Dommazz

I just ordered a 2016 XLT sport with the 302A. Now i know they dont come with LED head light or tail lights. So my question is, what do you guys think? Like the post is titled, HID VS. LED VS. OEM LED?

Thanks

MGD

G'Mawnin', Howdy an' Welcome thar, Hoss!

Whut'all I think is, ye'll be a-waitin' on ye truck ferever, as they's ain't no sichy thang as an XLT wif a '502A' . 302A is tops, an' they ain't no LEDs 'er HID's in 'er, (as ye kee-reck'ly noted).

Ye kin do a couple thangs:

- stay wif Stock halogens

-change ye order to a Larry-At 502A an' gitche 'OEM LEDs' included wif ye truck

- contact Dawson @ Raptor Retrofit an' order some OEM LEDs with harnesses (an' keep yer originals)

- retrofit some quality HID projectors into ye halogen heads (find a donor set to work on - keep the originals).

Now - reckon Ol' Bubber know'd what direction ye's headed (drop-in PnP Garbage), an' further reckon no one hyur ain't gunna talk ye oot' thet anytime soon. Thet path be leadin' ye t' Purgatory, bad juju, junk science an' crappy lightin'.

Lastly - be advised. The real nature o' yer first post is very clear to me. And to others. So tread lightly, aight?

G'luck.

MGD

Dommazz

Yes my apologies it is a 302A, and im already 8 weeks deep so its a little too late and expensive to be switching to the lariat

And im not sure what you mean by your last two statement. If you believe im here to drop my own crapy products or to start wars n **** your wrong. Im just a first time ford owner who has had some ****ty elecrtical situation in past cars, and im just trying to get some of the ford community's opinion.

Thanks

eyecandynsx

Pretty sure what he means is, don't throw plug n play hid kit or led kit in your halogen housings.

230748

Here we go... lol.

You can use a "plug and play kit" but it needs to be a quality one. Not some cheap one you find on amazon. The kit needs to have gone through testing and needs to NOT blind oncoming drivers.

You can put LED lights in your halogen housing, I know first hand because it's what my business is based off of and it's what I use in my own truck (I wouldn't put just any ole LED system in my truck).

Some call me biased since it's my business, but in all honest, my company was started when I had issues with those plug and play kits when I first bought my F-150 and worked hard to find a kit that worked VERY WELL with our trucks, and then began putting kits together. The rest is history. But $140 for a pair of bulbs.

You can also put in the "Raptor Retrofit" LED kit... it's an actual OEM LED Kit from Ford... but they provide the wiring harness to work with your halogen harness. Expensive, $1,650 for a pair.

As far as LED lights go elsewhere... MOST of us upgrade our taillights/turn lights/etc... to LED because they last pretty much the life of the truck and look great.

PM me if you need info on what kits to buy for your truck.

HID however, stay away, it's an old technology/old system. That's why newer cars are going to LED over HID. Ford used to do HID, now they do LED. Nissan is the same way...it's just where companies are going. LED lasts longer, uses less power and is more durable.

fseries54303

Amen! And OP just remember, retrofit is just as Illegal as well. ANY headlight modification after it leaves the assembly line is a no-no.

MGD needs to go back to school or stick to the hillbilly forums!

elricfate

Actually, that's one thing I'll disagree with you over.

Auto companies are moving to LED and away from HID only because LED is far easier to produce and does not use a gas suspension to ensure an arc is formed inside the bulb. (read: easier and cheaper)

It's a matured technology, LEDs, but the applications for them are not near the mature phase at this time. Automotive applications in particular, are lagging but are catching up. I'd say within the next two-three years automotive LED technology will be at a plateau of development, but until then it's still an immature technology.

Especially given that every plant who makes dies in China is suddenly coming into the idea that making headlights could be very lucrative. So you get a handful that are good and a hundred that are terrible between reflectors at the die being ****-poor, improper heatsinking, improper soldering, improper handling causing the phosphorous layer to be thin or non-existent.

I'm not saying there's not good ones out there, but even the good ones are going to suffer in terms of usable light, correct light dispersal using a halogen reflector (given that LEDs are directional at best), and longevity.

I'm not advocating one or the other but making a blanket statement about HID going away because auto makers think it's an old technology that isn't worth a damn anymore is false.

J15

^ +1

HIDs work great when properly installed, and I can go through five pairs of bulbs - many lifetimes of the truck over - before I've spent as much as those LEDs cost. I'll also get incredibly bright light. Having used middle tier HID kits in cars and motorcycles for many years, I can honestly say I've never had a significant issue and I've always been pleased with the performance. HIDs will absolutely give the best bang for the buck.

There are several reasons automakers can shift away from a specific technology:
- Cost
- Profitability
- Manufacturability
- Scrap %
- Catering to market trends
- Economies of scale (if equipping other components with LEDs, they may get a price break and better consistency by also running LED headlights)

... none of which imply HIDs are a bad product. I understand you take pride in your products and you believe in LED technology. That's great and nobody is suggesting you sell an inferior product. That being said, stop going around and categorically dismissing HIDs as bad. That's a load of **** and you know it.

mr_biggs2407

Pienstar

I just installed Diode Dynamics SL1 LED bulbs in my 2015 with stock Halogen housings. I replaced the highs & lows, and now waiting on the fogs to arrive. This company did their homework, and the results are amazing! I made sure to adjust mine downward a bit, and I have not yet been flashed by any oncoming drivers. As others mentioned, please make sure to avoid cheap LED bulbs/ kits as they will do more harm than good. The SL1 bulbs are not cheap but like I said before, they are amazing!