HID vs LED vs Halogen Headlights in Projector Housings

[@theeabster1983]

making my last comment I didn't realize this video is from 2018. LEDs have improved so much compared to HIDs. hopefully you're doing another one of these in the future. thanks for your time

[@josephfigueroa3527]

LEDs are still not recommended to be used in projector housing and still perform best in reflector housing.

[@uncreativename9936]

9:50 is when the testing stops and he does the summary, in case you wanna skip.

[@myfagan]

Thank you

[@jnkmal9519]

I should have read the comments before watching the full video :( Thanks anyway.

[@zjschulling]

Bless

[@S730SD]

Thank you for doing that :)

[@AreteAskesis]

You saved me a lot of time bro

[@RedWingsninetyone]

I'd love to see a remake of this video. From my understanding, LED technology has come a long way in 2 years.

[@lordodd452]

Dude. Just did 4 different led on Projector (RAM 2016) . Ranged from 40-250€. Now i am back to HID for ca 75-100€. Hid is still the way to Go at least from my perspective

[@lordodd452]

55 W ballast and 6000K bulb. Perfect light Color.

[@RedWingsninetyone]

@@lordodd452 which bulbs?

[@lordodd452]

RedWings-44 depends on car. For My RAM 2016 with projector headlights is the best bang for the Buck the WinPower HB3/9005 55W Auto HID Xenon Kit. Regards

[@RedWingsninetyone]

@@lordodd452 correct. Sorry, I forgot to specify. What LED bulbs and reflector or projector housings?

[@zaqway]

Eric, I believe that HID lux value is not 140k, but 14k. The three dots you saw on the screen are just ellipsis, indicating that the value doesn't fit on the screen completely, but it doesn't necessarily have to be exactly three digits. You are right in saying that HIDs are definitely brighter than Halogen bulbs. 3.5 times brighter sounds reasonable, but 35 times brighter isn't really possible. Especially since at 50ft they read only twice as bright as the halogen lights.

[@catnapwat]

Agreed, Direct sunlight is between 30,000 and 100,000 lux. No way these tiny things are putting out more than the output of the sun.

[@iamezza]

Agreed

[@barisax16]

More like 1400

[@holmes1956O]

zaqway kinda blows his expertise out of the water. Rendering his video completely useless

[@rogerpearson9081]

That sounds about right 3.5 x brighter. Minor detail we can take in our stride.

[@holmes1956O]

You need to do your testing in a secluded area with no lights and determine the reach of each light into the darkness. That is the thing you should be concerned with is how far the light can illuminate objects down the road. Also keep in mind the brighter a light gets the shorter the spectrum of light it emits, no matter what type of light it is

[@darius2640]

I bet even engineering explained would be proud of such scientific test

[@TonyGingrich]

I know I'm about 3 years past the original posting of this video. But I only just now searched for this kind of info. Want to say: thank you! I need to replace my housings, and had been hung up on the idea of going with LEDs. This video has helped to clear my head and make me reconsider. Also, I only recently learned the terms "projector" and "reflector", so this also gave me a very good visual reference. I feel much better informed than ever, and am more confident in my shopping for replacements. I had actually used HID bulbs years ago to replace fog/flood lamps. On that vehicle, HID was not a good choice for the headlights due to the warm-up delay--the separate beams were mutually-exclusive in operation. But my current vehicle keeps lows on during high-beam operation, so I think HID could be a much better candidate this time.

[@EpicATrain]

Hey Eric, depending on the type of chip technology and layout that's inside the actual LED package, it will determine the pattern/layout and brightness of the bulb. It would be unfair to categorize all LED's under one umbrella since they are all made differently, designed differently, and perform differently. Even some halogens are like this to SOME degree but, in general, you can make a generalization with halogens. I do not have enough data about HID's or hybrids (xenon) bulbs to say whether or not generalizations can be made about them. I thought I had HID's in my system but after taking to many mechanics I found out I had a hybrid system of xenon bulbs, which is most annoying. So my recommendation to you is to find some LED bulbs with different LED chip technologies and find some different manufacturers and use them as a good comparison.

[@jmwlife2k]

EpicATrain I tried two brands of LEDs in my projector housings, both of them had great reviews and moderately high prices. The ones from 4x4 LEDs died in less than 3 months and had poor light output. The second pair I had got better light output but died in 11 months. I decided to have my local shop install some HIDs and it’s literally night and day. In projector housings the HIDs just throw the light so much further that it’s crazy. Granted there could be better LEDs out there and worse HIDs out there. But it seems like for the housing the LEDs just can’t hang from my experience.

[@f5fstop]

@@jmwlife2k Two different brands in housings? Wow, that's a unique study....NOT. Again, LEDS need to be in housing DESIGNED FOR THEM, NOT SHOVED INTO HOUSING DESIGNED FOR OTHER TYPES of bulbs. Just look at how they are designed.

[@jmwlife2k]

@@f5fstop For one both LEDs were recommended for the housing I bought. Secondly I never said what happened to me is going to me the experience for everyone or it’s some great case study. I even made clear that there might have been better LEDs or worse HIDs out there. - With that said, it doesn’t change the reality of what I experienced. Why would I buy a third pair of different recommended LEDs when two failed in less than 18 months and the light output for both of them were bad? HIDs in both experienced I had with them worked better. Stop being a weirdo product defender and learn how to read.

[@DavidPruitt]

Just gonna say that this video clearly shows why you need to have the correct focusing elements for your bulbs. These are for HID bulbs. With the LEDs and Halogens the hotspots are in a different place, the cutoff isn't as clean, and the spread is different. All of those things make a huge difference on how much you actually see when driving down the road. Much better video

[@egocd]

Pretty sure it’s going to be 14,000 not 140,000. I don’t think the amount of dots equals the number of 0’s. Great video though Eric. You’re right, it’s wayyy better than your last one.

