Another headlight post - D3S to LED conversion

[JMS]

Hi all,

My 2014 car is afflicted with the well-known hazing/cracking inside the headlight lenses, and I am also unhappy with the output when driving on unlit NSL roads.   

My wife’s Volvo has immensely powerful LED headlights, and I have just learned that it is possible to get conversion kits for D3S to LED.

Is anybody using one of these kits?
Am I better just forking out £125 for Osram Xenarc Nightbreaker Laser D3S bulbs?
Will fresh bulbs exacerbate the headlight crazing?

The sales patter for the LEDs makes them sound amazing- but I’m looking for real user feedback please.
They’re about £200 for a set. (You have to remove the existing ballasts to fit them)

https://www.ledperf.co.uk/d3sd3r-led-bulbs-for-xenon-and-bi-xenon-headlights-p-42819.html

Thoughts please. TIA

[mustard]

Replacing Xenon with LED bulbs is a bit of a grey area, LED bulbs are not 'E marked' as they cannot comply with the requirements, albeit that the requirements are well out of date. Replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs is an automatic MOT fail under legislation introduced a couple of years ago, but it makes no mention of Xenons, probably as it was not an option then.

Here is a link to an article which explains the issue. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/are-led-headlights-legal-in-the-uk/

Personally I have bought the Nightbreakers and it is huge improvement, but will wait for clarification over lEDs.

[joe6]

Replacing Xenon with LED bulbs is a bit of a grey area, LED bulbs are not 'E marked' as they cannot comply with the requirements, albeit that the requirements are well out of date. Replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs is an automatic MOT fail under legislation introduced a couple of years ago, but it makes no mention of Xenons, probably as it was not an option then.

Here is a link to an article which explains the issue. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/are-led-headlights-legal-in-the-uk/

Personally I have bought the Nightbreakers and it is huge improvement, but will wait for clarification over lEDs.

Hope they are not selling IED's 

[Lordie]

Those would be illegal headlights and incredibly selfish by blinding other road users. Just switch the Xenon bulbs out for better ones that are approved

[willni]

It wouldn't be illegal but it won't help your problem, xenon lenses are design to only emit so many lumens from from, so you can have a brighter light source but no benefit.

I'd stick with the xenons and try and get the lenses on your headlights swapped out, as it too will be reducing your range.

[JMS]

Replacing Xenon with LED bulbs is a bit of a grey area, LED bulbs are not 'E marked' as they cannot comply with the requirements, albeit that the requirements are well out of date. Replacing halogen bulbs with LEDs is an automatic MOT fail under legislation introduced a couple of years ago, but it makes no mention of Xenons, probably as it was not an option then.

Here is a link to an article which explains the issue. https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/blog/are-led-headlights-legal-in-the-uk/

Personally I have bought the Nightbreakers and it is huge improvement, but will wait for clarification over lEDs.

Thanks for the link. Very useful. Think I’ll try the Osram nightbreaker rather than LED.

If only replacement lense units were a bit cheaper eh?

[oryx3dr]

I'd stick with the xenons and try and get the lenses on your headlights swapped out, as it too will be reducing your range.

How would one go about doing this?

[willni]

I'd stick with the xenons and try and get the lenses on your headlights swapped out, as it too will be reducing your range.

How would one go about doing this?

The exterior lenses - Remove the headlight and then heat up the edges where it's jointed and then they should pull about.

[JMS]

I'd stick with the xenons and try and get the lenses on your headlights swapped out, as it too will be reducing your range.

How would one go about doing this?

The exterior lenses - Remove the headlight and then heat up the edges where it's jointed and then they should pull about.

I’m very nervous about doing this and making them watertight again- don’t want to be plastic welding/glueing etc!

The lense interior is crazed as per common affliction.
I think to remove the haze would require some kind of abrasive polish- not just a wipe down. Plus I don’t know if they are coated etc