Headlight technology has come so far...
Lately I notice there have been a lot of LED replacements for the standard sealed headlights on old cars an motorcycles, both the round and the rectangular kind. Some of them are even well made, with proper optics. But for some reason all of them feature the cool white color, which is out of character on these older cars. Would be nice to get some warm white LEDs that mimic the yellow color of the halogen, with the higher output of the LED.
On a new car yeah, but I don't know if I agree with that for a classic car. For instance I have an expensive LED light on my motorcycle, and it makes a night and day difference in illuminating the road compared to the old halogen, but I would like if it had the traditional yellow halogen color. My neighbor has a nicely restored Monte Carlo, and he is using a set of rectangular LED headlights, and they are brighter than the sun but don't look period correct.
If you remember 10 years ago when household LEDs first started to appear, they were all trendy cool white color, but a short while after a bunch of warm white LEDs flooded the market. I think we might the same for retrofit headlights as well.
If you remember 10 years ago when household LEDs first started to appear, they were all trendy cool white color, but a short while after a bunch of warm white LEDs flooded the market. I think we might the same for retrofit headlights as well.
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On a new car yeah, but I don't know if I agree with that for a classic car. For instance I have an expensive LED light on my motorcycle, and it makes a night and day difference in illuminating the road compared to the old halogen, but I would like if it had the traditional yellow halogen color. My neighbor has a nicely restored Monte Carlo, and he is using a set of rectangular LED headlights, and they are brighter than the sun but don't look period correct.
If you remember 10 years ago when household LEDs first started to appear, they were all trendy cool white color, but a short while after a bunch of warm white LEDs flooded the market. I think we might the same for retrofit headlights as well.
If you remember 10 years ago when household LEDs first started to appear, they were all trendy cool white color, but a short while after a bunch of warm white LEDs flooded the market. I think we might the same for retrofit headlights as well.
Lexus Fanatic
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Light is light....either you have enough to safely see with or you don't. I don't see it as a fashion-statement.For instance, when you get an safety-inspection in the State of Virginia, they don't care what fashion-statements are. They hook up a meter and measure the amount of light given off and its beam-height....high and low beams have to fall into regulated angle-ranges. If they do, you pass....if they don't, the lights either have to be replaced, adjusted (if possible), or the crud on the headlight cover from aged plastic cleaned or buffed off.
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Light color temps absolutely have a trend. Cooler color temps look “more modern” while warmer color temps are more old fashioned. People love the look of HIDs and LED light for instance, that’s why they buy lookalike bulbs etc.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2009
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From: PA
A comment in another thread reminded me to start this thread I had been thinking about.
Its been a long time since I've had a car with halogen headlights, it was my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My LS460L has LEDs, my LS460 had HIDs, my GS had HIDs, etc etc. Pacificas and Sedona and 2014 Jeep all had HIDs. Its actually been all the way back to before 2003 since I have had a daily driver that had halogen headlights. My wife's 2004 Prius even had HIDs. This rental Jaguar F Pace I have had for the past month while my LS has been in the shop has Halogen projector headlights, and I am astonished by how terrible they are. How did we used to deal with such terrible lighting from a car?
Bearing in mind, headlights have advanced well beyond what I have. It took a little getting used to, but the LEDs in my 2017 LS are much better than the HIDs in the Pacifica or what I had on other Lexus vehicles. The volume of light is less than HID, and thats what took some getting used to, but the light is crisp and white and now HIDs look kinda yellow by comparison. You have active matrix LEDs, Laser LEDs, and the selective dimming tech we sadly aren't allowed to have here anymore.
Has anybody else gone back to halogens lately and see what I mean?
Its been a long time since I've had a car with halogen headlights, it was my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. My LS460L has LEDs, my LS460 had HIDs, my GS had HIDs, etc etc. Pacificas and Sedona and 2014 Jeep all had HIDs. Its actually been all the way back to before 2003 since I have had a daily driver that had halogen headlights. My wife's 2004 Prius even had HIDs. This rental Jaguar F Pace I have had for the past month while my LS has been in the shop has Halogen projector headlights, and I am astonished by how terrible they are. How did we used to deal with such terrible lighting from a car?
Bearing in mind, headlights have advanced well beyond what I have. It took a little getting used to, but the LEDs in my 2017 LS are much better than the HIDs in the Pacifica or what I had on other Lexus vehicles. The volume of light is less than HID, and thats what took some getting used to, but the light is crisp and white and now HIDs look kinda yellow by comparison. You have active matrix LEDs, Laser LEDs, and the selective dimming tech we sadly aren't allowed to have here anymore.
Has anybody else gone back to halogens lately and see what I mean?
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Lexus Fanatic
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Those headlights were pretty early in the world of LED headlights. They have improved dramatically.
Not all LEDs are created equal, and not all HIDs. While OEM HID bulbs are pretty much the same, optics made a huge difference. In particular the TSX and LS430 projectors were highly sought after by retrofitters.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2020
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From: N/A
I'm so glad halogen is dying off in favor of LED's.
Toyota Tundra recalled over fire-prone headlamps
A faulty circuit is being blamed -- the safety campaign covers nearly 160,000 full-size trucks from the 2018-2021 model years.
If your Tundra isn't equipped with halogen headlamps, fear not. This recall isn't for you.
If your Tundra isn't equipped with halogen headlamps, fear not. This recall isn't for you.
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