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Old 27th January 2018, 23:14   #31
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Hail to the King, baby.

Here's something for you guys to chew on.

Absolutely the best LED headlight beams I've seen so far.

The LED modules come from the headlight of the Acura RLX, the flagship sedan of Honda in the US. It is also sold as the Honda Legend in Japan. These headlights, named Jewel Eye by Honda, have four individual light modules for low beam and two for high beam. The low beam driver consumes 34W and the high beam 31W.

The low beams have a very technical design, not too far from DSLRs. The raw light from the LED is split and reflected using a prism of sort into two plastic lenses which reflect and focus the light. The four modules light up different angles of the composite beam.

The high beam is fairly simplistic. Massive LED chips with curved reflectors sitting on top of them.

The headlight design is big enough that there is no fan built in to cool the LED chips - just a humongous heatsink. The driver modules (Mitsubishi) are also similarly fanless.

Attachments:

1) High beam only.
2) High and low beams.
3) High beam module handheld.
4) The source. These headlights are huge. For reference, those legs belong to a 100+KG 6'3" person.
5) Test fitting into sacrificial Civic headlamps.
6) More test fitting.

Do note that the #1 and #2 are one headlight only. We were holding the modules on our hands, so the alignments are obviously off.

As usual, Venkat is taking his time to perfect this install. I will update more as the install progresses.
Attached Thumbnails
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-20180125_231654.jpg  

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-20180125_233302.jpg  

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-20180125_232711.jpg  

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-20171101_142632.jpg  

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-27023753_10155496556118922_8516825026595426036_o.jpg  

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-20180126_174740.jpg  

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Old 28th January 2018, 00:35   #32
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by reignofchaos View Post
The IIHS headlight study is a good scientific starting point for measuring headlight quality.

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/deskto...rginal-or-poor
I read this post, And i agree. Para 11 talks about Ford Edge midsize SUV. I rented a selfdrive Ford Edge 2014 limited AWD in Dubai for 6 days and drove it some 1200kms. It had a bi xenon halogen projector setup which was pretty much useless. Thanks to the good lighting conditions everywhere thete, i didn't really need headlamps and it was left to low beam all the time. It was so bad that, Whenever i used flashing high beam, i couldn't even make out if it was working. Ever more so, it had DRL in place of Fog Lamps. Adding a pic for reference.

HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-smartselectimage_20180128003154.jpg

So it all depends on the manufacturer.
Always get the bulbs installed and check their practical output before buying. Lower color temperature means better visibility and sometimrs less glare.
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Old 28th January 2018, 01:22   #33
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

I have used cars with OE fitted HID, LED, adaptive and non adaptive. They all fail once the road is wet. But I do not think that the colour temperature is the culprit here. The problem is the intensity of the beam. I had a pair of Rigid Industries SRQ2 hyperspot LEDs fitted in my Polo, synced with the high beams. It gives out a 6000K square beam so narrow and so intense that I was able to focus the beam to a 8x8 metre square at a distance of around 200 metres. The light was good enough for atleast half a kilometre yet it will never go over to the other side blinding the oncoming traffic. when it rains, the light from the halogen headlights disappear, but the LED aux lamps lights the road ahead brilliantly. I rarely use these lamps or high beams, but it never fails to light up the road ahead in pure white when it rains.
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Old 29th January 2018, 15:05   #34
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by blackwasp View Post
My Punto has a 90/100 setup and it is simply the best. Non-blindlng to oncoming vehicles yet powerful enough throw. The main advantage of this over stock is that low beam itself is more than sufficient on the highway. Rarely do I switch on the high beam for extended periods of time. Works nicely in rain as well.
A question to you (and also to all others who can enlighten on this subject): I too am running 100/90 with a relay (earlier in an Esteem and now in a City ZX). I recall reading somewhere that these higher wattage bulbs can lead to damaging the reflectors and the lens etc, any truth in this statement ?
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Old 29th January 2018, 15:37   #35
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by //HB View Post
A question to you (and also to all others who can enlighten on this subject): I too am running 100/90 with a relay (earlier in an Esteem and now in a City ZX). I recall reading somewhere that these higher wattage bulbs can lead to damaging the reflectors and the lens etc, any truth in this statement ?
No issue with 100/90.
I have even fixed 130/100 bulbs in my Swift for considerable time. The precaution that used to follow was not to switch on the HL when the car is stationary. As long as there is airflow around your HL it will get cooled and damage to reflector will be minimum.
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Old 29th January 2018, 15:45   #36
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

