legacycentral bbs • View topic - Anyone using LED headlight bulbs?
Anyone using LED headlight bulbs?
Post subject: Anyone using LED headlight bulbs?
Wondering if they'll significantly improve light output over Sylvania silverstar bulbs. I use their top of the line bulbs and they're $60 a pair at AutoZone. I'd rather pay $130 for these if I only need one more pair for the rest of my cars life and they put out more light than the silverstars.
Post subject: Re: Anyone using LED headlight bulbs?
Are Sylvania's expensive bulbs actually that much better than the cheap bulbs nowadays? I tried Silverstars quite some years ago and felt like I got robbed, 0 difference in light output and just a barely noticeable bluish hue that didn't do anything for luminosity.
I posted some pics of led's headlights in my 90 and I'm not using them because of the light beam scatter. In my wife's truck 04 dodge they work good.
The Amazon page says they are 360 degree bulbs. I was skeptical though because it looks like there is only leds on one side. On the manufacturer's website they only show a 50watt version for 9004 bulbs which is odd because a quick search on Amazon shows these newer 80wart bulbs.
This is from speaking with my sponsor, Diode Dynamics on whether there were LED bulbs to put in the rally car. They basically said that with the older mirror style on these headlights, the LED's are a decrease in performance because of how sharp the lights gets projected from the LED housings themselves. When we tried to install an HID kit the scatter was awful, so went back to a halogen bulb. The only way to put in an LED headlight bulb (PROPERLY!) is to retrofit a projector lens.
Given that Diode has hooked me up with whatever products we need, the fact they didn't want to throw in a set of LED bulbs or their HID kit into something that wouldn't be safe says a lot. Plenty of companies will be happy to push their product on you claiming its fantastic and a big upgrade when in reality its the opposite.
I see. Makes sense. Thanks for the input. I guess glass headlights are the only way. I'm not into the idea of retrofitting anything in my headlights. Always comes out looking ugly and it doesn't seem like it would be easy to aim them properly.
Ii noticed a big improvement with piaa xtreme white bulbs amd even bigger when i installed relay harnesses.
For the pre-face cars, yes going with the EDM glass headlamps is really the best upgrade path.
But the brighter bulbs do not last as long. I initially put in Osram 70/65w Off-Road bulbs and they lasted about 3 months! I stopped driving w/mine all the time due to their shorter lifespan.
From my research the Philips VisionPlus bulbs are good compromise. As noted the Silverstars are NOT.
The Daniel Sterns relay kit is one way to go.
I use the silverstar ultrasound and there was definitely a big difference over regular bulbs and they lasted about 25-30k miles still going over 5-6 years.
Are the facelift headlights better?
The face lift USDM lights are better than the pre-face lift USDM lights. So, while the EDM lights may still be an upgrade the improvement probably wouldn't be as significant as on the pre-face lift cars.
I see. Too bad they had to change the shape. Improved reflector?
Are you asking between the USDM and EDM or pre and post face lift USDM cars?
The main difference is the bulb; the USDM pre face lift use a 9004 bulb while the USDM post face lift use an H4 bulb. I'm sure the reflector and overall optics on the lense are different, but that is due to the different lighting requirements for North America vs. Europe.
Pre and post usdm is what I was asking about.
Yes the reflector is going to be different and more than likely better because the USDM post face lift uses a completely different bulb (9004 vs. H4).
Hey does anyone know if the end pre facelift housings are still available? If so, please pm me the details.
Look on ebay poland or holland. Pretty much any LHD country's ebay should have it, if you can find the words for "legacy" and "headlight" in the local language. Thanks google translate!
When I tried the Silverstars they burnt out in less than a year. Bought HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077BT6M6Z?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf for the projector low beams on my 2016 Legacy and so far so good.
DO NOT INSTALL HID/LED "BULBS" INTO A HALOGEN LAMP.
A halogen lamp's reflector is designed SPECIFICALLY for a halogen bulb and the way light is emitted from the halogen filament (line-shaped light source). By placing an HID (arc-shaped light source) or LED (dot-shaped light source(s)) you are undoing millions of dollars worth of time and effort spent by engineers.
The only real way to upgrade your lighting, beyond better wiring/bulbs/lamps, is to retrofit your existing lamps. You can't slap that "plug 'n' play" BS into a halogen lamp and expect real results. The human brain is REALLY good at tricking us into thinking "More light = improved night vision," but this is not the case.