Brighter Lights

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Nick123
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Does anybody out there have any experience and advice regarding LED mainbeam/dipped headlight bulbs, please?

A colleague is smitten by aurorabulbs.com and has recommended them to me.

It seems that they are a simple fit, draw less current, give more light and produce less heat than the current conventional bulbs.

Winter draws on (Scottish Highlands) and I would like to upgrade the lights on my 1988 460.

Although their performance seems brilliant they are costly and I would like to know more before proceeding.

Many thanks, as ever, Nick.

 

P.S.  I know that, technically, bulbs are planted in the soil and I should refer to the above as "lamps". However, old habits die hard.

Arnie
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Re: Brighter Lights

do you have any pictures or links?

generally, LED lamps are a little larger than conventional lamps, as they are composed of many little LEDs, so I'd check they fit properly and also see if there is a guarantee with them, as some LEDs have early failures.

Probably not totally legal, either?

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights
Thanks, Arnie. At the moment I am enquiring of "aurora.com" and "HorizonLED.com". As I understand it their bulbs are legal. However, for them to give me advice on what I should order they are wanting details of the bulbs already used on my G-W as their records only start from '93 G-W 463s. Once I am off shift and home I will have a look and try to give them more detailed info as to my current bulb designations (H4?), although I am reasonably confident that the headlights and sidelights on an '88 G-W 460 will be just like those on a '93 G-W 463.
M2dxb
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Re: Brighter Lights

Here's a good thread on some alternatives - if you're going for LED might as well get the proper housing and lens designed for that light source:

 

http://www.pointedthree.com/disc/forums/showthread.php?tid=20980

 

Fitting non-halogen (LED, Xenon, etc) bulbs in a halogen housing is not advisable, according to this article:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversion...

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights
Many thanks, M2dxb. As something of a bumpkin in the world of electrickery I am grateful for any advice. It is not HID bulb set-ups that I am considering but LED straight swap bulbs. i.e. Current (H4?) bulbs out and brighter, cooler LED bulbs drawing less power in... with nothing else (e.g. relays) to tinker with. My budget could not run to replacement of complete light units. I am bending the ear of every engineer I work with on the boat. They guesstimate that, although costly, LED bulbs have the potential to run non-stop for approx. six years and they are all enthusiastic about the current offerings of LED bulbs now available. However, they are not the ones forking out the cash so, as I said, any advice and experience would be gratefully received. There is nothing I can do for at least a couple of weeks anyway so, although I would like brighter lights before the long, dark, wet winter nights I cannot be in a tearing hurry. Thanks again and all the best. Nick.
Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights

Well, I've been and gone and done it...

After countless hours of counselling from various worthies I have ordered a pair of H4 LED headlamp bulbs and a pair of T4W LED sidelamp bulbs from Aurora Bulbs (aurorabulbs.com)

Total delivered price: £107.02

My understanding is that they are plug and play, legal, draw less power and are wondrously brighter than the current set up yet do not dazzle oncoming traffic.

Time will tell whether their confident statements and myyouthful optimism are justified.

Take care out there.

Nick.

markhowes
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Re: Brighter Lights

Please do come back and tell us (a) if they really were plug and play and (b) how much brighter they turn out to be.

 

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights

I certainly will, Mark.

Here's hoping for some dark autumn nights and a triumph of youthful optimism!

yes

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights

The LED lights are in... and they are brilliant, with massively improved illumination and hugely better spread than the originals. The 7G Philips LUMILEDS LED 4000 Lumens Headlight Conversion Kit - H4/6000K shows up the red deer and the bank voles in a way previously unimaginable. At the same time I have experienced no bother at all with dazzling other road users.

Initially the H4 lamps with their cigarette packet sized (am I allowed to say that?) gubbins appear too cumbersome to fit the 460 headlamp cowls. However, they DO fit. At £120 a brace (minus special discount) it is worth doing everything slowly, methodically and with plenty of soft rags. Because LED lamps emit no discernible heat that would usually dry any moisture I put a lot of effort into ensuring that the inside of the lens was dry and properly sealed. After 28 years they were not.

On recommendation I got my lamps from "aurorabulbs.com". The very secure package arrived within days of ordering  You gets what you pays for - and it's worth it

As an electrical bumpkin my sole gripe (a minor one indeed) is that I would have appreciated a little more reassuring hand-holding from the supplier - who seemed to be something of a one man band. However, that is but a small gripe and commonsense rose to the occasion.

