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Thread: Halogen to LED D4 Headlight Bulb Conversion

  1. #1
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    Halogen to LED D4 Headlight Bulb Conversion

    Hi All,

    I've decided to hang onto my MY13.5 D4 for a while longer but am jack of the poor headlight emissions from the Halogen globes. I know the topic of improving the light quality of the standard Halogen lights has been round the traps for quite some time but I was hoping for a story from folks that have been running LEDs for a while and haven't had any performance or damage issues. It would also be good if the conversion didn't involve hacking into the Headlight assembly or compromising the seal.

    I know some folks have done HID conversions but the slow warm-up time used to mean that they were only good for low beam but lacked agility when used in high beam. Thus my inquiries about LED.

    Look forward to feedback.

    Cheers,

    Kev.

  2. #2
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    2 years plus and no issues, I have bixenon main headlights and the rest is all LED. This includes the infill lights, drl in thr bullbar, indicators and also rear reverse and fog lights.

    Bought them from Stedi.com.au.

    The canbus system does raise codes from time to time, this is because of the low amperage from these LEDs, but nothing to worry about. No lens issues either, nothing has melted and no shorts from water / rain / mud ingress etc.

  3. #3
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    Same as Eric. Works well

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eric SDV6SE View Post
    2 years plus and no issues, I have bixenon main headlights and the rest is all LED. This includes the infill lights, drl in thr bullbar, indicators and also rear reverse and fog lights.

    Bought them from Stedi.com.au.

    The canbus system does raise codes from time to time, this is because of the low amperage from these LEDs, but nothing to worry about. No lens issues either, nothing has melted and no shorts from water / rain / mud ingress etc.
    Hi Eric,

    Thanks very much.

    You probably know this ... but the Halogen set-up is a bit different from the Bi-Zenon. The standard LR Bi-Xenon (had them in the first D4) are awesome. However, the Halogen set up is just like any 'old school' car.....poopy halogen bulb in the fish-eye for low beam and then an equally poopy halogen turns on for high beam. Where as the Bi-Xenon have excellent low beam and get decent light when the shutter lifts for high beam. In you and Tombie's case, the addition of LED infill lights probably improves a situation that wasn't too bad to start with.

    I'm obviously a little concerned about running the LEDs in the low beam (fish-eye) for hours at a time. Which is why I was hoping somebody had already tried this. The standard halogen low beam .... geez ... I've seen brighter candles

    Do the Stedi bulbs you use have the metal ribbon heat-sinks? Do you just tuck those into the headlight fitting and close the dust cover?

    Thanks for your help mate.

    Cheers,

    Kev.

  5. #5
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    Why are you concerned about running the LED for hours? They will produce less heat than the halogen equivalent you have in there.
    2010 TDV6 3.0L Discovery 4 HSE
    2007 Audi RS4 (B7)

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Celtoid View Post
    Hi Eric,

    Thanks very much.

    You probably know this ... but the Halogen set-up is a bit different from the Bi-Zenon. The standard LR Bi-Xenon (had them in the first D4) are awesome. However, the Halogen set up is just like any 'old school' car.....poopy halogen bulb in the fish-eye for low beam and then an equally poopy halogen turns on for high beam. Where as the Bi-Xenon have excellent low beam and get decent light when the shutter lifts for high beam. In you and Tombie's case, the addition of LED infill lights probably improves a situation that wasn't too bad to start with.

    I'm obviously a little concerned about running the LEDs in the low beam (fish-eye) for hours at a time. Which is why I was hoping somebody had already tried this. The standard halogen low beam .... geez ... I've seen brighter candles

    Do the Stedi bulbs you use have the metal ribbon heat-sinks? Do you just tuck those into the headlight fitting and close the dust cover?

    Thanks for your help mate.

    Cheers,

    Kev.
    Yes the Copperheads as sold by Stedi have the metal ribbon heatsinks that tuck neatly behind the dust cover.

    Note I have no affiliation with Stedi, I just like their gear.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster View Post
    Why are you concerned about running the LED for hours? They will produce less heat than the halogen equivalent you have in there.
    Exactly, just got to make sure the globes you get are suited to the reflector in terms of beam spread etc. All the heat is dissipated by the metal ribbon heatsinks not into the lens.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Celtoid View Post
    Hi All,

    I've decided to hang onto my MY13.5 D4 for a while longer but am jack of the poor headlight emissions from the Halogen globes. I know the topic of improving the light quality of the standard Halogen lights has been round the traps for quite some time but I was hoping for a story from folks that have been running LEDs for a while and haven't had any performance or damage issues. It would also be good if the conversion didn't involve hacking into the Headlight assembly or compromising the seal.

    I know some folks have done HID conversions but the slow warm-up time used to mean that they were only good for low beam but lacked agility when used in high beam. Thus my inquiries about LED.

    Look forward to feedback.

    Cheers,

    Kev.
    Is your D4 the update model with "Discovery" on the bonnet and pocket headlights? If so, the same bulb runs both beams, with a shutter to direct the light to the low & high beam patterns. So running a HID is not such an issue as it stays on all of the time.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eric SDV6SE View Post
    Yes the Copperheads as sold by Stedi have the metal ribbon heatsinks that tuck neatly behind the dust cover.

    Note I have no affiliation with Stedi, I just like their gear.
    Thanks Eric.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster View Post
    Why are you concerned about running the LED for hours? They will produce less heat than the halogen equivalent you have in there.
    I know the LEDs produce less heat at the globe but as Eric has stated, they have heat-sink ribbons that will have to live in a place not designed to have anything there ... i.e. the back of the light assembly. I was just inquiring whether that feature was going to be problematic but it sounds like it should be OK.

    Cheers,

    Kev.

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