LED Headlights for the 350z? Maybe not such a good idea…

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on May 21, 2013

I love the Z cars, especially the Nissan 350z, and when I saw that someone was making a FULL LED headlight assembly for the 350z I just had to check it out. I was really excited to ditch the factory projector HID headlights for some low power consumption / super-bright LED headlights for our Z car but I was SADLY disappointed! While the picture on the eBay auction looks promising the actual product experience was an epic failure…

They look awesome in pictures and cost about $275/pair. Just don’t turn them on!

Here are the main reasons why these headlights were absolutely a waste of money:

1. CRAP light output – these were about half as bright as stock halogen headlights!

2. LED failure out of the box – one of the parking lights was dead immediately along with one of the low beam LEDs.

3. Poor construction – within 4 days of having them on the car the lenses were starting to show stress marks and moisture was building up inside the housing.

4. NOT WATERPROOF! Don’t believe what the sellers are saying, these are absolutely NOT waterproof!

5. VERY difficult to install! You will really need to understand how 12v automotive wiring works in order to even get these things to turn on properly!

So let’s start off with the biggest issue, the light output is garbage… When looking at the lights head-on they seem to be super bright, but when putting them into practice on the road they just didn’t do anything. In rainy or foggy weather they were down-right dangerous to use! You could kind of see where you were going in the dark on clear-sky nights but it was about half as bright as a regular stock halogen low beam headlight. Not only do they not focus the light output well but they create a lot of glare for other drivers.

LED Headlights installed – they look great but are unsafe to use on the road at night!

In pictures they look incredibly bright, but the actual “on the road” light output is almost non-existent!

The INSTANT these were installed there was an LED failure. Each headlight connects to the parking light wiring to turn on 3 small LEDs on the outside edge of each headlight, and right away one of the six didn’t work. I found that it was due to a poor wiring connection inside (all connections are crimped, not soldered within the construction) but to get to it I would have had to dismantle the entire headlight and it wasn’t worth the trouble so I left it.

Within 24 hours one of the main low-beam LED’s had quit working. I cannot confirm if it burnt out or if the connection became disconnected, either way it was really pathetic. Within 5 days of driving the car the passenger side low beam quit working almost all together. All that was left was a few of the LEDs would come on slightly. I opened up the housing to check it out and found nothing visibly wrong, so either something on the circuit board failed, or all the LED chips failed – it’s hard to say which happened for sure.

Here is the driver’s side showing one burnt out low beam LED chip and one almost burnt out parking light LED.

Here is the passenger side low beam showing that SOME of the LEDs are still on but only glowing.

One of the more disappointing things about these headlights is the fact that they seem like they COULD have been built really well but just weren’t… The housings themselves looked really nice and the design seems to be well thought out but the individual LEDs were all very cheap, the lenses showed signs of stress damage after less then a week of use, moisture started getting inside the lenses and the way they “seal up” in the back is just pathetic!

The back side of the housings use a rubber cap instead of the factory dust cover. This rubber cap has 3 holes coming out of it, a ground, low beam + and high beam + but this rubber cap does not stay in place! It fits very loose, and when it falls off it exposes the bare circuit board that controls everything – I have a feeling this is why the passenger side light completely failed. Aside from all that, the last issue (and certainly not a small one) is that the black paint on the inside already started to chip off in places and show chrome underneath – 5 DAYS AND THE PAINT FELL OFF!

Here is the inside of the housing showing the hot-glued LEDs in place and the bare circuit board with no protection – just flopping around with every bump in the road and no way to protect from water.

Here’s the wiring coming out and the loose-fitting rubber cap where the factory dust cap should have gone. This cap falls off very easily and does not seal very tight when it IS installed.

Again, these headlights are NOT waterproof. Even the seal around the lens isn’t done very well. The wiring comes out of weird places in the headlight and none of the components are encapsulated. We had these headlights installed for less then a week and EVERYTHING on them failed, largely due to not being waterproof. We even got some moisture inside the passenger side headlight housing. I guess one option would be to never wash the headlights and never drive the car in the rain…

Here you can see one part of the seam where the sealant wasn’t done very well and moisture is getting into the headlight after only 4 days of being installed!

Here is where the wiring exits the headlight to hook up to the parking light wiring on the car. The silicone job looks messy and you can peel it back with your fingernail. It is not done very well at all.

Lastly about these headlights, if you are not sufficient with automotive 12v electrical wiring you should not even think of buying these headlights, or if you do you should pay a professional install shop to do the install. Instead of having all the right connectors all you get are bare wires coming out – a total of 5 wires per headlight – 2 for the parking lights and 3 for the high/low headlight function. It may not sound like much but it will be left up to you (with no instructions) to test the original factory wiring and figure out how it all goes together.

