LED lights ?

[Taxman]

I'm still up in the air on the LED headlights. Those that I installed seem to waste a lot of light on the right side off the road, and this makes the eye see more light, so your pupil contracts, and you don't see as much on the road. I may go back to the brighter Philips incandescents.

That's a problem when your light source doesn't geometrically match the reflector design specs. If the lamp was designed to have all the light coming from one small hot wire filament, ditching that and replacing it with 30 LEDs positioned all over is going to ruin the focus. It's a problem with HID conversion bulbs, and I've got to assume it's a much bigger problem with an LED array that looks like I stuck emitters all over my thumb.

Here's an article Daniel Stern wrote about the subject many years ago:
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... sions.html

[EldRitch]

This particular H13 is just two LEDs (one left, one right) replacing each filament, and they are in the right location, but you are correct in essence - they are two 3mm flat patches of LED, instead of skinny wires, so they spread the light differently.

Updated - I went back to the Philips "200% brighter" incandescents.

[SparkyJ]

LASFIT H13/9008 LED Headlight... https: ... pop_ma_swf

I am happy with these, might be a bit on the blue side for some, plug and play, just haven't had them in long..only a week so far. Along with reverse, license plate and brake lights (brake lights only none of the turn signals) gom has jumped 3 miles and stayed around there after first night of use. Might not be enough to make it worth while, especially if one doesn't drive much at night, but was more of an experiment since I do drive at night. Am pleased with result.

I know most from this thread are long gone, but the info was helpful....many thanks.

[NORTON]

...I am happy with these, ,,,, Am pleased with result.
I know most from this thread are long gone, but the info was helpful....many thanks.

Well then you know this next question:
How pleased is the oncoming traffic with your new LED's.

(I see chitty aftermarket LED headlights all the time...)

If you can,, post a picture of the Low Beam cutoff pattern while parked about 20 ft. from a light colored wall.

I think you'll see these bulbs act like flood lights with a lot of light spilling above the cutoff line. Look at how you light up reflective signs compared to stock bulbs.

The stock incandescent bulbs give a decent cutoff pattern.
I haven't seen any LED's that can do that. The H13 housings are depending on that low beam light source to come from one precise spot.
Who knows.. maybe you found a winner !

[SparkyJ]

(I see chitty aftermarket LED headlights all the time...)

If you can,, post a picture of the Low Beam cutoff pattern while parked about 20 ft. from a light colored wall.

I think you'll see these bulbs act like flood lights with a lot of light spilling above the cutoff line. Look at how you light up reflective signs compared to stock bulbs.

The stock incandescent bulbs give a decent cutoff pattern.
I haven't seen any LED's that can do that. The H13 housings are depending on that low beam light source to come from one precise spot.
Who knows.. maybe you found a winner !

I will try to get a good pic and figure out how to post it here. Once installed the light spread and focus was the first thing I looked at. With the led chips positioned on the left and right sides only, the light pattern is very similar to stock and is taking advantage of the reflector housing, as it should since that is how the sparks headlights are designed. However, I am sure they are brighter to oncoming traffic as they put out about twice the lumens, but the focus and spread is similar, so doubt traffic is being blinded.

Imo those factory projection led lights on most new cars now days are by far the most blinding and have my doubts I am blinding anyone as bad as those things, especially over bumbs as they always look like they are flashing you, behind you or oncoming.

[SparkyJ]

Sorry norton, I can't figure out how to post a photo.

[PhilPen]

Does anyone know if our cars contain a blinker/flasher relay for the turn signal lights? Many web-sites seem to list LED bulb compatible blinker/flasher relays for sale for our cars but I can't seem to find any reference to blinker/flasher relays (or their location) in the owners manual or on fuse/relay diagrams.