This makes them pricier to produce — the main reason why many car makers stuck with halogen for so long. Some manufacturers therefore recommend replacing xenon bulbs every three years. LED lights are now replacing xenons on new cars, because they are more energy efficient, last longer and allow car makers to create signature light shapes.
In LED bulbs, electricity is passed through one or more light-emitting diodes instead of a filament or arc. One concern is that if the electronics in an LED bulb fail, in general the whole light unit will have to be replaced, which will be very expensive and therefore impractical when cars are older and worth much less.
However, there are already some LED bulbs that can be replaced separately, rather than needing to be soldered into place inside a light unit. Plug-in hybrids can reduce fuel consumption to an absolute minimum, but which models are the best all-rounders and which should you avoid? Mazda's first fully electric SUV aims to prove that less is more.
Bear in mind that, while xenon conversion kits can be bought very cheaply, only complete units including self-levelling and cleaning systems are road-legal in the UK and will pass an MoT. Xenon bulbs, however, have a longer lifespan than halogen bulbs, and are claimed to last 10 years before needing replacement. There are a number of ways they can be upgraded, however. The options are:. We aligned the lights at a fixed point on an unlit country lane, and took lux light-level readings at 10, 25, 50, 75 and m in front of the car.
Two readings were taken at ground level, one facing upwards and the other facing the car, and one reading was taken at 1m high pedestrian level. We also tested them at dipped beam and main beam. The xenon bulbs quite literally outshone all the halogen bulbs in our test at 10m and 25m, scoring five stars for both dipped beam and main beam performance. They were particularly strong at main beam. However, we found that xenon light did tend to cut off quite sharply at greater distances, with no light reading at all on dipped beam at 75m.
Headlight bulb replacement is usually straightforward due to standardized bulb and socket sizes, but accessing the bulbs can sometimes be tricky due to the cramped quarters under the hoods of modern cars. A large number of model-specific instructional videos online make installing headlamp bulbs at home an easy task within the abilities of an entry-level do-it-yourselfer.
These top headlight bulb selections offer the right blend of value, illumination and longevity. Headlight bulbs are available in a variety of sizes and connectors to suit individual vehicles, but we have linked to the popular H4 bulb size for convenience. Many brand-new vehicles are equipped with LED bulbs expected to last the lifetime of the vehicle, but for slightly older vehicles equipped with halogen bulbs, the type of headlight bulb installed can make a critical difference in the amount and pattern.
Sylvania is a well-known automotive lighting manufacturer that supplies factory-installed headlamp bulbs to many automakers. Their SilverStar line of high-powered halogen bulbs offers a clean white beam that reaches farther than standard headlamp bulbs. The trade-off is both cost and longevity: SilverStar bulbs last about a year, making this the choice for maintenance sticklers who follow the traditional guideline of replacing headlamp bulbs every fall. The higher-end SilverStar Ultra bulb produces even brighter light, but has an even shorter lifespan: some customers report failure after as little as six months.
Still, the bargain price point and added performance make this an above-average pick for do-it-yourselfers on a budget. LED headlight bulb light output has advanced to exceed traditional halogen bulbs in recent years.
Falling prices put LED bulbs firmly within the territory of high-end halogen bulbs, but the value proposition of LEDs is irresistible: modern LED bulbs can last ten years or longer, producing brighter and whiter light with a better beam pattern than halogen bulbs. Among the crowded field of LED brands is Auxito, positioned at the high end of the market.
Auxito bulbs feature space-efficient heatsinks and fans, shrinking the bulb size to match conventional bulbs for a worry-free fit. Light output easily exceeds stock halogen bulbs, enhancing safety on night drives. Before LEDs stole the high-tech automotive lighting spotlight, xenon-filed High-Intensity Discharge bulbs were the futuristic mark of luxury. Bargain-bin pricing saves hundreds compared to original-equipment bulbs, while a two-year warranty adds peace of mind.
Certain older vehicles still benefit from occasional focused low-slung light, especially useful in inclement weather or while driving on unfamiliar switchbacks. Alla Lighting offers a drop-in replacement for burned-out or aging fog lights, with the added benefit of modernizing their appearance. Super focused beam pattern design provides wider and farther lighting range which is 3 times brighter than your original halogen bulb.
Over 5, Hours Lifespan Whole aviation aluminum body, unique hollow carved heat sink design and 1,RPM turbo cool fan provide super cooling ability, which ensures a longer lifespan up to 5, hours. Refraction Focusing Design: Reflective surface increases the lighting range.
The cut-off line is as clear as halogen bulbs, Two-vehicle meet each other safely, no worry about dazzle the oncoming driver. If one bulb burns out, the other isn't far behind. Replace your H11 XtraVision Halogen bulbs in pairs for optimum performance. Warm tip: we are upgrading our packaging and you may receive one of two boxes randomly Better pattern: Maintain safety of the driving is the top priority, SEALIGHT and H11 LED bulb do not blind oncoming traffic, no glaring thanks to an optimized light distribution Unique design: The LED chips equivalent halogen lamp filament design, No fan no noise, non-polarity.
Unclip and remove the cover for access. In our manuals you can refer to the wiring diagrams at the end for details of fuse locations and circuits protected. Again, your Haynes manual or the car's handbook will tell you where this is. To renew a blown fuse, remove it, where applicable, using the plastic tool provided or needle-nosed pliers.
Fit a new fuse of the same rating, available from car accessory shops. It is important that you find the reason that the fuse blew. Headlights need no introduction. They aren't particularly complex but it's well worth knowing your way around them should you ever need to change a blown bulb. Depending on the age of your car you may also have daytime running lights DRLs which come on whenever the engine is running, although these sometimes employ the services of the sidelight, rather than having a dedicated bulb.
Some cars also have cornering lights, which come on, as the name suggests, when the front wheels steer left or right. Sometimes the actual bulb moves, and on other applications the bulb is aimed 'outwards' rather than forwards, and responds to steering input. It's well worth familiarising yourself with your bulbs to make sure you know what's what. There are three main types of bulb that you're likely to find in your headlight, and it's not uncommon to find different types of bulbs within the headlight depending on what the bulb is used for.
They operate in the same way as a regular household bulb in that an electrical current heats up a very thin metal filament. In most cases the bulbs are filled with halogen gas which allows the bulb to run hotter and therefore brighter.
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