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I bought LED headlights because the halogen were drawing too much power for that little generator and the incandescent were not bright enough for my old eyes.
Easy install, took 10 minutes. Pull the old bulbs, install the LED into the housing, plug and go.
I don’t have a current clamp that will measure DC so I’m going on power drop.
Lights off, 6.14V
Halogen on 5.45v
LED on 5.99v
a significant reduction in voltage drop. The slightest increase in RPM puts the battery gauge in the positive side, although my meter moves only a mm or 2 either way, not very helpful.
I haven’t hooked up the parking lights, I haven’t decided if I want them on the same switch as the existing parking lights or a separate one. It’s over 100 out here so I’m done for now. When I get a cooler day I’ll connect them and see what they look like, then decide.
Ill take a drive after dark tonight and see what I can see.
Some pics… Empty housing LED installed Rubber gasket installed One halogen and one LED Both LEDs
Edit…
unfortunately I can’t seem to resolve the flashing between high and low beam. I checked all the wiring and grounds, voltages and resistances all check out, so it must be a problem with the bulbs.
I removed the LED headlights and reinstalled the halogen. Fortunately my charging system can keep up now and even with the halogens on high beam and at idle, it’s charging well. I’ll revisit this over the winter, but for now, I want to drive more than I want to troubleshoot.
Last edited by Bob Ingram; Aug 7, 2022 at 02:52 PM.
Reason: Change the title
I'll be interested in your opinion as to how well they perform. I tried halogen bulbs and didn't think they were an improvement. I'm thinking I didn't have enough voltage, If that's the correct term, to get the the full benefit from the "upgrade". You are making so many improvement to your truck, Abe will need to come up with some kind of an award to recognize your achievement at our next gathering.
I'll be interested in your opinion as to how well they perform. I tried halogen bulbs and didn't think they were an improvement. I'm thinking I didn't have enough voltage, If that's the correct term, to get the the full benefit from the "upgrade". You are making so many improvement to your truck, Abe will need to come up with some kind of an award to recognize your achievement at our next gathering.
Jim
Award for installing headlights? No way.
I went for a short drive tonight. A few comments…
1) definitely whiter and brighter than the halogen.
2) they’re not low and hi beam, they focus the same, so it’s bright and brighter.
3) I’m not sure why, but I had some flickering, as if it was going between bright and brighter at random. I’ll double check the connections, but I don’t believe that was an issue.
4) they focus higher than the halogen, so I’ll need to readjust. I shined the lights on my Ram on my neighbors truck and noted where the top of the beam hit, then did the same with the 48. The 48 was maybe 4” higher, enough to blind on coming cars.
5) at idle the ammeter was in the red, but as soon as I moved it went to either neutral or charge. Again, my ammeter hardly moves at all.
Overall first impressions, I think they’ll solve the brightness and charging issues. They don’t look vintage correct but I can live with that. At $142 vs $20 per pair, they’re expensive.
Headlights need to be adjusted so their main focal point is just below the center of the center of the headlight at ride height. Park on a level spot 10-20 feet from a wall or garage door, you get the idea. Measure to the center of your headlight and put a mark on the door(electrical tape is easy to see) just below that height and adjust your focal point for low beam to that mark. You can't blind oncoming vehicles if they have a slight negative slope.
I own an old headlight adjuster kit and it adjust lights to have slight negative slope. High beams don't matter as they should not be used with approaching traffic. I sure you know this but based on some of the things I read on here I need to say that for everyone's benefit. Good luck.
I took HID's out of '02 and switched to LED'S, best lighting improvement I have ever done.
I need to consider this. My headlights do nothing for me except let other people know I'm on the road.
I generally don't drive at night though. Maybe if I had these and went really darkside and installed a dome light I would drive at night more.
I need to consider this. My headlights do nothing for me except let other people know I'm on the road.
I generally don't drive at night though. Maybe if I had these and went really darkside and installed a dome light I would drive at night more.
Hey! Is that an underhanded swipe at me and my dark side tendencies?
When I drive at night and a car is close behind me I can see the shadow of my truck in front of me.
Headlights need to be adjusted so their main focal point is just below the center of the center of the headlight at ride height. Park on a level spot 10-20 feet from a wall or garage door, you get the idea. Measure to the center of your headlight and put a mark on the door(electrical tape is easy to see) just below that height and adjust your focal point for low beam to that mark. You can't blind oncoming vehicles if they have a slight negative slope.
I own an old headlight adjuster kit and it adjust lights to have slight negative slope. High beams don't matter as they should not be used with approaching traffic. I sure you know this but based on some of the things I read on here I need to say that for everyone's benefit. Good luck.
I took HID's out of '02 and switched to LED'S, best lighting improvement I have ever done.
3) I’m not sure why, but I had some flickering, as if it was going between bright and brighter at random. I’ll double check the connections, but I don’t believe that was an issue.
.
My experience with flickering LEDs (120-220v) indicates a bad/cheap internal ballast. But I have no experience with car LEDs.
Harrier would like to know it you do this. I will see you at Branson.
This is low on my list at the moment. Besides I don't want to threaten my membership in the Procrastinators Club.
Looking forward to Branson. Not so much thinking about how much gas is going to cost getting down there.
Flicker in LEDs can be due to the circuitry that powers the LED. To control the brightness of the bulb the input current is "turned on and off" at the rate of 30 to 50 times a second. This is referred to as duty cycle and/or pulse width modulation. Our eyes cannot "see" this flicker under normal circumstances because it happens too fast. That said, if another light source is in range of the subject LED there is a possibility of a strobe effect occurring or, as Dturk noted, the circuitry in the LED bulb may be defective or less than optimal.
I would wonder what kind of quality the bulbs are and if you also have a stable regulated source of energy. is it 6 v? are your bulbs 6 volt rated? I dont see a lot of electronics on the bulb itself so I bet it has a dongle harness wired into it with plugs?