Basically what it all comes down to is that it’s too bad that such a cool idea for LED headlights was created, but executed so poorly! I so badly wanted these to work but I’m afraid it was a waste of $275 that could have gone towards a nice set of 2006+ OEM HID headlights. Bottom line – if you want to see them and don’t care if they every work, fine – buy them. But if you actually need them to work for more than a week AND need to see where you’re going – STAY AWAY! Honestly for betting lighting performance I would just recommend you upgrade your stock headlights, which are very well built, with an HID conversion kit for ultimate light output. Don’t waste your money on these 350z LED headlights!

Are LED Headlights Legal?

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on April 20, 2013

Many consumers are concerned with whether or not the headlights they are interested in will pass an inspection or be considered “DOT Approved”. It’s a safe bet that if your headlights are rated as “DOT approved” then yes they are legal to use. Many headlight products seem like they are just as good as others because of a certain Lumen rating or quality control, but a true head light should have two main characteristics:

1. Have a separate low beam and high beam (or only one beam)

2. Have some kind of focus of the beam pattern so it doesn’t blind other drivers

LED Projector Headlights from JW Speaker are among the best in the world!

If the LED headlights you are looking at do not advertise that they are certified or approved by the DOT then chances are they are not truly legal to use on the road. Another good indicator on whether or not the headlights you’re looking to buy are good quality is if they say “SAE Certified”:
SAE is an international professional organization of engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries dedicated to continuing education and standards development. It exists to advance the interests of the mobility and related industries through development of performance standards and administration of quality assurance, accreditation, and certification programs as well as related activities for the benefit of industry, government, and the general public.

If a product is listed as “SAE Certified” it means that it was sent to the SAE for testing and certification and the stamp basically means “This is a really high quality product!”. If a product is listed as “DOT Approved” or “DOT Certified” it just means that the manufacturers built it to spec and regulation to meet certain standards. Nothing needs to be submitted to the DOT to achieve this certification, it’s actually up to the manufacturer to determine whether or not their product meets the requirements.

Right now there are only a handful of companies that are producing LED headlights, such as JW Speaker, Truck-Lite, Pilot Automotive, GTR Lighting, United Pacific, Oracle and maybe a couple others. That’s just what I can think of off the top of my head. So, do your own research and look at what the manufacturer’s say about their own products. If they say it’s SAE Approved and DOT Certified, then take their word for it!

Is LED superior to HID?

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on April 17, 2013

When trying to decide which auxiliary off-road lighting or headlights for your vehicle, nowadays it’s a tough choice whether or not to go with HID or LED. For HID there are some reasonable options that are cost-effective when comparing to LED. However, HID cannot hold a candle to LED’s power consumption and lifespan. For headlights, it all depends on the application and your desired effect.

If you have a Jeep Wrangler, semi truck or an older vehicle that uses sealed beam headlights, then you can use LED headlights, or several different HID options. Starr HID makes vehicle specific projector HID headlights that are very high quality or you can just use a GTR Lighting HID conversion kit. If you have a 7″ round, 6″ Round, 4×6″ Rectangular or 5×7″ Rectangular sealed beam setup then you can use a full LED headlight from a company like Truck-Lite, JW Speaker or GTR Lighting. The differences will be this:

HID Headlights will Be Brighter, by about double
HID Headlights will not last as long. LED Headlights last 10x longer than HID
LED Headlights are the new technology, they look cooler and draw 1/10 the energy to operate
LED Headlights are brighter than stock
HID Headlights are available in a range of different colors
HID Headlights can be used in any application
LED Headlights have a narrow application range
LED Headlight Bulb replacements are not bright enough yet to be safe (as of this date)

JW Speaker makes some of the world’s best LED headlight and LED off-road products.

When looking at off-road lighting and comparing HID to LED it’s not quite as difficult of a choice but here are some things to keep in mind:

HID Headlights will be much cheaper. A 6″ 35w HID off-road light will run anywhere from $150 – $500
35w HID will produce 3,000 – 3,600 Lumens of output. 55w HID will produce 4,500 – 5,500 Lumens of output.
LED is available in many configurations running from 900 Lumens (a single 10w LED product) all the way up to 35,000 Lumens (Vixion X XIL-PX7240)
LEDs will traditionally draw less energy than HID
HID and LED can both be found in long-range configurations

Overall, in terms of which is better for headlights, it’s a toss-up because the LED technology has not been developed far enough to be a universal application. But I predict in the future LED headlights will take over the world – they are the future.

