LED bulbs for dipped beam

[JohnMack]

My wife's VRS has the projector type headlights (NOT HID) with H7 type bulbs for dipped beam, up 'till now I've just used Quantum bulbs from TPS if one's needed replacing.

BUT, I was contemplating LED bulbs...…….worth it yes/no?   Could it potentially cause a problem with the control side of the lamps?    And (the usual question!) will it let the light-check system think there's a bulb out?!

 

Was thinking of these...…… https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collections/headlight-led-bulbs/products/led-headlight-conversion-bulbs-h7-4600-lumen-philips-z-es-main-dipped-glb477

 

…..anyone??

[Krunoslav]

No... better buy original Philips Essentials with LumiLeds chips.

[JohnMack]

1 hour ago, Krunoslav said:

No... better buy original Philips Essentials with LumiLeds chips.

Ok thanks, like these?….. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Philips-Ultinon-Essential-LED-Kit-6000K-White-H7-Bulb-Head-Light-Low-Beam-lamp/113674512403?epid=15036309454&hash=item1a77876813:g:-n4AAOSwPqZd6FLJ

[Krunoslav]

Yes, this one's. My business is corelated with LED upgrades. If you want I can PM you a link how they look like on Octavia's.

[langers2k]

When using LED H7's with projector style headlights, the cutoff should still be good but whenever I've seen beam shots, they tend to have overly bright foreground and a lack of distance lighting. This is the opposite of what you want, it's because the LED H7 isn't able to perfectly match the light output pattern of a filament bulb.

 

There are potential issues with bulb out warnings and some claim such kits have damaged the BCM fitted to a MK2 FL Octavia.

 

Finally, they aren't road legal in the UK and may cause MOT failures...

 

Personally, I wouldn't bother fit LED H7's. Just fit quality halogen bulbs, make sure both the headlight projectors and lenses are in good, clean condition.

[JohnMack]

17 hours ago, langers2k said:

When using LED H7's with projector style headlights, the cutoff should still be good but whenever I've seen beam shots, they tend to have overly bright foreground and a lack of distance lighting. This is the opposite of what you want, it's because the LED H7 isn't able to perfectly match the light output pattern of a filament bulb.

 

There are potential issues with bulb out warnings and some claim such kits have damaged the BCM fitted to a MK2 FL Octavia.

 

Finally, they aren't road legal in the UK and may cause MOT failures...

 

Personally, I wouldn't bother fit LED H7's. Just fit quality halogen bulbs, make sure both the headlight projectors and lenses are in good, clean condition.

Thanks for the input.

 

I had read some folks responses similar to what you've said in that the "throw" of light isn't the best even although they look brighter than a halogen? It is dipped beam I'm looking at here though so foreground is where I want to improve.

 

Regards BCM damage, I hadn't heard of LED bulbs causing this, just HID kits due to a high current draw on powering up?   Can you confirm?

 

As long as the beam pattern's as it should be, the MOT I'm not worried about....I suppose I could just fire in the old bulbs.

 

The lights are in good nic.

 

As summer is upon us and there's more daylight hours, I've some time to ponder! 

 

[Tilt]

This is the amount of muck on the inside of my lens prior to cleaning. With a torch shone through it to show the muck.

Edited 19 April, 2020 by Tilt

[langers2k]

44 minutes ago, JohnMack said:

I had read some folks responses similar to what you've said in that the "throw" of light isn't the best even although they look brighter than a halogen? It is dipped beam I'm looking at here though so foreground is where I want to improve.

 

Even with dipped beams, throw is more important that you think.

 

Take a look at this light distribution image of a typical projector from Hella. It's taken from above the road, with the car on the left and the lights pointing towards the right. It's also for a LHD beam pattern but that's not massively important. The road is the three darker horizontal lines

 

 

The brightest section is 0-20m which isn't surprising. LED kits might make this brighter.

 

As you get further from the car, the brightness drops off but there is still plenty of useful light out to 50-65m. This is where you'll have issues with LED kits:

- firstly, due to the lack of focus reducing the throw

- secondly, the excess foreground light can cause your pupil to contract

That second point is important as it'll reduce the amount of light coming into your eye making the dimmer, distant objects even harder see.

