New Member Introduction

[bazooka joe]

the wifes first comment to me after driving the cx5 all day yesterday, hiway, around town..."boy, that thing has some great pick up!" she had just drove the trib the day before so she noticed the power bump right away...

 

[Skorpio]

She'll probably also notice that you won't drive to the station for gas as much per mile as the Tribute, either (drive)

 

[IHeartGroceries]

thanks! how do you like the taurus sho?

Pretty sweet! Just big. Very, very big. Put about three of your NBs together, and I think you're get about the size and weight of a Gen 4 SHO. Haha!

 

[D_Frost]

So finally I got around to installing a pair of LED headlight bulbs purchased off eBay a couple weeks ago. Here is the link to the specs: LINK

Haven't gotten around to taking pictures as it's past midnight but I moved over to these LEDs from Morimoto XB35 HID (4300K)from TRS. This quest started when another vendor was selling H11 LED headlight bulbs. I was curious to see if LEDs are truly ready for prime time headlight duty. The bulbs fit in fairly easily (especially after you have tried installing HID bulbs on a non-tech). Took all of maybe 15 minutes to remove my HID kit and put in these LEDs. Pictures are pending (charging the camera currently).

Observations so far:

• Light output against the wall is fairly close to HIDs
• Pattern and cutoff is similar to the HIDs
• It's nice to not have ballasts (or a relay) as everything is enclosed inside the heat sink behind the LED
• The bulb is hefty, all surfaces I can see (besides the emitters) are metal
• Documentation indicates the bulbs use Cree XM-L emitters (and they're bright)
• The light output is indicated on the packaging as 6000K but it is whiter than most 6000K HID kits I've seen
• Instant on to full brightness (whereas HIDs need to warm up)

Yet to determine:

• Throw distance of the headlight
• Longevity/reliability of the bulbs
• Glare
• Ability to light up reflective signs and road markers

So here's my updated review after 3 months of use:

• Throw distance of the headlight - decent but somewhat left to be desired, definitely not HID amount of throw, but it is likely due to the headlight design (meant for halogen)
• Longevity/reliability of the bulbs - hasn't skipped a beat yet, lights up when needed
• Glare - properly aimed, haven't been high beamed
• Ability to light up reflective signs and road markers - this would be its weak spot as the light spill (squirrel finders?) is minimal thus making road signs a bit harder to read; but this would likely also contribute to less glare.
• These bulbs are brighter than stock halogen - I was a bit surprised due to the limited specs available when purchasing but a side by side photo cleared that up for me (see photo below)

Here is the side by side photo between the LED bulb and the stock halogen bulb:



Notice that the hotspot is significantly larger than the halogen, which equates to more foreground light. Also the light spill above the cutoff is very limited (thus the hard to read signs). Of course this is not the only update I have... there's more... another set of LED bulbs up for review... stay tuned!!

 

[D_Frost]

So my quest for better LED lighting continues. Just purchased what appears to be something that VLEDS will be offering soon: http://www.vleds.com/h11-eti-3000lm.html

Once I get them in my hands, I will compare them with my existing set (considered gen 1 while these are considered gen 2) and the stock halogens when time allows.

And here is a sneak peek at what's next



(Looks like the same bulbs that VLEDS will be selling next month! Look at the size difference in the LED emitters! (eek2))

 

[Maineiac]

I have gotten LEDs but stopped when I saw the plastic sleeve covering the entry to the low beams. It didn't show in either the owners or shop manual. Before I start innovating does anyone know a quick way to get that off?

 

[D_Frost]

Are you referring to the plastic shield (like half a hexagon) separating access between the low and high beam bulbs?

 

[bazooka joe]

And here is a sneak peek at what's next



(Looks like the same bulbs that VLEDS will be selling next month! Look at the size difference in the LED emitters! (eek2))

and big price jump too! do you think they are worth waiting for?

 

[D_Frost]

I've just installed them and will give it a good run through when it gets dark enough...

 

[bazooka joe]

I've just installed them and will give it a good run through when it gets dark enough...

are these the new ones? the site said they weren't available yet?