[@NoorquackerInd]

I'm a flashlight maker (yes it's more scientific than it sounds) and I commonly work with high power LEDs. This is probably 1,400 lux since lux is just lumens per square meter, and it's spreading out over a very large area.

[@joshe4704]

I know this is an older video, and this comment may have already been made(not looking through them all) but I would like to point out that when purchasing aftermarket headlight housings from online, many companies are considered "euro style". Which basically means the housings were meant for driving on the left side of the road as compared to the right, so the lights will automatically be aimed towards the left, which is why aftermarket lights tend to blind other drivers. American housings are always aimed right. Certainly not saying the housings in this video are "euro style" but its something to look into when considering buying aftermarket lights. Don't always go cheap and always read the description, or even email the company making certain you're buying the right stuff! Nice video! I've been trying to decide which style lights to put in my wife's 08 Acadia and because of this video I'll be going HID. But I'll be using 4500k in the fogs, and 5-6000k in the headlights!

[@revtech2917]

Well this test was done 6 years ago with some mediocre (2018) bulbs. LED technology has greatly improved over those past 6 years. Maybe give a New style LED bulbs another chance to redeem themselves? Newer bulbs Have crazy LED sizes, shapes and even configurations that you can actually adjust yourself. I personally think it would make a great re-review video.

[@vadimpavlov3697]

just wanted to add my 5ct.. Actually lux or lux-o-meter is used to measure brightness of light on the surface, for example it is mainly used for measuring how bright is the surface of the sign of the supermarket or exmpl. coca cola sign. So when you were measuring the effect from a car that mainly may have had an effect on the reading, because accuracy of the reading in luxometer depends on the angle of the light that is projected to the sensor it self. In this case it would be better to use a lumen meter, as it is the most accurate metering device for light output from the source. BUT!, just for a comparisement this was an awesome test Eric, thank you.

[@dame305_]

I know its a 4 year old video but thanks for taking the time to really show every aspect of the light

[@hnm2014]

HID’s for LOW beams LED for DRL/High beams LED’s look brighter but don’t go as far.

[@caseywilson9520]

Daytime running lights on most cars ARE low beams.

[@EVOKIN]

@@caseywilson9520 Most car in the early adaptation of DRL uses 'High Beam' with lower voltage for DRL. Now most vehicle uses separate DRL and/or Switchback (switches between DRL and turn signals).

[@lucienl9465]

early 2010, this would be the answer. 2020 ? not so much

[@FinnishArmy]

My car has one bulb for High and Low beams.

[@lucienl9465]

@John Doe aftermarket lights aren't bull shit. It's just with reflectors it blinds people if not set up properly. I got aliexpress headlight and it has total of 4 projector (hella +Q5) and my lights are amazing after adjustments You have not used any other cars with proper led headlights. That's why you were amazed.

[@jwtelt]

Great comparison, yes it could have been done in a more controlled environment but give this guy a break. Normal bloke in a normal car in a normal environment. In my opinion this is a cracking comparison, thank you very much.

[@89Interceptor]

was there a lumen rating on the led bulbs because i do know that not all leds are created equal also were the HID bulbs 35 or 55 watt

[@SportBikeAnthony]

EmofacePS3 LASFIT H7 LED Headlight Kits-COB Flip Chips/Adjustable Beam- 60W 7600LM 6000K-Hi/Lo Beam/Fog Light Bulbs. Link is in description above. They look like the low end types with the flat cob leds. I would say try it with the 4 sided cob leds, or get some like those opt7 ones. What ya think?

[@slumygoat]

Blueford86 no the more sides an headlight led has the cheaper and usually more ineffective it actually is at displaying a proper beam pattern my friend. Two sided LEDs at the most are the industry leaders blueprints for production

[@andrewstambaugh8030]

@@slumygoat Having upgraded honda dual-sport motorcycle headlights, I have to firmly disagree with your statement here. If you are trying to replace a halogen bulb with the most comparable coverage, you want a minimum of 2sided led unit that mimics the halogen filament location. And even stepping down in wattage, it will be a massive improvement in visibility (near doubt the long reach and more evenly out to the sides)

[@andrewstambaugh8030]

@@SportBikeAnthony Actually, the link is for 50W version LED's, vs 55w halogens, vs (link broken)

[@SupraManG]

i may not know about LUX, but what i can tell you is that when i had my 2007 Acura TSX with HID's, those lights were awesome! I could see so much of a darkened road I take to work and feel really good about it. Now that i've traded up to a 2016 Acura RDX, I had to report the not-so-well-lighting of the LED's. I now have a bit of a hard time seeing this road as before with the HID's. I've actually sent messages to Acura informing them that the LED's don't do well on very dark roads---even the bright LED's don't do much better either. Sometimes it's not so bright that when I have my bright lights on I'm thinking that I have on my low beams still. I'd rather have the HID's any day!!

[@luiskuronya9448]

140000 seems like a huge difference. It's probably 14000. Appreciate the video Eric!

[@Brian-pq4zv]

Great video. I tried switching to Led light bulbs (20,000 lumens) in my Kenworth T680 semi and was appalled that my vision was even worse than my stock bulbs which are pretty unsatisfactory to begin with. I am switching back to my halogen bulbs and ordering an HID kit for my projection headlights. Thank you for doing the legwork on my dilemma.

[@stevebowers8936]

Brian. A good reason for the poor led performance is that there are no bulbs that will give out 20, 000 lumens. I think you could half that figure. About 6,000 lumens (per bulb) is the absolute max, contrary to what some suppliers claim.

