LED headlight "conversion" on T1N

InterBlog said:

I bought a batch of these, which were recommended by Millionmilesprinter.

Click to expand...

Personally, (especially in a hot climate) i'd stay away from extra-powered lamps that required a fan to survive.

Yes, it's true (and even possibly "quite likely") that it could be the electronics that are failing (due to heat? cheap construction?) , but why push the limits?

--dick
p.s. InterBlog? Will 3rd-party add-ons be a part of the "what to expect to fail and when" list?

Guys, this is a solution looking for a problem. I’m all for bedazzling but just know that if you have 6000k lights and I’m oncoming I’ll wait till the last second and blast you with my brights. It’s dangerous and irresponsible to run blue headlamps, and they are also a poor choice for the driver as they flatten out colors and also don’t penetrate fog for ****e.
Please, for the love of everyone else on the road please leave your halogen headlamps alone. There’s a reason cars still come with them.

Gabe, I respect your opinion on the 6000k blue lights but how about 6500k? That’s what I went with, they put out a white light, don’t seem to bother other drivers even in wet conditions, seem to project in a very similar pattern as the halogens, and claim DOT approval. I just got tired of replacing the halogens so often and they let me see a bit better at night. I tried polishing my lenses with good results but the halogens don’t compare

VoRock8 R2 COB H7 8000LM LED... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N01QE3S?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

My eyes are more sensitive than some. And most people don’t fight back like I do so I’m not sure how you know they don’t bother people. As far as longevity a factory bulb should last half a decade or more so maybe there’s something wrong, and maybe the led will outlast them but I’d be very surprised if they do. Led biggest problem is reliability. And if my headlamp bulbs ever have pc fans on them then I do want you to shoot me.

That’s fair. I turned on the lights and walked about 100 yards out to see what I thought when I put them in because I was concerned that they’d be obnoxious. As I walked in a bit of a zig zag back towards the van, ducking here and there to get a sedan’s perspective, I didn’t get the glare in the sides of my eyes that the blue lights put out and didn’t find myself blinded except when I was about 20 feet out, dead center while squatting down, just like normal.

I live in the city of Philadelphia. People aren’t at all shy about sharing their opinions here.I’d assume that the proliferation of potholes in the city of brotherly love could be a primary contributing factor in halogen bulbs blowing ahead of schedule. So far solid state is holding up well.

5000 to 5500 is true daylight (it's the sun's "color")

6500 is even further into the blue than 6000

"Normal" household incandescent is 2700 K

--dick (K = Kelvin)

I urge anyone modifying their low beams, to perform a headlight pattern check before and after (google it or check the service manual). Basically you mark the cut-off line on a wall or garage door from a certain distance. You are just looking for comparison line.

Then do the same test with the new bulbs. I can almost guarantee the beam pattern will be atrocious, tons of light high up on the drivers side, etc. It really wreaks havoc with the vision of oncoming traffic.

Midwestdrifter said:

I urge anyone modifying their low beams, to perform a headlight pattern check before and after (google it or check the service manual). Basically you mark the cut-off line on a wall or garage door from a certain distance. You are just looking for comparison line.

Then do the same test with the new bulbs. I can almost guarantee the beam pattern will be atrocious, tons of light high up on the drivers side, etc. It really wreaks havoc with the vision of oncoming traffic.

Click to expand...

Yep, while simultaneously reducing penetration and visibility for the owner. If you need more light than stock you either need to replace the housings, adjust the aim, or quit driving at night. I’m all for customization and I’m not one of these guys who thinks Mercedes can do no wrong, but to think that you can do better without sacrificing safety than merc is pure arrogance. Unfortunately for grumpy old farts like me, this forum thread will not help the world because most sprinter owners are responsible conscious drivers, it’s the D bag BMW tuner dorks that are the main hazard lol.

Are the adjustment for the height of the beam only on MH's? Not the Hi/Low but the aim of either beam?

The dial on the left adjusts them down by about 3 degrees. Can be useful sometimes.

autostaretx said:

5000 to 5500 is true daylight (it's the sun's "color")

6500 is even further into the blue than 6000

"Normal" household incandescent is 2700 K

--dick (K = Kelvin)

Click to expand...

And halogen bulbs are about 3200K.

The blue/green colour of highway-use LED lamps sticks out because we're not used to that colour. Just like halogen bulbs stuck out when they appeared. Or when 12VDC headlights supplanted 6VDC.

I am among those who retrofitted LEDs for my halogen H7s. Among my very first complaints (ie on the first night out) concerned the lameness of the T1N headlights. It was that deficit that drove my decision to upgrade the H7 bulbs, not the money I spent replacing them every year.

The simple truth is that I can see better. Living and driving mostly in a remote rural area, this is a good thing.

The other simple truth is that the pattern is not as well constrained with the LED H7s - undoubtedly due to optical issues. I've never been flashed by oncoming traffic, but I am aware that there is more LHS spillage. I've experimented with a mask on the headlight surface with poor results. Those nacelles are a complex optical system.

It's not just us white van men, either. I see some incredibly bright oncoming lights from commercial vehicles, especially the big rigs.