 

These probably aren't massive issues when you're driving around on lit town roads at 25-30mph but if you're using unlit 60-70mph roads it can be.

 

45 minutes ago, JohnMack said:

Regards BCM damage, I hadn't heard of LED bulbs causing this, just HID kits due to a high current draw on powering up?   Can you confirm?

 

I don't think it's only because of high startup currents as the BCM can support factory xenons. Some claim it's down to poorly designed electronics causing back EMF which over time damage the mosfet in the BCM.

[welder1]

Langers is very knowledgeable in lots of things regarding Skoda ,I think I would take note of his findings more. Peter 

[JohnMack]

Familiar with back EMF in rotating electrics but didn't know this was an issue with LED bulbs?

For the sake of any electrical f***-ups I think I'll just stick with the quantum TPS bulbs!

 

Thanks all.

[FatblokeVRS]

Had LED H7 (2x55w) in my VRS for a while. No issues. Beam pattern same as halogen (checked against garage door) and passed 2 MOT's.

 

Very slightly brighter than the 100w halogens that were in it.

 

[Tilt]

^^^^ if they were used on the road then small wonder drivers complain of getting blinded, both illegal in the uk or certainly in England.

[midcuk]

what do people think of these, i have been toying with a purchase for a while now

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H7-CREE-PIONEER-LED-7070-ETI-3G-SUPER-BRIGHT-7200-LM-CHIP-HEADLIGHTS-D/252019421854?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

[langers2k]

@midcuk - those bulbs don't look great. They use a 2x2 LED pattern and they seem quite thick between the LED's, neither will help it correctly emulate the light output of a halogen bulb.

 

Genuine Philips X-tremeUltinon LED H7 are normally consider pretty good, they have a 1x4 LED pattern and are relatively thin between the LED's.

 

Even so, they will still suffer from a lack of focus as I mentioned above. This video shows the difference quite nicely in a typical halogen projector.

 

I believe the audio is Russian but English subs should be good enough to understand what's happening.

 

 

Edited 22 April, 2020 by langers2k

[midcuk]

Thanks Langers  very informative 

[Ollyk]

On 20/04/2020 at 07:10, JohnMack said:

Familiar with back EMF in rotating electrics but didn't know this was an issue with LED bulbs?

For the sake of any electrical f***-ups I think I'll just stick with the quantum TPS bulbs!

 

Thanks all.

Yeah definately sounds like a load of coblers! LED's are diodes, and diodes prevents Bemf as they are connected across just about every DC inductive load driven by mosfets and transistors alike. I noticed disconnecting the bulb and putting back in means you have to turn headlamps off then on again as the circuit detects and shuts down. Maybe they got confused with this.

[Camlobe]

On 18/11/2020 at 21:27, Ollyk said:

Yeah definately sounds like a load of coblers! LED's are diodes, and diodes prevents Bemf as they are connected across just about every DC inductive load driven by mosfets and transistors alike. I noticed disconnecting the bulb and putting back in means you have to turn headlamps off then on again as the circuit detects and shuts down. Maybe they got confused with this.

 

Well. you are completely right it sounds like ageing shoe menders, although it isn't necessarily. The driver electrics doesn't connect to the LED directly, as it would be inefficient, and dissipate lots of power in places where you'd rather not do that, so there is intermediate electronics. That will contain a big-ish inductor as part of the voltage translation circuitry, and that can cause a voltage kick on switch on or off (or there can be something that gets through from load dump, field decay or alternator fast transients).

 

Now these ought to be suppressed, and it isn't too difficult to do it, although testing is a bit obscure, and can be a bit sensitive to minor-looking, almost-nothing. changes. So, what works on a Golf may not work on an Octavia, even though they are nominally the same. It shouldn't be that bad, but it could - just about - be.

 

There are some manufacturers I'd trust to do a good job of this, but they won't be the cheap ones, who are 'no name' aftermarket suppliers.