LED bulbs suck
#1
Blunt
Thread Starter
LED bulbs suck
First off, I know many people will say to use projectors. I know. I've done it in the past. But I looked at the nice clean cutoff line of the reflector and searched for a bulb that has the LED chips very close to the filament location.
First went with these
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But they didn't fit the housings because the base was slightly too big. While waiting for them to arrive, I had found a better set. They were returned.
I got these afterwards: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This second set seemed way better and fit fine. Also comes with a gasket you put into the dust boot (yes you have to cut it) to allow the cooling strips to poke through and keep a seal. This set did need Canbus adapter to prevent them from turning off though. I drove with them a bit last night and this morning. For one, they claim to be "pure white", but they're not. They're very blue, and I hated it. Not good on dark wet roads at all. And they' don't throw light far at all.
Second, yes, they are very very bright. I got this set because someone had measured everything with a micrometer and claimed that the LED chips were exactly where the filaments of a halogen bulb would be. SO WRONG. My nice clean cutoff line became a blur, and lit up to the height of the truck's cab. I thought of adjusting them downwards, but there was FAR too much scattering. The stock lights would have a nice clean line shining across to my neighbor's garage door. These LED's were super bright, but they also lit up my entire neighbor's house all the way to the roof, as well as both houses beside him.
So I was very disappointed that this would make me "that guy" blinding everyone coming my way. On my way to work, there was a sedan in front of me on a dark road. My lights lit up her entire cab and I could clearly see the backs of her seats and her head lit up in a blue hue. I even backed off a lot and it was still shining in her car. I also saw the faces of people in pickup trucks going the other direction being lit up.
Suffice to say, I'll be taking these out and returning them ASAP and going back to stock bulbs. There's enough jerks on the roads with blinding lights as it is, and I don't want to add another. Besides, while the lights were really bright, they only lit up the road right in front of me. The light didn't even throw as far as my stock halogens!
Between those two sets that I got from Amazon, I had a set of Putco LED's from a local shop (Don't remember the exact model), and they were the same crap as the second set of Car Rover LED's. Scattering and blinding everywhere, but not as bright as the Car Rovers.
I also threw in a set of PIAA Plasma Ion Yellow H11's that I had from my last vehicle, just for the hell of it. These:
And DAMN these were bright! And had a nice stock cutoff line. But, they're yellow. VERY bright canary yellow like the yellow on the box! So, legally, I didn't want to keep them as low beams because with my luck, I'd get pulled over on day 1. Our traffic law clearly states WHITE headlights even though half the people have blue ones I may however, get some of these for my high beams.
So, for those thinking of swapping to LED bulbs. You WILL be blinding other drivers, and no aiming downward will help considering I lit up my neighbor's entire 2-storey house... And, it's a MAJOR PAIN to swap lowbeams because of the amount of work required to remove the headlight assemblies. Lastly, the light may be bright, the good Car Rover set were 4800 lumens EACH, but the light doesn't throw far enough. And the light color also barely shows on dark wet roads, it's like driving with no lights on at all. My stock halogens have a further reach than the LED's did. But those Plasma Yellow halogen lights were insanely bright...
I'll be taking out my LED bulbs tonight and going back to stock halogens because I'd rather see further down the road instead of having "cool looking" headlights and blinding everyone else. I won't sacrifice other people's ability to see for mine. 3 sets of LED bulbs, 3 strikes. I never had an issue with my stock halogens, I just figured if there was brighter, I would try it. I'll stick with stock.
First went with these
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
But they didn't fit the housings because the base was slightly too big. While waiting for them to arrive, I had found a better set. They were returned.
I got these afterwards: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This second set seemed way better and fit fine. Also comes with a gasket you put into the dust boot (yes you have to cut it) to allow the cooling strips to poke through and keep a seal. This set did need Canbus adapter to prevent them from turning off though. I drove with them a bit last night and this morning. For one, they claim to be "pure white", but they're not. They're very blue, and I hated it. Not good on dark wet roads at all. And they' don't throw light far at all.
Second, yes, they are very very bright. I got this set because someone had measured everything with a micrometer and claimed that the LED chips were exactly where the filaments of a halogen bulb would be. SO WRONG. My nice clean cutoff line became a blur, and lit up to the height of the truck's cab. I thought of adjusting them downwards, but there was FAR too much scattering. The stock lights would have a nice clean line shining across to my neighbor's garage door. These LED's were super bright, but they also lit up my entire neighbor's house all the way to the roof, as well as both houses beside him.
So I was very disappointed that this would make me "that guy" blinding everyone coming my way. On my way to work, there was a sedan in front of me on a dark road. My lights lit up her entire cab and I could clearly see the backs of her seats and her head lit up in a blue hue. I even backed off a lot and it was still shining in her car. I also saw the faces of people in pickup trucks going the other direction being lit up.
