TransporterHQ (THQ) Aftermarket Headlights

[Stay Frosty]

I was reading yet more "wisdom" on the web and the gist of most articles was that LED is more suited to reflectors and Hids more suited to projector lenses.

Reading between the lines it boils down to the potential for more light spillage with the traditional large reflector compared to the much smaller reflector and focussing lens of the typical projector.

The more powerful Hid lamp though produces light over a wider spectrum and that's that annoying dazzling rainbow effect you used to get with police Vauxhall Omegas back in the mid 90s and probably what would happen in my H4 headlight, however it should work with the THQ headlight in a standard H7 format, especially if it's supposed to produce light mainly at 5000K.

 

[The Van Cave]

Looking around the internet last night I came across the following link. It seems that there is much more to OEM LEDs than a lamp behind a projector lens. It's no wonder that we can't replicate OEM performance with a simple lamp swap, however powerful they claim to be. I think that aftermarket LED technology has a long way to go yet, so I'm going to have one last attempt at getting some descent light out of my THQ lights with a tried and tested HID kit.

REVIEW: Lextar LED PES headlamp module! - HiDplanet : The Official Automotive Lighting Forum

Interesting article. I would like to hear your thoughts once you've fitted your HID kit. I'm considering removing the Philips LED bulbs and replacing with HID. I've still got the box for the Philips bulbs so might sell them cheap on here. Did I mention they are the most incredible headlight bulbs you're ever likely to use?!

 

[dubber36]

Only problem as I see it with that HID kit is that we know they will fail an MOT and as they are a replacement projector unit they are not going to be a 5 min replacement job for MOT testing like replacement bulbs are.

Fitting a HID kit into the THQ lights will be no different to the Phillips LED kit. Both are replacement bulbs based around a H7 fitting with an additional ballast module that needs to be stuffed inside the headlight. I've just swapped my Twenty20 bulbs for the Phillips ones in less than 20 minutes, so popping in a pair of halogens for the MOT in over 2 years time won't be too much of a hardship.

 

[Stay Frosty]

@dubber36 I think the comment about not being a 5 minute job was down to your link showing what is obviously not an H7 based lamp but a lamp, ballast and projector lens ready to be mounted into an headlight encloure somehow.

I agree fitting a conventional Hid discharge lamp with an H7 lamp base should be a piece of duff and give a much brighter dipped beam than halogen or LED lamp, main beam in the other projector will either be halogen or LED though, I'd go for LED to avoid that gold look of halogen.

 

[dubber36]

Ah, I see. My link was to demonstrate that OEM LEDs are far removed from just a bulb behind a projector lens.

I've got Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs in my main beam at the moment. They are actually pretty good and reasonably white. They will look yellow next to HIDs, but seeing as they get dipped, in theory, no one will ever see both lights on together. LEDs would look better, but I've spent enough on bulbs recently to take a chance on anther set to 'try'.

 

[dubber36]

I'm feeling like I've exhausted most permutations of bulb types in these lights. I needed to go into Halfords today, and somehow came away with a pair of Advanced White 5000 halogen bulbs. These are my findings so far.

Phillips X-treme Ultinon LED. Reasonable light output, but way off OEM LEDs. Supposed to be 5800K, but had quite a bluish tint. Maybe I got a bad set, but intermittent flicker from both sides. I tried swapping the resistors from side to side, but it couldn't be cured.

Twenty20 LED. These are said to be 6000K, but a much whiter white than the Phillips. They look very much like OEM. However, the light output is extremely poor. I'd go as far as say dangerous. These are the 150% brighter ones. They do a brighter one, so maybe they would be better. I also suffered DAB problems with these. I was struggling with Radio 2. As soon as the lights were turned off, the radio came straight back.

Halfords Advanced White 5000 halogen. These are said to be 5000K, but not a chance. These are quite white for halogens, but still look pretty yellow compared to the DRLs and the Osram Cool Blue Intense main beam bulbs. How they perform will be reported back once I've been out after it gets dark.

 

[t0mb0]

I'm feeling like I've exhausted most permutations of lamp types in these lights. I needed to go into Halfords today, and somehow came away with a pair of Advanced White 5000 halogen bulbs. These are my findings so far.

Phillips X-treme Ultinon LED. Reasonable light output, but way off OEM LEDs. Supposed to be 5800K, but had quite a bluish tint. Maybe I got a bad set, but intermittent flicker from both sides. I tried swapping the resistors from side to side, but it couldn't be cured.

Twenty20 LED. These are said to be 6000K, but a much whiter white than the Phillips. They look very much like OEM. However, the light output is extremely poor. I'd go as far as say dangerous. These are the 150% brighter ones. They do a brighter one, so maybe they would be better. I also suffered DAB problems with these. I was struggling with Radio 2. As soon as the lights were turned off, the radio came straight back.

Halfords Advanced White 5000 halogen. These are said to be 5000K, but not a chance. These are quite white for halogens, but still look pretty yellow compared to the DRLs and the Osram Cool Blue Intense main beam bulbs. How they perform will be reported back once I've been out after it gets dark.

Thanks, very useful summary! I wonder what the inconsistency is though with @Ethan Andrews positive experience (and beamshots) of the Twenty20 ones? I’m undecided whether to give them a go or not...

