LED H4 headlight bulbs yay or nay

Muddy viking · Feb 20, 2023

Hi all,
Looking to replace my h4 headlight bulbs on my discovery 2, when I came across these l.e.d bulbs.. are they good or bad?
Its just a question, so no handbags at dawn please lol

I've attached a link so you can all see.. if people are running l.e.d's, it would be great to hear the feedback.

CENMOLL H4 Led Headlight Bulbs, 90W 18000LM 500% Brightness 360 Degree Adjustable Beam Angle H4 Headlight Bulbs Hi/Lo Beam Canbus Error Free 6500K Cool White Mini All-in-one Wireless Design, Pack of 2 https://amzn.eu/d/g0sNHN8

gstuart · Feb 21, 2023

Hi

hope u don’t mind me adding but I think if ur existing headlight bulbs are halogen it will fail it’s mot when adapting to LED’s

Know others will be able to confirm this and of course stand corrected if I’m wrong

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

A conversion won't fail but using different bulbs might.
6500K isn't great for road use

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

Plus.. 90watts!? Can you car take that? A standard bulb is 55W

sierrafery · Feb 21, 2023

My advice is to forget about those, these kind of bulbs need dedicated cluster to suit them cos the beam is different and good ventilation is needed as they get very hot, much hotter than halogens hence those coolers on them, that's beside MOT issues. Get Philips racing vision GT200 and you'll be pleased enough IMO... at least i was

discool · Feb 21, 2023

kermit_rr said:
Plus.. 90watts!? Can you car take that? A standard bulb is 55W

90watts = 7.5 amps 55watts = 4.5 amps

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

discool said:
90watts = 7.5 amps 55watts = 4.5 amps

Yep, is the existing wiring/switches good for it?

sierrafery · Feb 21, 2023

kermit_rr said:
Yep, is the existing wiring/switches good for it?

Maybe the wiring and switches can handle that extra 3A but i doubt that the bulb connectors(if they are the factory fitted ones) will have easy life as they used to melt/crack even with the normal bulbs too that's why they developped these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201223306409

300bhp/ton · Feb 21, 2023

Muddy viking said:
Hi all,
Looking to replace my h4 headlight bulbs on my discovery 2, when I came across these l.e.d bulbs.. are they good or bad?
Its just a question, so no handbags at dawn please lol

I've attached a link so you can all see.. if people are running l.e.d's, it would be great to hear the feedback.

CENMOLL H4 Led Headlight Bulbs, 90W 18000LM 500% Brightness 360 Degree Adjustable Beam Angle H4 Headlight Bulbs Hi/Lo Beam Canbus Error Free 6500K Cool White Mini All-in-one Wireless Design, Pack of 2 https://amzn.eu/d/g0sNHN8

There is more to this than just yes or no.

Fitment can cause issues, depends on the bulbs and how much room you have. Some bulbs are bulk and hard to get the clip over, some have an extra control box, some have fans, etc. There is also often a splash guard or cover on the headlight and sometimes not a lot of space. I've not fitted them to a D2, so you will have to have a look and try and see what works or doesn't.

High kelvin temps (the K rating) is not generally a good thing. Horrid harsh white to blue light, which can cause eye strain and tends to bleach out greens and browns and makes everything look a bit grey. Sadly most LED bulbs are stupid high Kelvin ratings. Ideally 4000-5000k would be best.

More importantly is the beam profile. You will need to check this, so it is trail and error. You want a good clean cut off and no glare. So you'll have to fit and test. And ultimately not be a ****er if they do glare, as it'll be horrid for oncoming traffic. If they are no good, send them back as unfit for purpose.

You can get warm white LEDs, but not many places sell them. These will look more like halogens in colour. https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/co...-excellent-beam-pattern?variant=8239029715039

As for the legalities, technically any LED bulb should be a no as a rule. However, if they have a good cutoff and don't glare I don't see it as being a real issue. At the end of the day running 80/100 watt halogens is also illegal. But plenty of people used to do this before LEDs.

