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I've been waiting for a few years to convert to LED bulbs. Has technology progressed to the point of LED bulbs being a worthwhile replacement for halogen?
I don’t think it’s the bulbs themselves that are the problem, but rather when people put them into housings designed for halogens. LEDs require different types of lenses to project the light beam where it needs to be. This same problem existed with aftermarket HIDs.
The best LEDs are now brighter than halogens, but the beam pattern isn't quite the same and you'll throw more light into the eyes of oncoming drivers with your low beams. Some states will fail you for inspection for this. Generally speaking, LED bulbs only belong in housings made for LED bulbs, just like HIDs only belong in housings made for HIDs.
That said, I put a set of LED bulbs in my girlfriend's Fit. Vermont doesn't check headlight beam pattern and to be brutally honest I care more about her safety than other drivers.
Don't just throw LED bulbs in your current halogen housing. Replace the entire headlight assembly if you want lights that have the proper beam pattern.
That said, I put a set of LED bulbs in my girlfriend's Fit. Vermont doesn't check headlight beam pattern and to be brutally honest I care more about her safety than other drivers.
What happens when those poorly focused LED bulbs blind an opposite direction driver, causing him to cross the center line into your girlfriend's Fit? Always take into consideration the Law of Unintended Consequences.
Needs to be said again.... Halogen/incandescent generates light differently (orientation and direction) than HID which is different than LED. While the bulbs Generate the light, it's the Housing that focuses it. They work as a set, a pair, in unison. Change the bulb and you break that engineered system.
So no, there are no LED bulbs that are superior to halogen when fitted to halogen reflectors. If you want to retrofit an LED projector into a halogen housing, THAT will be superior (https://www.theretrofitsource.com/ is one company that caters to this).
When you put the wrong bulb for the housing in, you might get More light, but less focused.. meaning it doesn't cast as far down the road, lights up thing that are unimportant (overhead trees), causes glare and overall reduces the safety for both the driver and all other people you're subjecting to the illegal/distracting lights. I guess less safe for perceived image is something some people want, just riles me up when someone decides to put ME at risk through their actions.
What happens when those poorly focused LED bulbs blind an opposite direction driver, causing him to cross the center line into your girlfriend's Fit? Always take into consideration the Law of Unintended Consequences.
I've been waiting for a few years to convert to LED bulbs. Has technology progressed to the point of LED bulbs being a worthwhile replacement for halogen?
Why-do you drive an old car? Understandable if you're driving an older rig from the past century with weak lights, but today's cars have great headlights. Also, you're not really paying for the relatively inefficient lighting by the kilowatt/hour in the car as you do in your home.
My 2013 miata has difficult to reach lights (compact packing density) and I'm thinking ahead for when one bulb ultimately fails. would have wanted longer lasting LED.
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