is there any LED main headlight bulbs on the market?

[jim.2007]

Sods law mot due next month and blown bulb, if i am going to all the hassle of taking the grill off and getting someone with skinny arms to change the bulb are there any LED bulbs available?
Any info much appreciated.

[nerobo]

Try these mate http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-X-Car-H4-68-SMD-LED-White-...
or maybe better upgrading to HID headlights?

Or sell it and buy a better one mate like mine

[blitzracing]

Or you could try candles, you would get more light. No LED type headlight bulb will ever give you anything like the light output of a halogen, the technology just is not there yet. As for HID, its a hijacked name from the modern headlights used on BMW's etc. HID means high intensity discharge. These use a gas discharge type lamp that needs some extra controlling electronics to get them to work, and as far as I know they are not approved for retro fitting even if you do want to spend the £100's needed. The HID bulbs you see on Ebay, as just conventional halogens, but they run hotter and generate more light. I gather Osram do some good ones that will plug straight in.

http://www.osram.com/osram_com/Consumer/Automotive...

Edited by blitzracing on Wednesday 26th January 12:46

Edited by blitzracing on Wednesday 26th January 12:51

Edited by blitzracing on Wednesday 26th January 14:36

[Barreti]

blitzracing said:

As for HID, its a hijacked name from the modern headlights used on BMW's etc. HID means high intesity discharge. These use a gas discharge type lamp that needs some extra controlling electronics to get them to work, and as far as I know they are not approved for retro fitting even if you do want to spend the £100's needed. The HID bulbs you see on Ebay, as just conventional halogens, but they run hotter and generate more light. I gather Osram do some good ones that will plug straight in.

The HID kits I've bought off ebay are HID in the true sense in that they have controlling ballasts and you need to remove the old bulb and holder and wire the new HID set in.
They aren't £ hundreds to buy either, so I'm wondering if you meant something else.

There is loads of information (and arguments) on here about HIDs should the OP want to research it, so I wont labour that point, but I do agree with you that I would be very sceptical of someone saying LED bulbs could be used for headlights.

[blitzracing]

Link for the kit?

A guy I spoke to last summer who imported the kits told me the genuine HID kits could not be retro fitted as the reflectors and glass where not designed for the light source shape.

Edited by blitzracing on Wednesday 26th January 14:27

[dmjw01]

Before buying an after-market HID kit, it's worth making yourself aware of the legalities. The Department for Transport does not consider them legal, and their argument is here.

In a nutshell, the argument goes something like this:

• Under UK law, HID lights of any kind are illegal, but European law trumps UK law.
• European law allows type-approved HID lighting, hence cars with HID lights factory-fitted are legal in the UK - but only because European law trumps UK law.
• The European type-approval requires washers and automatic self-levelling, hence the after-market kits cannot be type-approved.
• The after-market kits are therefore not legal under European law either.
• er...
• ... that's it.

Now, somebody's bound to say "ah... but I've got them, and my car sailed through its MOT test". That may be true, because the MOT testers don't have a specific mandate to check for after-market HID kits - but it still doesn't make them legal.

Now, of course, ultimately there's a "do you care?" question. I suspect the police don't (unless you've given them some other reason to pull you), and MOT testers don't. And I'd agree that there are much bigger fish to fry, legally.

So the bottom line is: They're probably illegal, but it's unlikely anyone really cares. If you're the sort of person who feels uncomfortable breaking the law even if it doesn't really do much harm, then they're not for you.

ETA: I agree that those LED headlights are probably a fairly useless novelty. A few years ago on a different car I tried experimenting with retro-fit LEDs for other lights (e.g. side lights, tail lights, etc) and gave up after a while because they really don't cast their light widely enough to fill the reflectors in a conventional light fitting - even the ones that have multiple LEDs pointing in lots of directions.

__
David

Edited by dmjw01 on Wednesday 26th January 14:41

[Johno]

That's the best summary of this particular and boring argument I've seen on here . . . well done.

I've got HID's in mine and had no issues, except the fact I can actually see where I'm going at night.

Blitz,

The point I think the bloke down the pub whispered to you last summer was that the reflectors etc that HID's are being retro-fitted to are not suitable for the reasons outlined in the above description. Whether they are or not, mine passes it's MOT, I don't get flashed by other motorists and I'm keeping them. I absolutely gaurantee they are real HID's, not just some 'hot bulbs' . .

[G20RG B]

I fitted my HID kit last year (Cerbera with Tuscan lights), Passed MOT no problem, works fine, and I can SEE where I'm going now, nobody has ever flashed or complained and in my opinion a worthwhile upgrade from the yellow dull lights I had before.
My kit was of e-bay and cost £35 it is EXACTLEY the same as one's being sold online in the UK for around £100..

[Hedgehopper]

G20RGB, do you remember from which ebay address you bought your kit from?

Thanks

[jim.2007]

Cheers mate, AKA nerobo, your car looks likes it's winking at mine in the rear view mirror, all that cam shunting and 1 rusty reflector.Get it changed bud!
Thanks for all the other replies, ordered the cheap ones as have to buy a welder to finally do the outriggers this year! Get two side light bulbs for free, prob crap, but will take a photo of now and when changed in the dark to give you an idea...Cheers again for info etc.

[roysum]

X type Jags (pre 2005 ish) dipped beam headlights are notoriously pathetic, darn right dangerous IMHO, how Jaguar/ Ford got away with it I don't know !

My wife refused to drive the car at night due to this. I tried several lamp replacements including higher wattage variants with no real improvement, probably Osram being fractionally better.

Fitted a cheap Chinese HID kit from flea bay and it's transformed the visibility, still poor by many a comparison. But at least I can have a drink or two now when we go out, and she drives me home !!

Roy.

ps, I have worried about the legal implications, but you need to see where you are going FFS !

[blitzracing]

OK you have convinced me here of the benefits and cost, but you can see where I'm coming from, both of these are sold as HID bulbs and one is clearly a filament lamp.

[roysum]

Absolutely How are you Mark ?

[darkcat]

Indeedly, i bought a HID kit from ebay for my 406 coupe, was about £55, and they where TRUE HID lights, i.e a gas filled high pressure bulb, and an ignitor/balast unit. they fitted my H7 fitting nicely.
I think the main reason they dont like them is that in ORDINARY headlights - the type with a big reflector and a fresnel lens type glass (chim), they dont work right as the reflectors arent quite right and you get a lot of dispursion, leading to dazzling oncomers.
My 406 had projector-type headlights (low beam) meaning there is a physical blind, or "bit of metal" that gives that nice sharp cut-off to them, and they also had completely clear covers and an auto light cleaner/sprayer.
EU law states that they must be factory fitted, full stop. BUT must also have: projector type lenses, water-jet cleaning, and SELF LEVELING adjusters.

mine went through the MOT fine as it was 90% towards legal, however he did "mention" them.... (im not sure that they could fail you on them anyway???)

[nerobo]

LOL i agree i need new headlights mate but considering the conversion so dont wanna buy new lenses if im going to go ahead. And as for the bouncing its not shunting its the extreme power when i press the snerggle the flux capacitor winds up and i go into warp speed.
At lease on a run ill get there in one peace, the rate your chassis is been eaten by the metal worm there'll be nowt left but the body and a few rubber pipes. Get them sorted