-6000K-White-Bulbs-/161671477022?var=&hash=item25a45ef71e:m:mQpq4dDablTUr6l-eXeeFrQ


eBay item number: 161671477022

Good man, thank you.

At 35 quid these are well worth a punt

Ian

[billybradshaw]

billybradshaw said:

ChimpOnGas said:

billybradshaw said:

Dave, don't forget me.......any chance of that link to the bulbs please?

Ta

Ian

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H4-H7-LED-Headlight-Kit-H13-9004-9007-H11-9005-9006-H1-H3-9008-6000K-White-Bulbs-/161671477022?var=&hash=item25a45ef71e:m:mQpq4dDablTUr6l-eXeeFrQ


eBay item number: 161671477022

Good man, thank you.

At 35 quid these are well worth a punt

Ian

Dave,

Looking at the drop down menus only the 6000LM bulbs are available in the H4 bulb fitment. The 4800LM bulbs are only available in H7 it would seem. Am I reading this wrong? Perhaps the 4800LM kits have sold out in H4 size.

So, I'll take a punt on the 6000LM bulbs and I'll report back after Christmas.

Thank you for your very informative thread and here's to safer night driving.

cheers

Ian

[ChimpOnGas]

Transmitter Man said:

Dave,

JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/182-2716693...

Even with shipping, duty & VAT still half price $$$$.

Phil

The price in your link is for one light unit designed for right hand traffic, so you would be paying £358 plus postage plus importation tax for a pair. The total will likely come to over £500 and you'll be getting right hand traffic units (IE the wrong units)!

The JW Speaker part number for the black 8700 Evolution 2 designed for the UK (drive on the left) unit is 0550201, and the chrome one is 0550211. Nine times out of ten the units are sold individually because they can be used in Harley Davidsons and other motorcycles.

JW Speaker do have a UK distributor and I assure you this will be the best (and cheapest) way to get the right units.

https://www.mobilecentre.co.uk/index.php?main_page...

The total price for a pair of Model 8700 Evo 2 7" PAR 56 LED 2D1 headlight with Black internal bezel for driving on the left to suit UK market 9 - 32V DC.... Is £527.98 Inc VAT!!!!

By all accounts these units are amazingly good but at £527.98 to me they are way too expensive for a set of headlights, and remember they are only an option if you have Mk3 headlights that use a 7" unit.

If you really get Gooogling you can find what look exactly like (and are being sold as) JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2 units for around £120 each, three things to know about these units:

1. They are Chinese fakes

2. They will likely perform very badly

3. They will be designed for right hand traffic so will be totally unsuitable for UK use anyway

JW Speaker are a reputable US company, their products are designed AND MANUFACTURED in the USA, JW Speaker have done a huge amount of research & development work to make these lights perform as they do.

If you see Chinese/Hon Kong based vendors on EBay ect selling JW Speaker 8700 Evolution 2 units for very tempting prices they will be fakes and for right hand traffic at that.

While we're waiting for these projector type units to come down in price I advise the following :

1. Buy a pair of eBay item number 161671477022 LED H4bulb replacement units from China

2. Adjust your headlights so the main beam is perfect

3. This will give you amazing main beam performance and very good dip beams, it's just the dips will be set a little low for best reach & spread. Setting up your headlights like this will ensure you dont dazzle oncoming traffic, this is very important as these new generation LED bulb replacement units are devastatingly bright

4. Fit some low mounted driving lights like the Ring Micro Cruise lights, these lights are designed to be fitted low, the industry term is "sub bumper". Because you fit them low (mine are set in the lower grill aperture either side of the number plate) you should get all the reach and spread you need without dazzling oncoming drivers

5. The Ring Micro Cruise lights use the common H3 halogen bulb, H3 bulbs are tiny but in my experience the lights that use this bulb are always very bright indeed. I used to fit H3 spot lights to night working fork lift trucks and a pair would always turn night into day!!!

6. Because the The Ring Micro Cruise lights use the common H3 bulb you can upgrade them one step further by fitting Osram night breaker unlimited bulbs for £16 a pair


COST OF UPGRADE

• H4 8,000 Lumen LED bulb replacement units £53... EBay item number: 161671477022

• Ring Micro Cruise lights: £22... EBay item number: 291628546568

• Osram night breaker unlimited bulbs £16... EBay item number: 111217383490

TOTAL... £91.00

So on the face of it you can bring your Chimaera headlights into the 21st century for less than £100, to me this is an excellent performance vs cost upgrade and represents excellent value for money


The only other thing I's say is if you have Mk1/2 headlights the reflectors will almost certainly be corroded, replacing the reflectors for new is expensive but essential for good headlight performance even if you're using these new super bright LED H4 bulb replacement units. The problem with these Bosch reflectors is that they are not only expensive they will also start become corrode again in 6-12 months, you can clear coat them with a decent 2k lacquer which will extend their life but there is a better solution....

