LED headlamp bulbs

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richardw
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Posts: 2224
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
Colour: Essex Blue
Year: 1981
Location: Worcestershire

LED headlamp bulbs

Post by richardw »

I am planning to replace some of my bulbs with LEDs as long as the original look is maintained. I've seen various headlamp replacement units but was looking for something that had a 'warm white' colour, rather than the bright white.

As I'm replacing a bulb in my fibreoptic light source unit, I was looking for a warm white replacement there too, and eventually found classiccarleds.co.uk who do one.

They do warm white versions of most bulbs, and claim that their warm white H4 replacement headlight bulbs are the only ones available on the market - and they have the necessary approvals. They fit into the standard bulb holder in the standard headlight. Their part number is H4ZES1WWx2.

For anyone wanting to go LED for indicator bulbs, they do a special flasher relay that copes with the low current load and also emits the classic 'tick'.

Looks like a useful company that know what they are doing.

Will report back as & when I fit the bulbs.

Cheers, Richard
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Leigh
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Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 15:21
Model: Elite S2.2
Colour: Essex Blue
Year: 1980
Location: Oxford, England

Re: LED headlamp bulbs

Post by Leigh »

I bought warm white LED headlamps and sidelights, tail-lights, number-plate lamps and brake-lights from this company last winter and am very happy with the result. Just a slight vertical adjustment of the headlamp aim was needed. I also spoke to the company's owner Duncan about how LEDs might work on the Elite's internal cabin lights on the dimmer circuit, so he sent me a free bulb as a test. It just needed a high-value low-power rating resistor to be fitted in parallel with the bulb to reduce the current to zero when the dimmer voltage gets below the LED's operating voltage.

I didn't replace my indicator bulbs as I didn't want to change the relay.

The bulbs have positively transformed my Elite's night-time driving experience. As a bonus, the much reduced current draw has had a noticeable effect on the voltmeter, with no dip when the headlamps are on. I hope they are as effective on your car Richard as they have been on mine.

Leigh

richardw
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Posts: 2224
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2013 15:06
Model: Elite S2.2 Automatic
Colour: Essex Blue
Year: 1981
Location: Worcestershire

Re: LED headlamp bulbs

Post by richardw »

Thanks for that feedback and your experiences Leigh - I'm glad to have made the right choice.

Did you need to fit a resistor in parallel with each of the interior bulbs, or just on the circuit? I've also tried to find, without success, the dimmer unit - you don't know where it is do you?

Cheers, Richard
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Leigh
Junior Poster
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 15:21
Model: Elite S2.2
Colour: Essex Blue
Year: 1980
Location: Oxford, England

Re: LED headlamp bulbs

Post by Leigh »

Just one resistor needed, 10k ohms or greater. Fortunately the bulbholder design makes it easy to fit a resistor across the terminals. I've never seen the dimmer unit itself.

Leigh

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