When will we see LED's in automotive headlights?

[70NYD]

Originally Posted by MatadorRacing_F1

wasn't that the LS600 ?

Yes but on low beams only.
R8 had the whole shebang

And yes 15k or so for the upgrade downunder (more like 5k stateside or in Europe)

[RRnold]

Ah Tony, that was a Aussie $! Still 5K is steep for an upgrade.


btw, I kid you not, on my way to work this morning, I saw a convoy of Humvees leaving the Naval Amphib base in Coronado and low in behold, they had LED headlights! Those things were so bright even in the daylight and could be seen miles after I passed them.

I guess it's closer than we think!

[bofa]

wonder if the duck made it...

[RRnold]

^ probably! The gunner is aimed in the other direction.

[Random_Art]

Originally Posted by bofa

wonder if the duck made it...

We pulled a duck out of the space between a fender and the wheel well plastics in autoshop in highschool. That was a stench no one wanted to deal with and a bit baffling as to how it got there.

[bofa]

That sounds....disgusting. On a related note, I wish our school had autoshop.

[Wright]

As you may know, most LED light bulbs will not work with a standard dimmer or with those fixtures with electric eyes that come on automatically at dusk or when a motion is detected. This is because LEDs require constant current to operate. If a standard dimming method is applied, the LED bulb will flicker at regular intervals, or worse, simply not work.

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by Wright

As you may know, most LED light bulbs will not work with a standard dimmer or with those fixtures with electric eyes that come on automatically at dusk or when a motion is detected. This is because LEDs require constant current to operate. If a standard dimming method is applied, the LED bulb will flicker at regular intervals, or worse, simply not work.

Sounds like a simple problem to fix. Rather than adjust the brightless of the LED bulbs simply use multiple LED's for when they need to be brighter and less when they need to be dim.

I don't think LED is going to be a fad simply based on all the advantages they offer. They run cooler, draw less power, and have a much longer life than traditional filament bulbs. I wouldn't be surprised to see them also eventually replace HID headlights.

[spin9k]

Originally Posted by iff2mastamatt

LEDs are sort of a decoration. They look cool, but they will probably turn into a fad. It's like putting those fake wood panels on the sides of station wagons- we will look back at it in the future and say LOL what were we thinking?

I think you'll find you're wrong, esp. as the LED prices come down and luminosity goes up. It's always all about cost in cars therefore they are in premium brands like Audi, BMW as someone mentioned above.

Originally Posted by Wright

As you may know, most LED light bulbs will not work with a standard dimmer or with those fixtures with electric eyes that come on automatically at dusk or when a motion is detected. This is because LEDs require constant current to operate. If a standard dimming method is applied, the LED bulb will flicker at regular intervals, or worse, simply not work.

Dimmable LEDs are common nowadays. Check out Home Depot or Lowes or anywhere they're sold. I have some PAR20 bulbs on a dimmer and they go from ~20% to 100% no problem. Most all you'll see say they are dimmable. It's all in the current governing electronics that drives them.

=

As far as using in headlights now, again cost. But the LEDs capable of auto use are readily available. The lenses in front of the LED make the beam pattern. For example I have a 3900 lumen 3 LED flashlight that is hella/blindingly bright and shoots far and wide. The best halogens have no more lumens than that each.



It was only $55 and very similar to this one http://www.ledsupermall.com/uniquefi...lashlight.html. Heck, two of these could easily be headlights with the right lens I would think. Their output is nothing short of phenomenal!

[spin9k]

And check this out, similar to the Humve, only $300
7" Round 12V LED Headlight by Truck-Lite
Direct Replacement For Par 56, H6014 and H6024 Lights

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=64057

• • Improved Low Beam Performance
  • DOT Approved, High Beam and Low Beam
  • Provides light output closer to the color temperature of daylight, dramatically improving light projection distance and overall visibility
  • Solid-state design resists damage from shock & vibration
  • Offers as much as 50x longer life (10,000 hrs vs 400 hrs) than comparable incandescent lamps, saving the time and expense of replacing lamps multiple times
  • Hard wired design, fully encapsulated electronics & anodized aluminum housing protect from damage caused by corrosive elements
  • Impact resistant polycarbonate lens protected against damage caused by debris and other hazards
  • Direct replacement for Par 56, H6014 and H6024 lamps
  • 3-Year Limited Warranty

The problem for everyone trying to do this aftermarket is the DOT housing/lens to fit their particular car.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by spin9k

Heck, two of these could easily be headlights with the right lens I would think. Their output is nothing short of phenomenal!

A pair of surefire tact lights mounted to a go kart frame work great for night time go kart offroading

[RRnold]

Originally Posted by spin9k

As far as using in headlights now, again cost. But the LEDs capable of auto use are readily available. The lenses in front of the LED make the beam pattern. For example I have a 3900 lumen 3 LED flashlight that is hella/blindingly bright and shoots far and wide. The best halogens have no more lumens than that each.



It was only $55 and very similar to this one http://www.ledsupermall.com/uniquefi...lashlight.html. Heck, two of these could easily be headlights with the right lens I would think. Their output is nothing short of phenomenal!

Originally Posted by spin9k

And check this out, similar to the Humve, only $300
7" Round 12V LED Headlight by Truck-Lite
Direct Replacement For Par 56, H6014 and H6024 Lights

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs...roductId=64057

• • Improved Low Beam Performance
  • DOT Approved, High Beam and Low Beam
  • Provides light output closer to the color temperature of daylight, dramatically improving light projection distance and overall visibility
  • Solid-state design resists damage from shock & vibration
  • Offers as much as 50x longer life (10,000 hrs vs 400 hrs) than comparable incandescent lamps, saving the time and expense of replacing lamps multiple times
  • Hard wired design, fully encapsulated electronics & anodized aluminum housing protect from damage caused by corrosive elements
  • Impact resistant polycarbonate lens protected against damage caused by debris and other hazards
  • Direct replacement for Par 56, H6014 and H6024 lamps
  • 3-Year Limited Warranty

The problem for everyone trying to do this aftermarket is the DOT housing/lens to fit their particular car.

I know a few guys who are running those in their lightbars. They are very bright and help on night trails but sucks if you are coming from the opposite end where is literally blinding.

It'll be a matter of time and a lot sooner before it'll be mainstream in automotive headlights. I think the task is having it aimed properly since we've already seen the intensity of it.

[blur]

Audi is probably the biggest investor in LED. On the R18 they complain about heat management though... they had to put a heat shield to protect things behind it.

[spin9k]

More points in favor of LEDs...

Aside from light output, LEDs everywhere in a car help designers to optimize many design goals. For example. it's possible to minimize weight in many ways. Items like wiring size, max alternator output, and battery size and capacity can be downsized due to less peak electrical demand. Because the LED housing can be less deep, there is some space savings possible and far more design leeway vs. i.e., bulky incandescent housings. Beam patterns can be more forused with multiple small LED lens vs a single light element and trying to make a single lens do everything. Light output color can be directly optimized for best visibility and clear lens can be used maximizing output in such elements as turn and stop lights.