In terms of LED off-road lighting, hands-down LED takes the cake, compared to LED off-road lighting, HID is old news. You will never find a viable HID option that will make over 40,000 Lumens (even that is stretching the imagination) and with LED it’s already easy to put 100,000 Lumens on the front of your truck.

This 2010 Dodge Ram has a total of 9 HID lights on the front end! Talk about creating a wall of light! A total of 31,500 Lumens of light output!

Wild New Headlight Technology – Lasers and LEDs!

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on March 2, 2013

Here is a new design from Audi

The Feds don’t know what to make of Audi’s new LED headlamps!

Audi has built a better automotive lighting system, known as the matrix beam LED headlamps. Matrix LEDs promise better, more precise lighting for the driver, less blinding light to dazzle oncoming motorists, and a kind of mid-beams for roads with only a little traffic. The Matrix lighting technology is ready to go on the 2013 Audi A8 big luxury sedan, but don’t hold your breath if you live in the US — when Audi asked the National Highway Transportation Administration for a ruling, the NHTSA demurred, unsure how to fit the square peg of a variable-output, matrix headlamp array into the round hole they call low and high beams. The issue is that in America we’ve never seen a “Mid” beam before, only high and low.

Audi Matrix LED Headlights with “Mid-Beam”.

Audi’s matrix lighting, first shown on the Audi A2 concept car (above) at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, comprises multiple segments that can be turned on or off as conditions warrant. Some elements could be steerable to help drivers go around corners. Combine it with next-generation GPS and the steerable lamp could swivel before you even begin to turn the wheel. Not to mention these headlights may be paired with a photo light sensor that will automatically dim the headlights when approaching other cars on the road at night.

Matrix beams are just a start — the NHTSA needs to prepare itself for more new tech. Audi competitors BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Opel are working hard also on the field called “smart lighting systems”. BMW is even developing laser headlamps. No, not superheated beams like in the movies designed to obliterate other annoying drivers on the road ahead of you…, but white lighting that can be precisely modulated and, unlike death rays, hardly uses any energy.

LED headlamps are only just trickling onto the market — mostly on high-end cars — but now it seems a certain German automaker has plans for laser headlamps. “Laser light is the next logical step in car light development … for series production within a few years in the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid,” says BMW. Lasers have the potential to be simultaneously more powerful, more efficient, and smaller than other headlamp types. Before you get too excited, though: the output of laser headlights will be modulated for safety so you can’t, for better or worse, come up close and bubble the paint of the car in front that won’t get out of the left-hand lane on the interstate.

Prototype Laser Headlights from BMW

The benefits of a laser headlamp are compelling: a near parallel beam of light (i.e. no glare) 1,000 times more intense than conventional LEDs but with less than half the energy consumption; 170 lumens of output per watt for laser headlamps, compared to 100 lumens per watt for LEDs. Both are phenomenally efficient compared to a standard household light bulb.

The history of headlamps of the past generation has gone from one extreme to another, from the yellowish tungsten glow of incandescent halogen headlamps, to the semi-updated quartz headlamps (longer-lived, brighter) and then to xenon or high-intensity discharge headlamps. Now all of a sudden we are moving into new technology faster than ever, first with full LED lighting, and an immediate quantum leap into lasers! Normally automakers develop and release these types of products in Europe first and the states later on down the road, so don’t hold your breath to see these headlights driving down the streets of Minneapolis, MN anytime soon.

The all new GTR Lighting Tru-Projector Sealed Beam Headlights

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on February 18, 2013

This 7″ round dual beam projector headlight is available in black or chrome.

Last year GTR Lighting came out with a new set of replacement sealed beam type headlights and they were pretty decent, but the new generation that was just released in 2013 is really great. These headlight housings allow you to replace your 7″ Round Sealed Beam or 5×7″ Rectangular Sealed Beam headlights with new true projector dual-beam housings that can use a halogen or HID bulb!

Here’s a Chevy Camaro with the new 2nd Generation Tru-Projector headlight housings installed!

These headlights come in pairs with bulbs and relay harnesses for quick an easy installation, but you can upgrade from halogen to an HID conversion kit for even better light output. When we tested them it was incredible how much better the lights performed when using HID over halogen!

See for yourself in this video review and demo:

Nicksquared Rally Race Team Sponsored by GTR Lighting

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on October 9, 2012

Team Nicksquared, Rally Race Car Drivers, have been sponsored by GTR Lighting!

