Front light bulbs

[StevehS3]

Changed the OEM bulbs for GE Megalight +130. I know that LEDs are brighter and the OEM lens/reflectors are said to be poor but I wanted to be legal, keep the original look and not spend a fortune. Much brighter and a larger spread of light. Haven’t tried at night yet though. £16 a pair.

 

[Jonathan Kay]

A comparison photo! :-)

Can you do one of the beams? Easiest with a board held over each in turn. And remember to lock the exposure settings between shots!

Jonathan

[StevehS3]

I have fitted them both now so not sure I can easily do that and I’m using an iphone, not a proper camera. The difference was night and day though :)

[Jonathan Kay]

Thanks

:-)

Jonathan

[7 wonders of the world]

The GE bulbs are very good - have them in the tintop after reading comprehensive tests on them and they comfortably outperform the previous upgraded bulbs.

[CPS7]

Where did you get them from please?

[StevehS3]

From Powerbulbs  

[CPS7]

Thanks.Some reviews say they don't last long. Be interested how you go, but at that price for the improvement, worth a go.

[Garth]

Can someone please explain why we think LED bulbs are not legal? Is it a bit of a myth?

My understanding is that if they are in a normal reflector and dip like a normal bulb they are fine? It is only some of the complete LED units which do not use the standard reflectors which are not approved?

I could be wrong of course!

Garth

[StevehS3]

 “The general rule is if you have a halogen bulb currently installed and you want to upgrade to LED, it won't be road legal. It's classed as a kind of headlight modification, as you're switching halogen technology to LED technology.” The reasons they may not be legal in a halogen headlamp include too high light output, incorrect beam angle [in a lens designed for halogen] and light colour. There is a lot of info about it on the internet and from reputable bulb sellers such as this:

https://www.powerbulbs.com/blog/2019/04/led-headlights-road-legal

 

[aerobod - near CYYC]

The other issue of using LED bulbs in a headlight designed for filament bulbs is that the LED silicon is rarely as compact or in the same position as the filament, leading to a badly formed beam pattern as the light is not generated at the reflector focal point.

[Garth]

Thanks for the comments - here is s link to some photos I posted a while ago - beam pattern is very good and they passed my MOT after the height was adjusted correctly! I can now see when I drive at night - the improvement over my old lenses with the extra bright bulbs is very significant! The beam pattern is smoother than with the old lenses and there is no problem blinding other cars when dipped.

I asked Classic Car LED's about the legality of the LED bulbs and this was their response - see below - makes for interesting reading and I think my LED bulbs are much better than any Halogen equivalent I have tried. That makes them safer in my view so I will use them on the road for now!

Hi Garth,

Thank you for your email.
The question of LED upgrades and legality, particularly headlights, is a complex issue which is not made any clearer by the fact the regulations stem from the RVLA.

Generally LED conversions are not 100% road legal for external bulbs, though ours all show the correct output and beam patterns (which many don't) so are not normally picked up by MOT testing and don't give glare to other road users.  Many insurers are now becoming tolerant of them though and allowing the use of good quality LEDs such as ours, particularly on classics, as they are CE marked and they see them as a big safety improvement. Changing to LED for external lighting is a vehicle modification that you need to advise your insurer of  as with any other modification from factory specification.  

The changes made in May 2018 to UK MOT law banned HID conversion for headlamps and some inspectors are treating this as LED too though many customers are reporting passes since the change was made.  We will not guarantee a pass though as the pass is at the discretion of the examiner.  Other fittings such as sidelights, brake lights and indicators may be OK for MOT purposes but again this is at the discretion of the examiner.  

The Road Vehicle Lighting Act (RVLA) gives some exemption to vehicles of certain ages but as the act does not specifically mention LEDs it cannot be inferred by their absence that they are legal for road use.  As a result we are cautious and sell all our external LEDs on the basis of "Off Road Use" only.  

 It's a grey area between safety and legality that we leave to customer choice.  Our Terms and Conditions which are linked to on every page on our website and email footer cover this. Internal LED conversions are 100% legal and are not covered by the RVLA.  

 External LED conversion is an area where the law has not kept pace with technology and there are many industry members lobbying for this to be changed.  However there is the battle with the large vehicle manufacturers and the influence they have with the authorities due to tax revenues, who do not like their vehicles being open to the aftermarket.  At present, and we believe unfairly,  LEDs, to gain homologation, need to be approved in every single light unit they could be fitted to. As you can imagine, this is an impossible task.

The wattage referred to in the RVLA actually refers to the light output, not the load.  It's another reason the legislation needs to be revisited and updated as it is seriously behind where the industry is with technology.

 We've been looking at this for a couple of years.  The result of our research and correspondence received from a number of sources is as follows:

 LEDs used for headlamps as LED modules for example, are always approved in combination with the complete headlamp (Regulations Nos. 112, 113 and 123).  According to the Department of Transport (DfT), the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 do not mention more recent developments in alternative light sources at all, such as HIDs (or LEDs) and, according to the DfT, this means that, strictly, such light sources are not allowed under British law. Many people presume that, because something is not mentioned, it is allowed, which is incorrect.  The date exemptions shown in Schedule 4 only apply to technology that was available at that time, being filament bulbs. 

 We've also checked with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe  and they have advised that no type approval currently exists for any LED module in the EU despite what is claimed by some.  We have seen LEDs available that are E marked but when you delve deeper they are only approved for Electromagnetic Interference UN Regulation No.10 Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to electromagnetic compatibility.  This does not make them legal for road use.  There are working groups within UNECE looking at retrofit LEDs but no decisions have yet been made

 As far as we are aware, this is the full legal position for external vehicle LEDs which is why we state "off road use only".  We are continuing to find an approval route but it will not be quick unless the various bodies decide to look carefully at the excellent products now available and the fact that the beam patterns and lighting are often better than older filament fittings and provide a safer motoring experience.

Please let us know if you need more detail?

Kind regards