 

[D_Frost]

The ones I got appear to be identical to the ones on the site. A write up is in the works.

 

[Kanis]

New - Previously Enjoyed CX-5 owner

I've been on the forum since the night after we purchased our CX-5. So about a week prior to this post.

We traded in a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan that had many extra features in order to get a 'previously enjoyed' 2013 CX-5. Our van was a necessity do to the arrival of twins and everything that comes with them. But it had become a huge expense in fuel, and maintenance was starting to become an issue. Since my wife drives it to and from work all week it became apparent that we needed to get something a little smaller and better on fuel, since we were spending 100-120$ in fuel a week. This felt ridiculous for a single person.

We weren't in the market for a new vehicle, but the 2013 CX-5 was a good fit. Unfortunately it does have some things I would like to change (given time and money). Even as a base model we were happy with what was included, Auto, A/C, Power Windows, Keyless entry to name a few. Also it only came with the 5 spokes steel wheels. I would have preferred steel wheels with hub caps instead of these, I really think they are ugly. Luckily winter is coming and these wheels will become the 'winter' set.

So my short list of things I would like to do...​

• Weather tech Floor mats - Ordered
• Mud Guards - After market ridged ones look nice, with the CX-5 on the rear set.
• Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror - Gentex seems to make a decent version that has just the dimming function
• New wheels - I really like the 10 spoke OEM's but I'm just starting to search
• Fog lights - Checking salvage yards with no luck thus far, and the 'best' I can find online is 300$ prior to shipping and duties. The dealer wants 639$+tax for the OEM set installed.

Longer term List - I'm sure it will change with more time on the forums​

• Interior Console lights - I love the white gauges, but can't stand the amber consol lighting. It is a matter of preference for sure, so I'm looking for 'how-to' on the site in case someone has done the change already.
• Mounting a Second Cargo light - The small side light doesn't provide enough illumination and I would like to mount another light on the tailgate that would provide more illumination for the cargo space.
• LED tail lights - love the brightness and response.
• Additional LED Fog light - The aftermarket 'angry eyebrow' set that is placed over the OEM installed sets.
• Door Sill Protectors - Torn between the clean Stainless Steel with logo or the LED version.
• Leather Armrest insert - Convert the cloth armrest and side piece to leather

Any help with finding what I need will be appreciate.
Looks like a good community, reading a little each night.
Hello to all.
K

 

[Mikesin]

Did you ever review the new H4 LED headlights that you bought?
I'm thinking about purchasing them and wondered how good they was.

Thanks

 

[D_Frost]

Sorry I didn't get to spend much time to review the newer set of LEDs. In short, the LEDs didn't meet expectations as the the light was more scattered and didn't provide enough down road illumination. I do have another set of LEDs on the way. I know VLEDs is looking to offer another model of bulbs, which I may test after my current set arrives.

 

[D_Frost]

And here is a sneak peek at what's next



(Looks like the same bulbs that VLEDS will be selling next month! Look at the size difference in the LED emitters! (eek2))

Some of you may have seen my earlier posts and are somewhat familiar with my (semi) obsession with LED headlights. Since my last update, I have also picked up this style of LED:

Alas, those didn't make the cut so I switched back to best of the pack so far. After about 6 months of running the 2nd style from the left, I wanted to see how much of a difference if I went back to halogens. Not wanting to settle with H11's, I picked up a pair of H9's and modded the socket (on the bulb). You can definitely tell that the H9 (like the H11) was designed for the enclosure. Beam pattern is identical to H11 with more intensity, excellent visibility overall... really no complaints... And then just when I thought I was done with my headlight search, I came up on a pair of LED's here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/360-Degree-...M-Head-Light-Kit-6k-6000k-H11-A-/111572898006

At first I was hesitant to invest as I couldn't find any information (even the seller couldn't tell me what CREE emitters were used; and of course lumen specs on Ebay will be taken with a grain of salt) on the bulbs. I couldn't locate them on Alibaba or anywhere on the web. But the lure of 360 degree lighting had me intrigued... up until now, most (if not all) LED headlight/fog bulbs on the market do not provide a true 360 degree of light (there usually is a small gap between the emitters where they are mounted on the surface - as illustrated above). This separation is enough to create an incomplete beam pattern (as noted earlier in the thread). This isn't an issue for halogen bulbs like the H11/H9 and the H11 HID kits (I ran the TRS Morimoto XB35 4300K setup for about 6 months before experimenting with LEDs) as they are transparent and will provide that 360 degree of light.

