Experiment: The cost of Headlights

[endurance]

Check the deal extreme website for cheap LEDs. Free shipping, too. I haven't ordered their car LEDs, but I have a number of their flashlights and they're a great value.

While my long-term plan is to build an LED headlight, in the short run, I'd at least like to make an LED daytime running light I could turn off. Driving in the morning, I don't need illumination to see the road, but I sure want it to avoid getting hit by sleepy drivers.

Nice job on the testing, Brucey.

[Varn]

Last Wednesday I was sitting at a stop sign with a car opposing me. There was a car moving down the highway from my left. I had my headlights on at 1 in the afternoon. The car that was opposing me turned left in front of the car coming in from the left. The turning car apparently noticed the car and switched to the oncoming lane allowing the car with the right of way to pass him on the right and avoiding a high speed collision. Neither of these cars had their lights on.

My take on this is that although there is a fuel mileage effect there is also a safety effect that can not be overlooked.

I see people traveling at dusk and early morning on the road without lights on. Are they trying to save gas?

A one watt Luxeon LED would not light up the road much but they do provide a lot of glare and might be useful as an alternative to headlights for daylight running.

[RobertSmalls]

You'll find me driving with just the corner lights on (looks identical from the rear) on divided highways when ambient lighting is marginal.

Also, two minutes of sitting with the engine off really takes a toll on my states of charge, so I make sure I don't run the brake lights. During windows-down weather, I'll also use hand signals at long lights. Headlights? Usually not optional in those situations, but I wish they were.

[Frank Lee]

^I do those things too. I can oftentimes tell the difference in alternator load tween brake lights on or off just by the sound/speed of the engine at idle.

[endurance]

Yep, I pretty much always turn down the parking lights and put on the parking brake while waiting at lights. In Colorado it's illegal to drive with parking lights on, so I hesitate to run down the highway with them on. Just a couple 3-5w LEDs and I'd be golden. I'm not sure how to swing it yet, but I'm sure I'll get bored enough this winter to figure something out.

[PaleMelanesian]

At dawn/dusk I do the same, parking lights. It's the same in the rear as headlights on. I have considered changing all those lights to LED (front corners and taillights). Most people are approaching me from behind anyway.

At night if I'm in the middle of a group at a stoplight, I will shut the headlights off as well. It's kinder to the people in front of me as well as saving a little battery.

[Sulfuric]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

You'll find me driving with just the corner lights on (looks identical from the rear) on divided highways when ambient lighting is marginal.

Also, two minutes of sitting with the engine off really takes a toll on my states of charge, so I make sure I don't run the brake lights. During windows-down weather, I'll also use hand signals at long lights. Headlights? Usually not optional in those situations, but I wish they were.

I replaced my burnt out side marker lights for this reason. When there is enough lighting that I don't need my headlights but I feel that I need to light my car up to other people, at dawn/dusk. Also, at night when I'm at a light, I usually turn off my headlights depending on how long the light, as I don't want to risk my engine not restarting due to low battery power. I had that happen once (on an old battery, however) and I don't want that to happen again. The side marker lights are still on so my car is not invisible to other cars, and my turn signals are on if I'm in a turning lane.

When it gets dark enough that I feel it's a safety hazard, headlights stay on, of course, but I don't like running them if I can avoid it.

[PaleMelanesian]

Exactly. Taillights and front marker lights for when THEY need to see me. Headlights for when I need to see.

[Sulfuric]

I just bought leds from superbrightleds.com, when they get here I my tail lights, side marker lights, dome light, and dashboard lights will all be led. I was going to get led turn signals too, but they are $5 per bulb, and I need 4 of them, and I figured that it would take decades before breaking even considering how little turn signals are used compared to tail lights/side marker lights/interior lights. I spend $37 for all those including shipping, as my xmas present to myself. It would have been nearly $60 with the turn signals, and that's just not a good enough deal for me.