I’m not an expert, but I bought the Philips after doing a bit of research and thinking they were the best. If they are the best, then I think LED still has a long way to go to match xenon.
TransporterHQ (THQ) Aftermarket Headlights
I’m not an expert, but I bought the Philips after doing a bit of research and thinking they were the best. If they are the best, then I think LED still has a long way to go to match xenon.
Xenon lighting or HID as it's also called is discharge lighting so not the same beast.
Try flashing your main beam on HIDs and you've turned the switch back off again before the lamp has actually struck, stick an Halogen lamp in for main beam then and you're back to lovely brightish yellow main beam.
We really need a 50 Watt LED lamp in the various H formats and for my bleary eyed H4 that would be 2 x 50 Watt chips per lamp.
Try flashing your main beam on HIDs and you've turned the switch back off again before the lamp has actually struck, stick an Halogen lamp in for main beam then and you're back to lovely brightish yellow main beam.
We really need a 50 Watt LED lamp in the various H formats and for my bleary eyed H4 that would be 2 x 50 Watt chips per lamp.
I know how HID / Xenon works. I also appreciate the slow spark up time compared to LED. That's why we have bi/xenon. Dipped and main beam use the same light source that stays on. The beam is altered by moving a shutter behind the projector, to you do get instant main beam. The slow spark up isn't so much of an issue when turning on dipped beam. When the lights are turned off, xenons will still flash main beams with enough brightness for to get you seen, just not enough initially for you to see where you are going.
I would be interested to know what light source the OEM LED headlight use.
I would be interested to know what light source the OEM LED headlight use.
But only with LED’s. No warning light when using the supplied halogens.
@dubber36 same here chap, I don't think the OEM LED headlights on current cars play fair though and conform to the old school 50/55 Watt of halogens as the mini I followed earlier tonight had it's DRL halo blazing away at the same time as the normal inner dip source, pretty sure a lot of Mercedes cars are like this with that signature eye brow above the projector always lighted, makes you wonder what part of these headlight assemblies counts as the dipped beam?
I also understand how HID work and if I were to fit them they would only be for the dipped beam due to the slower start up.
My full beam H1 halogens are adequate, they are a bit yellow, but throw enough light far enough up the road.
The Philips dipped beam aren’t bad, they’re better than the halogen, just not quite what I was hoping for.
@dubber36 I would also like to know what the OEM LEDs use, even better have a ride in a van with them to see how they compare.
My full beam H1 halogens are adequate, they are a bit yellow, but throw enough light far enough up the road.
The Philips dipped beam aren’t bad, they’re better than the halogen, just not quite what I was hoping for.
@dubber36 I would also like to know what the OEM LEDs use, even better have a ride in a van with them to see how they compare.
Looking around the internet last night I came across the following link. It seems that there is much more to OEM LEDs than a bulb behind a projector lens. It's no wonder that we can't replicate OEM performance with a simple bulb swap, however powerful they claim to be. I think that aftermarket LED technology has a long way to go yet, so I'm going to have one last attempt at getting some descent light out of my THQ lights with a tried and tested HID kit.
REVIEW: Lextar LED PES headlamp module! - HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum
REVIEW: Lextar LED PES headlamp module! - HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum
Only problem as I see it with that HID kit is that we know they will fail an MOT and as they are a replacement projector unit they are not going to be a 5 min replacement job for MOT testing like replacement bulbs are.
Dead interested how this turns out though so do please post up your experiences and how you achieved fitting of those new units.
Dead interested how this turns out though so do please post up your experiences and how you achieved fitting of those new units.
I was reading yet more "wisdom" on the web and the gist of most articles was that LED is more suited to reflectors and Hids more suited to projector lenses.
Reading between the lines it boils down to the potential for more light spillage with the traditional large reflector compared to the much smaller reflector and focussing lens of the typical projector.
The more powerful Hid lamp though produces light over a wider spectrum and that's that annoying dazzling rainbow effect you used to get with police Vauxhall Omegas back in the mid 90s and probably what would happen in my H4 headlight, however it should work with the THQ headlight in a standard H7 format, especially if it's supposed to produce light mainly at 5000K.
Reading between the lines it boils down to the potential for more light spillage with the traditional large reflector compared to the much smaller reflector and focussing lens of the typical projector.
The more powerful Hid lamp though produces light over a wider spectrum and that's that annoying dazzling rainbow effect you used to get with police Vauxhall Omegas back in the mid 90s and probably what would happen in my H4 headlight, however it should work with the THQ headlight in a standard H7 format, especially if it's supposed to produce light mainly at 5000K.
Interesting article. I would like to hear your thoughts once you've fitted your HID kit. I'm considering removing the Philips LED bulbs and replacing with HID. I've still got the box for the Philips bulbs so might sell them cheap on here. Did I mention they are the most incredible headlight bulbs you're ever likely to use?!
Fitting a HID kit into the THQ lights will be no different to the Phillips LED kit. Both are replacement bulbs based around a H7 fitting with an additional ballast module that needs to be stuffed inside the headlight. I've just swapped my Twenty20 bulbs for the Phillips ones in less than 20 minutes, so popping in a pair of halogens for the MOT in over 2 years time won't be too much of a hardship.
@dubber36 I think the comment about not being a 5 minute job was down to your link showing what is obviously not an H7 based lamp but a lamp, ballast and projector lens ready to be mounted into an headlight encloure somehow.
I agree fitting a conventional Hid discharge lamp with an H7 lamp base should be a piece of duff and give a much brighter dipped beam than halogen or LED lamp, main beam in the other projector will either be halogen or LED though, I'd go for LED to avoid that gold look of halogen.
