LED Headlight Install, 2000lm each no external driver

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@Robb235

this is copy pasted from MikePL on another led thread discussing the flickering effect when using led gauge bulbs. Hope it helps

It's not the fault of the LEDs themselves. The problem is that a vehicle has lots of electrical circuits, solenoids, electrical motors and other stuff which causes momentary (miliseconds) voltage peaks (maybe even up to 50V). An incandescent bulb is not affected by this because inside there is just a metal wire which would need more time to be heated up by such a voltage rise. A LED is a semiconductor and even a very short pulse of high voltage causes damage which adds up over time causing filckering and then death. Please also note that LEDs use resistors that assume you have 12 volts but with the engine running you get up to 14.4V
One way to address this issue is to install LEDs whch are driven under their maximum specs. Usually a stronger resistor is used. But over time the same problem might appear, only later.

The better way is to use a voltage regulator (google LM7812) which costs around 30 cents and can operate upt to 1.5Amps. So ideally you should find the wiring for the gauge cluster and insert the regulator before all the LEDs. This will keep them safe for the next 20 years.

So my conclusion is that any LED with only a resistor will start to flicker sooner or later. Only a voltage regulator will solve the problem. I have some LED strips which were installed 8 years ago and not a single LED is flickering.
 
@Robb235

this is copy pasted from MikePL on another led thread discussing the flickering effect when using led gauge bulbs. Hope it helps

It's not the fault of the LEDs themselves. The problem is that a vehicle has lots of electrical circuits, solenoids, electrical motors and other stuff which causes momentary (miliseconds) voltage peaks (maybe even up to 50V). An incandescent bulb is not affected by this because inside there is just a metal wire which would need more time to be heated up by such a voltage rise. A LED is a semiconductor and even a very short pulse of high voltage causes damage which adds up over time causing filckering and then death. Please also note that LEDs use resistors that assume you have 12 volts but with the engine running you get up to 14.4V
One way to address this issue is to install LEDs whch are driven under their maximum specs. Usually a stronger resistor is used. But over time the same problem might appear, only later.

The better way is to use a voltage regulator (google LM7812) which costs around 30 cents and can operate upt to 1.5Amps. So ideally you should find the wiring for the gauge cluster and insert the regulator before all the LEDs. This will keep them safe for the next 20 years.

So my conclusion is that any LED with only a resistor will start to flicker sooner or later. Only a voltage regulator will solve the problem. I have some LED strips which were installed 8 years ago and not a single LED is flickering.

I more suspect it's an overheating issue with the LEDs. It's only flickering on one bulb, and this particular bulb's cooling fan is making a funny grinding sound.
 
Per the lifetime LED's I thought they had "drivers" built in? Isn't it the driver that acts as the regulator?
 
They actually seem well made, the light aluminum seems quality.
 
They appear to be one-sided. I would confirm, might not be an issue but will change ur pattern
 
Yeh I think someone in this thread used a similar one sided bulb and didn't have great results. There are also $20 more and have an external driver. The main reason I wanted the ones I bought, no external driver. Thanks for the post, more info for people the better :)
 
Yah that was me : )
 
I more suspect it's an overheating issue with the LEDs. It's only flickering on one bulb, and this particular bulb's cooling fan is making a funny grinding sound.

Lifetime sent me a new bulb. It's been raining so I haven't installed it yet.
 
Yeh I think someone in this thread used a similar one sided bulb and didn't have great results. There are also $20 more and have an external driver. The main reason I wanted the ones I bought, no external driver. Thanks for the post, more info for people the better :)
I used the single sided bulbs and had great results. I purchased the 3200lm high and low beams so I don't have a double bulb set up to compare it to. I had a question on which way to install them, but I believe there is only one way that they can be installed because the tabs on the LED's are not symmetrical and can only go into the housing one way.
 
This is a great thread. I just got the new Toyota Cruiser magazine and saw the advertisement for Lifetime LED's. Glad to see all this research already being done!
 
Well, i ordered a set. I figure for $55 I can't lose. Guess we will see in a couple of weeks.
 
Its probably been discussed but any of you gents have experience with these in fog and any water ingress issues when rolling through flooded roads and doing small water crossings? I live in western washington and its definitely winter in the sense we've got heavy fog in the am and pm and sheets of rain that end up leaving good 2.5' deep sections of underwater travel on many roadways close to me. Plus im beginning SAR with the county sheriffs department and need reliable lighting in essentially all conditions.
 
I don't, but maybe throw some auxiliary lights up high on the truck just in case?
 
Its probably been discussed but any of you gents have experience with these in fog and any water ingress issues when rolling through flooded roads and doing small water crossings? I live in western washington and its definitely winter in the sense we've got heavy fog in the am and pm and sheets of rain that end up leaving good 2.5' deep sections of underwater travel on many roadways close to me. Plus im beginning SAR with the county sheriffs department and need reliable lighting in essentially all conditions.

These are rated to be submerged to 3' or 1 meter. But I don't recall anything about a post about being submerged. Your status as a test of this would be notable. :p
 
my PIAA ultra white 9006s failed today (might have been the cold, filaments looked ok, my extra stock bulb worked) so just ordered a set of LEDs from this thread - http://www.ebay.com/itm/151301569147?rmvSB=true

will post results when I get them
 
Got my new LED headlights. Im pretty happy with the output. I need to get some high beams now.



 

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