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Originally Posted by //HB View Post
I recall reading somewhere that these higher wattage bulbs can lead to damaging the reflectors and the lens etc, any truth in this statement ?
Yes, they will. Its not a question of if, but rather when. So what we can do is try to prolong this time as long as possible. Some of the rules I follow:
1. Avoid high beam for long periods of time especially if not at highway speeds.
2. Switch off main headlamp beams at signals / stops (but keeping on the parking / position lamps and fog lamps to keep car visible in dark).
3. Wait for 2-3 mins to switch off the engine after coming to a halt to let the lights cool down. If your car is a turbo one, you will anyway be doing the turbo idling for sometime so not a big deal.

Ultimately, even if my lights (reflectors) fail in 5-6 years, a new headlight will set me back by just Rs. 2500 or so. But a comparable HID or LED with projector will definitely cost more. My old Punto ran 90/100 for almost 6 years before we sold off the car. No yellowing of the reflector at all or any damages to the lens.

You just have to be careful - eg if your cutout needed a small tear in the headlight cover at the back, make sure it is covered with silicone or something and you don't do a pressure wash in the engine bay.

EDIT -
Quote:
Originally Posted by //HB View Post
I couldn't understand this one - how will this (i.e. idling for 2 - 3 minutes before switching off the engine) help to cool down the headlights ?
Engine fan remains on, circulating air in the engine bay.

Last edited by blackwasp : 29th January 2018 at 16:07.
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Old 29th January 2018, 15:56   #37
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

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Originally Posted by blackwasp View Post
3. Wait for 2-3 mins to switch off the engine after coming to a halt to let the lights cool down. If your car is a turbo one, you will anyway be doing the turbo idling for sometime so not a big deal.
I couldn't understand this one - how will this (i.e. idling for 2 - 3 minutes before switching off the engine) help to cool down the headlights ?

Last edited by //HB : 29th January 2018 at 16:05. Reason: removed ...
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Old 29th January 2018, 17:31   #38
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

In my Dzire ZXi+ which comes with factory fitted auto LED projector headlamps, which emit white light.

The low beam does the job very well. But on highways i feel the High beam is of no use, especially if you are driving on a single lane road with on-coming traffic with halogen bulbs on high-beam!

The combination of low beam and fog lamps works perfectly for close range, but no such luck with the high beam even after adjusting the beam height.

Any idea what make or type is the LED of the new Dzire?
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Old 29th January 2018, 17:54   #39
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

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Originally Posted by ant_vas View Post
In my Dzire ZXi+ which comes with factory fitted auto LED projector headlamps, which emit white light.

The low beam does the job very well. But on highways i feel the High beam is of no use, especially if you are driving on a single lane road with on-coming traffic with halogen bulbs on high-beam!

The combination of low beam and fog lamps works perfectly for close range, but no such luck with the high beam even after adjusting the beam height.

Any idea what make or type is the LED of the new Dzire?
This has been discussed earlier on this thread. Single bulb headlight using low power HID/LED like Baleno and Dzire (D2S type) = cheap... HID/LED is better for dual pot lights with a powerful halogen for high beams. That is what will do well in Indian conditions.
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Old 30th January 2018, 23:49   #40
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

Today I got back at home around 8 PM to find a package waiting for me.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_201111_hdr.jpg


It was my first pair of LED H4 headlight bulbs. I specifically ordered these because they are comparatively kind of latest in whats out there, had a rating of 4.8 and were said to be the brightest at 16000lm a pair at 72W, color temperature 6500k (no other options available).
Here is how it compares to a halogen H4 bulb in size and appearance.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_202402_hdr.jpg


I was so excited but as it was already past 8 PM so it would have been wise to wait till the morning to install them, and I was already very tired. So, I skipped the dinner for the moment and went ahead and installed one in the RHS headlight, because I need to know or I would have lost my appetite and sleep anyways.

