Led low beam bulb replacements

[gvmdaddy]

LucraModric, the housing and the reflector that the bulb sits in is designed purely for the bulb that is placed in as OEM. If you replace the bulb with anything other than this, and this includes LED bulbs, then the light emitted is emitted and dispersed in a totally different way to what the reflector is designed to handle, hence it may well spread the light in a way that would constantly interfere with oncoming traffic, not to mention being totally illegal depending on the country you are in!

[Deleted User 3871]

The part where Dav says "There seems more scatter in the light, but what a difference they make..."

I see quite a few old cars on the roads when travelling to work on these dark mornings / nights. Some have decided to fit Xeon or LED light kits to the H4 type reflectors (2 filaments in 1 bulb), much worse than the ones with a lens as in this thread. Absolute nightmare when they are coming at you, and they think its cool also cause they can see the road really nice compared to the shitty lights they had originally. Its illegal, dangerous and needs to be stamped out.

I purchased one of these exact kits for my Mini Countryman from China for about £30. I tested them driving down a dark country road. On dipped beam, I was lighting up everything, including the trees above me, needless to say, they are now sitting in the garage on a shelf. Would be ok at a motor show or event, but dangerous on the roads.

Deawar, what makes you so sure that Nighteye LED bulbs in halogen light-frame would harm oncoming traffic? Is there a device that could measure it?

[LucaModric]

The part where Dav says "There seems more scatter in the light, but what a difference they make..."

Deawar, what makes you so sure that Nighteye LED bulbs in halogen light-frame would harm oncoming traffic? Is there a device that could measure it?

Tnx, I did not know what scatter means. Scatter = dispersion and that is a bad thing for other drivers.

[Dav1988]

Hi Daewar,
On dip beam, they have been checked at an MOT station and the beam is fine. It will not pass an MOT with these bulbs in as they are non standard.
As for main beam.... Who am I blinding?
I am not a driver who drives into oncoming traffic with my main beam on so the scatter I mentioned is not blinding anyone.
Other users asked if anyone had these fitted, I replied with an honest opinion.

[Deleted User 3871]

Dav, you did not just give an opinion, you stated several facts. Your bulbs gave increased scatter, you are willingly driving around in your car that has been modified & unless you have informed your insurance company, your are driving around without insurance. Its illegal & your breaking the law.

The worst part is that you know your car will not pass the MOT, but you still continue to use the bulbs. Also through your actions of announcing the fact of using an illegal mod your, condoning the use of said mod on this forum.

Some things are just kept between you and the your MOT station.

[Pandjh]

But what constitutes a modification?

One light bulb that is brighter than another? (they are both light bulbs) - that would mean my Osram Nightbreakers are a modification.

Is using the premium fuels a modification?

Surely my car mats are too?

How about a shark fin aerial?


Silly I know, but what is and what isn't a modification?

[Deleted User 3871]

Modification

synonyms: alteration, adjustment, change, adaptation, improvement, refinement, revision, recasting, reshaping, refashioning, restyling, revamping, reworking, remodelling, remoulding, reconstruction, reorganization; More

I see a Mod as an alteration to the original specification of the vehicle. It usually affects the function and / or form. Its also technical. In this case LED bulbs just work in a different way, some is not obvious. In this case its mostly about where the source of the light is emitted and its focus point.

Carpets can still cause problems. There are videos on YouTube where the carpet interferes with the throttle & keeps it held open causing in some cases death or serious injury.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... FO_Zz0sbJU
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... KQhm6tEkW_

Fuel is not a modification to the vehicle, its a change in how its operated.

I could go on and on. But you have to be very careful with these things, as simple change to you can have quite drastic outcomes.

But what constitutes a modification?

One light bulb that is brighter than another? (they are both light bulbs) - that would mean my Osram Nightbreakers are a modification.

Is using the premium fuels a modification?

Surely my car mats are too?

How about a shark fin aerial?


Silly I know, but what is and what isn't a modification?

[Pandjh]

Surely any rule that cannot be clearly and concisely conveyed is no rule at all and cannot be enforced.

LED on front, bad,
LED on back OK?

I think most folks consider modifications to be 'bigger' than a light bulb, ie engine mods, rebores, suspension changes etc.

I don't have an issue with blue'ish lights, it's the super powered ones on high end cars that dazzle more... And, it has to be said, the lights from the Qashqai LED headlamps too. Catch the edge of those and they are more purpl'ish and overly bright too.

To each, their own, as they say.

[Hound]

I'm not an expert on lighting in any way, but projector lamps, as used on the QQ's dip beams, have a metal shield as part of the housing which determines the light's cut-off in order to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic (example below).

An LED bulb may not be designed for the original housing, but since its light is physically blocked by the shield, can "scattered" light from one of these aftermarket bulbs actually dazzle a driver when used in dip beam?

[Deleted User 3871]

Its all about the positioning of the light source relative to that cut-off, the focus of the reflector and how the bulb emits its light. Take a look at this picture of different bulb types & where the light would shine. Each bulb will throw light different ways.

please please watch the YouTube Video from the link below, it shows everything I have tried to explain in text.





Now look at a HID, it will throw light in just about every direction.





Here is an incandescent Bulb, they are mostly designed not to throw the light forwards but to use the reflector




I cant get the video to embed no matter how hard I try, here is the link
https://youtu.be/_Ck2Lsfn9fw

I'm not an expert on lighting in any way, but projector lamps, as used on the QQ's dip beams, have a metal shield as part of the housing which determines the light's cut-off in order to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic (example below).
beam.jpg
beam2.jpg
An LED bulb may not be designed for the original housing, but since its light is physically blocked by the shield, can "scattered" light from one of these aftermarket bulbs actually dazzle a driver when used in dip beam?