Is it worth it to change the halogen bulb to LED?

LED optics is famous for a brighter beam of light. However, they consume little energy, so the vehicle’s electrical system does not experience significant loads.

For the first time, this type of light bulb appeared in expensive premium models several years ago. In those years it was impossible not to notice the envious glance of the owners of ordinary cars. And car drivers with original optics even in broad daylight used light to emphasize the uniqueness of their car.

Over time, analogues of LED optics for budget cars began to appear in car dealerships. Thanks to this, every car enthusiast can afford "exclusive" lamps for his car.

Test car test

As the “experimental rabbit” we take Toyota 4Runner, released in 1996. In such machines, halogen lamps with a base H4 are installed. This makes it possible to conduct this experiment. Instead of standard lamps, we install an LED analog.

The high intensity of the glow of lamps of this type is beyond doubt. However, this is only one of the factors determining the quality of automotive optics. A more important parameter is the range of the directional beam. This is the main factor by which we compare both types of lamps. We need to find out how effectively each of them illuminates the road.

LEDs shine brighter, but beam quality often leaves much to be desired. This is especially so when the main beam is on. Sometimes it seems that there is no difference between the main and dipped beam - it seems as if the bulb just began to shine higher, but the road is not visible much further.

The device of halogen and LED lamps

Halogens work on a similar principle as conventional incandescent bulbs. The only difference is the improvement of technology. The glass flask is filled with one of the reactive gases - bromine or iodine. This allows you to increase the heating temperature of the spiral, as well as its working life. The result is a significant increase in the light output of this type of lamp.

To increase the power of LED lamps, manufacturers installed a parabolic aluminum reflector in their design. This significantly increased the focus of light. From a practical point of view, LEDs have many advantages over standard halogens.

Advantages and disadvantages of LED optics

First of all, this is an increased level of brightness, as well as a longer service life. In addition, they are characterized by lower electricity consumption.

As for the beam length, halogen lamps have a significant advantage. But there are no equal LEDs with respect to brightness (among the available budget counterparts). Especially their advantage is felt at dusk when it rains.

An ordinary lamp does not cope with its task, and it seems that the light is not turned on at all. However, LEDs will not become a full replacement for halogens due to the short beam of light and its small scattering.

Of course, today there is a wide variety of different modifications based on LED lamps. One such option is a lamp with a lens. However, such models also have their drawbacks.

For example, a well-defined beam hits far, but poorly illuminates the road at the edges. And if an oncoming car appears, then such optics should be switched to the low beam mode much earlier than standard bulbs.