[SumitBahl]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

As for the question if the light is going longer distance - this is difficult to comment on since I replaced the low beams and they are focused for the near zone and hence angle at which they seem to be focused is not helping me determine if the longer distance claim is really true form this analysis. Given that the scattering is less, I feel this would be the case if someone were to use these for the High Beam Headlights. I leave it now for the others to decide based on what I have shared.

Thanks for reading my thread - hope you found it useful.

I have used the Osram nightbreaker unlimited. Although light was better than stock but i didnt find the difference worth the price.

Also, the life of these bulbs is very less. My bulbs went kaput in around 1 year 2 months. That makes them less VFM.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by SumitBahl

I have used the Osram nightbreaker unlimited. Although light was better than stock but i didnt find the difference worth the price.

Also, the life of these bulbs is very less. My bulbs went kaput in around 1 year 2 months. That makes them less VFM.

The Osram NBU served me well, I used it for a close to 3.5 years and now replaced it with the Lasfit LEDs. But, yes the difference in lighting as compared to stock Halogen bulbs was only marginal.

Going to back to the topic of LASFIT LEDs, I captured some aerial shots to see how was the light beam was hitting the road and here are some more results from this exercise:

Aerial View of the Lasfit LED White Beam:


View of the White Beam - Angle 01




View of the White Beam - Angle 02




View of the White Beam - Additional Shot - Angle 02

The road is lit up well and the beam seems to highlight the quality of the road very well in terms of the surface. Given that the light is scattering the glare maybe more for oncoming vehicles - I will need to check that next.

Went for some more drives during the night and purely from a driver's perspective for City Driving I did not face any issues. The illumination levels on the road is good and the ability switch colors is an added advantage.

[Altocumulus]

Just curious, how do you switch the colors ?

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by Altocumulus

Just curious, how do you switch the colors ?

Switching colors is simple - I just have to turn off the headlight and turn it back on and the color toggles between White and Yellow.

Whenever the vehicle is started it starts always with white as the initial color.

This is the same behavior as some of the multi color LED tubelights in the market.

Also the Fog Light socket and the Low Beam socket for the City are identical. So I could potentially fit these bulbs as Fog Lights and validate how they fare as well!

[vsrivatsa]

I had been thinking about switching to K&N Filter from quite some time but kept postponing it. Finally I saw the filter available on the CarPowergrid.com website at a discount of 15% at a final discounted price of Rs.4450/- (URL)

Purchase Experience
Tried adding to order online and the site kept crashing. I then called the Helpdesk phone number and the guy on the other end said that it was the last of the offer and he raise the order from backend. Since I was located in Bangalore he said I could just drive by to their office, make the payment and pick up the filter.

The Part number which is suitable for the i-DTEC Honda City is the KN Filter 33-3038. The reference link on the K&N Website is located here: URL

I drove over St Marks Road in Bangalore (their office is close to Skoda Tafe Access on the same Road). Purchased the filter there and drove back.

Here are some pictures of the Filter Box Package:


Front View




Front Side of the Box




Side View of the Box - with Filter Model Number shown




Side View of the Box




Unboxed Filter with all the Package Contents




Unboxed Filter with Data Sheet


Filter Fitment
Fitting the filter in the car was a 10 minute affair - there are easy to use clips to remove the existing filter and then fit the K&N Filter. The key thing one would notice is that the default Honda based Paper Filter is thicker as compared to the K&N Filter. The car ODO stands at 44,668 kms at the time of filter fitment.

Driving Experience
I would say based on the initial driving experience that there is a difference in the way the car sounds in the low end - the smoothness has improved. In terms of the way the car sounds, at low speeds I would say the difference is negligible. I am yet to try spirited run on the highway to check how it would sound at higher speeds. The Fuel Efficiency recorded on my normal drive to and back from office was in line with the usual values - so I would say no negative impact on fuel economy figures.

Maintenance Going Forward
One of the key points the sales person/technician mentioned when handing over the filter was that in Indian Conditions it is recommended to clean the filter every 8,000 to 10,000 kms and not go by the 50,000 mile recommendation printed on the box. He said as Indian road conditions are more dusty it becomes necessary to clean the filter using the cleaning kit that they provide.
Note:I have emailed K&N US to double check if they endorse this view and will update once I hear from them.


Overall seems like a easy swap from the default filter - will need to see from a more long term usage in terms of how the filter and the car behaves.

