New Headlights !

[billt460]

My old 1991 F-150 had really yellow, dim headlights. They're the original Halogen bulb type. I restored the lenses to like new condition, and it sits in the garage, so it's only exposed to UV light when I drive it.

I had read that Halogen bulbs can dim with age. I don't know if that's true or not. You don't notice gradual deterioration. But they never really seemed to be very bright. Especially out here on these desert roads in the dead of night. Even driving with the brights on, the road was poorly illuminated.

So I took a chance and looked high and low for a set of good rated LED bulbs that would fit my ageing Ford, that would be a "plug and play" easy swap out. I settled on these from Auxito. They came in the mail today, and I just finished installing them.

I installed one, then turned on the lights, and the difference is unbelievable! In a direct comparison, the old bulb looked like a yellow incandescent flashlight with a dying battery. The new LED was brilliant blue white.

I then installed the other one, and the change was really profound. I can't wait until dark to go for a ride and see how much better I'll be able to see. With the older bulbs I was over driving the beam at anything over 50 MPH. Even with the brights on.

If anyone is driving an older vehicle with ageing halogen lights, give these new LED replacements a shot. They're a huge improvement. And they didn't take all of 10 minutes to change out, and they fit perfectly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN3S5RCV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

[johnmyster]

Sigh.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

They are whiter brighter but as @johnmyster will add or link may be a LOT of excess glare to affect others coming at you. We see some things differently but in this case I would tend to agree with him.

The headlights in your old truck have probably the iest beam pattern available. The 9004 bulbs are just horrendous like safety hazard bad. I had them in a '94 Explorer. I ended up putting a set of Hella H4 Halogen 4x6 glass lights on bottom of bumper. Those with halogen bulbs at least worked properly.

Try them against a wall, 30 feet back, if you have a big halo of light anywhere up, they are causing a big amount of glare. The 9004 bulb is dual filament, 1 high and 1 low to try and increase high beam but still poor reflector and beam pattern on both. I would be hunting for a full newer replacement assembly or if there is a retro fit kit to make them the 7x6 glass or other version.

Something like this mounted to bumper under lights- lights can be replaced with Hella H4 or other newer LED assemblies that are aimed correct like JW Speaker.

I actually cringe at the thought of the LED's in your headlights and we know where I fall on the extra light (aimed correctly) band camp.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I put LEDs is my 2001 Tundra. There was no light projection down the road. I went back to stock. Hope you have better luck.

 

[martinq]

Please adjust your headlights appropriately. I'm sure with your new dazzle you will be at risk of blinding / distracting oncoming traffic. Thank you.

 

[Cujet]

I am a huge fan of Beamtech LED's. Not only do they work perfectly in halogen housings, but their better offerings have adjustable clocking, to tune the cutoff and beam spread. Chosen properly, they do not glare or bother oncoming drivers on low beam. Yet provide a great and smooth beam pattern with sharp OEM cutoff.

And on high beam...

 

[billt460]

I'm up well before daylight. I'll reserve comment on this whole glare deal until I take it for a ride later. I have to gas it up, so that will provide me an opportunity to take it for a good long excursion. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[billt460]

Well I just returned from my late night fill up. I took a good long ride afterward, and I have to say I couldn't be more pleased. If it's because my old lights were that bad, or that these are that good. But most likely it's a combination of both. Anyway it's a massive improvement!

But the difference is as I said, very profound. As far as "glare", I'm not seeing it. And doubt that oncoming drivers are either. I passed plenty of oncoming cars, (one of which was a cop), and nobody flashed me. The light pattern against my closed garage door from 40 or 50 feet back showed a distinct cut off just to the left, that also showed right at about the centerline of the road.

So if there is any "light leakage" across the centerline, I can't see it, nor can any oncoming traffic.... Now, the high beams are another story. They literally flood the entire road with light. As they should. Which is why you can be ticketed if you fail to dim them for oncoming traffic. Regardless of what type of bulb you have in your socket.

I would describe the high beams almost exactly as Cujet's posted picture shows. So overall this was a fast, easy, cost effective improvement. Especially for anyone who lives in a rural environment that lacks street lights, or other urban lighting.

It's a simple "plug and play" swap out, that doesn't require changing out expensive assemblies, mounting additional lights, splicing into wiring, or struggling to modify existing sockets to fit oversize bulbs.

These particular bulbs have a very good customer satisfaction rating, which was one of the reasons I chose them. They're about to get another one.

 

[97prizm]

I put LEDs is my 2001 Tundra. There was no light projection down the road. I went back to stock. Hope you have better luck.

Have you ever tried a hid swap with oem components? Might be worth a look.

 

[Cujet]

may be a LOT of excess glare to affect others coming at you.

I actually cringe at the thought of the LED's in your headlights and we know where I fall on the extra light (aimed correctly) band camp.