[@mindthependulum6245]

It's worth mentioning that some aftermarket headlight upgrades are too hot for the stock reflector housings. I've seen cheaper eBay hid kits in an early 2000's Pontiac and the bulbs we're so hot during normal usage, the stock housings melted just enough for the bulbs to fall half way out. I had to replace the whole mess and pull out the hid kits and go back to stock with new housings too. Maybe you you could run the hid kits for 6 months and report back if they melted the plastic in yours too.

[@2450logan]

Peshewa diy I'm confused HID lights by fact run more cooler than a halogen, think you got some nice fakes haha

[@ThaMagnaCarta]

they should, because of quality, if you buy a 35W its no problem, but most promise "better visibility" and "bright white light", yet a cheap ballast will never give you a nice white light like the Osram or Phillips HIDs, in order to compete they are forced to give you a 55W ballast to give a similar light...again you may get better visibility compared to the cheap 35W, but will never get the white light the 35w Osram and Phillips gives in OEM cars today. and with a cheap 55w ballast and bulb, they would melt your housing just like a 55w halogen would because they give off much more heat and don't give you twice as much output, no reason ever to go 55W because its too hot for plastic, you run the chances of messing up your cars electrical system and melting the housing, besides the lifespan is already short, why reduce it in half for a 55W? sorry its a little long

[@mindthependulum6245]

logan thompson My customers may have, yes. However, I've seen it several times.

[@rogerpearson9081]

Something I would be curious about in HID vs halogen too. Some plastic housings will not tolerate a halogen upgrade over standard without melting. Also Ebay is probably not the best source of good quality. Some really rubbish stuff sold as premium product thanks China!

[@backpacker3421]

For my money, LEDs are the way to go. The 5K white light gives you the clarity to see perfectly well with a comparable brightness to halogens (but superior spectrum of reflected light actually gives greater perceived brightness from the driver seat). The moderate brightness also is a benefit since you won't be blinding that driver speeding towards you in the oncoming lane. Best of both worlds.

[@HoUsEoFcAtS78]

I changed my halogen projectors to hid projectors. The results are absolutely amazing! I have them adjusted properly. And I couldn't be happier. The light travels noticeably farther. And I know they are not blinding oncoming traffic. If you're getting blinded by someone's low beam HID projectors, that means they are not properly adjusted. People have them adjusted up past the level of the mark on the light housing. Those people are really the douchebags!

[@jonmanilenio]

I know I should use HID projectors but my car already comes with halogen projectors so I guess I'll just settle instead of getting a projector retrofit. Hopefully it's not enough to make me regret it.

[@Patrick94GSR]

Those projectors are commonly known as "bi-xenon" projectors, so named for the HID headlight assemblies that use them to get both low and high beam from a single HID xenon capsule, since firing the capsule on and off as with normal halogen low/high beams can drastically shorten the life of the HID capsules. This is the first time I've ever seen them in an aftermarket assembly designed for halogen bulbs. The mid-2000's Nissan Maxima used a single halogen projector with a solenoid on the cutoff shield like this, along with a similar bi-xenon HID projector housing on the HID equipped cars (same projectors as used by the mid-2000's Mercedes E55, which I used in my Integra bi-xenon retrofit back in 2004).

[@brittanywright9646]

One point I would like to make to your test. Although this is a very good test, the LED lights are at a great disadvantage because when you sit any aftermarket LED bulb in a projector housing, it is not in the correct position to give you the maximum output. The LED chips do not produce a full 360° light dispersion even if you have 4 large chips that cover the entire bulb. The chips project the light perpendicular, whereas the HID and the halogen project the light forward, backward, and around all sides of the reflector within the projector housing. To get the maximum output the light source needs to be at a specific focal point inside the reflector parabola. You will notice that if you take something like an H1 bulb and move it forward and backward in a reflector parabola (just the part that has the reflective surface) made for a H4 bulb the light output will fluctuate until you get it at the right focal point where the light will be able to hit the immediate surrounding surfaces of the reflector and project it forward as a concentrated beam of light.

[@ericthecarguy]

Thanks for your input. If you watch the other video linked in the description you'll see that the results of the LED are typical. The light for LED is not as intense as HID.

[@brittanywright9646]

Yes. Watched that just now. The LED lights are a lot tougher to maximize the light output using after market bulbs. If you were to compare Audi's matrix LEDs or those from Mercedes multibeam LEDs.....or even one from a Mazda CX-9, you'd see the output is 10 times greater than what any aftermarket LED bulb could duplicate because the factory LED set up don't use actual bulbs like H11, HB4, etc. as far as I know. The LED chip is mounted to a board and several mirrors are used to get the LED to project in a true 360° pattern (forward, backward, and around all sides). A test comparison between the 3 bulbs that would be a bit more fair where all the bulbs would equal would be to make the HID and halogen bulb similar to that of the LED by preventing some of the light from going forward, backward, and masking off 2 sides depending on how many LED chips you have. That would be a bit extreme though.

[@chrishotham2854]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHfalaKOpbN1ias

[@firebird890]

Great info my 2017 Nissan Sentra SR came factory with LED Projector headlights and it’s a noticeable difference over standard halogens

[@pirana6]

People, PLEASE recognize what eric did in his low car. I have a low car and can't tell you how often I get blinded by people with aftermarket headlights. AIM THEM DOWN. Don't worry, we can see you, my god.

[@aussiebloke609]

You seem to forget that headlights are to see _by_ - not just so you can see them. And just aiming them down isn't necessarily safe as, in a lower vehicle, there will always be a point where the light beam is going to be at the same height as your eyes. How about "set them correctly - both for height and horizontal aim"...?

[@JeffReeves]

Some people are just really dumb and point their headlights straight forward. It's actually best to aim at the road because that's what you are trying to see.

