Retrofit LED bulbs?

[Spetz]

Hi everyone,

One of my low beam H7 bulbs recently blew in my 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante.

The bulbs were Phillips Extreme Vision which I was happy with however with a life of about 3 years I was a bit disappointed.

Just wondering if it is a good idea to go with LED bulbs instead?

I would like a whiter and brighter light output but don't want to blind drivers.

Should I just buy another pair of the Phillips Extreme Vision or would LED lights such as the Phillips Ultinon suit my needs?

 

[Kestas]

My understanding is that LED lights throw light differently from tungsten filaments. LED lights should only be used for headlamp housings designed for them. Or is this true only for taillights?

Maybe someone with experience can chime in.

 

[Taildragger]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
My understanding is that LED lights throw light differently from tungsten filaments. LED lights should only be used for headlamp housings designed for them. Or is this true only for taillights?

Maybe someone with experience can chime in.


I wish more people knew this!!

 

[brianl703]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
My understanding is that LED lights throw light differently from tungsten filaments. LED lights should only be used for headlamp housings designed for them. Or is this true only for taillights?

Maybe someone with experience can chime in.


Yes, it is true, furthermore, in the USA it's a violation of Federal law to sell or import LED bulbs intended to be used to replace halogen bulbs for headlight use.

 

[brianl703]

More info: from http://www.aapexshow.com/2018/CUSTOM/ima...-LED%20Kits.pdf


HID/LED Conversion Kits
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified a large influx of HID/LED conversion kits for use in motor
vehicle headlamps. These kits are considered replacement motor vehicle equipment and therefore are subject to the Replacement
Equipment section of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108 Lamps, Reflective, Devices and Associated
Equipment, 49 CFR § 571.108.HID/LED conversion kits do not meet the requirements of FMVSS No. 108 and therefore cannot be
lawfully imported into the United States or sold in the United States. See 49 U.S.C § 30112 (a)(1).
FMVSS No. 108 requires, in part, that each replaceable light source be designed to conform to certain dimensional and electrical
specifications. Thus, in order to use a replaceable light source in a replaceable bulb headlamp, a manufacturer must first have
submitted certain information with respect to it (and its ballast if required), or it may use a light source (and ballast if required) if its
specifications are already filed in Part 564. As of the date of this document, there are no LED replaceable light sources filed in Part
564. The HID replaceable sources filed in Part 564 are D1R, D1S, D2R, DD2S, D3R, D3S, D4R, D4S, D5S, D7S, D8S, D9S, and 9500.
Please see the back for a list for all Part 564 light sources.
As the law requires that any motor vehicle replaceable light source offered for sale in the United States comply with the
requirements of FMVSS No. 108, it is illegal to manufacture, sell, offer for sale, import, or introduce into interstate commerce any
HID/LED kit that contains a replaceable light source whose base was modified or manufactured to be interchangeable with any
regulated headlamp replaceable light source that incorporates a different light source design.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: Spetz
... One of my low beam H7 bulbs recently blew in my 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante.

The bulbs were Phillips Extreme Vision which I was happy with however with a life of about 3 years I was a bit disappointed. ...
For longer life and no conversion headaches, just buy the standard Phillips (or other respectable brand) halogen bulb.

 

[michaelluscher]

If you want to retrofit HID or LED, you'll have to convert to projectors

If a headlight assembly with projectors in it is not available off the shelf, you'll have to disassemble your headlights and install individual projectors

The retrofit source has all the info and parts

 

[mk378]

The OP is in Australia so laws may be different there.

The Ultinon headlight LED conversion bulbs are sold for rally, racing, and other off-road use only. In the USA they would not be legal on public roads. And probably a bad idea everywhere since when installed in stock headlights, they're likely to have a light pattern that blinds oncoming drivers.