Does anyone know about the LED orientation of Cree LED lights? Are the LEDS supposed to face up and face down, side to side. or does it matter? They only go into the housings one way but mine are not in the same position on passenger side as driver side.

 

I just installed the Superbrightleds.com H13 led headlights yesterday into my factory housings. You are correct that they could only go in one way....

It appears that mine are mostly in a left/right orientation but it is kind of hard to tell due to the reflector that covers the majority of the bulb.

 

Without going into a judgement all rant I will just ask that you please do us all a huge favor and take the time to aim your illegal non DOT compliant headlights out of the eyes of your fellow drivers.

 

Hmm..Mine are DOT compliant "Lifetime LED H13 LED Headlight Bulbs are a perfect replacement for your vehicle's old or broken headlights. They offer up to 2000 lumens and provide bright lighting to drive through dark trails. These headlight bulbs are designed with an integrated fan for cooling. They have a lifetime of more than 30,000 hours. These bulbs are DOT and Energy Star compliant." On mine, Low beam is on the bottom side, high beam on the top. These can be positioned in the mount to get the correct orientation.

 

Sounds like a pretty big assumption that all LED lights are somehow not DOT compliant.

 

Parts are not DOT compliant, companies who make or import the parts are DOT compliant. Companies self certify that parts conform to various Federal Motor Vehicle Saftey Standards.

Changing the light source in a headlamp makes it non 108 compliant

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-200...sec571-108.pdf

The basis behind this is the reflector is engineered by the oem to work in conjunction with the bulb and bulb type. So changing a part of the headlamp such as the bulb to a different type makes it non-compliant with federal regulations by default.

Aside from the legal mumbo jumbo though.... The practical issue is putting mis matched Bulbs and reflectors together results in poor beam patterns and cut off boundarys that are at the very least annoying to other drivers.

 

How do you like the lights....or since you just got them put in yesterday have you had a chance to drive with them at night? How's the clearance for them? The website had said there were potential clearance issues...I'm guessing from the backside with the fan or the tin heat sink fins?

 

I think we use the same ones 9007. All you have to do is take the angle grinder to the plastic locking retainer and bam..fit with no issues. I also have LED's and they are fantastic. Of course I had them pointed by a body shop since they do it all the time.

 

Don't do it, for the very valid reasons that Pirate stated.

By the way, energy star doesn't certify headlights.

 

As Elmer Fudd used to say "Be verwee verwee careful win u do dat! They (the fans) will fit through the openings with plenty of clearance BUT watch the power connector when you massage it through. I accidentally (well why would I do it on purpose?) cracked a connector. No fixing it though it looked fine as the males plugged into the females. In short, don't crush or force anything.

 

You didnt REALLY quote a government regulation did you on this forum?? We are anarchists!

Actually aiming was my next question based on the light pattern. However, I'm not sure the LED's are oriented right. My bright lights don't project as far as the halogens...but until I find out the intended orientation I'm a bit stuck. I drive isolated roads in MT where the deer and antelope park their butts in the road so I need all the help I can get. I have yet to be flashed. Do you have any suggestions for aiming? I've left everything on stock settings.

 

Well I checked the legality out for myself. Crap I hate wasting money. It never occurred to me that something like these would have regulatory issues? How can vendors sell an illegal product? Where are the freaking regulations for that???

 

HID retrofits are illegal too (at least in California).

Unless the vehicle code has changed here in California, HID's are only legal in vehicles that came with them as original equipment.

Stewart

 

Well just ordered some Philips H13 / 9008 X-tremeVision
Headlights 9008XVB2 . Hope they are legal They only make the +100% in H13. Wonder why they don't make an H13 in the 130% configuration. I have Silverstar Ultras but they really look yellow.

 

U.S. Customs has been confiscating H.I.D. retrofit kits being imported for some time now and the Feds have urged state highways patrols to vigioursly enforce violations. There are actually a few vehicle codes/laws they violate but they are difficult to enforce. To bright of a light is akin to to loud of an exhaust. It is subjective without the proper testing equipment.

Honestly though, getting a ticket is probably the least of your worries. Killing or injuring somebody by causing a crash is more of a concern, especially when your insurance finds out you had willfull neglect by installing illegal equipment that violates safety laws. Sadly I know this because my sister inlaw was nearly killed from an incident involving oncoming aftermarket headlamps.

Google adjusting your headlamps and you will find the DIY method or take it to a shop where they have a aiming machine/tool.

The Diy method is fairly straight forward if you use a tape measure and some masking tape and do it correctly.

H = horizontal centerline of your vehicles headlamp
V" verticle centerline of your headlamp
3 = 25 feet
5 = vehicle centerline

After I do the masking tape and measure method I go verify the adjustments on a dark flat road.