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In Acura’s quest to give everything “Jewel Eyes.” the ILX now wears the brand’s familiar multi-LED headlights. But it isn’t a full LED design because the inside two squares are actually hollow and house a traditional halogen high beam light behind them.
It explains the new light bar for the DRLs. Since 'regular' JewelEyes only use 3 in normal usage, it's actually the same 90% of the time. Its like the multiple flavors of VTEC or SH-AWD.
The three outer LED's are for lowbeams and the two inner ones are for high beams. This is how it is in the 2014-2016 MDX, I am pretty sure it is the same way on the 2015 TLX.
I'm totally okay with that. Were we really expecting full LEDs on a $28,900 car? Come on, they're a $2000 option on some BMWs that start over $80k, and you don't get them on a Porsche 911 until you step into a Turbo S (6x ILX price!). Partial LEDs are good enough for me, and they still look cool.
I'm totally okay with that. Were we really expecting full LEDs on a $28,900 car? Come on, they're a $2000 option on some BMWs that start over $80k, and you don't get them on a Porsche 911 until you step into a Turbo S (6x ILX price!). Partial LEDs are good enough for me, and they still look cool.
Stunning, highly illuminating Jewel Eye® LED headlights are standard on all ILX models. Five low-profile LEDs per headlight provide a whiter, brighter beam while using less energy and lasting significantly longer than HID or traditional halogen headlights.
Using precisely-aimed lenses, the three outer LEDs on each light comprise the low beams and reveal the road more clearly without blinding oncoming traffic. The high beams add the two inner LEDs to illuminate distant objects 200 milliseconds sooner than conventional lights. At 60 mph, that’s over 17 feet.
Underlining the headlights is a distinctive LED light bar for Daytime Driving Light duty
When turned off, reflective surfaces behind the lenses contribute to the bright, jewel-like appearance.
I think this thread title is misleading. Acura's own info, anyway, seems to say that there are 5 LEDs on each side. Maybe a mod should correct this thread title somehow, because it seems to be wrong.
It is very clear in this picture from Edmunds that the inner two bulbs are not LED's. You can disagree with the word "fake," but Acura is not being upfront about this either in press releases or on the website
It explains the new light bar for the DRLs. Since 'regular' JewelEyes only use 3 in normal usage, it's actually the same 90% of the time. Its like the multiple flavors of VTEC or SH-AWD.
ILX'ers, so what if the high beams are halogen?
I dont remember the last time I used my high beams with any of my HID equipped cars.
and LEDs are just as powerful and light up the roadway, no?
Apologies to the OP blacktxwagon (cool car btw, wanted one of those), bc the pic does seem to show that the high beams might well not be LEDs. Is it possible they are just a different kind of LED? Doesn't seem likely. Anyway, I take back my suggestion.
It's clear that the inner two casings are different from the outer three.
But remember that these are different from the TLX LEDs - the DRL is a light bar that runs across the bottom - with the TLX the DRLS are part of the LED fixture itself - I'm guessing it allowed Acura to change the way the inner two casings are constructed as they are strictly for high beam function and don't serve double duty as they do on the TLX.
And if you read the press briefs for both models the language is different.
And I'm not an expert on lighting or how lights look but those inner two lights a.) don't look like any halogen reflectors that I've seen (they appear to be separate entities instead of one big reflector as you would expect and as seems to be assumed by the one review that says they are halogens) and they also don't look like halogen projectors. Also in the video's we've seen the light temperature and color is the same - I don't think they can make Halogen's match the color of LEDs. Also...wouldn't you be replacing the halogens very often and wouldn't that be..um...really annoying?
ive maybe clocked 1 whole hour of high beam use in the last 4 years that Ive owned the car.
with that little use, one wouldnt have to replace the halogen high beams often
and just because they dont look like halogen reflectors, doesnt mean they arent a new design of reflectors/projectors.
hahaha The ILXers seemed to all be pretty happy with a car that got an over all negative reaction from the rest of the Azine community. So I felt they were more on the positive side of things.
But hearing Acura LIED because they used halogens instead of LED on TWO spots of the jewel eyes. Oy Vay. Some people are just looking to demonize Acura. Get the hell over it. The whole damn jewel eye could be halogen and they are still didn't lie to anyone about anything.
No where did Acura say all Jewel eyes will be LED and anything not is fake. No where did Acura even suggest the Jewel eyes would be entirely nothing but LEDs. It is a multi-led headlight design. It has 3-4 LED projectors depending on the model Acura it is on, and 1-2 slots housing a halogen housing behind the jewel eye. Even with the halogen high beams the cars still have more than 2 LEDs, making them still true multi-led headlights.
Mods can rename this thread to whatever they want. My original intent was to point out something weird and express my emotion about it. I am a huge Acura fan and I think the ILX will be great for the brand. Obviously I care, or I wouldn't be spending my time thinking about light bulbs! I'm reserving judgement until the owner's manual comes out. If it lists halogens, the ILX will still be a great car.
Mods can rename this thread to whatever they want. My original intent was to point out something weird and express my emotion about it. I am a huge Acura fan and I think the ILX will be great for the brand. Obviously I care, or I wouldn't be spending my time thinking about light bulbs! I'm reserving judgement until the owner's manual comes out. If it lists halogens, the ILX will still be a great car.
My point being. Even when you find they use halogen for high beams it won't make the jewel eyes any less authentic not will it make the car worth ANY less on paper.
I can pretty much promise you you won't see LED high beams as the high beam section is a chrome house and not a projector lense.
Acura uses projectors on the leds so no projector equals halogen.
I would ask... Are any of the acura models using led high beams? Looks like rdx might but even the rlx looks to have halogen high beams.
the single larger high beam jewel eye on the RLX is a LED. I know because I own one.
the first promo video posted by Drei clearly shows multiple times when the 2 larger high beam jewel eyes on the ILX turn on...they are LED. Same as the MDX, same as the TLX, both of which I've driven for extensive periods of time as "loaners" while my RLX gets serviced. The ILX, TLX, and MDX all share the same jewel eye design, with the RLX being the only one that has it's own distinctive "double" jewel eye design. But they all share the common design of having a larger jewel LED eye for the high-beam function.
- Elvis is still alive
- The government blew up the World Trade Center
- Aliens walk among us
- The Moon landing was a Government Hoax
- There was a 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll
- The high beams on the ILX aren't really LEDs
I don't care that the headlights are full LED or not. We know they are partial no matter what, while everything else in them are LED. So who cares. The Halogens look like LED's and we won't need to use them too much with the LED low beams. I hardly use my high beams on my 04 TSX.
The two inner elements have to throw light across an area that the low beams do with three elements. The low beams are at different angles to do this. The high beams use a ribbed reflector to help spread the beam. It makes no sense whatsoever to put halogens next to the LEDs. Different power needs, different color output, more complex lens system, it would probably add costs to the headlights and look worse and perform worse to make two halogen and 3 LED, so why do it? They are all LEDs.
In case anyone had anymore doubts.This is a picture of the back of the headlight taken at the Chicago Auto Show. The metal box circled is the high beam .It is the same thing as the TLX and has a label that says LED on it.
Last edited by deonel518; Feb 14, 2015 at 11:24 PM.
