3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Hey @crashnburn80 . What's with these. Another dead end ?
Hyluxtek HID kit with CNLight ball bulbs.

 

I wouldn’t say they’re a dead end.

They’re not legal, they’re not perfect in a halogen projector housing, and like most HID kits using the stock housing you might see some bulb bounce. Heck I notice some bounce/shake with my GE +130’s. But HID’s are going to be brighter than halogens; my guess is they’ll be similar to the standard XD bulb or slightly better. Maybe even as good as the Phillips based bulb.

Raw output is just one part of the system however and the projectors still perform their best with a proper high output halogen H11 bulb. The results of the LED’s show this. They have a higher output at the bulb, but put less light down road because the light is in the wrong place. HID kits put the plasma arc of their bulb in about the same spot as the halogen filament, so the difference in shape between the two is less problematic but still leads to inefficient use of the projector.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the raw lumen output of a 4300k HID bulb is more than 50-100% greater than a H11 halogen, yet once it’s installed in our projector that’s all the extra output you get over a good H11 like the GE +130. Meanwhile, the GE +130’s have the same raw lumens at the filament as the stock bulb but throw 75% more light down road. HID’s are overwhelming the system with raw power, as are the H9 halogens, to get their “ light down the road” (lux?) increase. The high performance H11 bulbs are making the system work more efficiently and more effectively work in concert with the stock projector.

Raw power isn’t everything! Sure I can shoot full house 357 magnums through my Ruger LCR, but it’s a lot more fun for my hands and I’m a lot more accurate with Speer Gold Dot 135gr 38spl +P’s.

I’ve run the standard XD 4300k HID’s, Phillips H9’s, and the GE +130’s. The XD’s clearly put out the most light, but the pattern was weird compared to either halogen. The H9’s projection was “fuzzy” for lack of a more technical term. They looked like the stock bulbs but significantly better. I certainly did not expect them to test brighter than the GE’s. The GE’s throw a better pattern down road and have a more even light distribution than either the XD’s or the H9’s, at least to my eyes, and put off a fuckton less glare than the HID’s for anyone lower than your truck’s headlights.

If I just had to run a headlight bulb that matched the LED DRL’s, I’d run an HID kit before any current LED offering. But I’m pretty darn happy with what I can see with my $35 GE’s. YMMV.

Edit: after some googling I found this chart on the Daniel Stern website:

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/bulb_types/bulb_types.html

All halogen H11 bulbs are rated for 1250 lumens, +\- 15%.

A D2S HID bulb is rated to 3200 lumens, and is what Xenon Depot claims for their H11 4300K HID bulbs, Phillips or not.

Theoretically, if lumens was all that mattered, we should see both HID bulbs be 150% brighter. @crashnburn80’s testing shows the Phillips HID did measure 237%(!) brighter than the stock bulbs but only 95% brighter than the GE +130’s. The standard XD HID measured 150% brighter than stock, but only 42% better than the GE’s. They do even worse against the Phillips H9’s at +63% and +22% respectively, and like I said to my eyes the GE’s have have better actual on road output than the H9’s. My guess is the CNLight kit is about the same as the base XD kit...

 

I haven’t tried that kit specifically, so I don’t have data. However I would be very leery of any brand that sells a 55w HID kit, especially one that sells it as an “upgrade”. No reputable brands make 55w HID kits, and certainly no good brand would sell it as an upgrade. They look like just another Chinese HID kit where quality and performance can be all over the map.

 

Received my philips H9's, China for this batch. Gonna throw them in today, looking forward to seeing the difference .

 

I went with the GE Megalight Ultra +130% after reading this thread. It was a little brighter and looked better than OEM, but didn't do it for me. Going to shop LED bulbs

 

If you look at post #2, you might try the higher performing Philips H9s. They are higher performing and greater output, and cost less than $8.

 

How do you like them? Did you need an adapter to run??

 

Thanks! looking for whiter/bluish temperature color similar to Euro vehicles and Ford Raptor OEM LEDs

 

We’re all wanting better headlamps

Interested to see how the 2020 LED models look before I commit to a retrofit.

 

Gotcha, halogen definitely isn’t going to get you that. Check out Morimotos upcoming SAE LED headlight assemblies, they are built from the ground up for LEDs, though they are pricey.

 

What about just the fog light https://www.ledconceptslighting.com...Toyota+Tacoma&preselect=&preselect_restrict=1 to run with DRL for consistent LED look and better performance than halogen headlamps?? More likely to drop $150 than $1500.

 

The OEM Toyota LED fogs are brighter and cheaper than those Morimotos. See the LED SAE fog thread post #733 here.

 

Anyone had a look at these H11's yet?

 

I have not. Being Osram you know they will have more R&D than most.

SAE is currently drafting output compliance specifications for engineers to work toward to build legal drop in LEDs. LEDs are not there yet, but if they can build them small enough they may be able to get enough projection with reducing glare enough to meet the minimum requirements. Although a basic performance halogen may still perform better. You know reputable brands like Osram will be all over that and build something to meet the SAE/DOT spec. And the Chinese crap will also be all over it to falsify compliance claims making this market space even more confusing.

 

I figured with the R&D Osram does ($$$) they'd be at least on par with any other offerings out there, and likely better.

Are these not dot compliant? I thought they were. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

No drop in LEDs are SAE/DOT compliant. You’ll notice the box makes no such claim. All are federally illegal.

 

LEDriving HL H11 Gen1

≙ H11
65211CW

14.00W

Suitable replacement for H11

With LED technology and a color temperature of 6,000 K, the OSRAM LEDriving HL represents the most convenient solution in order to upgrade your existing headlights – providing a stylish cool white look as well as improved visibility for everything that lies ahead of you. It can be installed in place of certain H7 high and low beam lamps. The pair of lamps comes with a 5-year OSRAM guarantee and with a long service life. For precise guarantee conditions please refer to www.osram.com/am-guarantee. Please note: These products do not have ECE approval. This means they must not be used on public roads in any exterior application. Use on public roads leads to cancellation of operating license and loss of insurance coverage. Several countries do not allow sale and use of these products. Please contact your local distributor for information on the availability in your country.

Can't use 'em in Europe, at least...

https://www.osram.com/am/ecat/LEDri...01_3063273/PP_EUROPE_Europe_eCat/ZMP_4056682/

 

USA is no different, just not as strict on enforcement depending on your state.

 

I believe those are the same ones sold in Canada in our CanadianTire Stores under the Sylvania brand. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/h11-sylvania-zevo-led-headlight-bulbs-2-pk-0202693p.html#srp
They have been on the market here almost couple years now. Bought a pair 2yrs ago for wife's Sienna and like all the other LED lights on the market there is no throw with them. Now running GE +130 in the van also

 

I'm also running the GE +130. A phenomenal halogen bulb.