-
Welcome to Auto Parts Forum
Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, and LinkedIn.
How To: Install An LED Lightbar
-
Similar Content
-
- 0 replies
- 25 views
-
- 0 replies
- 30 views
-
- 0 replies
- 56 views
-
- 0 replies
- 52 views
-
- 0 replies
- 44 views
-
-
Similar Topics
-
-
By Counterman
Lumileds is launching a new line of powerful LED-upgrade retrofits for fog light and powersports headlights.
With automotive-grade LEDs that produce a cool-color temperature of up to 6,000 K, Philips UltinonSport LEDs provide “incredibly bright white light” and durable, long-lasting performance for snowmobiles, ATVs, UTVs and other off-road vehicles, according to the company.
These LED solutions allow users to better illuminate the path ahead, detect obstacles faster and deliver a safer driving and riding experience. The new Philips UltinonSport LED line includes 12 SKUs and is compatible with both 12-volt and 24-volt electrical systems.
“Our new UltinonSport LED line helps drivers and riders find their next adventure,” said Aubry Baugh, Lumileds product manager. “These bulbs feature the latest in LED technology and are backed by the quality, safety, and reliability that Philips bulbs have been built on for over 100 years. They deliver brilliant illumination for roadways, trails, beaches, and backroads. Their advanced technology provides exceptional service lifetime, and their extremely compact size allows for an easy installation.”
To ensure long lifetime and optimal performance, the UltinonSport LED bulbs feature Philips “AirCool” technology with two types of heat dissipation. A built-in fan helps to actively cool the LED and electronics, while an aluminum heat sink further dissipates heat and maximizes airflow around the components. The durable construction and improved heat transfer means that UltinonSport LED bulbs deliver a lifetime of up to 2000 hours.
The Philips UltinonSport LED-upgrade retrofit bulbs are available for 9003, 9005/9006, 9007, 9008, 9145, H1, H3, H7, H8/H16, H11 and PS24W for off-road and fog-light applications. Each Philips UltinonSport LED package contains two bulbs.
For more information, email [email protected].
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman
If there’s one thing that I know about myself it’s this: I can’t help but modify any vehicles I own. It’s not that I’m unhappy with the vehicles I buy. It’s just that in my eyes, there’s always room for improvement.
Almost without fail, the first thing I’ll upgrade is lighting. In my opinion, halogen headlights shouldn’t still be around in 2022. Nighttime visibility is often overlooked, but it’s critical to occupant safety. The more your headlights can light up the road ahead, the more likely you’ll be able to see obstacles in your path.
Goodbye HID, Hello LED!
High-intensity discharge (HID) lighting, also known as xenon, was mostly seen in luxury vehicles, but it has started to trickle down into other makes and models over the years. HID bulbs are efficient, produce a high-quality light pattern and can be up to 300% brighter than traditional halogen bulbs.
HID bulbs work by igniting an electrical discharge inside a gas chamber.
There’s no filament inside an HID bulb, so they should last longer than a halogen bulb. But they’re not without a few downsides. They’re not cheap; they require ballasts to stabilize the electrical discharge; they can be difficult to diagnose if a bulb stops working; and they lose performance as they age, becoming dimmer
over time.
So, what’s the alternative? Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting has surged in popularity in the past few years, both in OE vehicles and the aftermarket. LEDs are an easy upgrade over halogen and HID lighting systems. They consist of two electrodes (an anode and a cathode). Light is produced when an electrical current passes through the semiconductive materials inside (silicon or selenium).
LED Advantages
LEDs are extremely energy-efficient, requiring significantly less energy than halogen or HID bulbs. The next major advantage would be the sheer variety that can be found in aftermarket LED lighting. Whether you’re looking for LEDs to install in place of halogen bulbs, complete headlight housings with integrated-LED beams or standalone LED housings for off-road visibility, the possibilities seem to be limitless!
But in my eyes, their biggest advantage is in their service life. LEDs can offer an extremely long lifespan, so they won’t need to be replaced nearly as often. This can be especially beneficial in applications where the headlight bulbs are very difficult to reach. My 1998 Mercedes E320 was TERRIBLE to work on, especially when I needed to replace bulbs. And let’s face it: Engine bays aren’t getting any more spacious these days, and modern vehicles aren’t getting any easier to work on.
LED Disadvantages
If you’re looking at replacement LED bulbs, oftentimes they’re not exactly what I would call “compact.” In many cases, you’ll find big, bulky cooling fans built into the back side of the bulb, and these can be difficult to install inside of some headlight housings without interfering with the wiring or protective cap.
The other downside would be their cost. The upfront costs tend to be more than the alternatives, but LEDs can offer a better return on that investment thanks to their superior service life.
You also might find that the LEDs simply don’t seem to perform very well in your factory-equipped headlight housings. This is due to design. The reflector and lens inside the headlight assembly were designed to work with halogen bulbs, not an LED. This can increase the headlight glare to oncoming traffic, and reduce the overall lighting performance.
This leads us to the final and maybe the most significant disadvantage on our list: their questionable legality. That’s right, it’s technically illegal to install HID or LED lighting inside your factory headlight housing.
Are They Really Illegal?
Here in the United States, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) are used to regulate the design, construction, performance and durability requirements for motor vehicles on our roads. These regulations specify that your main forward illumination (a.k.a. headlights) must remain as they were fitted from the factory.
So, if your vehicle had halogen headlights when it was new, technically it’s illegal to upgrade to LED or HID. However, they can be used in any of the unregulated auxiliary lights including fog lights, side markers, brake lights and so on.
There also is a chance that your local, county or state government may consider these modifications to be illegal. For instance, here in Ohio we are permitted no more than five front-facing lights, and no high-intensity beam may strike the roadway 75 feet from the vehicle. Off-road lighting bars may not be illuminated on public roads in Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina and Wyoming, just to name a few.
Our advice would be this: Avoid making any changes to the factory headlights. If your customers install off-road lighting, they should only use it off-road. If they want to upgrade their interior bulbs with brighter, whiter LEDs, more power to them. As a counter professional, make sure you’re familiar with the local ordinances and regulations regarding LED lighting, and use your best judgment.
The post
link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
link hidden, please login to view -
By OReilly Auto Parts
A load resistor or load equalizer helps to ensure new LED bulbs function as they should, since the OEM lights used more energy ...
-
By OReilly Auto Parts
Your motorcycle's battery is a key part of starting and running your bike, so don't let a dead battery render your motorcycle ...
-
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.