LED headlights on fleabay

[Gary Lewis]

You could measure load off the battery with them all switched on.It's a more pragmatic and real world approach.The milliwatts that memory uses are less that rounding error.LED's are about 1/8 (12%) the wattage for same lumens.But there has been noticed an effect where everyone from governments and industry to apartment dwellers add more light because it's cheaper and easier to maintain.(And "because they want to")

Definitely an easier approach, and gets all the bits and pieces you may miss. What I like about where Gary is going, if he feels up to it, is it could evolve to where you could basically do a build on paper combining standard and LED bulbs to see how much power you need, say to size an alternator or something. Granted, going for the largest you can fit generally solves that problem without playing around.

What I had in mind was something like this, which started life as a page from the 1981 owner's manual. So, as I fill in the wattage behind the spreadsheet will automagically have the calcs. Then I add it to the above-mentioned page, and y'all can play.

 

[Danny G]

I don't think changing out all the bulbs in my dash saved too many watts, but it sure is brighter!

probably not lol.

Head lights, markers, tail lights then all running lights and interior lights together may scrap you few watts.

[Gary Lewis]

probably not lol.

Head lights, markers, tail lights then all running lights and interior lights together may scrap you few watts.

Check out the new page: Documentation/Electrical/Lighting/Lighting Specs & Calculations.

But that's really just a draft. We can change it as desired.

[82F150I6]

Back to the original topic of LED headlights, does anyone have an idea how these plastic lenses will hold up over time? I live in Arizona where the Sun delights in transforming clear plastic into a cloudy, milky mess.

[old55pete]

Back to the original topic of LED headlights, does anyone have an idea how these plastic lenses will hold up over time? I live in Arizona where the Sun delights in transforming clear plastic into a cloudy, milky mess.

Most of the ones I have seen here in the Prescott Valley AZ area that are over a year old or so have become white or milkie looking in that short amount of time.

[82F150I6]

Most of the ones I have seen here in the Prescott Valley AZ area that are over a year old or so have become white or milkie looking in that short amount of time.

Steve,

I was afraid of that. Guess I'll stick with the ol' incandescent headlights.

BTW, I'm in Chino Valley.

-Walt

[ArdWrknTrk]

Steve,

I was afraid of that. Guess I'll stick with the ol' incandescent headlights.

BTW, I'm in Chino Valley.

-Walt

Walt, don't they have glass shells intended for H4 bulbs?

I know there are LED replacements for those.

You just have to be careful the heatsinks the back will clear the battery.

[Gary Lewis]

Walt, don't they have glass shells intended for H4 bulbs?

I know there are LED replacements for those.

You just have to be careful the heatsinks the back will clear the battery.

There are glass shells intended for the H4 bulbs. But, I do not think LED H4 replacements will work properly in them. I've tried to explain that in the Lighting Upgrades thread, but let me try again, briefly, here.

If you look at the reflector and H4 bulb from the side you'll see that the reflector is a parabola such that light from a single point, called the focal point, reflects horizontally. And the filament of the H4 bulb lays horizontally so it is a dot, right at the focal point.

But LED's are not configured that way. There are multiple LED's in an H4 replacement and therefore they aren't at the focal point. So their light doesn't reflect horizontally. Instead, it comes off in all sorts of angles and the result is that you don't get a focused beam of light. Yes, the lens tries to focus it, but there are limitations to what it can do.

[ArdWrknTrk]

There are glass shells intended for the H4 bulbs. But, I do not think LED H4 replacements will work properly in them. I've tried to explain that in the Lighting Upgrades thread, but let me try again, briefly, here.

If you look at the reflector and H4 bulb from the side you'll see that the reflector is a parabola such that light from a single point, called the focal point, reflects horizontally. And the filament of the H4 bulb lays horizontally so it is a dot, right at the focal point.

But LED's are not configured that way. There are multiple LED's in an H4 replacement and therefore they aren't at the focal point. So their light doesn't reflect horizontally. Instead, it comes off in all sorts of angles and the result is that you don't get a focused beam of light. Yes, the lens tries to focus it, but there are limitations to what it can do.

Well, you're right on that count....

But what kind of geometry do you think the plastic replacement reflectors have?

With the LED bulbs like I have I doubt you could even shape the reflector to focus it and still fit in the mount.

I'm looking for diffuse light, so it's all good.

But this thread is about replacement headlamps.

[Gary Lewis]

Well, you're right on that count....

But what kind of geometry do you think the plastic replacement reflectors have?

With the LED bulbs like I have I doubt you could even shape the reflector to focus it and still fit in the mount.

I'm looking for diffuse light, so it's all good.

But this thread is about replacement headlamps.

I would hope that a complete LED headlight replacement that has the DOT certification has worked out the geometry/lens combination. But that would be a very complex thing unless they can put the LED at the focal point.

But if you are looking for diffused light, like for your fog light application, maybe an LED replacement works. But which one? From what I've seen there are many different configurations. However, that's not the topic of this thread, as you said.