I agree fitting a conventional Hid discharge lamp with an H7 lamp base should be a piece of duff and give a much brighter dipped beam than halogen or LED lamp, main beam in the other projector will either be halogen or LED though, I'd go for LED to avoid that gold look of halogen.
Ah, I see. My link was to demonstrate that OEM LEDs are far removed from just a bulb behind a projector lens.
I've got Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs in my main beam at the moment. They are actually pretty good and reasonably white. They will look yellow next to HIDs, but seeing as they get dipped, in theory, no one will ever see both lights on together. LEDs would look better, but I've spent enough on bulbs recently to take a chance on anther set to 'try'.
I've got Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs in my main beam at the moment. They are actually pretty good and reasonably white. They will look yellow next to HIDs, but seeing as they get dipped, in theory, no one will ever see both lights on together. LEDs would look better, but I've spent enough on bulbs recently to take a chance on anther set to 'try'.
I'm feeling like I've exhausted most permutations of bulb types in these lights. I needed to go into Halfords today, and somehow came away with a pair of Advanced White 5000 halogen bulbs. These are my findings so far.
Phillips X-treme Ultinon LED. Reasonable light output, but way off OEM LEDs. Supposed to be 5800K, but had quite a bluish tint. Maybe I got a bad set, but intermittent flicker from both sides. I tried swapping the resistors from side to side, but it couldn't be cured.
Twenty20 LED. These are said to be 6000K, but a much whiter white than the Phillips. They look very much like OEM. However, the light output is extremely poor. I'd go as far as say dangerous. These are the 150% brighter ones. They do a brighter one, so maybe they would be better. I also suffered DAB problems with these. I was struggling with Radio 2. As soon as the lights were turned off, the radio came straight back.
Halfords Advanced White 5000 halogen. These are said to be 5000K, but not a chance. These are quite white for halogens, but still look pretty yellow compared to the DRLs and the Osram Cool Blue Intense main beam bulbs. How they perform will be reported back once I've been out after it gets dark.
Phillips X-treme Ultinon LED. Reasonable light output, but way off OEM LEDs. Supposed to be 5800K, but had quite a bluish tint. Maybe I got a bad set, but intermittent flicker from both sides. I tried swapping the resistors from side to side, but it couldn't be cured.
Twenty20 LED. These are said to be 6000K, but a much whiter white than the Phillips. They look very much like OEM. However, the light output is extremely poor. I'd go as far as say dangerous. These are the 150% brighter ones. They do a brighter one, so maybe they would be better. I also suffered DAB problems with these. I was struggling with Radio 2. As soon as the lights were turned off, the radio came straight back.
Halfords Advanced White 5000 halogen. These are said to be 5000K, but not a chance. These are quite white for halogens, but still look pretty yellow compared to the DRLs and the Osram Cool Blue Intense main beam bulbs. How they perform will be reported back once I've been out after it gets dark.
Thanks, very useful summary! I wonder what the inconsistency is though with @Ethan Andrews positive experience (and beamshots) of the Twenty20 ones? I’m undecided whether to give them a go or not...
A lot of the problem with comparing light output is the way the phone camera flatters what it captures compared to the Mk 1 eyeball.
I've got some generic £19.99 LED H4s and from the pictures I took they look pretty good lighting the road however while they're no worse than the halogen H4 bulb they're also no brighter... definitely whiter in colour rendition but realistically they're using about 20 watts per lamp on each beam setting so comparing 2 x 20 watts of LED to the 2 x 55 watts of goldie/piss coloured light of the halogens per side... now if there was a genuine 2 x 50 watt LED H4 lamp at least we might then be in a position to clarify that the lousy performance of the standard T6 H4 headlight was down to a poor reflector design.
I've got some generic £19.99 LED H4s and from the pictures I took they look pretty good lighting the road however while they're no worse than the halogen H4 bulb they're also no brighter... definitely whiter in colour rendition but realistically they're using about 20 watts per lamp on each beam setting so comparing 2 x 20 watts of LED to the 2 x 55 watts of goldie/piss coloured light of the halogens per side... now if there was a genuine 2 x 50 watt LED H4 lamp at least we might then be in a position to clarify that the lousy performance of the standard T6 H4 headlight was down to a poor reflector design.
Here are the Halfords halogens in action.
Dipped.
Main beam.
Hardly balls of fire. I'm happy enough with main beam, I think the problem lies with cheap, crap projectors. I'm half tempted to put the superior H7 headlights back in for winter and have the THQ lights for summer use.
Dipped.
Main beam.
Hardly balls of fire. I'm happy enough with main beam, I think the problem lies with cheap, crap projectors. I'm half tempted to put the superior H7 headlights back in for winter and have the THQ lights for summer use.
That's my dip beam using the £19.99 Amazon H4 LEDs in a stock T6 H4 headlight, below is the main beam setting, same position, same Galaxy S7, to be completely honest the road surface here helps a lot in these pictures as further on when it's soaking wet the surface is a lot darker and seemed to absorb the light rather than appear illuminated. The road is pretty well single track and it looks like any poor so and so coming the other way might get blinded by the way that stone wall is lit up I could have wound the headlights down a bit, as I say the phone does tend to flatter them.
I think the conclusion is the THQ lights projectors are pretty poor, whatever bulbs are in them. Reflector lights are much better, and better suited to LED bulbs, although I personally wouldn't fit them.
For those with H4s that don't want to fit LEDs, then OEM H7's are the next step up. The separate 'tuned' dipped and main beam reflectors, plus the ability to keep dipped beam on with main gives a noticable improvement.
For those with H4s that don't want to fit LEDs, then OEM H7's are the next step up. The separate 'tuned' dipped and main beam reflectors, plus the ability to keep dipped beam on with main gives a noticable improvement.