[@DubRighteous]

Lift your car

[@bart99gt]

That point goes clearly over the heads of most people with lifted vehicles in particular. I drive a lot at night for my job, and live in the South, so I regularly encounter lifted trucks and SUV s. With the over abundance of cheap LED and HID retrofit kits on eBay and Amazon, these types also like to find the brightest (ie., most glaring) lights they can find. So anyone in a lower vehicle, like me in my Mazda 3, get a double whammy or poorly aimed, too bright headlights.

[@gleenmarktumangob3179]

Jeff Reeves Yes the road. Not the obstructions or the pedestrians ahead, nor the oncoming traffic.

[@flamingace47]

Thank you Eric because I have a 2003 Toyota Sequoia I've been wanting to put either hid or LED and unfortunately can't find any manufacturers that make projector housings but this video was incredibly helpful thank you.

[@mikeyzedify]

Good informative video, ignore stupid comments, he is a mechanic not a scientist so stop acting like the video lacked information or that he done this and that wrong, if you don't like it don't watch it.

[@tsherwoodrzero]

Excellent video, you did a FAR better job than I could have done. It's interesting that the glare that people are knee-jerk "warning" about with the HID retrofit in these projector housings is no more than with a Halogen bulb. I did a comparison of the "cheap" H3 LED bulbs on my Expedition's spyder auto projector lights today and found all of them lacking, So, HID is getting ordered. Damn, my BMW's factory xenon lights got me spoiled :D

[@RayleighCriterion]

Not all LED bulbs are created equal, some project more light forward than others, the rated brightness is not indicative of how much light will be projected forward. Some LED lights may do better in a reflector than a projector, and vice versa.

[@matty1053]

LEDs are overall brighter in reflector housing. Projector? Not so much. But you have to spend the money to get the better output.

[@EjinRenos]

@@matty1053 Totoally incorrect. OP has the proper statement. Most Led bulbs have their diode placement very far forward or at the end of the stall and this usually makes it bad for reflector housings but decent on projectors that uses to house HID. Some brands, like Hikari found on Amazon, are developed to match halogen bulb filament placing. This makes them suitable for reflector or halogen projector. I put some in my 2008 MX5 and the improvement was vast. The projectors shot the light perfectly with no real issue except near car blind spots that you really can't see in the car. I never had to use my brights after that and was never flashed. In addition to that my old Mx5 was better illuminated than my brand new 2019 that comes with LED from factory, in projector style headlights. Also put same brand LEDs in a 2002 Porsche boxster with reflectors. Most European cars have projector style cut offs in their reflector housings so I tried them to make an improvement. They did make somewhat an improvement with better road illumination but overall it's a marginal improvement over halogens. Not like my MX5 where I could see down the road and off to the sides and never need brights again.

[@vantime2911]

I think a better test would be to use lights that are all the same color frequency. I am a firm believer that the lower the frequency the better it is on your eyes (Cause less strain). I have driven for years at night and have tried all the lights out there from the regular sealed beam, Halogen, HID, and LED. My find is this. if you care? Sealed beam: Very long lasting, but not as bright as I would like. Appear to have a short throw. Perhaps to low of a frequency, but very easy on the eyes. (from inside my van looking out onto the road.) HALOGEN: Very nice light, keeping with a lower frequency but also giving the appearance of greater distance of light than the sealed beam. HID: Nice lights very bright and long throwing. Not made for regular light housing though. Must have a projector for these bad boys. Again the only color frequency I could get was 5000+ and this I find hard on the eyes when driving long distances at night. I always got flashed by oncoming traffic with these lights installed. LED: These lights are still in their infancy. Some car makers like Mercedez, Audi, BMW, and so forth have spent millions to developing their LED lights to make them work pretty good but there is still a long way to go. No one should ever think that buying a LED bulb and putting it into their headlights will have lights like the above-mentioned cars. A little FYI for everyone. LEDs are best reflected out to the road rather than pointed at the road. In other words, LED lights need a lot of reflective control and can NOT use the same housing you use for your Halogen head lights. Check out J.W. Speaker head lights Now look at the difference between them and your head lights. (LED version) Love the video Eric glad to see you back and moving forward. later buddy.

[@JustVargi]

There are changes in the Fstop and the "time" of the light meter app... Shouldn it be the same for every step? As a photographer there is big difference in the F stops, for example ?

[@nunonavega]

That's the recommended aperture (and shutter speed next to it) for the light conditions measured

[@IntenseBlue318]

One thing to consider also is where the light is going in that beam. You want it to be brighter nearest the cutoff so more light is thrown down the road. Those leds were pretty crap in that aspect.

[@kevinc9006]

Damn....1 million subs....bet Eric didn't see this happening 20 years ago

[@noujaiyang1513]

There’s a thing call keep eyes on the road and not at the other car’s headlights. That may help. Also you still have people with halogen lights that can blind drivers too because they’re aim too high or they forget to shut off their high beam. Or throw some shades on if you hate bright lights and can’t seem to stop staring directly at it.

[@RayRiv73]

I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this video. Im going with LED in my 2015 RDX

[@tropical_waves671]

Thank you for the explanation in a way that I can understand! I have projector xenon HID lights in my 2010 Nissan Murano LE. I changed the HIDs two weeks ago and upgraded to 8000. I believe the previous owner used 5000. I see the difference. I’m impressed with your video and love my HID lights are awesome!

[@michaelmccarty6582]

Going from 5000 to 8,000 is not an upgrade, it's just changing the color from whitish Blue (5000k) to much less white and more blue purple (8000k) . All other things being the same 5000k will be brighter than 8000k

[@MrAauto83]

Great job Sir. I drive a new semi and need brights lights. Thank you for clearing up my questions.

