LED Headlight bulbs`

[weeleyboy]

Anybody tried out these LED headlamp bulbs which are claimed to auto dip when another car approaches. I wonder if the light controls still work ie dip and flash.
https://stoofs.com/products/led-car-headlight-bulb-2018

[culzean]

Anybody tried out these LED headlamp bulbs which are claimed to auto dip when another car approaches. I wonder if the light controls still work ie dip and flash.
https://stoofs.com/products/led-car-headlight-bulb-2018

I can tell from the shape of the COB led in that bulb that the beam pattern will be awful - they need to be same size and shape as the filament in the original bulb to get anywhere near the right beam shape. Only Philips ZES chips can give you a clean beam that does not dazzle and puts the light where it should go.  LED bulbs will not pass the MOT after March 2018 and it is dodgy bulbs like that which caused them to be outlawed. 

There is another LED headlight bulb thread on the forum worth looking at, it has youtube tests of bulbs like that one - beam pattern was useless and dazzling.  Link below - 6 pages long

https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=8738.msg55907#msg55907

[guest5079]

I was just in the middle of a query over LED when Microsoft did a restart. Now, LED bulbs are to be illegal after March 2018, so why are they being offered for sale? I purposely read an offer on Ebay and there was NO mention about legality. Often as with exhaust parts it will stipulate that NOT suitable for on road use.
Whilst the post is about bulbs, will this ban apply to headlights.
On Monday, I saw what was one of the last Land Rover Defenders produced. The headlights were the size of a normal headlight but had flat opaque glass, with two circles across the horizontal plane, side by side. The side lights were two flat opaque glass lights the same size as 'normal' side lights. Clearly, they were all LED.
So if bulbs are to be illegal, are LED headlights somehow different in the construction of the high/low beam configuration.

[culzean]

I was just in the middle of a query over LED when Microsoft did a restart. Now, LED bulbs are to be illegal after March 2018, so why are they being offered for sale? I purposely read an offer on Ebay and there was NO mention about legality. Often as with exhaust parts it will stipulate that NOT suitable for on road use.
Whilst the post is about bulbs, will this ban apply to headlights.
On Monday, I saw what was one of the last Land Rover Defenders produced. The headlights were the size of a normal headlight but had flat opaque glass, with two circles across the horizontal plane, side by side. The side lights were two flat opaque glass lights the same size as 'normal' side lights. Clearly, they were all LED.
So if bulbs are to be illegal, are LED headlights somehow different in the construction of the high/low beam configuration.

What has got aftermarket LED and HID banned in UK (they are perfectly legal in USA) is that a lot of shonky makers just put a huge, bright  LED chip in the bulbs without any reference to the focal point of reflector and the resulting beam pattern was really, really bad,  with those extra lumens being sprayed all over the show.  Putting an HID bulb in a filament reflector was never a good idea as the point source electric arc light was no good as a substitute for a longer thinner filament.  The only ones who got it right are Philips with their carefully shaped and positioned led arrays - the same ones I got from classiccarleds and am very happy with beam pattern and light output,  they do not claim fantastic lumens like most do,  but all I can say is the light that is produced is of a great colour and it goes in exactly the right place and does a great job.....  My bulbs are only equivalent to 80watt output,  but it is the colour of the light that makes the difference,  things stand out far more clearly and they put more light on the verge side rather than straight into oncoming driver eyes.

[Rhysfjf]

I think a lot of us have considered LEDs and it's been covered a lot. I'd recommend reading the threads Culzean mentions as they're very informative. I too was considering LEDs but after reading so much negative reviews online I gave up and just went for a decent set of halogen bulbs - in my opinion you're best just to be safe than sorry and know for peace at mind that halogen bulbs wont get you in any bother.

You can get decent LED bulbs as Culzean mentions, but they're very pricey i.e Phillips

If you want to upgrade your halogen bulbs I'd recommend looking at either Phillips Xtreme vision or Osram nightbreaker unlimited - they also make LED sidelights to match these too.

I personally have Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited (came with my car) paired with Phillips Xtreme Vision LED sidelights 4000k.

Hope that helps!

[Jocko]

they also make LED sidelights to match these too.

It is illegal to fit LED bulbs to ANY EXTERIOR light, unless the enclosure is type approved for LED lamps.

[Rhysfjf]

they also make LED sidelights to match these too.

It is illegal to fit LED bulbs to ANY EXTERIOR light, unless the enclosure is type approved for LED lamps.

Yup, that's right