Has anyone installed led headlights?
Yes! I am in the middle of testing out various LED headlights. Most of these headlights are shipped with advertising that doesn’t match the actual output. I bought a set of headlights with 3200 lumens and the packaging on the headlight when it arrived said 1,500. I now have a few sets of different headlights including HID headlights and will compare them.
I’ll bet they were giving the lumens for the pair, so maybe only slightly lying. I’ll look forward to seeing the results of your investigations. You checking them on covered or uncovered headlights?
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My XKE headdlights are uncovered. Main question is, can they fit?
Thanks for your reply.Pete
I used uncovered headlights before and installed H4 bulbs Then HID bulbs. I modified my bonnet with monocoque Metalworks covered headlights and now going thru multiple new LED options including many that were not available years ago.
On some of the full light replacements, i had to dremel off some housing plastic on the jeep housing. I first started off with housings that could take just a bulb replacement.
I’ll try to get Crespin down here for an “official” test. Peter?
The ones with 3 rows and 13 LEDs for off road were terrible, regardless of the hype. Now trying new LED bulbs in my old housings.
Wow was that price individual or pair? Amazon shows them at $211 each today. I think they were less a couple months ago when I checked.
If you are talking about the 13 LED headlights, they are sold by many with widely different prices but the same actual lights. (And they are terrible at night). The descriptions vary widely, but they say they run up to 36volts, so i think that is how they get the high output in lumens. All you will need to do is get a 36v alternator and do a “little” rewiring and component replacement.
No I was referring to the Grote lamps. Not even sure if they could be run off my dynamo or not?
That was the Canadian price individual, pricey but well built. There are cheaper ones out there but they didn’t have the look or performance I was after. I think I returned 12 different sets!
ELECTRONIC CHARACTERISTICS
Connector type: Automotive H4
Input Voltage: 9V-32V
Power Draw (12V):
Low Beam, 15W. High Beam, 27W
I think Watts/Volts = amp. so its only drawing 1.25amps you should be fine. Halogen bulbs normally run 90/12 =7.5 amp
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I am beginning to wonder about all the hype for LED lights especially on vehicles. I deal with them daily on a large airline fleet of 737’s. Huge reliability problems with LED’s that are not very old at all and most already with service bulletins to hopefully fix the problems. Much more expensive and complex to repair too over their older more traditional counterparts. Give me a good ol’ light bulb, florescent or flash tube any day since so far seems like a real " if it ain’t broke don’t fix it" situation.
I see what I assume are LED light strips out on a lot of new cars too and wonder how much that is going to cost to fix ? I am going to stick with all the stock type lights on my E for the foreseeable
future since I have not had any problems with them but I could just be old and set in my ways too.
David
68 E-type FHC
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As has often been the case, those of us with the “flat back” Series I buckets can’t be sure any of these new type lamps will fit. I understand that only the various old style options will fit.
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When I installed the covered headlights I bought the flat back buckets. I replaced them with my old buckets to accommodate new headlights and found no clearance problems even with my 215 70 15 tires.
I used LED headlamps in my Triumph and have had no problems - these were simply an H4 set-up that replaced the bulb in a set of Bosch lenses.
The draw is very low (about the same as a brake light) which was what I wanted as the car has a dynamo and I often drive in areas where daytime headlamps are needed.
My only complaint is that the light is very white compared to the yellowish look of incandescents – so they do not show up as well in the daytime.
Clearance may be different with the modified vs. factory closed headlights. A previous owner had replaced the flat back buckets with the standard ones on my 67 4.2. There were obvious rub marks on the back of the buckets with 185 15 tires. No damage to the metal but paint was removed over a 2 sq. Inch area. Probably a bit different from car to car.
Off topic: I see Hagerty, or was it Hemmings, says Vega’s are starting to see some respect in the collector’s market.
Interesting since even with my wide tires there is still about 2 inches of clearance
My car appears to have had a fair bit of sub standard repair done to the bonnet. It is all apart now so on reassembly I will check the clearance in its revised condition. Would prefer the standard buckets but suspect Jaguar used the flat back ones for a reason.
I had a very bad edge to the cowl and ended up welding on additional material to the bonnet then once in place, used a 4 1/2 inch grinder to cut a perfect match. Also played around with the spacers on the bonnet hinge, so that maybe where I got the extra room. Pictures available.