The Beamtech guys do a great job shielding the low beam LED emitter. So the cutoff is inherent in the bulb and not the housing. Rotate the unit a few clicks left or right, while powered to adjust the cutoff angle properly. Then adjust the headlight aim properly and there is very little light outside of the pattern. They absolutely will not annoy oncoming drivers done this way. In fact my OEM 2024 F150 LED's are far worse with regard to glare than any of the Beamtech setups I've done.

They produce a great product. The issue is knowing which one to purchase as their lower priced offerings are not worth the effort.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

The Beamtech guys do a great job shielding the low beam LED emitter. So the cutoff is inherent in the bulb and not the housing. Rotate the unit a few clicks left or right, while powered to adjust the cutoff angle properly. Then adjust the headlight aim properly and there is very little light outside of the pattern. They absolutely will not annoy oncoming drivers done this way. In fact my OEM 2024 F150 LED's are far worse with regard to glare than any of the Beamtech setups I've done.

They produce a great product. The issue is knowing which one to purchase as their lower priced offerings are not worth the effort.

There is a large difference between many headlights and the absolutely poor beam pattern and design of the early '90's Fords with 9004 bulb.

I have no issues with the better LED's depending on vehicle and lights. I have some in some some vehicles, twisted to align, beam pattern and cutoff verified. Also no issue with HID, they are in other vehicles also verified for algnment. I had a set of H4 HID in my Sequoia, they had a good cutoff shield and operated on a magnet to move the capsule into alignment for high beam.

 

[Oillover]

I had read that Halogen bulbs can dim with age.

You are correct.

IMHO, the majority of folks with headlight issues (that aren't cloudy/hazy plastic lenses) would benefit greatly from a set of replacement halogen bulbs.
Not only are they cheaper than LED, they maintain the OEM beam pattern, while being easy to oncoming drivers.

 

[billt460]

....IMHO, the majority of folks with headlight issues (that aren't cloudy/hazy plastic lenses) would benefit greatly from a set of replacement halogen bulbs.
Not only are they cheaper than LED, they maintain the OEM beam pattern, while being easy to oncoming drivers.

I tried that. I bought and installed a pair of these Sylvania's several months back. (Bottom photo). They're supposed to be, "The Brightest Down Road + Whiter Light". While slighter "better", I honestly couldn't tell much, if any difference from an illumination standpoint.... Then I just gave up out of frustration.

Because you're basically replacing crap with more OEM crap. The fact of the matter is, (as Sequoiasoon stated in his post above), the whole 9004 Halogen bulb series is so bad, they're to the point of being dangerous.

I'll second that. Especially out here in the desert on dark, 55 - 65 MPH, 2 lane desert roads. Even at posted speed limits with the high beams on, you're dangerously over driving the dull beam they produce.

So at that point my options to fix this were severely limited....

1). Live with it.....

2). Take a gamble by replacing the entire expensive assembly with something that might or might not be any better.....

3). Start adding lights, drilling holes, and splicing into wiring, etc.....

4). Replace the crappy OEM Halogen bulbs with a good set of LED's.....

For me option # 4 was the easiest, cheapest, and most likely to succeed in yielding a positive result. And as it turned out, it worked out the best. I know a lot of people, "cringe at the thought of putting LED bulbs in a Halogen socket". (Again as Sequoiasoon mentioned in his above post).

But when you think this through it's the only option that becomes plausible for most people stuck with crappy headlights. This is why LED change outs are so popular, and why there are a ton of these things on the market... Some good, and some bad. The bad ones cause unneeded glare. The good ones solve the problem.

 

[97prizm]

The Beamtech guys do a great job shielding the low beam LED emitter. So the cutoff is inherent in the bulb and not the housing. Rotate the unit a few clicks left or right, while powered to adjust the cutoff angle properly. Then adjust the headlight aim properly and there is very little light outside of the pattern. They absolutely will not annoy oncoming drivers done this way. In fact my OEM 2024 F150 LED's are far worse with regard to glare than any of the Beamtech setups I've done.

They produce a great product. The issue is knowing which one to purchase as their lower priced offerings are not worth the effort.

Still has unacceptable hot spots and blue light streaks in the cutoff. Look at hidplanet for great oem hid retrofit options and cutoff shots.

 

[billt460]

Yet another matter that you have to give consideration to like it or not, is the fact in my case, because I'm dealing with such an old vehicle, (35 year old 1991), there are far fewer choices to select from, because most manufacturers are not going to go through the trouble of producing something with such a limited sales market.

The older a vehicle becomes, the fewer of them exist on the road. Hence the less likely you're going to find a plausible option that will yield a positive result. So taking that into consideration on top of everything else, I was lucky to have any success in this whole endeavor. So overall I'm even happier that it worked out as well as it did.

