LEDs for Headlights: Anyone try this..?

[vroom]

I am looking around for options for getting my low beams and DRLs to match the color of my LED fog light assembly installation on my Touring non tech (Canadian equivalent). Obvious option is HID mod kit or high performance hallogens. HIDs might screw up my beam pattern and have ballasts that can break, and I regard high performance hallogens as being mostly a scam (whiter light is usually at the expence of lower output or much shorter life and much more $).

While browsing around ebay, I saw these. They are suposedly rated at 1800LM (standard H11 are about 1200LM), so they should be bright enough. They can be found in 5000K or 6000K if you search around. Plus they have no ballasts, and the LED chips seems located more or less at the same place as the hallogen fillament, so possibly better beam pattern. I also saw HB3 (9005) kits like this, so in theory they could also be used for the DRL/highs...

This being ebay, I usually am very sceptical... Anyone ever try this?

 

[tpliquid]

i would like to see the beam pattern on the wall instead of just in the darkness.

 

[runtohell121]

The beam pattern is pretty crappy, would not recommend it other than using it as DRL/Fog Light. There's some picture of the beam pattern from a FRS/BRZ and some other post on hidplanet.

Also, they do have a ballast or something similar to it. I'm just going to use VLEDS LED Headlight for example... they have pic of the 'ballast'
http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/headlights/led/h11-5k-cxa.html

 

[vroom]

If you're talkin about this,yeah, the beam pattern looks like crap. But these bulbs seem to have a led chip only on one side. That will definitely produce a bad pattern. Those on eBay and vleds have a chip on both sides.

As for the box, it might just be a controller. These often have overheating and fan failure monitoring. I did see some models that do have ballasts, but the eBay add specifically states "no ballast".

 

[runtohell121]

Well, here's one person who tried using it on their Accord and wanted to get rid of them.
http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showpost.php?p=1692282&postcount=46
And here's another thread about them, but most people are using it as DRL/High beams instead.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/150316-led-headlight-bulbs-check-em-out-7.html

Just keep searching and you'll find more results, but as of now, I still don't think LED is mature enough for headlight, at least the aftermarket LEDs that is. Some reported LED runs too hot and scared of melting housing, some bad beam patterns, some people liked it, so it's a hit or miss at this moment.

If you want brighter headlight as of now, it would be HID or H9 conversion. I'm currently using H9 for my 2010 Honda Insight and it's indeed brighter than H11 but no where near HID. I swapped my HID out just because I find ~5000k HID useless in the rain. If I had a choice and money wasn't an issue, I would have went with TRS Morimoto H11 XB35 4300k HIDs but that cost $170 compared to H9 costing roughly $16.

 

[brandini]

Beam pattern is WAY different, but in the future when the housings are made like this from the factory, we won't even need to do it.

 

[vroom]

Thanks runtohell,

I've been looking all over the Net researching these, and I had already foud your links. Note that your first link is to one post of en entire thread of people mostly liking these (for drl/hids/fogs though). I haven't seen a single example out there of these (the double sided leds) being used in a projector. No beam pattern, nothing. There are loads of people theorizing on how bad the pattern will probably be, but no real pics. Theory is great, but I'd sure like to see for myself...

For now, these seem to be an ok swap to get the color of my drl/highs right, while still being functionnal. As for the projectors, probably not, but we just don't know yet...

brandini,

I agree that factory housings made for these will probably make a world of a difference. What do you base your comment about the beam pattern being WAY different, do you have any examples, pictures, etc. That would be great!

 

[brandini]

There were a few guys on a LED lighting site that actually did this in a projector housing... and it looks great, but function and distribution of the light (more intense at the top of the pattern) didn't happen since a reflector/projector is designed for the source of the light to come from an exact spot, move it, and you change everything.

Gonna be cool in the future though.