[@gunsandcars5953]

The only thing I would have added to this video is a side by side by side screenshot of the 3 lights while in the driver seat to see the differences, but also from a more neutral spot. All 3 shots were from 3 different spots so you can’t really trust what you are seeing. Great video though. I might be ordering some HIDs for my projectors now.

[@eamonflanagan23]

Hey Eric, just want to say i love your videos and watching and learning from you has inspired me to teach myself more about automotive maintenance. Ive just started taking a automotive class and i love it! In the process I've also discovered a new interest in it. Just wanted to say thank you and keep making videos as long as you can! Thank you!

[@Command37]

I feel that there are some unmentioned variables here worth mentioning. Not all brands and models of each of the 3 bulb types have the same brightness, harshness/softness or color temperature. Different color temperatures (the deep blue 8,000 kelvin or 10,000 kelvin HIDs, for example) are known to be less bright compared the 4,500 or 5,000 kelvin HIDs of the same brand and model bulb. The clarity of the headlight housing lens is also an important factor. As most vehicle owners should notice after a few years, plastic headlight housing lenses become cloudy and/or yellowed with age. No doubt this affects the lux at distance. There are other variables in this test that I may be forgetting about but for the most part I would have to say that the results here are pretty accurate (except for the 140,000 lux reading...are you sure about that, Eric?).

[@wtfman5313]

It's really good to see you back and posting on ETCG. Thanks man.

[@Jasonoid]

Modded my 4Runner Projectors stock H11 Halogen bulbs to fit H9 Halogen bulbs, I get much whiter and brighter light. No need to mess with HID ballasts or junky LED bulbs.

[@jeffparker862]

this may be old news, and you may already know this... but seeing as how it was done THIS year, im going to post it anyway. you cannot simply lump all LED bulbs into the same category. there are some out there that are terrible for projectors... no doubt (especially the cheap ones like you just tested - lasfit are complete garbage). they werent built for projector housings. however, if you do a minor amount of research, youd see that there are a ton that ARE designed specifically to work in projector housings. HID and LED bulbs that were designed for projectors will result in typically the exact same output numbers. while it is true that HID are the safe bet as no matter what... they will give consistent performance - it is still a trade off. HIDs take several seconds to 'warm up'.... you can't flash HIDs... flipping from low to high beams results in several seconds of little light. if you know what youre doing, and what youre getting, LEDs are the better alternative, but they are not all made the same.

[@tmtv2234]

With this video I am going to pick the led for couple reasons but my main reason is that I don’t like the warm up on the HIDs especially where I live gets negative 30 to 40 it might be a issue. Thank you sir!

[@dannyrocket77]

Warm up means max light out put ready. 10 seconds max.

[@domrynk2]

I wonder whether the low lux reading of the LED’s is due to LED’s flicking on and off so quickly. The camera may pick this up, where we don’t? Just a thought. Great video though!

[@nwedrick]

For aftermarket LED this is a fair test. but a car that comes stock with LED headlights they are not in a projector housing, but in a small reflector housing again and are much brighter than HID headlights.

[@ralluf15]

Thank you for this useful information eric! I can see that a lot of effort went in to making this video.

[@jaimeramirez6407]

You have bixenon projectors. I had a 350z w the projectors and the high beams would just raise the cutoff all the way straight thru unlike the trapezoid shape on your element. Now i have a mazdaspeed 3 with projectors but the projectors are only for low beam with a manual control to raise and lower the cutoff, and separate high beam housings

[@SuperFIFTHGEAR]

Just to note for UK readers, and motorists. Your car will fail an MOT if fitted with HID lights as fitting them is an offence, and illegal.

[@johnmclaughlin7309]

only if not fitted with projector headlights, lense washers and automatic leveling

[@IliescuBenyamin]

Those cost 500$ plus labour. It's more convenient to run projectors and halogens inside .

[@johnmclaughlin7309]

very true, hence why there is a bad reputation in regards to HID's, so many people use them without the proper equipment..

[@johnmclaughlin7309]

Chris P Bacon charming ✌️

[@MrKristyon]

legal in my motorcycle headlight. different rules :-) aimed properly and i don't get any harassment. passed MOT.

[@idiocracy9530]

Would love to see an updated video on this.

[@kwett5529]

Aren't projectors also have many different type? Like projector for halogen is different than projector for HID and also LED.

[@t.regnerus301]

Andri Herawan Yes. Different light sources have different projectors.

[@kwett5529]

Ted R. Okay, now which type of projector does he use in this video?

[@HarryTwatter]

an Ebay halogen projector, the worst one you can get

[@Haloruler64]

To be fair, it's not the worst. Some of those eBay projectors have that crazy ring of darkness through them. These are at least not TERRIBLE.

[@ctdrone]

Exactly, if he’s using a halogen projector housing, then it’s not really scientific. LED light will scatter in a halogen projector and HIDs won’t put out the intended output, etc etc etc

[@Faithoper777]

I have the same Element and headlights, I am running XKglow 76 Watt Super Bright LED Headlight Error-free Conversion Kit. Best mod I have done thus far.

[@dcstar5123]

XSeVeNX7 I

[@SilverMoon1134]

Everyone is an expert in the comments apparently

[@DanielRichards644]

when it comes to this topic and having done everything from stock reflectors to full custom retrofit HID projectors yeah I'd say so, also 5000k sucks unless you are running a 55 or 65 watt ballast, if you are on 35 watt ballasts you should be no higher then 4300k for the most light output.

[@guitarstitch]

As someone who deals with theatrical lighting on a regular basis, I'm not sure I see the connection between power dissipation and color temperature on non-tungsten lamps. It may be different for headlights, but this would be the first time I've seen it. For what it's worth, 5000k tends to wash out details with its unnaturally white hue. My eyes prefer a slightly warmer temperature, which brings out details better (such as foreign objects in the roadway at night). Again, just my $0.02 based on a loosely related field of experience.

