H4 LED bulbs
17 November 2010, 07:32 PM
#1
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H4 LED bulbs
After selling my classic last year I now drive a Landrover Defender, the headlight bulbs are like candles in the wind.
Has anybody got any of these in there motors if so what they like?
BTW I no there not road legal
Has anybody got any of these in there motors if so what they like?
BTW I no there not road legal
18 November 2010, 11:18 AM
#3
H4 LED? You have got to be joking. I can't belive people get away selling this stuff on eBay. 
Those in the picture on that advert are standard 0.15watt surface mount LEDs (SMD), of which about as bright as the power LED on my monitor, even with twenty of them it won't give out the correct brightness of a 55/60watt halogen.
The only LEDs than can give out the correct brightness are those that use "CREE" or "Luxeon" Chip type LEDs. And they need huge heatsinks to keep them cool. (hence the fins around the base on those expensive domestic household bulbs that cost £40 each ).
Secondly, the design will not work with the reflectors and won't give the correct beam pattern: H4 bulbs direct light down and to the rear so it shines on the reflector (the bulb does not project light forwards). That is why the tip is painted black, and there is a little metal shield on the top of the actual dipped beam filament.
The reflector is what gives you the light on the road, and its beam pattern is totally reliant on teh bulb having the correct geometry. With those H4 LED bulbs it will not focus the beam and just produce a dull blob and no cut-off or kick-up.
Side lamp bulbs; no problem, I have some on my Golf (needed to reprogram ECU to disable the bulb failure warnings though )
If you want better headlamps, try some Osram Vision plus, or get some Lucas 90/130watt H4 bulbs (thats what I used to have in my old scoob) although with the latter you may need to upgrade the wiring. Also if its an old car; bear in mind halogen bulbs do lose their brightness with age.
Edit; Noted it says Xenon and LED in the advert titles; LEDs are not Xenon. Seller is too ambiguous; so steer clear.
Those in the picture on that advert are standard 0.15watt surface mount LEDs (SMD), of which about as bright as the power LED on my monitor, even with twenty of them it won't give out the correct brightness of a 55/60watt halogen.
The only LEDs than can give out the correct brightness are those that use "CREE" or "Luxeon" Chip type LEDs. And they need huge heatsinks to keep them cool. (hence the fins around the base on those expensive domestic household bulbs that cost £40 each ).
Secondly, the design will not work with the reflectors and won't give the correct beam pattern: H4 bulbs direct light down and to the rear so it shines on the reflector (the bulb does not project light forwards). That is why the tip is painted black, and there is a little metal shield on the top of the actual dipped beam filament.
The reflector is what gives you the light on the road, and its beam pattern is totally reliant on teh bulb having the correct geometry. With those H4 LED bulbs it will not focus the beam and just produce a dull blob and no cut-off or kick-up.
Side lamp bulbs; no problem, I have some on my Golf (needed to reprogram ECU to disable the bulb failure warnings though )
If you want better headlamps, try some Osram Vision plus, or get some Lucas 90/130watt H4 bulbs (thats what I used to have in my old scoob) although with the latter you may need to upgrade the wiring. Also if its an old car; bear in mind halogen bulbs do lose their brightness with age.
Edit; Noted it says Xenon and LED in the advert titles; LEDs are not Xenon. Seller is too ambiguous; so steer clear.
Last edited by ALi-B; 18 November 2010 at 11:34 AM. Reason: as above
18 November 2010, 01:29 PM
#4
Just in case you are looking for higher wattage bulbs in a H4 pacakage, here are the universal codes and what wattage they correspond to:
H4 473 = 100/55 watt
H4 484 = 100/80 watt
H4 486 = 160/100 watt
H4 490 = 130/90 watt
Obviously the only "E" approved one is H4 472 which is 60/55 watt
Manufactuers often prefix this with a few letters so for Bosch it'll be: BLB 484 or BLB473. Hella will be HB473 or HB484. Ring will be R473 or R484. etc.
