(OPINION!) LED Replacement Headlamp Bulbs

road-runner wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:

Automakers must PROVE that their headlight designs will pass all Federal regulations concerning headlight glare.

I'm wondering if this is really true and/or enforced. Even in cars with factory LEDs, I'm often hit with near-blinding light when close to passing them in the opposite direction. They're throwing out light above eye level at 80 degree or so angles. And sometimes when one is behind me, the inside of my car becomes brightly lit. Some of the factory LEDs are pretty much as bad, glare-wise, as the LED retrofits in reflector housings. I'm of the opinion that an LED retrofit in a projector headlamp is ok, so far as blinding other drivers goes.

The headlight ASSEMBLY must pass DOT, doesn't exactly mean that all headlights are INSTALLED AND SET CORRECTLY on the production line. They use assembly fixtures and jigs on the factory assembly line which depending on what day of the week may or may not be used correctly..

Every day on my morning drive to work I get blasted with more and more "blueish" lights from behind and from oncoming traffic, many times not new vehicles so I can only assume that someone has bought either the cheap blue tinted incadescents or the LED aftermarket bulbs..

I drive a pickup truck and IF the lights on the vehicle are aimed right it will barely shine through my rear window..

Yet many of these blueish bulbs often light up my cab interior like it was daylight from those vehicles behind me.. SO, either everyone has turned their headlight to point into the sky OR the bulbs they are using are SCATTERING due to not correctly focusing.. Take your pick. If your lights are lighting up overhead signage like it daylight then you have a focusing issue.

LEDs lights like I explained cannot focus correctly since the LED physically is further away from the exact center of focus in the reflector.. It has to be that way due to the thickness of the LED and the aluminum heatsink the LED is mounted to..

In a nutshell, LED aftermarket bulbs have the SAME issue as HID bulbs retrofitted into incadescent reflectors..

HID bulbs don't have a filament so the entire bulb capsule glows which puts a lot of light outside the focal point of the reflector..

Pretty much all of the OEM LED lights are using PROJECTOR STYLE headlights, it is done that way for the same reason as HID bulbs..

Folks can argue all they wish but these aftermarket LED bulbs the way they are made right now really should be for off road use until someone can come up with a design that is able to get the light to simulate the correct position of a filament..

For those wanting LEDs and have a 2017 F250 or higher there is some folks who are finding a way to replace the factory incandescent with factory LED.. That is due to the fact that LEDs are only available on the top trim level.. The retrofit is not cheap at $2500 and requires the F150 Raptor harness along with the OEM LED housings..

But if you are not into that kind of cost, I would recommend adding a headlight relay kit.. That IS on quick way to increase your headlight brightness at least 20%.. OEM wiring is typically 18ga and that represents a lot of voltage loss due to resistance!

I measured mine at 10.8V-11.0V at the headlights with engine running on the factory harness.. After adding a relay kit I now get the SAME as the battery voltage (13.8-14.2V).. Makes a huge difference!

For those who don't understand, OEM wiring goes from fuse box to light switch to high/low then to the headlights, that is a lot of wire..

Please note that newer vehicles are using FET transistor outputs on the body control module to drive the headlights.. These FETS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO OVER CURRENT DAMAGE.. Once damaged, you WILL have to replace the Body control module at a hefty cost..

If you do use a relay kit (or make your own) you should ensure that a snubber diode and or a resistor is placed across the relay coil to prevent back EMF from the coil from frying your Body Control module..

Relay kit simply intercepts the the headlight wire from the dash to operate the relay coil, coil closes the contacts to supply power to the headlights.. Typically 12ga wire is used to supply the 12V to the relay and from the relay to the headlights..