[@DanielRichards644]

the higher wattage ballast causes the bulb to color shift about 500k or so lower, like a 5000k bulb with a 55 watt ballast looks closer to a 4300k bulb with a 35 watt ballast then a 5000k bulb on a 35 watt ballast

[@chamacorunner1]

AkiraTheGodEater it's Allright I'm a "KZbin master mechanic"

[@Reathety]

You sound like an expert on experts.

[@Ryan-re7oj]

Great vid! Normally large trucks suck to pass or be in front of but GM specifically needs to address the HID lights in their newer pickups. I drive an '06 Forester and I find it unbearable when passing one on the highway. My LED roof/offroad lights aren't nearly that retina damaging and I would get wheeled in a second if I drove around with them on.

[@AnthonyNolan01]

This was an awesome test. I'll be getting HIDs for my lights. Thank's bro.

[@djvariant88]

I think the drop-off you are seeing in this one is that those LED bulbs are meant for reflector housing retrofit. I believe there are different ones meant for projector housing. Just a guess really.

[@mishoon7855]

This was a much better comparison video, my only problem is Eric, you used a very very poor quality LED Kit. The LED themselves on them are not powerful enough to produce the amount of light you need. Also Projector housings that are aftermarket usually have defects in the reflector base with the chrome usually its all bubbled and not a perfect mirror. Not saying yours are like that though. To have any comparison with the HIDS would be to get a 100 or more LED bulb/kit. Usually the good ones with be passive cooled and not fan cooled. They usually have a bunch of flat braided cables coming out the back. But for good LED bulbs you have to spend some money. Anyways keep doing what you do Eric!

[@ericthecarguy]

If you watch the other video you'll see the results are typical. HIDs are brighter than LEDs.

[@mjberta7319]

HID are brighter yes but for reliability, ease of installation and the fact no ballast is needed like the HID bulbs need led is better and in a couple years I see LED surpassing them

[@mjberta7319]

Andrew Muller and that being said in colder climates HID are superior to LED due to the LED bulbs not emitting enough heat to melt ice off the lens

[@ayolevar]

chrome shrouds/housing have little to do with emitting light so those defects don't matter. All you have is a type of light source, a physical piece to make the cutoff line, and the lens.

[@mjberta7319]

Plus he made sure the output of both led and hid were both 5000k

[@paulb8916]

How do the more modern LED bulbs fair today be good to do a vid update on the newer style LED bulbs?

[@lordleonusa]

Oly problem I can see with this otherwise excellent review is that not ALL Halogen/HID/LEDs are created equal.

[@ehsnils]

What I see at 5:49 tells me that the lamp cut-offs aren't good, they are rotated a few degrees to the right making the light to trail off to the right and not light up the part of the road where you really want to see things like pedestrians and wildlife. The high part of the cut-off from the left light shall be overlaying the high part of the cut-off for the right light and the same thing with the low part of the cut off to the left.

[@Darksyne]

Just proves that HID's are still king 😎 LEDs are perfect for brake and tail lights because they turn on instantly but I always prefer HID's for headlights.

[@HarryTwatter]

my Corolla's stock LED bulbs are just as bright as HID, he's using shitty aftermarket bulbs.

[@MatrixGuardians99]

Wesley Green If you have a new 2014+ Corolla then no. Proper testing will prove that an OEM HID projector system of the same time beats it in glare levels, foreground, distance, and width. Also, most OEM HID projector systems are bi-xenon.

[@Wooble57]

I think LED comes out on top when it's done right. Led's dont' work the same way halogen's and hid's do, they require different housing requirements. If you want to see what LED is capable of look at either car's that come stock with them, or the sealed beam LED's. Both of these offer engineers the chance to properly heatsink the led's and crank the power up.

[@berengerchristy6256]

I bought some headlights with integrated LEDs for low/high beams. They came with a warning that they make sound while operating because there is a fan that has to cool things. The only reason they don't seem as bright as the stock bixenons is because they are ~6000k while the stocks were closer to ~4500k

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

So YOU'RE the guy who is always blinding me on the road! >:(

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

As a girl who used to work at Autozone, I am proud to say that I predicted the results with near perfect accuracy. Lets just say that I sold/installed a lot of headlights. That's why HID's cost $150 per bulb lol.

[@Rickm2003]

l was debating what to possibly upgrade to, this video just helped me make my decision.

[@jugalpatel5659]

Great video! Agree w/14k and not 140k. I can certainly buy that HID's are best because they burn at much higher temperatures therefore the light being hard and not soft like LED's. Think I'll do HID for headlights and LED for fogs.

[@ellesmerewildwood4858]

"High beams, low beams, high beams, low beams." Colonel Jack O'Neill did a similar test on Thor's ship, the Daniel Jackson. "Light's on, light's off, light's on, lights off..." Thor, T'ealc and Daniel were understandably unimpressed. :o)

[@caseywilson9520]

....What?

[@sallyhope9826]

Your link to your headlights is expired. Can you share another link? Thanks so much for your great videos!

[@Seegalgalguntijak]

Somehow 140k lux sounds like way too much. Sure this wasn't some measuring fault? Could you repeat that measurement and get that high a number each time? Sounds quite unbelievable...

[@buggsyspam]

I'm guessing it was 14K, which still is a bit hard to believe.

[@creamofbotulismsoup9900]

Needs to get a better app, it was probably 14k.

[@michaelyoung7911]

WHTMAN0815 he has a light reading attachment he's not using the physical phone to read the light

[@AllThingsMech]

WHTMAN0815 even if he was using the phone, he measured all of the lights consistently with the same device. Rather than getting super accurate numbers, I think the point was more about comparing the three different light sources to each other. For that purpose, the phone app is fine.