The excpetion is Osram and Philips (although a 484 cross refs to a Phillips 12569)
H4 473 = 100/55 watt
H4 484 = 100/80 watt
H4 486 = 160/100 watt
H4 490 = 130/90 watt
Obviously the only "E" approved one is H4 472 which is 60/55 watt
Manufactuers often prefix this with a few letters so for Bosch it'll be: BLB 484 or BLB473. Hella will be HB473 or HB484. Ring will be R473 or R484. etc.
The excpetion is Osram and Philips (although a 484 cross refs to a Phillips 12569)
Last edited by ALi-B; 18 November 2010 at 01:45 PM.
18 November 2010, 06:40 PM
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H4 LED? You have got to be joking. I can't belive people get away selling this stuff on eBay.
Those in the picture on that advert are standard 0.15watt surface mount LEDs (SMD), of which about as bright as the power LED on my monitor, even with twenty of them it won't give out the correct brightness of a 55/60watt halogen.
The only LEDs than can give out the correct brightness are those that use "CREE" or "Luxeon" Chip type LEDs. And they need huge heatsinks to keep them cool. (hence the fins around the base on those expensive domestic household bulbs that cost £40 each ).
Secondly, the design will not work with the reflectors and won't give the correct beam pattern: H4 bulbs direct light down and to the rear so it shines on the reflector (the bulb does not project light forwards). That is why the tip is painted black, and there is a little metal shield on the top of the actual dipped beam filament.
The reflector is what gives you the light on the road, and its beam pattern is totally reliant on teh bulb having the correct geometry. With those H4 LED bulbs it will not focus the beam and just produce a dull blob and no cut-off or kick-up.
Side lamp bulbs; no problem, I have some on my Golf (needed to reprogram ECU to disable the bulb failure warnings though )
If you want better headlamps, try some Osram Vision plus, or get some Lucas 90/130watt H4 bulbs (thats what I used to have in my old scoob) although with the latter you may need to upgrade the wiring. Also if its an old car; bear in mind halogen bulbs do lose their brightness with age.
Edit; Noted it says Xenon and LED in the advert titles; LEDs are not Xenon. Seller is too ambiguous; so steer clear.
Those in the picture on that advert are standard 0.15watt surface mount LEDs (SMD), of which about as bright as the power LED on my monitor, even with twenty of them it won't give out the correct brightness of a 55/60watt halogen.
The only LEDs than can give out the correct brightness are those that use "CREE" or "Luxeon" Chip type LEDs. And they need huge heatsinks to keep them cool. (hence the fins around the base on those expensive domestic household bulbs that cost £40 each ).
Secondly, the design will not work with the reflectors and won't give the correct beam pattern: H4 bulbs direct light down and to the rear so it shines on the reflector (the bulb does not project light forwards). That is why the tip is painted black, and there is a little metal shield on the top of the actual dipped beam filament.
The reflector is what gives you the light on the road, and its beam pattern is totally reliant on teh bulb having the correct geometry. With those H4 LED bulbs it will not focus the beam and just produce a dull blob and no cut-off or kick-up.
Side lamp bulbs; no problem, I have some on my Golf (needed to reprogram ECU to disable the bulb failure warnings though )
If you want better headlamps, try some Osram Vision plus, or get some Lucas 90/130watt H4 bulbs (thats what I used to have in my old scoob) although with the latter you may need to upgrade the wiring. Also if its an old car; bear in mind halogen bulbs do lose their brightness with age.
Edit; Noted it says Xenon and LED in the advert titles; LEDs are not Xenon. Seller is too ambiguous; so steer clear.
So the ones you recommended, are they pure white like this?
Last edited by Jamieee; 18 November 2010 at 06:41 PM.
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18 November 2010, 08:34 PM
#8
thanks for the advice/reply...... iv been looking at the others you suggested, i really want this look aswell, that pure white light! I found these here but never heard of them in this country!
So the ones you recommended, are they pure white like this?
So the ones you recommended, are they pure white like this?
No, they are halogen bulbs which are warm(ish) white, not cold white. But they give out more light than standard 60/55watt H4 halogen bulbs.
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