3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

I have had several brand led lights and maybe it's just me but after a year I noticed the lights do not seem to be as bright when I first got them. Is it just me or have others experience this

 

I’ve tested them and shared the results somewhere earlier in the thread, their results are disappointing. The GEs are over 50% brighter. I think the Laser bulb uses too much blue coating which reduces output. Once I get the last few bulbs in I’ll summarize all the test results in a table for easier reference.

It is very common for LED users to initially be impressed with the output due to a big increase in foreground light, but after driving somewhere actually dark they realize over time they cannot actually see as well as they did with stock lights. The satisfaction with the lights fades as the lights don’t actually seem as bright as they once did. Unsure if that is the case for you or your products actually dim.

Also note that LED output goes down as the products ability to cool is reduced. So when an LED is cold it will be brighter than after it has run a while to get to stable operating temperature. Same effect on running LEDs in the cold winter vs running in the hot summer. The output changes can be near negligible to noticeable depending on the LED design. Getting the cooling components dirty, say if you take your truck off road, or in dusty climates, may also reduce the components ability to cool as effectively leading to reduced output.

 

Thank you very much for that information.

 

I had found similar ones on ebay when looking for the GE 130 as a spare set. The GE Xenon's look alot like the older GE Megalight 120.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-Lot-GE-...2750?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c1#viTabs_0

 

Probably right after their 25% off sale ends ha

 

That much is certain.

 

Megalight 120 is still supposed to be an excellent performer, but not as white or quite as bright as the +130. In the H4 though the +120 has the advantage of not covering the high beam filament with the blue coating.

Sidenote, a while back I ordered some GE Nighthawk Xenon +120 9007s for my father in-law’s truck off ebay. The bulbs are expensive and eBay was half price, so I bought 2 sets off eBay. The seller had a note that packages were opened to add extra packing material to protect the bulbs. As someone who has recieved several packages with bulbs that have fallen out of their spot in the package and are just bouncing around loosely banging against the other bulb, this actually makes sense. We installed them in his Ranger and during the first week both bulbs blew. I know I didn’t touch the glass and he said he didn’t either. Swapped in the 2nd set and I had a strong suspicion the replacement bulbs wouldn’t last either but less than a week later the truck was totaled. I’m not certain why those bulbs that were so discounted lasted so short but something wasn’t right about it.

 

Just wanted to add my 2 cents in which may have already been covered but I’m not reading through 18 pages of post. I recently switched every front light over to LED. I ordered them from Amazon and all were H11 bulbs. They’re all the same brand and bulb as I focused on getting the ones were the LED were in the same spot as the filament would be on the stock halogens. Brights and fogs were easy but I had to remove the bumper and pull the headlight housing out since there was not enough room to swing the LED bulb into the mount due to the fan on the back of the bulb coming into contact with the inner fender metal. Clears it just fine once they’re into place tho. Dogs and bright work great but the low beam does seem to have some shading as the intensity of the light isn’t the same as the dogs and brights. It does light up the road more than stock halogens but there’s no intensity. I’m going to spin the bulb around some to see if it will change anything but don’t expect there to be much change. The bulbs I got have the LED on the side with a chrome piece they mount to with a chrome head to them and not the complete flat board I see in some which I believe would make the difference. Posting a pic with fogs and headlights which you can see the intensity from the dogs but not the headlights then another pic with the highs on which you can see the intensity.

 

You actually didn't have to read all 18 pages. The first page or two would have warned you about exactly what you discovered. You might want to read the rest before you pull your Bumper Cover and Headlight Housings again to rotate the bulbs. You'll find that it makes little to no difference.

BTW: Having to remove your Bumper Cover and Headlight Housings just to install the bulbs? Holy crap Batman!

 

Autocorrect is a PITA.

The correct orientation is 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock for the LED positioning, basically pointing directly to the sides. No legitimate lighting product should be 'adjustable' in the housing, that should be a major red flag. While glare isn't an issue in the low beams or high beams, it is a major issue for putting drop in LEDs in your fogs.

See this thread on why LEDs should not be used in halogen reflectors, like your fog lights:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/why-leds-should-not-be-run-in-halogen-reflectors.454371/

And this thread for how to correctly run LED fog lights, which requires replacing the housing with one designed for an LED.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

And just for general info, the reason the street signs look so crazy bright is the short wavelength light of LEDs refracts extremely easily, aka is hyper reflective, compared to the long wavelength light of halogens. Which is why LEDs do worse in bad weather, because the light reflects off the rain/snow/fog, causing you to see the precipitation in the air rather than the roadway beyond it.

 

Makes the nightmare 2nd Gen headlight clips sound easy!

 

True. And I never thought I'd hear somebody say that!

 

I recently installed the Osram Night Breaker Laser +150 in my truck. What was stated before is true, in that they are an improvement over stock in both output and color (as in a whiter color). That being said, they won't knock your socks off like the GE's. Bear in mind, however, that they should last at least twice as long as the 150 hr rating on the GE's.

Bottom line: they are an improvement over stock, but will not have the highest performance.

 

Your estimate looks to be spot on, from what I could find, it looks like their life is rated at 300 hours. Though not found on a spec sheet as I prefer, so take with a grain of salt.

 

Arrived. So. Boxed Bulbs. Took the harness and cut a notch for the bulb. That way you never have to notch the bulb again. installed all 4. Waiting for dark. I can already tell there is going to be an improvement. No glare caps and no bulb coatings.

 

That's what I found as well, buried in reports of usage. The box itself is incredibly specific, listing the life as two out of four bars because, of course, we all know the rating of one bar.

 

Looking forward to hearing the driving impressions! Be sure to try somewhere truly dark if possible.

 

My buddy just grabbed a set of the GE Xenons for his highlander. I'll let you guys know how they are compared to the long life osrams.

 

Life will be poor compared to stock bulbs but performance will be outstanding compared to stock. Which is better than outstanding life and poor performance IMO.

 

It's an almost full moon. I'll wait a few days and post up. Probably Thursday or Friday.