just fitted led headlight bulbs

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stevealex
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just fitted led headlight bulbs

Post by stevealex »

Just thought I'd post, I've just fitted these bulbs from ebay 734010083356 on a square headlight westy. The headlights had become so dim they were just mot ok but were bordering on dangerous to drive with. I had renovated the earth crowns under the dash which had improved them slightly so the next step was either adding relays and or try led bulbs. The bulbs were £20 delivered and 40w each so not a big gamble. They went straight in and the difference is amazing. The light looks like a really good halogen, no HID glimmer and the light pattern is superb with no undue dazzle for on-coming traffic. If I was to be super critical there is a little dappling to the light but really nothing to worry about. I would highly recommend giving something like these a try and at £20 its not a big out lay if they don't have a long life. I haven't tried them for an mot yet, but I cannot imagine that the light pattern will be any issue.

Steve

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Mocki
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Re: just fitted led headlight bulbs

Post by Mocki »

Only problem you have is they are not legal for U.K. road use , hope the DVSA don’t spot you .
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R0B
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Re: just fitted led headlight bulbs

Post by R0B »

TBH i have found the relay upgrade and osram night breakers to be more than adequate.
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Re: just fitted led headlight bulbs

Post by captain Byrne »

Getting dazzled by stupidly bright headlights is the bane of my life. (Among lots of other things of course)!
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Re: just fitted led headlight bulbs

Post by CovKid »

Increasingly MOTs get tougher and pressure on classic car owners to remain 'stock' is already entrenched in europe, Its always a difficult decision where improved safety is concerned, as what the owner sees as 'better' is not necessarily compliant, or legal. On top of that, over-zealous insurance assessors love these kind of things as its a perfect excuse to void a policy rather than pay out.

I've owned v-dubs for 30 years and have seen the change as well as all the new proposed laws that will eventually become mandatory. I could over the years, have departed drastically from stock in the name of 'improvements', but I'm in it for the long haul and therefore any decision has to be a compromise. Things I won't touch are alloys, retro fitted power steering, and LED headlight bulbs - too many things to list. In the real world, some owners fit things until someone tells them otherwise but like all things in law, ignorance is no defence. Its all out there to be read and you can still comply. Perhaps for some owners, they're not bothered, but if you have kids, you need everything compliant so should the worst happen, you and your family are covered.

On the technical side, virtually every LED headlight bulb is made in China no matter who sells them (or rebadges them as their own) and quality control is almost non-existent. They are often hugely over-driven to match or surpass halogen and as a result they don't last long. They're also way easy to spot through the glass by a keen tester or on a roadside check. They are no way approved for road use, even if they go through an MOT undetected. MOT stations have a different remit from insurance companies, the latter often far more vigilant as assessors earn their keep through reducing or eliminating claims. Sticking with stock (or Osrams) and proper relays means you'll have fantastic lights that are legal, and easy to get bulbs if they need replacing.

I wouldn't doubt they look great compared to what you had, but if you're using stock headlight housing, the stray light (and Hellas are bad for this) will be much worse. I spent a whole year experimenting with different bulbs, even down to moving them within the reflector to see the effects. In the end I fitted modern headlight reflectors (still 7"), stock bulbs, relays, and an upgraded lighting harness using thick cable and on full I can light up the road for an extraordinary long way with no stray light at all. More importantly, I'm fully insured.

Stick with them if you like them but bear in mind what I and others have said. I won't dwell on this one, but I've seen so many incidents where a driver found themselves uninsured following an accident due to seemingly minor changes they made, and it cost them thousands in claims by others. All it takes is for a vehicle you hit to claim they were dazzled (whether they were or not) and you're totally sunk. It can really bite you in the ass. :cry: If you really have to mod anything, make sure it can't be seen. One can argue that its just a bulb, but a bulb can give someone good reason to look even further....
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