If like me you are fed up with the expensive, odd sized and corrosion prone truck headlight reflector & lens units used by TVR then I recommend biting the bullet and investing in a Mk3 faired headlight conversion. This is not a cheap solution but totally solves everything in one go because it uses the super common 7" round headlight. Using a 7" headlight unit opens up a world of possibilities and essentially future proofs your Chimaera headlights while improving the looks (in my opinion) of the car.

Finish off with a set of 8,000 lumen LED bulb replacement units and a pair of tiny sub bumper Ring Micro Cruise Lights and you'll have better headlights on both dip and main beams than most new cars on the road today...

no antisocial (read dangerous) blinding of oncoming drivers either...

[ChimpOnGas]

billybradshaw said:

Dave,

Looking at the drop down menus only the 6000LM bulbs are available in the H4 bulb fitment. The 4800LM bulbs are only available in H7 it would seem. Am I reading this wrong? Perhaps the 4800LM kits have sold out in H4 size.

So, I'll take a punt on the 6000LM bulbs and I'll report back after Christmas.

Thank you for your very informative thread and here's to safer night driving.

cheers

Ian

Ian, select these from the two drop down menus:

Bulb Socket: H4/9003 ETI 2S

Power & Lumen: 60W/8000LM /Kit, 2pcs bulbs

Once the above are selected the price should change to £50.99 plus £1.99 P&P to make a total of £52.98.

This buys you a pair of H4 bulb replacement units that when on main beam (dip & main beam LEDs all on together) give you the 8,000 raw lumen output they are quoting.

Other Chinese/Hong Kong vendors are selling these units, but they are definitely the best performing and fan free ones you want, do some more Googling yourself and you may find them cheaper.

To be honest I'd take the lumen figures with a pinch of salt, all you need to know is these LED replacement units are at least 40% brighter than the very best high performance incandescent H4 bulbs you can buy, they will also last longer and give an instant on and instant flash effect which is very nice indeed.

However!

Please read and understand my other comments on adjustment, reflector corrosion, dip beam performance and how to solve these problems.

[billybradshaw]

ChimpOnGas said:

billybradshaw said:

Dave,

Looking at the drop down menus only the 6000LM bulbs are available in the H4 bulb fitment. The 4800LM bulbs are only available in H7 it would seem. Am I reading this wrong? Perhaps the 4800LM kits have sold out in H4 size.

So, I'll take a punt on the 6000LM bulbs and I'll report back after Christmas.

Thank you for your very informative thread and here's to safer night driving.

cheers

Ian

Ian, select these from the two drop down menus:

Bulb Socket: H4/9003 ETI 2S

Power & Lumen: 60W/8000LM /Kit, 2pcs bulbs

Once the above are selected the price should change to £50.99 plus £1.99 P&P to make a total of £52.98.

This buys you a pair of H4 bulb replacement units that when on main beam (dip & main beam LEDs all on together) give you the 8,000 raw lumen output they are quoting.

Other Chinese/Hong Kong vendors are selling these units, but they are definitely the best performing and fan free ones you want, do some more Googling yourself and you may find them cheaper.

To be honest I'd take the lumen figures with a pinch of salt, all you need to know is these LED replacement units are at least 40% brighter than the very best high performance incandescent H4 bulbs you can buy, they will also last longer and give an instant on and instant flash effect which is very nice indeed.

However!

Please read and understand my other comments on adjustment, reflector corrosion, dip beam performance and how to solve these problems.

Brilliant thanks Dave.

Order just placed.

I've just had my reflectors re-silvered and I've got a friendly garage lined up for the alignment checks so hopefully all will be well.

Thanks again

Ian

[Digitalize]

billybradshaw said:

Dave,

Looking at the drop down menus only the 6000LM bulbs are available in the H4 bulb fitment. The 4800LM bulbs are only available in H7 it would seem. Am I reading this wrong? Perhaps the 4800LM kits have sold out in H4 size.

So, I'll take a punt on the 6000LM bulbs and I'll report back after Christmas.

Thank you for your very informative thread and here's to safer night driving.

cheers

Ian

H7 bulbs are rated lower as they are a single output, rather than a dipped and full beam. As far as I can work out at least.

[ChimpOnGas]

billybradshaw said:

Brilliant thanks Dave.

Order just placed.

