has anyone used led's for headlights

[RobertISaar]

that is far better thermal management than most LED setups. i would be worried about light output pattern though... i've never seen a LED setup quite like that before.

[NeilBlanchard]

Here are some interesting LED headlight lamps:

http://www.amazon.com/Generic-2500LM...4980237&sr=1-2

24W / 28W at 2200 lumens / 2400 lumens. The size of the heatsink fan portion may be an issue, and the ballast has to be mounted securely, but in general, these look darn good.

[RobertISaar]

i think light distribution is going to be spotty with those..... incandescents would generate light more or less equally in everydirection(except for the axis that the filament is strung from), those only look to produce light in 2 less than 180* hemispheres.

if the housing were designed with such a light pattern, that isn't a problem.

[gone-ot]

The CREE brand-name has credibility, but one has to wonder if those are made-in-USA (good) or made-in-China (questionable)?

[NeilBlanchard]

Bulbs with filaments have a reflector that directs the light, so it is focused to meet the DOT requirements. So, I think the directionality of a LED is not going to be a problem. In theory at least, they still have to be DOT compliant.

I will take a look at the space behind the Leaf's headlights and if these look like they will fit, I am tempted to get them. Cutting the power consumption by slightly more than half, and almost doubling the light output, makes these quite tempting.

[NeilBlanchard]

I just ordered these 20W LED high low beam H4 bulbs:

Amazon.com: Generic CREE H4 LED Headlight Conversion Kit - 2 pcs H4 LED Headlight Bulbs w/ 2 Installation Cables - 40W 2400LM 6000K Waterproof IP-68 for Replacing Halogen & HID Bulbs - H4 Dual-beam LED - Pack of 2: Automotive



These look like they are well made, and I like the passively cooled design - they don't depend on a tiny fan to keep it cool, and they are lower power consumption than any I found. The power supply looks much smaller than most, as well.

[Vman455]

I've been running a similar pair of LED headlights for ~13,000 miles or so. No problems so far.

[NeilBlanchard]

Okay, I got these LED headlight bulbs, and getting them into the socket is going to be a trick - the "neck" between the flange and the heatsink is too short to easily allow the wire retaining clip to be put into place. Never mind the rubber boot that covers the stock bulb - just fitting these into place will be a chore.

I did put in the passenger's side one (without clipping it in) and powered it up. It is quite blue/white and pretty bright, and seems to have a well focused beam. The driver's side on my car requires the 12V battery and the fusebox be loosened and moved a bit to gain a bit of less difficult access.

This may have to wait for a warm day when I can figure out how to get them installed securely. Some of the housing might have to be cut away so the wire clip can be moved into position?