LED Headlights for our Zs

[secondchance]

Looks like GE is selling 5"x7" LED headlights. Price is bit steep at about $240 each but installation is a simple plug-in unlike HIDs that require splicing in ballasts. Also, according to the sales literature, quality of light (color temp at 5,600k and even distribution and cut off) seems to be right there with HIDs. It's seems to be an interesting option for our ZR-1s.

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/overview/

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/images/GE-Nighthawk-Headlights-Sell-Sheet-July-2013.pdf

[PhillipsLT5]

Nice, looks like they may be better than Hella?

[secondchance]

Nice, looks like they may be better than Hella?

Hella you are referring to is probably euro spec glass housing. These are typically mated to halogen bulbs or can be, I believe, mated to HID bulbs.
Based on light spectrum comparison, definitely better then halogen.

[-=Jeff=-]

cheaper than the JW Speaker ones at $500 ea

still a bit much though

[Godson]

The cost benefit of the LEDs though is longer life.

15,000 hours is a LONG time and carry a 3 year warranty. Color me impressed.

[alnukem]

Looks like GE is selling 5"x7" LED headlights. Price is bit steep at about $240 each but installation is a simple plug-in unlike HIDs that require splicing in ballasts. Also, according to the sales literature, quality of light (color temp at 5,600k and even distribution and cut off) seems to be right there with HIDs. It's seems to be an interesting option for our ZR-1s.

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/overview/

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/images/GE-Nighthawk-Headlights-Sell-Sheet-July-2013.pdf

Where did you find for $240? Thanks.

[Scrrem]

Interesting. I saw these installed on a car show that was doing a custom build, was wondering how they performed. I wasn't able to find the $240 price, but Amazon has them at $280 and they had a few reviews and all said they performed well.
Rich

[secondchance]

Where did you find for $240? Thanks.

Sorry! $251.74.
http://www.niftyinterior.com/157_page_1467255.htm

[GOLDCYLON]

Looks like GE is selling 5"x7" LED headlights. Price is bit steep at about $240 each but installation is a simple plug-in unlike HIDs that require splicing in ballasts. Also, according to the sales literature, quality of light (color temp at 5,600k and even distribution and cut off) seems to be right there with HIDs. It's seems to be an interesting option for our ZR-1s.

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/overview/

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/images/GE-Nighthawk-Headlights-Sell-Sheet-July-2013.pdf


Actually you are refering to the $99 and less Ebay HID kits. My kit was plug and play from CorvetteHID.com including the ballasts. All 'Kits" and I use that term loosely are NOT the same.

Neat with the LEDS. I was wondering when that was going to come along. I wonder if they use one large LED or multiples to acheive ALL the light? I wonder if the housings are plastic.... I hate those as they tend to haze vs. glass

[Racinfan83]

Those are very cool - but I think I'll wait til they get down around $50 apiece. Or I won't get em. $500 + for headlights is ridiculous in my opinion...

[scottfab]

Along with much longer life and usual increase in light output, not to be forgotten, is that as you convert more bulbs to LED the less draw on the alternator and therefore less of a leaching of HP from the LT5.
(makes for more current available for cooling boxes etc on long trips)

The other phenomenon is the available selections of color temperatures, everything from "Warm White ~3000K" to nausea inducing "Xenon White 20,000K" and everything in between.

I've been following the LED technology now for many years. What's been happening is a bifurcation in the market needs. On one end is the extreme efficiency LEDs and at the other is the extreme high output ones. The later sacrifice efficiency for better thermal dissipation characteristics. (heat tolerance etc) The high heat ones use ceramic composites and an RTV like compound. That way they can drive the piss out of them and use heat sinks and/of fans to keep them cool.

I am fairly sure over time we'll see incandescent, CFL, HID, Halogen and other bulbs go the way of vinyl records. They'll still be around but only for nostalgia and other (like NCRS) specialty purposes.
For a similar historical transition talk to someone that went through the transition from kerosine lamps to electric. :-D
My brother has a father-in-law that can still remember rural places in Wash St. that went through that transition.

[8cam]

While LEDs are cool, the technology is still young and there are far more cost-effective alternatives these days. A set of E-code housings with glass lenses, high-wattage H4 bulbs, and relays, will cost less and provide far better lighting. Good reflector and lens design, coupled with proper adjustment will get you better results than most "upgrades" out there. I do this in all my cars and the difference is just phenomenal.

[Fully Vetted]

I went LED on my Wrangler and couldn't believe the difference. Even over my HID's on my F150. I love them. They were about the same price as the ones for the Z. A little more actually.


http://www.zr1.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=215&pictureid=2533




Previous owner did HID's on my Z but I'll be looking into these LED's for sure.

[secondchance]

Actually you are refering to the $99 and less Ebay HID kits. My kit was plug and play from CorvetteHID.com including the ballasts. All 'Kits" and I use that term loosely are NOT the same.