Team Nicksquared, comprised of driver Nicholas Robertson and Nick Judkins, drives Rally America car #202; a 2012 Subaru Legacy STI race car. The vehicle was ordered by the team specifically to be turned into a race car, so now with less than 5,000 miles on the clock it is set to debut at the LSPR (Lake Superior Pro Rally) event in late October. With intentions of nothing but becoming the best in the industry, this team has really set themselves up to achieve those goals. They are starting with arguably the best car for the sport, the best safety equipment, driving skills that Pastrana would be jealous of and now, the best lighting in the world! GTR Lighting has chosen to sponsor the team by upgrading every original light bulb on the car with either an HID conversion kit or an LED replacement bulb, including:

GTR Lighting OEM Style Low Beam HID D2C 5,000K Bulbs
GTR Lighting 35w High Beam HID Conversion Kit 5,000K
GTR Lighting 55w Fog Lights HID Conversion Kit 3,000K
GTR Lighting Front TW6 Style Amber LED Turn Signal Bulbs
GTR Lighting Rear TW6 Style Amber LED Turn Signal Bulbs
GTR Lighting Ceramic-Based 1 watt 194 Style LED License Plate Bulbs
GTR Lighting TW6 Style White Reverse Light LED Bulbs
GTR Lighting Subaru Logo LED Door Projectors

Team Nicksquared sponsored by GTR Lighting

The GTR Lighting sponsored race car from Team Nicksquared, Rally America car #202.

GTR Lighting Sponsors the Team nicksquared

Team Nicksquared posing next to their new race car, ready to win!

Car #202 ripping through the dirt, on the way to victory in the Rally America circuit.

For more information on the team, visit Team Nicksquared on Facebook here. For more information on the sponsor, GTR Lighting, visit the GTR website here.

What’s the best headlight for your Fiero?

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on August 21, 2012

Fiero with upgraded headlights and 10,000K Deep Blue HID bulbs! Old cars can be upgraded too!

The Pontiac Fiero is near and dear to my heart because it was the first “cool car” I had ever owned. I got my first one when I was 18, right after my 1986 Dodge Daytona died on the highway one day. So to match my pride for the Pontiac Fiero with my professional hobby of lighting upgrades just seems like an obvious exercise! I just finished making a video showcasing the most popular and the best (not always the same products) Fiero Headlight Upgrade Options in a video:

If you have a Fiero and you are contemplating upgrading the lighting, please take a few moments and watch this video before making your decision. Also, watch for more videos coming soon to complete this series of videos where I will test different headlight options on the road and show you how to actually install new headlights and do an HID conversion kit on the Fiero!

JW Speaker 5×7 LED Headlights, Model #8900

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on June 26, 2012

These LED headlights are the best of the best in the automotive lighting world, but they are not perfect, albeit close!

Recently we reviewed and tested a set of the J.W. Speaker #8900 7×6 LED headlights and I must admit that they are totally great! There are a couple small things about them that make them slightly less than perfect, but the pros majorly outweigh the cons! These headlights are great because they are beautiful, reliable and super bright. The problems that I had with these 200mm rectangular LED headlights is pretty minimal, but to some people it may be the difference between purchasing them or not. Granted they are the best on the market, but here’s a short list of the problems these headlights have:

1. Price: These things sell for a little less than $600 each! If you must have the best, then it’s no argument, but for most of us mere mortals this price tag may break the bank.

2. Branding: The word “SPEAKER” is embossed on the inner face of the light in big bold letters, symbolizing that it is a product of the J.W. Speaker Corporation, but it confuses most people. I hear the question all the time, “This is a speaker? I thought it was a headlight…” with a funny and confused look on their face. JW Speaker needs to redesign the housing to incorporate some type of “JWS” logo inside, instead of simply the word speaker.

3. City Light: These headlights have a small single-LED city light built in for use as an indicator or just a unique looking style when you are cruising. The idea is cool, but when you turn on your city light it also lights up one half of the entire housing, dimly, so it really just looks like your headlight is on and broken.

Please take a few moments to watch the entire video, and watch the night time driving demonstration near the end too!

Back To The 50′s Car Show – Halogen Sealed Beams Everywhere!

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on June 25, 2012

This custom low-rider was getting lots of attention even though it had stock sealed beam headlights!