The other option would be to look for some HIDs. Still a bit trial and error as many HID bulbs are rubbish with horrid colour and kelvin ratings (even if sold as being correct). For HID look for 4300-5500k.

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

a conversion is ok
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-notice-01-21-headlamp-conversions
but you need to do more than change a bulb, or use a bulb thats a direct replacement. LEDs usually are not even thought the fitment is the same

discool · Feb 21, 2023

kermit_rr said:
Yep, is the existing wiring/switches good for it?

Now with a bit time to look at the whole specification it does say 90W/Pair so I take that as 45W per side, if so its 3.75 amp per headlamp. Unless on main beam the whole element illuminates ie, main & dip together.

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

discool said:
Now with a bit time to look at the whole specification it does say 90W/Pair so I take that as 45W per side, if so its 3.75 amp per headlamp. Unless on main beam the whole element illuminates ie, main & dip together.

that makes much more sense, but for LED thats still a lot of power!! I know lumens/candels etc arent linear, but LED is usually 20-25% of the power of an equivalent filament bulb

Nodge68 · Feb 21, 2023

Muddy viking said:
CENMOLL H4 Led Headlight Bulbs, 90W 18000LM 500% Brightness 360 Degree Adjustable Beam Angle H4 Headlight Bulbs Hi/Lo Beam Canbus Error Free 6500K Cool White Mini All-in-one Wireless Design, Pack of 2

Complete rubbish. That's the seller just massively exaggerating the numbers.
There's no way a 45W LED will fit in an H4 bulb body, and if it would, it simply wouldn't be able to dissipate the heat generated.

It'll also be the incorrect beam, which will not impress oncoming drivers, and will fail the MOT.

kermit_rr · Feb 21, 2023

Nodge68 said:
Complete rubbish. That's the seller just massively exaggerating the numbers.
There's no way a 90W LED will fit in an H4 bulb body, and if it would, it simply wouldn't be able to dissipate the heat generated.

It'll also be the incorrect beam, which will not impress oncoming drivers, and will fail the MOT.

90W for the pair, apparently. but still a lot

Nodge68 · Feb 21, 2023

kermit_rr said:
90W for the pair, apparently. but still a lot

Indeed, I read it in the listing so changed my post.

However as the LED emitters are huge by comparison to an H4 bulb, the light will just dissipate all over the place, which will do nothing other than blind oncoming drivers, as well as fail the MOT.

Muddy viking · Feb 21, 2023

Thank you all,

It's a certified no! Lol I shall look for some slightly brighter halogen bulbs as the better option.

300bhp/ton · Feb 21, 2023

Muddy viking said:
Thank you all,

It's a certified no! Lol I shall look for some slightly brighter halogen bulbs as the better option.

Not at all. As I said it is trial and error. Plenty of perfectly usable LED bulbs out there. Just not all of them.

Sadly these exact bulbs don’t seem to be available any longer. But shows you can get good performing LEDs.

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/upda...ght-xm-l2-quick-review-inc-7-round-lamp/42354

JUKE179r · Feb 22, 2023

Auxbeam #88623534 H4 direct fit LED bulbs have been good for a couple of years on me D2 while passing MOT.
A bit pricey on Amazon UK but cheaper in $s.
https://auxbeam.com/products/88623534

btw… they have some great flood and fog lights.

Nodge68 · Feb 22, 2023

I can't see those producing a tightly controlled beam pattern, as the emitter is too large for the reflector. The reflectors in headlamps are designed to focus and project light from a tiny point the size of a filament. If the LED emitter is larger than the original filament, then the light will be produced will be outside the focal ability of the reflector, so won't be controlled correctly.

The most accurate LED replacements use tiny emitters, but these will also technically fail the MOT.

JUKE179r · Feb 22, 2023

Welp, there is always this option:

LED H4 headlight bulbs yay or nay

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