Took the car out of garage. The difference in color temperature and brightness is very clearly evident.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_205132_hdr.jpg

Took it on a short drive, and was really surprised with the amount of light it was emitting.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_210007_hdr.jpg


There was light everywhere, even at places where I never imagined my car headlights could possibly illuminate. Check the image for how it illuminates the far right corner. Maybe the alignment of the bulb was off? I would complete the installation tomorrow and check again.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-pointer_li-2_moment.jpg


All this on a single H4 LED headlight bulb, the LHS halogen was no where to be noticed. On high beam it lit up everything in it's path, even the bird's nest on trees, light light everywhere. But, hold on I am not praising them, LEDs in halogen housing are just awful. It's so bad that they can't focus anywhere but just scatter their bright light everywhere possible. Even at low beam it might still be too bright for the oncoming traffic. Unfortunately I did not encounter any noobs driving on high beam during the short drive to put the brightness on the test.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_210202_hdr.jpg


I will hold my final views until I finish the installation and drive some miles with it to actually judge them. These are the first impressions which are not very promising. I will also test them in a projector housing to check how they perform.

Also, here is the difference in the beam pattern, color and brightness. The pic isn't great, maybe the phone was more tired than me to get the focus right.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img_20180130_210316_hdr.jpg


Somewhere around September 2017, I had installed 35W Bi-Xenon HIDs with angel eyes(color red) in my Verito, cost of the entire kit was around Rs.4800 only. It was a first of a kind DIY for me.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-inkedimg20180130wa0102_li_moment.jpg


The color I ordered was 4300K but it looks more like 5000K. Notice the flawed beam on LHS headlight as the projector alignment wasn't right at that time.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img20180130wa0104.jpg


But these illuminated the road like nothing else can possibly do and without being a problem to the oncoming traffic.
HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?-img20180130wa0103.jpg

The LEDs stand no where in comparison, HIDs perform way better. Even in a youtube video where they compared every kind of headlight bulb out there, the conclusion was that best of the LEDs out there can only be compared to a 35W HID, and nothing else comes even close to a 55W HID in actual performace, in a projector housing. But IMHO, the future is LEDs for sure, and soon they will evolve and become better than even HIDs.

Last edited by wrongturn : 31st January 2018 at 00:19.
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Old 1st February 2018, 11:34   #41
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

Folks, recently I have been doing lot of research and hit and trial on LEDs. In the past I have never upgraded to HIDs or Xenons as the after market cost is high and also the wiring is bit messy. LEDs seemed to give the right option as its pretty much DIY plug n play and that pretty 6000K white light just looks swell .

So far I have updated my Figo with H4s, XUV low beam with H7s, my couz i20 elite with H4s again. The results have been fairly satisfactory. Infact better on the figo/i20 with standard reflectors. Biggest improvement is in high beam cause both low/high beam LEDs turn on making the illumination lot more well spread. Projectors on XUV ofcourse had the best result in terms of pattern but off but light is more uniformly spread with no hot spots which is not necessarily the best. I am considering ordering another design for XUV projectors. Will start a DIY thread with pics etc soon for everyone's reference. I am ordering my LEDs from Amazon US, they are typically in 30-40 USD range and lot cheaper than buying in India. Get someone to carry them for me.

Last edited by supertinu : 1st February 2018 at 11:35.
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Old 1st February 2018, 13:21   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
So far I have updated my Figo with H4s, XUV low beam with H7s, my couz i20 elite with H4s again.
Can you share which H4 Led you chose? I want to change the lights in my qualis and have been unable to decide.
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Old 5th February 2018, 00:37   #43
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

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Can you share which H4 Led you chose? I want to change the lights in my qualis and have been unable to decide.
hey I bought the ones in the link below. So far got 5 pairs between me and family and friends. Results are good with no issues.

https://www.amazon.com/MICTUNING-Ext...s=mictuning+h4
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Old 5th February 2018, 09:58   #44
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Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
So far got 5 pairs between me and family and friends. Results are good with no issues.
thanks! make it 6 pairs , just ordered one.
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Old 6th February 2018, 05:01   #45
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Re: HID & LED headlamps - Are they really as good as claimed?

I know this thread is all about Headlamps, however I have a question on LED tail lamps.

Have any one felt that the LED tail lamps cause more glare in the eyes of the following drivers(especially after sunset)?

I felt it multiple times while driving in the US when waiting at the signal, it is not specific to one brand, when ever I stop behind a car with LED tail lamps I feel the LED's are too bright to look into and most of the cars here being AT the drivers foot is always on the break when stopped at a signal.

Does anyone else share a similar experience?
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