 

[Stay Frosty]

A lot of the problem with comparing light output is the way the phone camera flatters what it captures compared to the Mk 1 eyeball.

I've got some generic £19.99 LED H4s and from the pictures I took they look pretty good lighting the road however while they're no worse than the halogen H4 bulb they're also no brighter... definitely whiter in colour rendition but realistically they're using about 20 watts per lamp on each beam setting so comparing 2 x 20 watts of LED to the 2 x 55 watts of goldie/piss coloured light of the halogens per side... now if there was a genuine 2 x 50 watt LED H4 lamp at least we might then be in a position to clarify that the lousy performance of the standard T6 H4 headlight was down to a poor reflector design.

 

[dubber36]

Here are the Halfords halogens in action.


Dipped.


Main beam.

Hardly balls of fire. I'm happy enough with main beam, I think the problem lies with cheap, crap projectors. I'm half tempted to put the superior H7 headlights back in for winter and have the THQ lights for summer use.

 

[Stay Frosty]

That's my dip beam using the £19.99 Amazon H4 LEDs in a stock T6 H4 headlight, below is the main beam setting, same position, same Galaxy S7, to be completely honest the road surface here helps a lot in these pictures as further on when it's soaking wet the surface is a lot darker and seemed to absorb the light rather than appear illuminated. The road is pretty well single track and it looks like any poor so and so coming the other way might get blinded by the way that stone wall is lit up I could have wound the headlights down a bit, as I say the phone does tend to flatter them.

 

[dubber36]

I think the conclusion is the THQ lights projectors are pretty poor, whatever bulbs are in them. Reflector lights are much better, and better suited to LED bulbs, although I personally wouldn't fit them.

For those with H4s that don't want to fit LEDs, then OEM H7's are the next step up. The separate 'tuned' dipped and main beam reflectors, plus the ability to keep dipped beam on with main gives a noticable improvement.

 

[andys]

After a week of use of my H4s with LEDs I’m perfectly happy to use them over the winter now while I decide whether to have a van change next year. They’re nowhere near as good as my car with its fancy LED system that illuminates different parts of the road automatically, but they’re good enough to be safe, even in the remote rural area that I live in.

 

[Ethan Andrews]

Thanks, very useful summary! I wonder what the inconsistency is though with @Ethan Andrews positive experience (and beamshots) of the Twenty20 ones? I’m undecided whether to give them a go or not...

I did have a bit of inconsistency in the light pattern on my first post. But in the photos I submitted on here, I had adjusted the bulbs as one was at the wrong angle. And now I personally feel that the lights are miles better and nicer on my eyes for driving at night (not so tiring)

I would like them to be a tad brighter, but I get no complaints from other road users. But I am
considering upgrading further to HID units.

 

[Mooncat]

I found out recently just how tolerant other road users are to getting dazzled by oncoming traffic when I had to drive my old Landy 10 miles home with main beam stuck on. Only one person gave a quick flash on the entire journey which was half town and half unlit country A road. The Landy has been uprgraded to an alternator and halogen headlights so not the usual rubbish from a 50+ year old vehicle (I actually found it better than my T6 with stock headlights!). I felt absolutely dreadful doing it and deserve every swearword muttered by oncoming drivers (not really a problem for those I'm following as it's not the fastest thing on the road), but as stated before, only a quick flash from one of probably fifty oncoming vehicles and this was 120W straight at them, not some dodgy light scatter from aftermarket LED/HID bulbs.

 

[dubber36]

I was following a car last night that had its rear fog lights on. At every opportunity they had the full force of the Tigs bi-xenons in their mirrors. Did they turn the blazing fogs lights off? Did they f***.

 

[Ads_Essex]

I was following a car last night that had its rear fog lights on. At every opportunity they had the full force of the Tigs bi-xenons in their mirrors. Did they turn the blazing fogs lights off? Did they f***.

Paaah hah, we’ve all been there.

 

[dubber36]

Cheepo HID kit fitted this morning. 35W, 5000K.

The difference in light shining in the garage door was as least double compared to the halogens and I'm pretty chuffed with the colour. Fingers crossed for the darkness test later.

 

[The Van Cave]

Cheepo HID kit fitted this morning. 35W, 5000K.

The difference in light shining in the garage door was as least double compared to the halogens and I'm pretty chuffed with the colour. Fingers crossed for the darkness test later.

View attachment 54961

Look forward to hearing what you think when you've driven them in the dark.

I'm starting to think that I might have been a touch harsh on the Philips Ultinon LED bulbs. Now that I've driven with them for a couple of weeks I'm starting to think they're pretty good. So much so that I took them out yesterday evening and tried the H7 halogen bulbs as comparison. I was shocked at the difference and then put the Phillips straight back in and thought "Actually, they are a fair bit brighter and much better light colour, maybe I was too harsh" I'm still not sure I would recommend them at £115, but maybe at half that price.

 

[Stay Frosty]

@dubber36 I'm guessing that the Hid lamps fit as easily as the halogen lamp ie. same dimensions but are there any issues with the driver and flying leads as this is the situation with the H4 headlight in particular. Saying that though there is an H4 Hid and there are plenty of 50 watt Hid retro fit kits for all H number lamp types... obviously we're all waiting for piccies!

 

[RedUn]

Have a look at this, new review that's really interesting, hids vs leds in projectors and reflectors...