You may have been driving in the dark and noticed another motorist’s car had very bright headlights. If you thought those were cool then you likely wondered what type of headlights they were and how you could get them installed in your car.
The most common type of headlights on the market today is still the halogen light bulbs. The good thing is that there is a trend where they are slowly getting replaced for the more efficient LED headlights for cars.
Before you opt to switch over from the halogen headlights to the LEDs, you need to be aware of a few basic factors.
The first has to with alignment. Most drivers may not be aware of this but headlights come designed for either right-hand drive or left-hand drive vehicles. With RHD, the beam of the headlights is tilted downwards and to the right. The opposite is true with LHD vehicles.
Before going to the market to get yourself a good pair of LED headlights, first understand which side of the road and the type of car that you are driving. Some headlight models can be aligned with a simple push of a button to cast more light on the side of the driver.
Automatic levelling refers to the ability of the headlights to adjust their alignment accordingly depending on whether the vehicle tilts upwards or downwards. This is most often seen in large trucks and helps to keep the beam of light on the road as opposed to shining directly onto other motorists.
LED headlights have not been around for an incredibly long time having only been introduced in 2004. However, car owners and manufacturers are gradually making the switch thanks in part to their energy efficiency. They exert less strain on the car’s electrical system drawing around 18 watts of power. Halogen headlights however will draw up to 65watts.
LEDs are highly durable and will generally last through the car’s entire lifetime. One great feature is their environmental feature. They do not have mercury which makes them safer for the environment than both the halogen and the xenon headlights.
The fact that they are super small means that they can be shaped into many different designs. This is great news for someone who wants to customize their vehicle.
Yet as much as they seem to not be short of advantages, it’s only prudent to consider a few drawbacks before you make the switch.
Heat is not a major concern with LED headlights, however, the areas where the electricity passes through to the LEDs does get hot. To combat this issue, LEDs come with heat sinks. Make sure you check the price and avoid going for the cheapest alternative. This is because the heat sinks will usually be of a lower quality and won’t dissipate the heat efficiently
With day time running lights and LED turn signal lights however, there is no need for heat sinks. They are used for a shorter period of time or use significantly less charge to require any sinks.
