HEADLIGHT UPGRADE

[petervankleeck]

Gentlemen,

What do you recommend for a headlight replacement for my 90'? I don't want to make any modifications to the original wiring. I would also like to see as far down the road as possible given that parameter.

Thanks in advance.

Peter, #659

Also, many thanks to Marc Haibeck for the chip upgrade and repairing my tach and ECM.

[ram_g]

LED headlamps with the "Yun relay modification" to allow foglamp operation.

I bought these from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
They work great but require a slight physical mod to the headlamp buckets (removal of a small sheet metal "bump").

I installed the Yun mod with a spare standard automotive relay so if I want to I can re-install the original relay and all is back to stock.

[Mystic ZR-1]

Hella Z Beams with 100/55 watt
H4 bulbs.
No screwing around with LEDs and
they'll lite up you life. 💡

[lmcptman@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Mystic ZR-1

Hella Z Beams with 100/55 watt
H4 bulbs.
No screwing around with LEDs and
they'll lite up you life. 💡

Did you have to upgrade your harness or install relays to use 100/55

[Mystic ZR-1]

Nope, all stock relays etc.
Hasn't melted down yet.
Had them on my last 2 Vettes with
no problems.
Wouldn't try the 130/55 bulbs though...

[lmcptman@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Mystic ZR-1

Nope, all stock relays etc.
Hasn't melted down yet.
Had them on my last 2 Vettes with
no problems.
Wouldn't try the 130/55 bulbs though...

I was thinking about going with the 100/80 but think that i would need to upgrade wiring. Going to keep it simple and use 100/55.
Thanks

[Paul Workman]

Well...

Apparently, LED headlight conversions have come under fire in many places. In fact, I just looked at my sources and the conversion headlights I suggested in my article from a couple years ago are NO LONGER carried.

At issue, apparently, is one I warned about - (LED) lights that do not have a cutoff line, or are not properly aimed to prevent blinding on coming drivers, have resulted in petitions (at least) and legislation in some cases, banning the LED lights.

This is really too bad. The LED headlights really make a huge improvement over stock lights, to be sure. AND, because the C4 Corvette lights are at a so relatively low height, relative to the ground, they are far below eye level (low beams) IF they were initially aimed correctly when installed.

And, before you think that because you didn't opt for the LED headlight, choosing HID or some other upgrade route, know these too are under the gun in many places too.

This is something to keep an eye on, going forward. Stay tuned!

[ram_g]

If you choose to use load resistors, suggest you go with a specific combination of resistor and LED lamp that has been tried by others and shown to work. My initial stab at this was to buy a set of load resistors from Amazon along with the LED headlamps, and they did NOT work. (The high beam of the LED would come on whenever I turned on the foglamps...if you study the wiring diagrams you can see how this might happen, depending on the specific voltage expected by the LED.)

So I went to the Yun relay mod as a fall-back and it worked perfectly.

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by ram_g

If you choose to use load resistors, suggest you go with a specific combination of resistor and LED lamp that has been tried by others and shown to work. My initial stab at this was to buy a set of load resistors from Amazon along with the LED headlamps, and they did NOT work. (The high beam of the LED would come on whenever I turned on the foglamps...if you study the wiring diagrams you can see how this might happen, depending on the specific voltage expected by the LED.)

So I went to the Yun relay mod as a fall-back and it worked perfectly.

Same here. Resistor defeats advantage of LEDs vis a vis current draw.

[Mystic ZR-1]

Originally Posted by lmcptman@gmail.com

I was thinking about going with the 100/80 but think that i would need to upgrade wiring. Going to keep it simple and use 100/55.
Thanks

80 watts on the low beams is too much.
You'll PO everyone coming the other way.