Automotive Headlight Upgrade.

Automobile headlights have come a long way from candles and kerosene lamps. Nowadays, the latest automotive headlight technology is based on LEDs, and some LASER LED headlights can throw light as far as 600meters.

Almost all automotive manufacturers have started using LED bulbs as a source of light in their headlights, but few manufacturers still prefer halogen headlamps for their budget cars to keep the overall production cost down.

With factory fitted LED headlamps, the scope for headlight improvement is next to nil. If you have halogen headlights on your vehicle, the options for an upgrade can be quite confusing at times.

The main purpose of using LED lighting technology in the headlight is to lower the power consumption, thus improving fuel efficiency by reducing the strain on the engine.

Introduction to Headlight upgrade.

When you are upgrading your headlight bulb, there are lot of things to factor-in than just the peak brightness.

Most bulb manufacturers boast about their bulb's lumens output (Lumens is a measure of the total light emitted from the source), but in real life, it does not matter much because the magnitude of the actual output after installation of the bulb in housing can change with the type of headlight housing.

Some headlight housings are very efficient at utilising every lumen of light being emitted from the source while others are not as efficient.

The fact is, there is no way of telling which bulb will suit better just by going through the specification sheet.

Options.

This is a kind of 'double-edged sword' situation as it is a curse and a boon. The good news is, you have a wide variety of options to choose by your purpose and preference, but the bad news is, you can easily end up buying the wrong bulb.

Not so long ago.

A decade ago, upgrading your headlight means you need to upgrade your stock wiring, install a relay kit, and use higher wattage halogen bulb(s). If you need more light, you should spend a lot more money for a small increase in brightness with HID bulbs. 

HID bulbs offered more brightness per wattage of electricity than any other halogen bulb but there are some drawbacks apart from the higher cost.

Halogen Bulbs.

You can buy some good quality halogen bulbs from Philips or Osram which claim 110%-130% more brightness, which is slightly brighter than your standard halogen bulbs.

This is one of the cheapest methods to improve your headlight without drilling a hole through your wallet. This will not only increase the brightness considerably but will also keep the stock beam pattern.

This modification is suitable for both the reflector type and projector type headlights.

100W/130W Halogen Bulbs.

If you need more brightness, you can use halogen bulb with higher wattage, but you need to upgrade your wiring as well to support. The downside is the heat generated by the bulb and this heat may darken the reflectors during prolonged usage.

This is one of the least expensive methods here-just replace the stock halogen bulbs with higher wattage halogen bulbs along with a relay kit for safety. By following this method, you can experience up to 3 times more brightness in actual light output while retaining the original beam pattern.

This modification is also suitable for both the reflector type and projector type headlights.

HID upgrade kits.

The peak brightness of the HID bulb is unmatched in the automotive industry and only a handful of LED manufacturers have come close to rival its brightness in recent times.

Unlike halogen bulbs and LED bulbs, HID bulbs produce light by producing an electric arc. The electric arc is produced when high voltage electricity is passed through electrodes.

The high voltage is produced by using an 'electrical ballast', which supplies constant high voltage needed to maintain the electric arc.

However, the installation of HID bulbs is more complex compared to others. Apart from this, the HID bulb takes a few seconds to achieve its peak brightness, and the beam pattern is usually poor as the shape and positioning of the arc barely mimic the original halogen filament.

Hence, the use of HID bulbs is more suitable for projector type housing compared to conventional reflector housing.

LED upgrade.

This is where most people dump their hard-earned money, and it can go wrong in an instant. With the range of LED bulbs available today, it is easy to get lost and end up with an unsuitable product.

There are many LED bulbs claiming to add up to 10,000Lumens of brightness for a few hundred dollars but the reality cannot be much farther from the truth.

The biggest problem with LED bulb is the range of options available in the market. They come in different sizes and shapes, to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various LED bulb is completely pointless.

The best way to select an LED bulb is to see how closely the LED bulb mimics the shape and position of the filament of your stock halogen bulb.

Even though LED bulbs are more power-efficient than any other type of bulbs, they are not without any disadvantages. The biggest technical disadvantage of an LED bulb is the heat generated behind the bulb.

To control the heat, two types of heat dissipation methods are commonly used. The first method is a passive cooling method, which utilises fins to increase the surface area to dissipate heat.

The second method uses fans to dissipate heat by blowing cool air onto the source and it is more effective in dissipating heat. This is more suitable for warmer climatic conditions in tropics.

 

Note: Upgrading your headlights is sometimes illegal, please refer your local transport office for further clarity.

 

ATHUL Z

Content Creator, MyTyre.