I've just had my reflectors re-silvered and I've got a friendly garage lined up for the alignment checks so hopefully all will be well.

Thanks again

Ian

Ian, I strongly recommend clear coating your reflectors, this will not affect their reflective qualities but will extend their life from 12 months before corrosion starts again to a good few years.

You need to use a good quality 2k lacquer that will not peel or turn yellow over time, when I had Mk1/2 reflectors I used this stuff which worked really well.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HB-Body-Professional-2K-...

EBay item number: 191438336653

Instructions from me at the bottom of this page...

http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Or just get a professional body shop to clear coat them for you, it will be money well spent.

PS: NEVER TOUCH THE REFLECTORS WITH YOUR BARE FINGERS, THE ACIDS IN YOUR SKIT WILL INSTANTLY WRECK THE SILVERING!!!

[billybradshaw]

PS: NEVER TOUCH THE REFLECTORS WITH YOUR BARE FINGERS, THE ACIDS IN YOUR SKIT WILL INSTANTLY WRECK THE SILVERING!!!
[/quote]

At this time of year it's more likely to be alcohol than acid )

Again, great advice, thank you

Ian

[ChimpOnGas]

Finally (and for fear of repeating myself) you may think adjusting your headlights with these LED replacement bulb units so the dip is perfect is the best solution to the adjustment challenges.

You may be justifying this strategy to yourself because you don't drive on main beam that much.

While adjusting the lights in this way will work for 90% of all driving situations the day you need maim beam is the day you'll regret adjusting your headlights in this way. All you'll get is a really good view of the trees way above your head and a set of soiled underpants as you try desperately to see whats ahead of you.

Invariably you will rapidly switch to dip again before you find the hedge and will wish you'd adjusted your new super duper LED lights to give devastating main beams and fitted a set of sub bumper lights to fill in the areas the LED dips don't quite reach out to.

These LED bulb replacement H4s are an excellent upgrade but they are by no means perfect in an old school reflector headlight unit, the truth is they can either be adjusted so you get amazing dip beams but then suffer main beams that are way too high, or you set them up so the main beams are spot on at which point the dips sit a little low.

In my opinion it's much easier to solve the slightly low dips with a set of low mounted driving lights than it is to try and sort the problem of main beams pointing to the sky.

At the end of the day you can have the best of all worlds if you follow my set up, and all for under £100...

Plus new reflectors if needed or better still the expensive Mk3 faired headlight conversion if you can stretch to it

[SILICONEKID345HP]

So If had the mk 111 conversion the standard setup would be a waste of time !




I`m not very impressed with the Lupo lights so I`m wondering if these would be much better
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-LUPO-NEW-DRL-LED-ANGE...

Edited by SILICONEKID345HP on Tuesday 22 December 19:28

[Techie-Lover]

Chimp, I've enjoyed very much reading your posts which are factual and detailed, and the trouble you've taken to answer questions posed by others.

I happen to be looking into brighter headlight bulbs for my 1999 Subaru Forester which has always illuminated the road much more poorly than my wife's Nissan Micra of similar age. From technical articles I've read in the past, round headlights give the greatest illumination for a given bulb power because the reflector area is greater than for rectangular headlights of the same width so I've always assumed this is the reason for the difference.

I was considering upgrading to Philips X-treme Vision +130 bulbs when I came across your posts and decided to look into LED headlight bulbs before deciding.

I particularly noticed your observations that the LED bulbs you've tried both gave a wider than normal separation between their dip and main beams, and on looking at the placement of the LED chips compared with the filaments in standard H4 bulb, it seems obvious to me that the problem arises because the chips are not located in the same locations as the filaments so cannot be expected to provide the same beam patterns and aiming.

Therefore I've been searching eBay UK for H4 LED bulbs and have found that technology has moved on even since you started your tests. There are several styles which appear to place the chips much closer to the location of the standard filaments so should offer better beam control. Especially important is the need to keep the central colum as thin as possible so the chips are close to the bulb axis. Examples are:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/80W-7600LM-KIT-H4-HB2-90...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-CREE-LED-60W-6400LM-...

and

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H7-H4-HI-LOW-CREE-LED-HE...

but there may be others.

I'm in the process of checking a few details with the sellers before deciding but thought you and others may be interested.

[cptsideways]

An autopsy on the ones I purchased I now realise that high beam is not both bulb top/bottom units lit, just one side at a time.

The beam pattern on the ones I have low is OK but not until they were adjusted downwards massively, high beam is still in the air massively.

Well made junk imho

[Digitalize]

I've been very close to ordering a set from HorizonLED, who stock the latest generation of CREE/Philips bulbs.