[@michaelyoung7911]

The Ranch Mechanic yes but his numbers for the hid light are definitely not right haha but great video

[@MrBlirre]

There are two kinds of high beam, if the car got one singel projetor lens, like vw passat, there is a flap that opens inside to give you high beam. On my old 2006 saab 9-5, i got two sets of projector lenses, low beam with HID and high beam with halogen bulbs. Then i got LED auxeliry lights on high beam to give me day light at night. On my car and cars with similar set ups, it is a bad idea to instal HID kit on the high beam instead if halogen bulbs. HID lights wants to be turned on and stay on, if the are turned on and off, on and off rapidly, the ballast may overload and fail, LED will not.

[@ComandanteJ]

Awesome vid, man! LEDs are just a tad dimmer than halogens but, IMO, you cant beat that white. HIDs are great but too expensive, and maybe too bright. Few people actually need that amount of light, unless you're off-roading in the middle of a new moon night.

[@xavierc1999]

ComandanteJ I nightly drive Florida back roads, so I really do need that bright of a light. Deer are a serious issue here, and with my stock lights I could barely see the sides of the roads

[@ComandanteJ]

Well, that's definetely a justified use-case, then. Bambies are a dangerous lot.

[@jeepmanxj]

You are not the only person to find that LED headlights are weak in general when compared to halogen or HID headlights. I believe the IIHS has done some studies on it recently may be some info there to add to your findings.

[@Saber-2]

Please do not use hid or led in reflector housing.. The glare is terrible. Also people with hazy headlights+led/hid are even worse.

[@bobthebuilder372]

Preach it!!

[@gayinsults8836]

Nah bro we’re good I love blinding other drivers it’s funny af when they rage then they get scared when they see how big of a penis I have and back off

[@103realtree2]

Hence my Navigator. I did not see any projectors in the reflector housings and they seemed stock to me.

[@103realtree2]

hmm I did not know that. I assumed it was LED since the interior had LEDS all in it.

[@steveazusa]

Nah people are gonna do whatever they want to sorry pal

[@ears9506]

This is an excellent video. I was going to buy HID bulbs or LED bulbs for an upgrade like the dealer told me. However, after seeing this, I know I would have just become on of those rude people with glaring lights on the highway because I didn't have the right housing. My car, a 2017 Kia will not take Projector housings so I can only replace my Halogen with Halogen...Need to buy a new car. Thanks

[@esethurwairwai7397]

Same... VW Polo 17" 😢

[@CelicaAutocrosser]

Good update on the video, but still please remind people that not all projectors are created equal. Before HID lights projectors were made to internally reflect halogen bulbs. When you put in an HID bulb, in a halogen projector, it WILL BLIND PEOPLE. The housing is not meant to reflect the light output of an HID bulb as the light output is not the same a filament bulb. Please make sure that you mention that in your videos. I’ve had to research this myself as I have projectors but halogen H7 projectors. My car had an HID option and the internals are different.

[@WHTMAN-ei7ik]

CelicaAutocrosser Thank God you understand that HID bulbs are made for specifically designed Projectors and not Halogen Projectors or reflectors!!!! Someone with some common sense!

[@EazyDuz18]

not true

[@CelicaAutocrosser]

Combustion69 wow insightful response. Anyways I own a vehicle in which offered both and HID and halogen option before HID was standard. The way the light is reflected from an HID bulb in a halogen enclosure is different than an enclosure meant for HID. An arc bulb is a lot different than a halogen bulb and light comes out of them differently. Just do your homework and when you put an HID bulb on a non-hid housing, be careful not to blind people.

[@edwardsteinjolt3720]

False, many cars come with hid from factory on reflector housings, they only add a plastic shroud and call it a day, ANY reflector will bli d you if misaligned, whenever you upgrade or change your bulbs, Hids, or leds, the housing needs to be realigned to avoid blinding or glaring, an step most people skip.

[@hosseinvs2224]

About the "..." @5:40 actually means the number doesn't fit in there so it could be 1400 or 14000 or 140452 and in my opinion around 14000 is correct vs the 4000 Halogen

[@Sky1]

Hate those turds driving their lifted trucks on the highway with aftermarket bulb installed HID FOGS, HEADLIGHTS and OFF ROAD lights all on running behind me.

[@Idleplayer17]

Sky1 drive a 4miles below the speed limit and they will get frustrated and pass you up petal to the metal. easy stuff

[@FinnishArmy]

@@Idleplayer17 Thanks, I'll do this next time. Not to annoy them of course, but to drive more safely ;)

[@jj3ff3r50n808]

Finally a very very good comparison test

[@seropserop]

It all depends on what LED you use.. they vary greatly.. the one you got was as shitty as you can possibly find.. also a 55w hid will always kill every other option

[@RandomGuy-ej9gr]

What kind of LEDs you using if a regular halogen bulb can produce more light?

[@AcuraAddicted]

That's because those LEDs are cheap ones. Quality LEDs that are comparable or surpassing HIDs will cost more than HIDs.

[@ericthecarguy]

Not really. If you look at the other video the results were similar. LEDs have a softer, less intense light output over HIDs.

[@sofakingtouge2399]

EricTheCarGuy that doesnt make sense. You are saying his point is invalid because of your last test. Well your last test you used a crappy led bulb as well. But there is a real problem. Navigating the world of led bulbs is a real crap shoot. You are more likely to find a dog then and good bulb. Hikari are a good design. The best are gtr.