Neat with the LEDS. I was wondering when that was going to come along. I wonder if they use one large LED or multiples to acheive ALL the light? I wonder if the housings are plastic.... I hate those as they tend to haze vs. glass

Daryl,

Did your kit come with reflector optimized for HID bulb? Fully understand your comment that there are kits with varying level of quality. My concern was more of reflector quality. Even if I went with quality reflector such as Hella, due to difference in bulbs between halogen and HID, resulting light from reflector may not be what was intended.
Reason I am hopeful with GE LED is based on an assumption that the light source (LED) and reflector must have been designed with quality engineering with GE's reputation on the line.
There may be HID kits engineered properly. It is just very difficult to know what you will be getting.

[Fully Vetted]

This may not matter to some but there's the whole law issue as well. The LED's are DOT approved.

[GOLDCYLON]

Daryl,

Did your kit come with reflector optimized for HID bulb? Fully understand your comment that there are kits with varying level of quality. My concern was more of reflector quality. Even if I went with quality reflector such as Hella, due to difference in bulbs between halogen and HID, resulting light from reflector may not be what was intended.
Reason I am hopeful with GE LED is based on an assumption that the light source (LED) and reflector must have been designed with quality engineering with GE's reputation on the line.
There may be HID kits engineered properly. It is just very difficult to know what you will be getting.

Great point mine are glass projector housings. You truly get what you pay for. GC

[GOLDCYLON]

I went LED on my Wrangler and couldn't believe the difference. Even over my HID's on my F150. I love them. They were about the same price as the ones for the Z. A little more actually.


http://www.zr1.net/forum/picture.php?albumid=215&pictureid=2533




Previous owner did HID's on my Z but I'll be looking into these LED's for sure.


Are they glass or a plastic lens?

[secondchance]

This may not matter to some but there's the whole law issue as well. The LED's are DOT approved.

GE website FAQ says "
Are these LED lamps Legal? (http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/faq/#)
YES. The GE LED Headlamp exceeds the DOT requirements for on road use"


http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/faq/

[scottfab]

GE website FAQ says "
Are these LED lamps Legal? (http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/faq/#)
YES. The GE LED Headlamp exceeds the DOT requirements for on road use"


http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/consumer/products/highlights/nighthawk/led-headlights/faq/

Good find.
Good stuff.=D>

[Schrade]

Along with much longer life and usual increase in light output, not to be forgotten, is that as you convert more bulbs to LED the less draw on the alternator and therefore less of a leaching of HP from the LT5.
(makes for more current available for cooling boxes etc on long trips)

The other phenomenon is the available selections of color temperatures, everything from "Warm White ~3000K" to nausea inducing "Xenon White 20,000K" and everything in between.

I've been following the LED technology now for many years. What's been happening is a bifurcation in the market needs. On one end is the extreme efficiency LEDs and at the other is the extreme high output ones. The later sacrifice efficiency for better thermal dissipation characteristics. (heat tolerance etc) The high heat ones use ceramic composites and an RTV like compound. That way they can drive the piss out of them and use heat sinks and/of fans to keep them cool.

I am fairly sure over time we'll see incandescent, CFL, HID, Halogen and other bulbs go the way of vinyl records. They'll still be around but only for nostalgia and other (like NCRS) specialty purposes.
For a similar historical transition talk to someone that went through the transition from kerosine lamps to electric. :-D
My brother has a father-in-law that can still remember rural places in Wash St. that went through that transition.

If the amp draw on the alternator is less (whatever the difference is, between a car equipped with LED headlamps vs. standard lamps), then should the CS 144 Z alternator be replaced, with a LOWER amp output alternator?

Question is, when the ECM decides that the 'clutch mechanism', in the alternator, that has to engage, and become more of a load on the motor, ... ?

The alternator is ALWAYS spinning...

How DOES the integral voltage regulator work, I guess, is the question???

[scottfab]

If the amp draw on the alternator is less (whatever the difference is, between a car equipped with LED headlamps vs. standard lamps), then should the CS 144 Z alternator be replaced, with a LOWER amp output alternator?

Question is, when the ECM decides that the 'clutch mechanism', in the alternator, that has to engage, and become more of a load on the motor, ... ?

The alternator is ALWAYS spinning...

How DOES the integral voltage regulator work, I guess, is the question???

The voltage regulator is internal to the alternator and is autonomous. When there is low demand from system (Battery >12.2v ?) the field winding is left at 0V and the alternator free wheels. i.e. no load.
With no load it's just another idler pulley.

The big win on moving to low current draw by switching to LED everywhere is the available capacity to run "more stuff" in the cabin.

[GOLDCYLON]

How DOES the integral voltage regulator work, I guess, is the question???


It allows the alternator to idle as the demand is not needed. Remind me to tell you the story when one of our 400KV voltage generators regulators failed and provided instant 100% power to our living area one night in Iraq at 0200hrs. Everything that had a power supply was burned out. Lamps that were not switch on turned on until the generator exploded with sparks flying over the T-walls. We though initially it was an RPG attack.

Less demand on your electrical system is a "goog" thing