So what's the verdict on the latest pair LEDs? As far as I can tell, they are now on par with HID in terms of output and beam pattern. The difference between this current pair of LED and the previous style (2nd from the left) is that there is now a proper cutoff (looks like the square root sign for each beam) and proper amount of light spill through the squirrel finders). However, the achilles heel (as with HID in the halogen enclosure) of this setup is that there is a tremendous amount of foreground light to a point of almost overexposing the ground between 5-10 feet in front of the car. As this is the first night I have had them installed (literally a few hours ago), I don't have any good pictures to post yet. I will provide more observations (if requested) as I get more seat time with them (indoor parking garage, side-by-side with vehicles that come with LED headlights in stock form, etc.).

Now for those Crystal Eye tail lights....

 

[D_Frost]

As promised, here are some of the photos taken tonight to demonstrate the increase in light intensity (especially the foreground light). All photos are taken using the same settings as my earlier set of LEDs (ISO 800, 1/5s, f/4.0, 5000K WB):












This is a final shot of the cutoff/beam pattern against the side of a house (~40ft away), car is on incline facing uphill:

 

[D_Frost]

LED Comparison Chart

For sake of better comparison, I've put the shots from my last pair of LED and matched it up with the current pair:

[table="width: 1600"]
[tr]
[td="width:400"]2 CREE XM-L emitters "popsicle stick" (Previous Set)[/td]
[td="width:400"]360 degree 4 CREE emitters[/td]
[td="width:400"]Philips Lumiled aka 'LMZ' 2 emitter (Current Set)[/td]
[td="width:400"]Non-Starters (light pattern didn't warrant road test)[/td]
[/tr]
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[/table]

 

[D_Frost]

Little update with the results of the Philips Lumiled aka 'LMZ' headlight bulbs. These are the 2 emitter variant (there are 4 emitter variants out there) and are adjustable in terms of rotation (there are grooves that 'click' at every 90 degrees). Here is a picture comparison to the old 'popsicle stick' style:



In short, I didn't stray from the tried and true orientation of having the emitters sending light horizontally from within the headlight enclosure (I did try every 90 degrees). What I did notice was that (whether this was a manufacturing variance or by design) the emitters are not directly opposite of each other on the stem. One side was ever so slightly higher than the other side (staggered if you will). And by orienting the 'taller' side (when looking from the front of the car) facing the passenger side of the car for the passenger side (and the opposite with the driver's side), the beams were focused enough to produce what I would interpret to be somewhat close to desirable beam pattern. As for color temperature, the LumiLED LED's produced a whiter light with little blue/purple when compared to the CREE XM-L emitters, which subjectively improved contrast and visibility at night (which may also be a factor of the improved beam pattern).







I have updated my comparison chart/matrix in the earlier post to hopefully give a good idea of what to expect (with thumbnails that links to larger pictures). Essentially, there is less immediate foreground light while increasing light throw (distance). The last picture is of the beams against a garage door at close range:



Notice the light bleed directly above the 'peaks'... that is what provides above cutoff illumination for signs. I can comfortably say that the light bleed is sufficient to provide improved sign illumination compared to the 'popsicle sticks'.

 

[D_Frost]

Tail Lights Installed

I also picked up a set of 'crystal eye' tail lights... here are the pictures of the new LED tail lights installed...

Lights off:


Parking lights on:


Hazards on:

 

[D_Frost]

Since the new tail light was darker than the stock third brake light and reflectors... went to a good buddy's place to get them matched up...