Can I use LED lights in headlamps to upgrade??
- Thread starter SAF1981
- Start date
Yes, you can get LED bulbs to fit. But, they are not legal and are an MOT failure. And could of course have consequences for your insurance. Your choice of course.
Otherwise, a popular upgrade is to swap the whole headlight for the OEM H7 version from a Caravelle, available secondhand for £100-200 if you can find a pair. Or some THQ style upgrade headlights.
Otherwise, a popular upgrade is to swap the whole headlight for the OEM H7 version from a Caravelle, available secondhand for £100-200 if you can find a pair. Or some THQ style upgrade headlights.
Spot on. They are still illegal and therefore do technically risk MOT failure and voiding insurance.
On insurance it’s worth noting the Transit owner that essentially got refused insurance for all his vehicles after he made a claim on the Transit and let his insurance company know there was a mattress in the back and he occasionally slept in there - they saw it as a conversion that he hadn’t declared so voided his policy and flagged him on the shared database as not to be trusted.
Decent branded bulbs (official ones, not Amazon or eBay knock offs - there are a lot of fakes) such as Oscan and Philips won’t stand out as much (Philips has been lobbying governments for years to allow aftermarket LEad bulbs so have been demonstrating theirs for the legal guidelines) and you would probably get away with them and see some benefit. Dodgy LED bulbs usually test worse than their halogen equivalent. It’s a personal choice.
Phillips and Osram have manufactered particular LED bulbs that are I understand legal as aftermarket bulbs replacing halogen and are registered for particular vehicles. Eventually that could become the situation here but the article that I read suggested not holding ones breath. Evidently there is so much legislation that needs attending to it is not very likely to be considered a priority.
Considering there is a lot of interest in headlights that dazzle (leading to numerous collisions each year) at the moment it could be that a decision isn’t too far off. We can hope!
Legislation requiring LED bulbs to meet certain criteria would definitely help and would hopefully stop the ineffective and dangerous bulbs flooding the market, leaving quality items to actually benefit motorists.
Even OEM LED headlights can dazzle, especially when MOT rules covering them are so lax - e.g. self levelling equipment only needs to be working if fitted - so many garages just remove the self levelling sensors or motors on Xenon and Led units if they no longer function properly and the vehicle passes. Would be good to see MOT guidelines updated as a matter of urgency and see testers pay a bit more attention- headlights are a safety critical feature not just for the vehicle driver but others sharing the roads.
Not in the UK. Yes on the Continent.
I forgot to add these bulbs are only available legally in the EU at the present time. Eu Laws have been amended. UK Laws lag. I have posted on this previously. There are publications on the web concerning these matters, I believe that I may have posted on this previously The particular bulbs in question meet far higher and stringent testing requirements than current bulbs and are certificated! Every one should have good decent and safe lighting that does not dazzle others. After all what would be the point in having great lighting for ones self yet the vehicle oncoming crashes into us or others because we have blinded them. I am sure that their will still be those who only care about themselves and sod anyone else. Much of it is driven by a dandy fashion having brighter or whiter bulbs little thought to side effects only mainly appearance but just look at tyre fitments overstretched tyres on rims not wide enough that defy tyre rim width recommendations.
Is yours a T6?
Replaced my standard H4 headlights on my 17 plate kombi highline with genuine H7 headlights from a 17 plate Caravelle.
It's literally just plug and play, no warning lights, no VCDS, just swap and go. Does require removing the front bumper but really not as bad as it sounds.
IMO the H7's are definitely better than the H4's, granted they're still waaayyyy off the LED's though.
Also huge thanks to @Pauly for checking wiring diagrams/connectors were the same beforehand.
Before
After
(Please don't judge how dirty she is in the bottom pictures, it's...
It's literally just plug and play, no warning lights, no VCDS, just swap and go. Does require removing the front bumper but really not as bad as it sounds.
IMO the H7's are definitely better than the H4's, granted they're still waaayyyy off the LED's though.
Also huge thanks to @Pauly for checking wiring diagrams/connectors were the same beforehand.
Before
After
(Please don't judge how dirty she is in the bottom pictures, it's...
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