This past weekend was the 39th annual Back to the 50s car show held at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds in St. Paul, MN. I got to go for a day and see everything and I must say the event was a blast! There were big name vendors like Chevrolet, Rousch, Ford and many smaller local vendors like Union Speed & Style and lots of flea-market style setups selling all sorts of automotive goodies! It was just incredible to see so many restored classics, hot rods, street rods and wild custom muscle cars. Arguably the biggest attraction for myself was trying to spot the different lighting upgrades these enthusiasts were doing to their classic domestic rides. It was unfortunate to see so many cars with stock halogen sealed beam headlights though. The vast majority of these vehicles had stock headlights, tail lights and interior lighting. It was only a characteristic of the nicest of all vehicles in attendance to have upgraded headlights.

Crowds of people watching parades of classic cars!

I noticed a trend throughout the entire show, that was if a vehicle did have upgraded forward lighting, it was a stock-style composite housing with a blue halogen light bulb inside. I did not see a single HID conversion kit fitted car, or any type of radical LED headlight. I thought for sure there would be SOMEONE there with some crazy headlights, I must have just missed them. The second most common site to see on these cars was some type of film or vinyl over the headlight to give it a different look, but sometimes it was even done on the stock sealed beam headlights! We saw mostly 7″ round headlights and many 5.25″ round headlights, but I don’t think anyone had rectangular headlights in attendance. It really goes to show how far headlight design has changed since the middle of the 20th century. If you need new headlights for your classic car, then look no further than TLG-Auto. You can replace all of your sealed beam headlights, of any style with HID, halogen, or even new LED technology. Simply visit http://www.TLG-Auto.com

: This custom low-rider was getting lots of attention even though it had stock sealed beam headlights!

: Crowds of people watching parades of classic cars!

4×6 Projector Headlight Housing Options

Posted by betterautomotivelighting on May 26, 2012

Today several options are available to upgrade your 4×6 headlights.

In the world of automobile customizing and upgrading, it is not uncommon to find a vehicle that uses a set of 4×6, or 165mm rectangular, headlights. It is common on older vehicles, like the short-lived Ford Mustang SVO, or the Ford Probe to use this type of headlight in a dual-beam sealed beam headlight that does both high beam and low beam. Then there’s other vehicles like many Peterbilt semi-trucks that use 4 different 4×6 headlights, 2 for low beam and 2 for high beam. No matter which configuration you have, it’s one of the favorite parts of the vehicle to modify for either style or performance. In this post I will discuss the different options that are available right now.

1. JW Speaker 8800 LED Headlights

The 4×6 LED Head Lamps by JW Speaker are model number 8800 and available in a high beam style or low beam style. These are designed to be able to be used in a 4-headlight system common in older cars and tractor trailers like Peterbilts and Kenworth trucks. These are the nicest, best performing and most expensive 4×6 headlights on the market. They utilize two D-Shaped LED projectors on the sides and one LED projector in the middle. Normally these would be used by purchasing two pairs, one pair for low beam and one pair for high beam, but it is possible to use these as a single beam headlight for a passenger car.

The JW Speaker 8800 LED headlight is the best option on the market but is also the most expensive.

2. GTR Lighting Tru-Projector 4×6 Headlights

The 4×6 projector/halo headlights by GTR Lighting are a great, inexpensive option that will allow you to use an H3 halogen bulb or an H3 single beam HID system. These headlights have a pretty decent light output, with a sharp cutoff and different colors available for the halo. These headlights look great and work even better. Perfect for show or increased light output, but also offers increased visibility and new technology style. The GTR Lighting 4×6 Projector headlights are a great, economical option that are easy to install and look great.

The GTR Lighting “Tru-Projector” 4×6 headlights feature a real projector lens and an LED halo.

3. United Pacific Projector with LED Accents

The 165mm / 4×6 projector headlights from United Pacific utilize a high quality 9005 style single beam projector housing with 6 LED accent lights around the outside of each projector. These headlights have a very unique look and are one of the most inexpensive projector headlights you can find in this style.

The 4×6 projector headlights from United Pacific feature a uniquely styled LED accent on each housing.

For more details on the United Pacific 4×6 Projector and LED headlights, watch this video review:

4. Starr HID 4×6 Quad HID Headlights

Last, and certainly not least, is the 4-lamp set by Starr HID. This is a truly unique system because it is super high quality, but is not suitable for pop-up headlights due to the deep design of the housing lens. The projectors used in the Starr HID housings are so incredible, that they are bigger than any other projector housing on the market. But they are great if you have fixed-headlights that do not go up and down.

The Starr HID XP4656 projector headlights utilize true OEM HID components for the low beam (Philips ballasts and bulbs) and they come with high power halogen 9005 bulbs for the high beam, which can also be upgraded to an HID system by using a conversion kit. This is a great system if you are looking for the best of the best, and can use it.

The best of the best, by Starr HID – utilizing OEM quality projectors and HID components.

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