 

[Albin]

I'm going through this with my 96 Pathfinder. I e-mailed Daniel Stern for his recommendation and he has a pair of lights he recommends on their way to me. His first rec was to upgrade the wiring with an upgraded 30 amp relay wiring system.

 

[billt460]

I'm going through this with my 96 Pathfinder. I e-mailed Daniel Stern for his recommendation and he has a pair of lights he recommends on their way to me. His first rec was to upgrade the wiring with an upgraded 30 amp relay wiring system.

I would explore other less intrusive options before tearing into your vehicle's wiring.

 

[oil pan 4]

My old 1991 F-150 had really yellow, dim headlights. They're the original Halogen bulb type. I restored the lenses to like new condition, and it sits in the garage, so it's only exposed to UV light when I drive it.

I had read that Halogen bulbs can dim with age. I don't know if that's true or not. You don't notice gradual deterioration. But they never really seemed to be very bright. Especially out here on these desert roads in the dead of night. Even driving with the brights on, the road was poorly illuminated.

So I took a chance and looked high and low for a set of good rated LED bulbs that would fit my ageing Ford, that would be a "plug and play" easy swap out. I settled on these from Auxito. They came in the mail today, and I just finished installing them.

I installed one, then turned on the lights, and the difference is unbelievable! In a direct comparison, the old bulb looked like a yellow incandescent flashlight with a dying battery. The new LED was brilliant blue white.

I then installed the other one, and the change was really profound. I can't wait until dark to go for a ride and see how much better I'll be able to see. With the older bulbs I was over driving the beam at anything over 50 MPH. Even with the brights on.

If anyone is driving an older vehicle with ageing halogen lights, give these new LED replacements a shot. They're a huge improvement. And they didn't take all of 10 minutes to change out, and they fit perfectly.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN3S5RCV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Have you ever seen old halogen head light bulbs that haven't burnt out?
The tungsten vaporizes off the filament and deposits it's self on the glass, usually along the top half of the bulb the most. The old bulbs look like they're tinted. Not good.
That's why bulbs are rated for so much brightness for say 40hrs but they last way longer than those 40hrs. They just ain't as bright as they used to be.
Going to xenon bulbs will put off more light, the xenon gas will pull heat off the filament faster and emit more light, the bulb lasts longer with less of that tungsten shading. When compared to the old halogen headlights.

 

[oil pan 4]

I tried that. I bought and installed a pair of these Sylvania's several months back. (Bottom photo). They're supposed to be, "The Brightest Down Road + Whiter Light". While slighter "better", I honestly couldn't tell much, if any difference from an illumination standpoint.... Then I just gave up out of frustration.

Because you're basically replacing crap with more OEM crap. The fact of the matter is, (as Sequoiasoon stated in his post above), the whole 9004 Halogen bulb series is so bad, they're to the point of being dangerous.

I'll second that. Especially out here in the desert on dark, 55 - 65 MPH, 2 lane desert roads. Even at posted speed limits with the high beams on, you're dangerously over driving the dull beam they produce.

So at that point my options to fix this were severely limited....

1). Live with it.....

2). Take a gamble by replacing the entire expensive assembly with something that might or might not be any better.....

3). Start adding lights, drilling holes, and splicing into wiring, etc.....

4). Replace the crappy OEM Halogen bulbs with a good set of LED's.....

For me option # 4 was the easiest, cheapest, and most likely to succeed in yielding a positive result. And as it turned out, it worked out the best. I know a lot of people, "cringe at the thought of putting LED bulbs in a Halogen socket". (Again as Sequoiasoon mentioned in his above post).

But when you think this through it's the only option that becomes plausible for most people stuck with crappy headlights. This is why LED change outs are so popular, and why there are a ton of these things on the market... Some good, and some bad. The bad ones cause unneeded glare. The good ones solve the problem.

View attachment 348635

You can always add more lights.
I wired in a pair of 55w H3 lights I mounted to my Fords brush guard. They're ran off a relay that gets power when the highbeams are energized and power for the lights is pulled off the battery as to not overload existing wires.
If that's not enough I stick my 24 inch LED light bar with magnetic feet on top and plug it into the lighter port. Works best on people who drive around with their highbeams on all the time.

 

[billt460]

You can always add more lights.
I wired in a pair of 55w H3 lights I mounted to my Fords brush guard. They're ran off a relay that gets power when the highbeams are energized and power for the lights is pulled off the battery as to not overload existing wires.
If that's not enough I stick my 24 inch LED light bar with magnetic feet on top and plug it into the lighter port. Works best on people who drive around with their highbeams on all the time.

As they say, different strokes for different folks. I'm not willing to start adding lights and additional wiring to my vehicle. I feel I've solved the problem successfully, without creating one for other drivers.

And there will always be people who will disagree with that, no matter what you say or do... It all kind of reminds me of the lyrics to the Rick Nelson song, "Garden Party"... "You can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself".