The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

Can't see them on tapatalk

 

Might want to check this out before you rule out LEDs. I did the garage wall test and the horizon line was identical to stock, just brighter and whiter. There is no fan and no need to cut the boot or anything else. Plug-and-play. happy so far.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/philips-led-h4-headlight-bulb-review.392854/

Also, I did the H11 to H9 fog light mod over a year ago with no problems. The bulbs are tight in the housing and much brighter. the only "problem" I have now is that the headlights are pure white and the fogs look yellow in comparison.

 

Can't see on IE either....

 

No more scatter than what BackT posted. End of the day, for a plug and play and street legal upgrade, I'm happy with the results, and thats all that matters.

 

You are correct. If you are happy with it, that's what matters the most. However, none of the above mentioned headlight mods qualify for "street legal"

 

Well, this sucks! OK, I have to figure out why they are not showing.

 

I think the Philips LEDs are legal.

 

As of today, all states conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 108 requirements for headlights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) strongly states that it is impossible to produce HID/LED conversion kits (converting a halogen system to HID/LED) that would be compliant with FMVSS 108. No non-OEM product on the market is compliant today. All kits MUST sold are for Off-Road use only.

Halogen equipment heats a metal wire coil filament to incandescence, while the HID conversion kit's light source incorporates a discharge arc to produce light. The light patterns emitted by this discharge arc are incompatible with the reflector found in the Halogen housings, same as for the Light Emitting Diodes. HIDs and most LED systems also require an additional ballast for operation. Under FMVSS 108 Section S7.7 (replacement light sources), each replaceable light source for headlamps must be designed to conform to the dimensions and electrical specifications for the headlamp source it is intended to replace. For example, if an HID/LED kit is marketed as replacing an H4 light source, then it must match the H4's wire coil filament size and location, the electrical connector size and location, and the ballast design for use with an H4 light source (which is impossible since there is no ballast).

NHTSA has concluded this equipment presents a safety risk to the public since the kits can be expected to produce excessive glare to oncoming motorists or improper light pattern and/or color. In one investigation, NHTSA found that most HID/LED conversion headlamps exceeded the maximum candlepower by over 800 percent. Additionally, many of the HID/LED conversion headlamps were not compliant within the range of safety for light color (3500-4500 Kelvin). All OEM lights (Halogen, HID or LED) fall with in the compliant color range.

It's kind of a long read.
http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?node=se49.6.571_1108

 

You win through sheer volume of text.

I still like my Philips...

 

As mentioned above they are not. However, as it has been already discussed the alternatives are also not legal (including high powered halogens).

Interesting note on those, from the technical specs tab on this page:
http://www.xenondepot.com/h4-philips-12953BWX2-LED-Bulb-p/12953bwx2.htm

Philips X-treme Ultinon LED Headlight Bulb:
Lumens [lm]: 1000+/-15% Low Beam, 1250+/-15% High Beam
White 6200K colour temperature is perfect for color matching with HID and LED fog lights

vs

Osram 85/80w
Lumen output 1750 Low Beam, 2400 High Beam
I'd estimate the color temp is in the mid 4k range, higher than stock but not nearly as high as LED.
http://store.candlepower.com/64206.html

Meaning the LEDs will look whiter, which some mistake for brighter, but isn't the case.

Note that those Philips are designed to be a correct reliable replacement, at relatively low wattage whereas other LED kits are much higher wattage to get more lumen output, but then rely on cooling fans and don't have the glare guards ect. As many threads on this forum have covered, those high wattage LEDs tend to fail.

 

LOL! I worded you to death, huh?

Like I said before, if you are happy with it, that's what matters the most.

No worries, you would be amazed how non-compliant most of the suspension lifts are and everybody rolls around on those.

 

I would estimate the Osram 85/80W is closer to 4000K-4100K. Halogens are 3800K, so the increase in power certainly have changed the color. I have to get my pictures to work correctly, but on the garage door test, I had the Osrams next to my 4300K HID and the was a noticeable difference, although much less than standard halogens.

 

Having a known data point of the 4300k definitely helps. I concur. I was ball parking based on comparison to stock.

 

So assuming my $150 Philips LEDs ever fail or otherwise end up needing replaced, what is the bulb life for the Osrams? Typical halogens are 5000 hours...at least the H9s I put in my fogs are. Did the Osrams include a life expectancy rating? I remember putting Sylvania Silver Star replacement bulbs in my 2006 Volvo. They were brighter, but they would burn out every 9-12 months. Not bashing the Osram solution as they are clearly the brightest so far, but longevity/durability is a consideration for some.

 

I don't think H4 halogen life is nearly that long, likely closer 1000-1200 hours from what I have seen. Keep in mind it is a dual filament bulb, vs a single filament H9 which could account for a shorter lifespan. There are also 'long life' bulbs that produce less light than a standard halogen but last longer than a standard halogen.

I don't have an official hour rating for the Osram 85/80w bulbs, I've seen numbers posted stating 350-400 hours but nothing directly from the manufacture, in real world application they typically last me a little over a year, I'd estimate 12-15 months. Compared to 100w bulbs that are typically rated around 100 hours, the bulb life is impressive for high wattage. I put the same wiring and bulb upgrade in my girlfriends Escape last Christmas and the bulbs are still going strong (about 11.5 months ago). I'll report when they fail as they are quite a bit older than mine.

The compromise for longevity is to get the Osram hyper 70/65w bulbs as other members in this thread have done, which are rated to be nearly the same in life as a standard halogen H4. I covered the lumen output earlier in the thread (but there are lots of pages) I think of the top of my head it was 2000/1350 lumens vs the 85/80w being 2400/1750 lumens. Note the 70/65w are still rated higher in lumen output than the specs from the Philips LEDs.

Changing my bulbs every year plus isn't a big deal to me for the vastly superior light output. Others prefer the longevity at the expense of some light output and go with the 70w versions instead. You can customize the mod for what is most important to you.

 

@crashnburn80 , I tested the left connection as you described (using exact same multimeter as yours) and my reading is +0.1 when my headlights are on. I am assuming ANY voltage measured at the left connection would qualify my '05 DCSB as "ground switched" and that the correct harness is "HL28200S - Two H4 Lamps." Thanks for the great info!

 

0.1 is pretty low. Try testing the top horizontal connection to confirm. If it is zero then yes, if it is higher than the 0.1 from the left connector, you are still conventionally switched.

 

@crashnburn80 - I pulled the passenger side connector plug and here are my readings: Top = 12v, Left = 0.04v, Right = 0.37v
Connector positions (Left/Right/Top) are as viewed from the back of connector.
Please confirm that I am CONVENTIONALLY SWITCHED.
Thanks again for your help on this.

 

Correct, you are conventionally switched.

The 0.04v is noise, my meter bounced around 0-0.02v when taking the reading. If you were ground switched you would have 12v reading in the left connector, 0.04v is nowhere close to that.

 

Great! Harness and 2 pairs of Osram Hyper 70/65's ordered! Thanks @crashnburn80.