Looking to upgrade the headlights in the wife's pilot, it is an 05 so no projector headlights and we all know how HID kits look in halogen housings any thoughts on LED headlight kits? The one I'm looking at is from VLEDS

http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/headl...xa-2000lm.html

 

I saw these yesterday. I'm interested to see how they look on a vehicle.

 

Makes absolutely no sense. Why would you spend $120 on LED bulbs for headlight use when they only output 2,000 lumens when you can get a HID kit for about $50-60 shipped and will put out 3,000+ lumens?

I'm sorry but I'm still not convinced that any aftermarket LED bulb will be bright enough to be used for low-beam headlights safely.

The light output just isn't on par to xenon bulbs (HIDs).

Factory LED lights that come on the RLX, MDX, soon TLX is different. Those are on the same level with xenon bulbs

http://www.ddmtuning.com/Products/DD...ast-35W-or-55W

 

^+1

 

^+1

 

as an added note, Im pretty sure using LEDs in reflector bowls would cause the same amount of glare as HIDs in reflector bowls. Yes it the glare wouldn't be as intense, but it should still glare inappropriately.

 

The only proper way to "upgrade" would be to retrofit projectors.

I see you don't want HIDs because the glare, and also it's an SUV so it sits really high making that worse. Definitely don't put the LEDs in for your low beams.

The other option would to just stick with halogens, but an aftermarket bulb.

 

If you already have HIDs, then LEDs don't make sense. But halogen headlights put out between 1300-1500 lumens. And if the LEDs are plug and play in halogen housings, its a relatively inexpensive alternative. And it sure beats those tools with 8000k lights in a reflector housing giving off all that glare.

BTW, the LED lights you can get for a road or mountain bike are getting really good and really bright. I got a new light that was 2.5x as bright as my old one for half the price of the one I had. I bet it will be the same for aftermarket LED headlights as well. Willing to bet within a few years output will rival or exceed HIDs.

 

The LED (2,000 lumens) bulb that he linked costs $120 (doesn't include shipping)

The HID (3,000+ lumens) kit I linked earlier costs $~60 shipped with a relay harness.

In this case buying LED headlight bulbs still doesn't make sense lol

 

For me it does if the LED headlights will work in the stock halogen housing without glare. If I'd have to change the housing ('04 Accord) to projector for either, than HIDs are a better choice.

But LED lights are the wave of the future. There are bike headlights now that are 4500 lumens. Not cheap but cheaper than 3000 lumens cost a couple years ago. Just nuts how bright some of them are.

 

Don't do it. The only type of light source that should be placed in a halogen headlight is a halogen bulb. Seriously, putting HID bulbs or those crap LED "bulbs" in a halogen headlight just results in a ruined beam pattern and/or glare. Here's a side by side beam pattern of those LED bulbs versus the stock halogen bubs from VLED's own website:


Just look at that beam pattern, it's absolute shit! The stock cutoff is virtually eliminated. You might as well just drive around with your high beams on all the time, it would be no less blinding. This is how factory LED headlights look ('13 Honda Accord Touring):


Different types of light sources require different types of optics, so you can't take put a different light source in a halogen housing and expect good results. Factory HID and LED headlights are as good as they are because they have optics designed for their respective light sources.

Stick with halogen bulbs fir your Pilot. If you really want more light, get a proper HID projector retrofit.