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Ray Z
Unregistered guest
Posted on Wednesday, 11 November, 2015 - 11:49:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Has anyone tried or completed a LED upgrade to all front headlights? Have tried but highbeam indicator lights up without highbeam on. Lights do not function correctly.Computer might not like the change?
Thanks
Ray Z

(Message approved by david_gore)
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David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore

Post Number: 1780
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Wednesday, 11 November, 2015 - 13:06:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Ray,

Problem may be in the low current draw of the LED lights sending the car computer into hysterics as it is much less than what the programming would expect as indicating normal operation.

What happens if you refit the original lights? If normal, you may have to engineer a shunt to draw more current or reprogram the computer to accept the lower current as normal if you want the LED lights [my preference would be the LEDs].
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Ray Z
Unregistered guest
Posted on Wednesday, 11 November, 2015 - 20:33:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

David
Thanks for your reply. When fitted with normal globes, everything back to normal. Will talk to a friend who is into auto electrics and see what he has to say. I will let you know.
Ray Z.

(Message approved by david_gore)
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Robert Noel Reddington
Grand Master
Username: bob_uk

Post Number: 683
Registered: 5-2015
Posted on Thursday, 12 November, 2015 - 07:11:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

LED headlamp technology is in infancy at the moment.

Led head lamps have a shade for dipping. They produce heat which must not exceed 85c or the leds blow. The solutions they are using have made a simple diode into some thing quite complex.

Can bus cars suffer the same problem with led lighting. The lower current draw confuses the vehicles management system.
So they have to fir a shunt or load resistor. So there are no current savings be cause the shunt uses the power up instead.

However advances are being made daily and Led headlights are much better than H4 and H4 extra bulbs.

Not all H4 bulbs are equal. Some makes are better than others. Also filaments sag and go slightly out of focus.

Check out Cibie. Cibie make very good standard round head lamps.

Another lighting consideration is day time running lamps. These work best as led and are very reliable. These are equivalent to 21 watts per corner and have no heat problems.
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David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore

Post Number: 1785
Registered: 4-2003
Posted on Thursday, 12 November, 2015 - 08:03:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Ray, suggest you Google replacing standard bulbs with LED bulbs as I have seen numerous posts in other car forums regarding "work arounds" to overcome the same problem as you have experienced.

If my memory is still reliable, the most common fix is to use dummy loads to increase the current to similar values as the original bulbs to keep the computer happy. One of our more electronics-savvy members may be able to advise on computer reprogramming as an alternative.
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Ray Zeffert
Experienced User
Username: rayzef

Post Number: 16
Registered: 4-2006
Posted on Friday, 20 November, 2015 - 20:51:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IP

Thanks for all the replies. I did find something on a ballast resister but still thinking. Have places with all new globes in both sets of lights, chassis 44046 Spur II
Ray ZA