LED high beams

[m4rkw]

Anyone tried putting LED high beam bulbs in an RX? I wouldn’t do it for the dipped beams but for high beams it would probably be ok. Just don’t want anything with a fan or that is going to overheat and melt stuff around it.

[royoftherovers]

16 minutes ago, m4rkw said:

Anyone tried putting LED high beam bulbs in an RX? I wouldn’t do it for the dipped beams but for high beams it would probably be ok. Just don’t want anything with a fan or that is going to overheat and melt stuff around it.

Mark, is that legal ?

[PCM]

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/are-led-headlights-legal-in-the-uk/ ?

[royoftherovers]

1 minute ago, PCM said:

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/are-led-headlights-legal-in-the-uk/ ?

Thanks Piers, I did know the answer, but merely wished the questioner to do some homework.

[katabrontes]

Hi John,  I fitted HID bulbs to my RX.  I think they cost about £120 with the conversion kit and the improvement was fantastic.  They light up the road at least twice as far ahead almost like daylight.  The only downside is that they take a few seconds to build up to full brightness the first time you switch them on.  Dipping is fine and they come back at full brightness immediately.  I suppose they have to heat up the first time you switch on from " cold".  You do need to be a bit careful wiring in the electronic driver as they use a very high voltage so there is a real risk of a nasty shock but the instructions are very clear.  It took me about 1/2 hour max to fit them.  Keep the old bulbs so you can disconnect the power pack for the HID and use the old bulbs as an emergency if one blows.  I have had mine since 2014 and they are still fine so unlikely to lose a bulb for a long time.  Not sure what replacement bulbs cost, guess at £20.  Mike 

PS  I checked with my garage before fitting and they are OK and don't affect the MOT

 

Mine was HB3 HIDS4U Ultimate 35W HIDConversion Kit from Autobulbs Direct and actually cost £95 . Not available now but others are at about £50.  Replacement bulbs cost about £7.50

[Herbie]

5 minutes ago, katabrontes said:

I have had mine since 2010

The MOT changes now make them illegal. If you've passed the new test since then, you've either had a lenient tester or one who doesn't know what he's doing - or maybe one who just doesn't care.

The new rules state that the light source must be the correct type for the light fitting. In other words, if it's a fitting designed for halogen bulbs then anything other than halogen in there is a fail; if it's a fitting for HID, then anything other than HID is a fail, and so it is with LEDs too.

[m4rkw]

Well that settles it, halogens it is, thanks!

[Barry14UK]

If you have been momentarily blinded by an oncoming car with aftermarket HIDS  as many of us will have been at some time, it is surprising that it has taken so long for these to be declared illegal. These after market HIDS fitted in a housing and lens designed for Halogen  may well enable the driver to see better but don't have the tight beam of factory fitted xenons and it is the scatter that causes oncoming drivers to suffer.  So whether it be xenons or LED, it's sensible that headlamps have only the light emitters designed for them.

[PCM]

I do use tiny (501?) LEDs as my sidelight/parking lights bulbs, and have them on during daytime driving.

But as for all the other external bulbs, I just use the standard, but best I can buy, bulbs as nature ( and Lexus ) intended.