Replace Main Beam for LED

[PHEVLeeds]

Hi
I have been on a trigger happy bulb replacement spree with excellent results. Have done the whole lot with no problem, well until now.

I replaced the main beam lights with some LED lights, fit is fine, bright etc - problem is tested them out last night and they are throwing no light forward. What I mean is they light up the side of the road and higher up but are not giving extra forward length of beam.

Any ideas what a normal halogen bulb does different?

 

[Steepndeep]

It would help to know which LED bulb you use but in theory you are in for a hard run. Designing a reflector where the lightsource is an infinetly small point is "easy". Any stretch of the lightsource in space, i.e. no longer a point but has some reach (even fractions of millimeters), makes the reflector a compromise. However the larger reflector the easier it gets. And the more focussed beam you want the harder it gets. Hence Main Beams are really difficult. And on modern cars designers do want as small lights as possible for design and air resistance purposes so they are really a compromise. Modern reflectors are extremely optimised for the lightsource (bulb) so changing to a bulb where the actual lightsource is different in size and form than the original will give you the behaviour you described. LEDs are VERY different in size and form than a Halogen filament.

Personally I found the Mitsu Main Beam to be really lousy and changed to Xenon instead. That works OK because the Xenon (60 Watts) are so many times brighter than original Halogen that it more than compensates for the loss of efficiency in the relector design. And then the Xenon and Halogen light sources are actually very similar in size and form but NOT exactly the same.

 

[Muddywheels]

I'm very interested in this thread :mrgreen:

I've had xenon for years now and find the low beam led excellent on the phev but the high beam is rubbish - the yellow light is part of the problem against the clean white

I would appreciate advice from anyone who has successfully upgraded the high beam on what I should fit instead

 

[Steepndeep]

I use these

http://www.xenonkungen.com/se/xenon/xenonljus/60w-xenonkit.html

Works OK. A litle slow to start first time on a drive but light is way better than halogen

 

[Muddywheels]

Cheers I will take a look

 

[Muddywheels]

A LR owner who used to have an Outlander has recommended Osram Nightbreakers - he fitted them and says they matched the low beam colour and gave a good bright long beam - as these are only around £12 I may give them a punt :?

 

[CherryRed]

A LR owner who used to have an Outlander has recommended Osram Nightbreakers - he fitted them and says they matched the low beam colour and gave a good bright long beam - as these are only around £12 I may give them a punt :?

I'm tempted by Osram NIghtbreakers, have you fitted some and if so what do you think of them?

 

[Muddywheels]

Sorry haven't got round to this yet - hopefully going to do it soon and will report back

 

[jaapv]

A LR owner who used to have an Outlander has recommended Osram Nightbreakers - he fitted them and says they matched the low beam colour and gave a good bright long beam - as these are only around £12 I may give them a punt :?

I'm tempted by Osram NIghtbreakers, have you fitted some and if so what do you think of them?

I have them. They are a real improvement, but not spectacular.

 

[CherryRed]

I'm very pleased with my Philips X-treme Vision +130 (H7) and Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited (HB3)

 

[MartinH]

I have done it with my 2016 model, 35W xenon on low beam and 55W xenon on full beam, look at the light pattern, perfect.

http://www.myoutlanderphev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2262

The chineese guys making the LED hed lamps does not really know anything about reflectors and how to make the light pattern OK, they just think it is too att as many lumen as possible. It is very sensible that the light source is in exact possition.