Suffice to say, I'll be taking these out and returning them ASAP and going back to stock bulbs. There's enough jerks on the roads with blinding lights as it is, and I don't want to add another. Besides, while the lights were really bright, they only lit up the road right in front of me. The light didn't even throw as far as my stock halogens!
Between those two sets that I got from Amazon, I had a set of Putco LED's from a local shop (Don't remember the exact model), and they were the same crap as the second set of Car Rover LED's. Scattering and blinding everywhere, but not as bright as the Car Rovers.
I also threw in a set of PIAA Plasma Ion Yellow H11's that I had from my last vehicle, just for the hell of it. These:
And DAMN these were bright! And had a nice stock cutoff line. But, they're yellow. VERY bright canary yellow like the yellow on the box! So, legally, I didn't want to keep them as low beams because with my luck, I'd get pulled over on day 1. Our traffic law clearly states WHITE headlights even though half the people have blue ones I may however, get some of these for my high beams.
So, for those thinking of swapping to LED bulbs. You WILL be blinding other drivers, and no aiming downward will help considering I lit up my neighbor's entire 2-storey house... And, it's a MAJOR PAIN to swap lowbeams because of the amount of work required to remove the headlight assemblies. Lastly, the light may be bright, the good Car Rover set were 4800 lumens EACH, but the light doesn't throw far enough. And the light color also barely shows on dark wet roads, it's like driving with no lights on at all. My stock halogens have a further reach than the LED's did. But those Plasma Yellow halogen lights were insanely bright...
I'll be taking out my LED bulbs tonight and going back to stock halogens because I'd rather see further down the road instead of having "cool looking" headlights and blinding everyone else. I won't sacrifice other people's ability to see for mine. 3 sets of LED bulbs, 3 strikes. I never had an issue with my stock halogens, I just figured if there was brighter, I would try it. I'll stick with stock.
Last edited by BlackBoost; 11-09-2016 at 02:12 PM.
The following 4 users liked this post by BlackBoost:
#2
Like you said you need projectors HIDs or LEDs in reflector housing will scatter light everywhere and blind other drivers. I got the Anzo headlights with 4x4trucksleds led bulbs and the light output is far superior to stock headlights the cutoff is more noticeable and it does not blind fellow drivers haven't got flashed not once
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BOSSMAN2888 (11-11-2016)
#3
Thanks for the very detailed review! I was debating on trying to "upgrade" to LED bulbs, but decided to wait and think about it, considering the cost, install time, and the fact that like you, I found the stock lights acceptable. Guess I'll just save my time and money for now.
#4
Blunt
Thread Starter
Like you said you need projectors HIDs or LEDs in reflector housing will scatter light everywhere and blind other drivers. I got the Anzo headlights with 4x4trucksleds led bulbs and the light output is far superior to stock headlights the cutoff is more noticeable and it does not blind fellow drivers haven't got flashed not once
Right, the Anzo's have projectors, which make them work well with those types of bulbs.
Thanks for the very detailed review! I was debating on trying to "upgrade" to LED bulbs, but decided to wait and think about it, considering the cost, install time, and the fact that like you, I found the stock lights acceptable. Guess I'll just save my time and money for now.
#6
Blunt
Thread Starter
Like I said, I really have no problems with mine, I just wanted to try the swap. I won't use those high performance once like Sylvania Ultra's because their bulb life is very short with people reporting 3 months to a year before they burn out. The only good halogen bulbs I've used that lasted a long time was Philips Night Guide bulbs, but they don't make them in H11. I also considered ordering Philips VisionPlus but I can only get them on Amazon and not until Monday. I want these LED's out today so my stock ones are going back in. I've taken my headlight assemblies out like 10 times already and don't plan on doing it again after my stock bulbs are back in
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rsylvstr (12-24-2016)
#7
Senior Member
Like I said, I really have no problems with mine, I just wanted to try the swap. I won't use those high performance once like Sylvania Ultra's because their bulb life is very short with people reporting 3 months to a year before they burn out. The only good halogen bulbs I've used that lasted a long time was Philips Night Guide bulbs, but they don't make them in H11. I also considered ordering Philips VisionPlus but I can only get them on Amazon and not until Monday. I want these LED's out today so my stock ones are going back in. I've taken my headlight assemblies out like 10 times already and don't plan on doing it again after my stock bulbs are back in
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#8
Blunt
Thread Starter
Haha, nah, I've been careful taking it apart and undoing all the tabs properly. I'm doing the swaps in record time now. I think 10-15 minutes for a complete swap with both assemblies out and back in again.
#9
There is quite a bit of trucks running around with led bulbs and since I upgraded to OEM led headlights I find it more of a nuisance than anything else. Like you said, don't want to be "that guy" that blinds oncoming traffic and glaring lights for the person in front of you. I've had a set of PIAA's on a previous vehicle but they are pricey. Hopefully you find a set of bulbs that will make you happy
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HappyChappy (11-10-2016)