[vsrivatsa]

And the LED Research Continues...

Continuing from my earlier LED Headlight research, I purchased the oEdro LED Headlights recently and fitted these onto the City Headlights. The results were quite surprising given that these oEdro LEDs costed much less as compared to the Lasfit Lights that I had fit in earlier.

Once again, I got these via someone travelling from the USA via Amazon.com. The link to the product on Amazon is here: URL

These are listed as the Triple Color Headlights with the ability to provide White, Yellow and a mix of White and Yellow.

Note: All pictures were taken using the Huawei Honor View 10 Smartphone


Unboxing the oEdRo LED Headlights



The Box Packing



Unboxing



A view of the Bulb in Golden Color with the LED Driver



Closer Shot



Another View



Closer View of the LED Driver



Testing the Headlights After Fitment


View of the Yellow Beam



View of the White Beam



Testing the oEdRo Bulbs against the Wall


White Beam - Headlights flashed onto the wall




Yellow Beam - Headlights flashed onto the wall



White-Yellow Combo Beam - Headlights flashed onto the wall


Verdict:Here the oEdRo Bulbs appear to be definitely better as compared the earlier Lasfit bulbs as they have a cut off the lights and are not scattering in all directions. The focus of these lights are spot on and I think these should work fine in the High Beam also.




More Testing


Reference View of the Road without Headlights




White Beam




Yellow Beam




White-Yellow Combo Beam




Reference View of the Garage Door without Headlights




White Beam




Yellow Beam



White-Yellow Combo Beam



Summary


Lasfit Vs oEdRo Comparative shot (Click on the Image to View Larger Sized Version)

As can be seen from the picture above, the Lasfit lights have illuminated the window of the house as well and seem to scatter all around. This will result in glare to the oncoming vehicles possible. On the right hand side, the oEdRo bulbs seem to make a good job of keeping the focus of the beam on the wall and there is very minimal scatter.

In summary, the oEdRo bulbs have a better cut off and scatter less in the same Halogen housing. I would recommend these for anyone planning a LED Upgrade for the 4th Gen Honda City. These appear to be total value for money at the price. I have now moved the existing Lasfits onto the Fog Lamps of the City as these also come with the same socket type (H11) and decided to use the oEdro Bulbs as the default Low Beams

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

I have now moved the existing Lasfits onto the Fog Lamps of the City as these also come with the same socket type (H11) and decided to use the oEdro Bulbs as the default Low Beams

I'm a bit confused about the setup and hope you can explain. I see dual lights (yellow and white): are they both low beam or one of them is high beam? If they both are low beam, what purpose do they serve? I'm trying to understand the logic here. I see a pic with both white and yellow beams on: again, does it help in better visibility? I'm a complete novice here, hence curious.

Also, do you find the yellow light a bit too yellow, like yellow fog lamps? Perhaps your phone is over-saturating the photo but it appears very intense yellow to me. Kindly explain.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I'm a bit confused about the setup and hope you can explain. I see dual lights (yellow and white): are they both low beam or one of them is high beam? If they both are low beam, what purpose do they serve? I'm trying to understand the logic here. I see a pic with both white and yellow beams on: again, does it help in better visibility? I'm a complete novice here, hence curious.

Also, do you find the yellow light a bit too yellow, like yellow fog lamps? Perhaps your phone is over-saturating the photo but it appears very intense yellow to me. Kindly explain.

Installation
Here is the explanation of how it works. The LEDs match the socket of the car exactly and hence are fully plug and play. One just needs to unplug the stock bulbs and put in the LED Bulbs in their place.


Beam Types and Sockets
All the lights shown are Low Beam Only. The 4th Gen Honda City uses two separate pairs of bulbs for Low Beam and High Beam. The Low Beam is of Socket Type H11 and the High Beam is of socket Type 9005-HB3. I have changed only the Low Beam in these tests.

The H11 and 9005HB3 are all Single Filament Bulbs unlike the H4 bulbs which are dual filament where a single bulb serves as both Low Beam and High Beam.

In the case of the Honda City, when the Low Beam is switched only the Low Beam Bulbs are Lit up. When one switches to High Beam, the High Beam bulbs are also lit up while the Low Beam continues to be switched on. Essentially in the High Beam Mode of the Honda City - four bulbs would be emitting light.

