LED headlight owners

[ISP_guy]

Hi folks - LED's seem to be getting more popular and the prices are dropping down to the ~$50 range which makes them much more affordable. There appear to be lots and lots of choices, some of which are a little confusing. Questions for current LED headlight owners if you don't mind...

- Do you have any complaints or issues after owning LED headlights for a while?

- Is there anything you learned *after* installing the LED headlights?

- Are there any features to watch out for when shopping for LED headlights?

- Does anyone run fan or fan-less (heat sink or heat ribbon), and what are your experiences with each?

Thank you for your time!

[anog]

I've been running these for about a year now. So far so good. They are definitely brighter, but without any adjustments seem to be aimed a bit farther down the road than they should. One of these days I have to figure out how to adjust them down properly to light up the road directly in front of the car better. I know that some say you should never put LED headlights in without projectors, and they are right, but I've asked people and nobody had an issue with glare from my headlights. I've never been flashed that I have noticed, so my guess is that these are low enough not to be a nuisance to other drivers.

These one are fan-cooled. I'm not sure which is better, but obviously once the fan goes the light will go with it. But I like the idea of a fan cooling them rather than a passive heatsink. It also sounds pretty cool hearing the little turbo fans go when you turn them on/off. I wouldn't worry about features other than maybe hi/low beam, which works but not as effectively as standard bulbs.

[strawboss]

I got a pair of passive cooled leds as I figured that if they were designed to work without a fan then no need to worry about a fan motor packing it in....I only got flashed once and that was the first night I used them, nothing after that.The climate up here tends to be harder on filament bulbs, after wild temp swings I see more single headlights show up after that.

[Mitz]

I was not contented with my first one, one of those early models .. I did not like the Color temp and the throw output. My 2nd one did not last long maybe due to design defects .. I asked for a full refund.

This is my 3rd LED headlight, Made in China, looks very similar to the one at Amazon



SNGL Super Bright LED Headlight Kit - Adjustable Focus Length Bulbs - H4 ( 9003 , HB2 ) - 110w

What I like best is that you can adjust the focus length. I purchased at AliExpress the 4000K model as this is the color temp that suits my taste .. for all-weather conditions. For now, I have this feeling that I do no longer need the light of the stock fog lights using them .. but I intend to replace the H11s w/ LEDs as well to match my LED H4 anyway.

[flotownj]

So the fog lights are H11?

And the headlights are H4?

[inuvik]

So the fog lights are H11?

And the headlights are H4?

Yes to both

[ISP_guy]

Excellent info, thank you.

strawboss do you have a link to the LED's you purchased?

[strawboss]

Excellent info, thank you.

strawboss do you have a link to the LED's you purchased?

I sure do, these have worked well for me
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-x-160W-1600...MAAOSw3YNXbR-B

[Wallythacker]

I sure do, these have worked well for me
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-x-160W-1600...MAAOSw3YNXbR-B

Those are 160w bulbs. Stock is what, 55w or so? So about a 12a draw vs. 3.1 a draw? What gauge is the Mirage factory wiring?

Here's my concern. I recall somewhere during a engineering course that wiring shouldn't be used for more than 2x the normal rated current for chassis installation and even less current for power transmission.

The chart at the link shows 14ga limited to 32a for chassis wiring, just about 2x it's normal 15a rating.

I'm concerned there's too high a current draw on the standard headlight harness and it could melt in some hard to find hidden place, short out and blow fuses, or worst case, ignite the wiring or something around it and start a car fire.

I know there's no reports of it yet (are there?) but I'd still be super cautious installing LEDs.

https://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[Alex1a1f]

Those are 160w bulbs. Stock is what, 55w or so? So about a 12a draw vs. 3.1 a draw? What gauge is the Mirage factory wiring?

Here's my concern. I recall somewhere during a engineering course that wiring shouldn't be used for more than 2x the normal rated current for chassis installation and even less current for power transmission.

The chart at the link shows 14ga limited to 32a for chassis wiring, just about 2x it's normal 15a rating.

I'm concerned there's too high a current draw on the standard headlight harness and it could melt in some hard to find hidden place, short out and blow fuses, or worst case, ignite the wiring or something around it and start a car fire.

I know there's no reports of it yet (are there?) but I'd still be super cautious installing LEDs.

https://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

They're not 160w bud... it's an over - exaggeration. They're not 16000 lumens either, almost all produce less than 2000 lumens and most around 1100 lumens. They will use less wattage and amperage than factory halogens. If you do some research you'll see that sellers overstate almost all LED stats. Just watch some YouTube videos from Headlight Revolutions and you'll see how well these LEDs actually work and how the actual lumens and beams operate. Almost all LEDs are less effective than HIDs in properly manufactured housing. Don't take ads at face value.