hi there,

any recommendation for headlights high beam bulb that looks better than oem halogen bulb

will it damage the glass from heat or anything like this?

I have fitted cob led`s for the outer bulbs. You need to overcome the constant flashing caused by the cars bulb testing system. This can be done with a relay and load resistor on each side quite easily. In my opinion they are excellent, I had similar on my P38 before. Ensure your headlamps are aimed properly. The bulbs I used are similar to these....

Click image to enlarge

Bear in mind that no LED bulb can match the characteristics of a filament bulb, so an LED bulb will spread the light and generally reduce the intensity - this is often not noticed due to the difference in colour temperature. Also worth knowing that the warmer colour temperature and excellent colour rendering of the halogen bulbs is better for the eye.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

I disagree, the light intensity is massively greater and further reaching but understand any technical or legal argument will no doubt prove me wrong. I speak from real experience, in my opinion they are just better. 2007 TDV8 VSE
2003 TD6 gone.
2002 P38a gone
1999 P38a gone
1997 p38a gone
1993 VSE gone
1992 VSE gone
1966 Series 2a with V8 conversion gone

Actually, I was forgetting we're talking standard wattage bulbs, so the intensity is not necessarily reduced (but could still be), but neither is it increased as lumen figures would suggest - the LEDs emit a lot more light, but it is more scattered by their size and the fact they aren't placed on the focal point. In terms of how far one can see, this is less about overall intensity and more about beam - a wider spread beam will detract from long distance vision because our eyes balance out the light levels they are receiving.

What you perceive to be much brighter is actually a much higher colour temperature - we are simply awful at judging true the intensity. In the natural word, higher colour temperature generally comes with higher intensity, so humans are evolved to use this because, with the requirement of our eyes to see in different lighting levels, it is not possible for us to measure intensity. Higher colour temperature is also harder for our eyes to process, so we see more glare from it, which again, is often wrongly thought to mean it is brighter; which is the same reason a warmer light is beneficial.

 Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Again I disagee, they light distances far in excess of halogen and genuine hids but know on paper you can easily prove me wrong. 2007 TDV8 VSE
2003 TD6 gone.
2002 P38a gone
1999 P38a gone
1997 p38a gone
1993 VSE gone
1992 VSE gone
1966 Series 2a with V8 conversion gone

Which is the whole point - not everything can be determined by looking; not least, the placebo effect is huge. However much you may think they allow you to see much further, they actually don't. I'm not trying to be difficult and have no reason to be dishonest about it; I'm just trying to spread a little clarity in an area where the consumer is extremely vulnerable to bogus claims by manufacturers.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

+1 Agree

The reflectors in the lamps are designed for either Halogen filament bulbs or a different design of reflector for HID bulbs. This is due to the position the of the light source within the bulb. If you fit LED bulbs then the light source will not be in the focal point of the lamp and therefore not be focused properly.

In the UK it is illegal to fit LED bulbs in main beam or high beam unless the lamp unit is designed for LED bulbs. 56 TDV8 Vogue SE
9 Freelanders, 2x 2002 TD4ES, 2001 TD4, 2002 1.8GS, 2000 XEDI, 2x 2000 1.8ES, 2004 1.8 & 2000 1.8 GS (rolled)
91 Lotus Carlton (sold)
90 Lotus Elan (BRG)

I'm torn on this one - I bought LED H3's for the lights on my boat and they were awful - maybe I just bought the wrong ones but haven't tried since.

Last week I bought an LED upgrade for my torch - and I did a a test of pointing it at trees in the distance when it was dark - the LED is better than the original bulb - better in that I can see a tree that is further away.

I don't much care whether that is down to colour temperature or voodoo - I can see further so the LED is better in that instance.

I understand that a torch is different to a car headlight, but the reflector in that was not optimised for an LED, so gives me hope that I can switch my boat to LED if I find the right bulb

Or am I missing something ?

In that case, Alistair, yes, I'm sure it's a real difference, because the LED probably did have a lot more to offer over the torch bulb.

Don't get me wrong, LEDs can have great power to offer, but sometimes they are not better than a filament bulb. A lot depends on the beam produced too - the narrower the beam the worse the effect, and there'll be many other variations according to the reflectors.

You can see how the issue arises here:



As an example, if the original filament produces 1500lm (as per a standard H7 bulb) with a 20 degree (average) beam it would output 15,741cd. It's quite conceivable that the LED bulb might spread the beam to 40 degrees (or more) - taking the 3600lm figure as the example, this would produce only 9,500cd. Suppose it spreads to 60 degrees and we'd be left with just 4,276cd.

It is easy for an upgrade to become a significant downgrade which you can't even see.

 Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

I can just about follow that

I had a Phillips Xenon kit in my FF’s full beam and the light was INCREDIBLE!!! Probably illegal but never failed an MOT

I have LED headlamp bulbs & full beam bulbs in another car which has elliptical headlights (i think thats what they are called? The same headlamp units as a FF) and in that car they are AMAZING!!! Such an improvement its unbelievable! & Thats 15yr old!

BUT! i put a set of LED H4’s (although a different manufacturer than above) in my van & well! Dog S t!!! Beam pattern went everywhere like a boy racers Corsa!

That would make sense, Craig, as an elliptical reflector is designed to converge the light on one point and then have it aimed by the lens (rather than aligned in a near parallel manner by the reflector), so the scatter was probably compensated for.

HID, while not perfect, is the better option (bar the warm up issues) if a decent kit is chosen, and despite LEDs' higher efficacy, is still king of the power thanks to it's high exitance from a very small area.

As far as serious upgrades go though, auxiliary lighting is the only way.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

The easiest way to get rid of the flicker on sidelamp and rear lamp LED upgrades is to either leave the lights on all the time when driving or enable the Canadian or Scandinavian light policy in the CCF  FFRR MY06 facelift With TDV8 Alloys Zeros/ATR's
Mantec Sump Guard, Rigid Load liner, MY10 BT upgrade.

Craig, can you recommend me a bulb for full beam? That would not flicker or cause headlight lens damagae? Thank you