Dual Colors
Now coming to the colors that you see. The same Bulb is capable of switching between the two colors of Yellow and White. In fact the bulb also provides a third option of Yellow and White where it emits a mix of Yellow and White.


Different Beam Options



This is helpful in different weather conditions. As per analysis it is found that White Light is best suited for night driving as compared to Yellow Light. However, in stormy/rainy/foggy weather conditions, it is found that the Yellow Lights work better. Hence these bulbs give the best of both worlds by providing the ability to switch colors.


Support for All Weather Conditions



When the Headlights are first turned on, they always emit the White Beam of Light. Using the Knob for the headlights, if one switches off the light and then switch it back on, the same Bulb now switches the color and emits Yellow light. One more switch on and switch off cycle makes the bulb to emit the combination color. And the colors just cycle thru the colors with each switch-on and switch-off.


Ability to Switch Colors


Yes the Yellow shown is not the normal yellow but a deeper or darker yellow.
The idea is to use the yellow lights only during problematic weather conditions like Rain/Storm etc. Hope this explains your query!

[swiftdiesel]

This sounds like a lovely set up. I'm not sure if I can retro-fit this on my i20 that's got projector halogens 60w. Would love to know how they hold up in the coming months.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

This sounds like a lovely set up. I'm not sure if I can retro-fit this on my i20 that's got projector halogens 60w. Would love to know how they hold up in the coming months.

My understanding is that the i20 comes with the H4 Socket Type which is a dual filament bulb socket. So, the same bulb would provide both High Beam and Low Beam. You could potentially buy a H4 Socket type LED bulb and replace your stock bulbs inside the Projectors as well. However, I am not sure if color switchable bulbs are available in H4 socket type.

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

My understanding is that the i20 comes with the H4 Socket Type which is a dual filament bulb socket. So, the same bulb would provide both High Beam and Low Beam. You could potentially buy a H4 Socket type LED bulb and replace your stock bulbs inside the Projectors as well. However, I am not sure if color switchable bulbs are available in H4 socket type.

My projector headlamp is single filament 60w bulb with shield cutter for high/low beam. That's why I'm not too sure. I'll be following your thread for sure.

[Parth46]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Installation
Here is the explanation of how it works. The LEDs match the socket of the car exactly and hence are fully plug and play. One just needs to unplug the stock bulbs and put in the LED Bulbs in their place.

You've been making some great upgrades to your car mate, cheers!

Looks like the new LEDs are a big improvement over the LASFITs.

Really interested in replicating both these in my 2014 IVTEC as well, tracking this thread to see how the new LEDs and the K&N filter hold up. Please do share updates over a longer term basis.

Couple of queries for you:

The 9k RPM fan is a bit of a concern, as it's generally the first to fail. Did you evaluate fan less models as well, which can offer potentially similar performance?

Are the fans audible sometimes in a quiet environment, or even cause interference with radio reception - read in some reports that some models might have these drawbacks. Look forward to your personal experience.

[frankmehta]

You are just like most of us here. Trials and errors before you reach desirable results!
I have done the same for my Polo and I have arrived at the BEST (yet expensive) solution to the lighting woes that we face in India.

You can buy these, EYES closed! (Pun intended )

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/XHP7...808381894.html

If you ever face issues with your Oedro's, these should be your final destination! Just one look at the specs and the cooling system of the bulbs will make you a fan.
They've been installed in my Polo for over 18 months and they still light up the road like day!

[patel8585]

Hi vsrivasta, As your review has seriously made me love the I Dtec City, as was a bit inclined towards Skoda till now and after your detailed review, I have fall in love with City and have finalised pre owned City V and am going to all the way to Kolkata from Gujarat to buy the car which is well kept. And friend is the 2014 City V I Dtec with 41000 kms odo and genuine @ 5.25 lacs. So, am I getting good deal or it is overpriced sir? Waiting for your reply from you and other Bhpians. Take care.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by patel8585

And friend is the 2014 City V I Dtec with 41000 kms odo and genuine @ 5.25 lacs. So, am I getting good deal or it is overpriced sir? Waiting for your reply from you and other Bhpians. Take care.

Thanks for your comments and all the very best with your planned purchase of the iDTEC V MT. I did a quick check of the value of the car in Kolkota with the details that you provided and it looks like you are getting a very good deal indeed. Do check the Service History and Accident History prior to finalizing the deal.

Here is the evaluation quote from OrangeBookValue [URL]:


Orange Book Value Evaluation