Were I a young adolescent I would post pictures here.

I am not, so I have not.

Suffice to say that the LED transformation is highly recommended. For anyone who lives in suburbia they look the business; for anyone who lives outwith suburbia they do the business.

mud
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Re: Brighter Lights

Just seen this post, I've had led bulbs in my w463 headlights for the last 6 months and they are awesome. I bought mine from ebay. The only mistake I made was with the colour temperature as mine are slightly blue / purple. If I bought again I would have 4300 k ones. I have replaced nearly all my bulbs for leds as I figured they are fit and forget and use much less power. Cheers Mud

g wagon g
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Re: Brighter Lights

Hi Nick

Your lights seem the business. You said you were no good at electronics???. As my daughter said once. Are you kidding me. Yes i was lol

Were you kidding me???

So h4 headlamps and an easy fit?. I am bothered about headlamp dazzle towards other traffic, Or am i?????

If not set correct with proper lights its not good but with proper uk lights in rhd issue ther is no issue

I see trucks with poorly set headlights that you dont want to make contact with. Cars with shitty headlamps fitted by boy racers and dole dossers that are probably not insured anyway with headlamps that are far from correctly set even roughly to be legal.

Pimping their cars with cheap lights off ebay from china no doubt

Spotlight in cigarette lighter out of window helps but in winter your hand gets cold lol

Send full details of kit please

                                      G

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights
Good morning Gaz. I was advised to go for the Philips lamps - as above - and no cheap imitation. I got the LUMILED H4 kit from "aurorabulbs.com". Their range is vast. They look as though they come from the U.S. of A. Clues lie in the American style of spelling. While I was at it I replaced the sidelamps too. At some point I plan to swap the spots and reversing lamps. The vehicles will be like a rolling Christmas tree. Honestly... I adjusted nothing! I simply withdrew the original H4 bulbs and put in the new LED set, which includes a small ciggie pack sized module for each bulb. I think (?) that it regulates the flow of electrickery. The whole lot fits snugly inside the headlamp cowl. The beam setting was correctly set to begin with so I did not alter anything and no one but no one has complained to me about dazzle - even though the lighting is much improved. Two friends (L/R 110 and a big ol' ex-Highland mobile library converted to a camper-van) have also upgraded their lighting to LED and they too report no dazzlement. Although trepidatious (it's a leap into the dark after all. Ha! Ha!) I am pleased to have done the job. As I said above, the key is to do it all slowly and methodically. No... I do not understand electrickery - everything about it is too logical for me - so I was relieved that I needed to do nothing but a straight swap. Good luck. All the best, Nick.
spike1
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Re: Brighter Lights

Hi Nick, looks very interesting, I'm going to change mine, stupid question though, are the side lamp bulbs different to the main bulbs, if so what ones did you order? Thanks Paul 

spike1
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Re: Brighter Lights

Lol, forget my last post!! Just read your posts properly!!! 

Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights
Hello Paul. The sidelamps I ordered from James at aurorabulbs were: "CANBUS BA9S/233/T4W 4 LED 360 BULBS (PAIR)" at £5.95. I took the reference from the metal base on the original bulbs and everything fitted just as it should. The lights are bright white and crisp. Good luck. N.
BigTom
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Re: Brighter Lights

Cheers Nick.

Nights are fair drawing in so just ordered a set, plus side lights.

Tom

montreal
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Re: Brighter Lights

Thanks for the heads up. Just fitted a set to use in the rurals. Couldnt see a thing recently at night. Like driving in daytime now.

The sidelights wouldnt work for me. They wouldnt stay on. I'm going to try some non Canbus types as I dont have it. I think theyre sensitive to the connectors as standard work no problem. I will probably replace the H4 connectors with new ones as they are quite exposed like you say> best to clean it all with switch/contact cleaner I think.

MTHamill
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Re: Brighter Lights
Before I order a set of Philips LED headlight bulbs as discussed here I would like to ask if anyone has gone through a MOT after fitting and did they pass?
Nick123
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Re: Brighter Lights
Our 460 sailed through the MoT no bother at all, oncoming vehicles are not annoyed by the dipped beam and we can see the ubiquitous deer earlier than before. However, I have still not found suitable reversing light LEDs... Any advice would be gratefully pondered.