[@HarryTwatter]

my Corolla's stock LED bulbs are just as bright as HID

[@RaidersAndDodgers]

Nope, I bought two set of quality LED I wasn't impressed. The LED still didn't pass my 55w HID set up in brightness or distance.

[@AcuraAddicted]

A great example is the second and third generation of Acura MDX. The second gen (the one I have) has HID 4700K xenon headlights. The third gen has LEDs. When I stop alongside a third gen MDX, it clearly surpasses in light density with LEDs over my HIDs every time. So again, in order to be able to at least come close to HIDs, the LEDs will cost you more than those HIDs.

[@thirdgearboogie2210]

Good work! I would be curious to find out what wattage the HID kit was 55W or 35W?

[@TheShawn006]

Hi Eric, excellent video. Entertaining and informative. Quick question though... What Wattage are you using for the HID kit? Eg. 35W or 55W Same question for the LEDs. Thanks

[@ericthecarguy]

All bulbs used are linked in the description.

[@davidb.fishburn9338]

Nice job, Eric. Until the leds get there with the halogens, i'll keep the halogens. The hids are wayy too bright. The hids would be better suited to places where there's no lights, like out in the country, with little to no traffic. They're too bright for city driving.

[@islamhelmy8456]

Eric💖 welcome back

[@andrewkupres9435]

The bulbs were matched for 5000k but what was the wattage on the LED bulbs? Does this matter? I am about to buy a different car and it has projectors. I saw on amazon that there are different Lumen outputs on LED bulbs. Would this affect your tests or would halogen still out perform LED? Lastly, if halogens were put in this vehicle stock with projector lamps, what would I have to change to convert to HID's ? Thanks

[@krazor8]

Try driving somthing really low.. Like a c5 vette, and here come the God of light truck with full hids and light bars on...

[@JonnyQ408]

Try a Toyota MR2 even smaller, and the lights output only goes 6 -8 feet away.

[@BriveAW]

U finna meet Jesus lol

[@bobcole3852]

Can you do an update? Lots of changes since this was made. Your procedure is more real world than most, and helpful. Only error was the 140,000 comment

[@Riley1524]

As mentioned, even with projector shields, there's a difference between halogen and HID! There's still the possibility of glare with a Halogen based projector beam when hids are installed. Best bet is to do a retrofit from a reputable company like retrofitsource.com

[@Patrick94GSR]

Riley these are H7 projectors which generally work quite well with D2S HID bulbs. In fact you can use standard D2S bulbs with only the addition of a small aluminum ring to adapt them to H7 projectors. Frankly the beam pattern looks a lot like Bosch H7 projectors used in Audi and other European makes, which work well with HID, far better than something like crappy 9006 projectors.

[@Riley1524]

Patrick94GSR While I agree that the cut-off is decent with these particular lense/shields, they're still not nearly as sharp as a good retro. Like a morimoto h1 retrofit kit. These will definitely surfice if you want something quick.

[@Patrick94GSR]

Riley TRS even sells H7 projectors for lower cost to use for budget retrofits.

[@MookieMan1]

Riley there are plenty of “HID designed” projectors that have poor cutoffs. That’s cannot be a comparison.

[@konic40]

spam

[@abo3abid1]

Great comparison. I guess LED lights are not that much better. I also greatly appreciate the disclaimer in the beginning and end

[@coffeesnob1973]

HID"S all ways work better in projector headlight. LED's don't work well .

[@bosomofvictory]

how about a test of the visibility of the turn signals next to each. seems as if they might be harder to see with the led or hid lights

[@PNWTone]

LED for sure. Best light while being kind to other drivers

[@superdutyzack]

WashingTone incorrect, all depends on the housing and if you level it correctly.

[@tonystefanowitz9493]

SuperDuty Zack 9

[@somestuffithoughtyoumightl6985]

LED bulbs come in different shapes, sizes and quality. Be sure to rotate the bulb in the housing to it’s best position for those optics (makes a big difference).

[@MrSlowestD16]

How the heck did the halogens and LED's @ 9 feet come out to 3,951 and 2,704, yet the HID's came out to 140,000 lux? Such a large difference doesn't make much sense to me. When you did the "driving at the car" test, the results were much closer & reasonable.

[@VxO4fame]

tbh testing it just from 9 feet away makes no sense what so ever in the first place. He confused it. Even 10k Lux would be a lot. The Smartphone isnt really the right way to do such a test. And its obvious that he bought a cheap LED kit for that car.

[@StevenCliff]

I think it's actually meant to be 14,000 lux but the app can't fit a 5 digit number on screen.

[@ComandanteJ]

Most likely.

[@ikbendusan]

2000 lux is twice as bright as 1000 lux given that you're illuminating the same area: 1 lm = 1 cd ⋅ sr -> 1 lux = 1 lm/m²

[@danieljohnson1449]

Were those OEM halogens? A few months ago I had to replace my bulbs and I bought the more expensive "silver star" halogens from the local parts store and they were vastly improved from the old bulbs. I'm sure they aren't as bright as the HID bulbs though.

[@ericthecarguy]

They were aftermarket headlight housings that came with halogen bulbs. Link in the description.

[@ImJustKindaHere]

Oh shit! He marked it with a board! Damn, that is precision baby! 😂 I'm j/k

[@jeansandmyshirt]

The new F3 led bulbs will be on par to any HID you put in your honda projectors. Morimoto Hylux Dlt dmex etc

[@ExhaustedOfficial]

Great video mate, can tell from making videos myself the time and effort which has gone into this video👌🏻 top class job💪🏻

[@JohnRodriguezVodnikHOTS]

Would you happen to know if the LED physical design would matter in a projector headlight housing. The ones you used were 2 sided. I have had bad luck so far with LED bulbs in my 2017 sonata projector housing. Wasnt sure if having a 4 sided LED bulb would make a difference?