LED Headlights On An Old Car?

There are a lot of people who consider replacing their old headlights with LED ones. There are a number of reasons why you would want to do this, but you do need to be careful. It is possible to replace your old headlights with new LED ones, but you have to consider if this is safe and legal.

New Cars Have LED Lights

A lot of people state that new cars have LED headlights and this should be enough reason for them to change their old ones. The problem is that most people will use conversion bulbs when they replace their headlights with LED ones.

The issue with these bulbs is that they are not always correctly tested and could fail safety tests. Additionally, the fitting of these bulbs will ensure that your lamp does not work as it should because you are using a bulb that is not approved for your vehicle.

LED Lights Are Brighter

For some people, the idea of brighter headlights equals better safety on the roads and this is not always the case. Brighter lights are not automatically safer and you need to take more of the headlight setup into account. A headlight which has been designed to use a halogen bulb will have optics that do not work with LED lights.

The way that the casing of the headlight reflects light will be designed for the lower output halogen light. When the bulb is replaced with an LED one, the output pattern will change and some parts will become brighter while other parts will become dimmer. This will actually cause more problems for the driver than it solves. You can however check out our article on how to clean headlights here for a temporary solution.

Additionally, the light scatter which is created by the use of LED lights in halogen casings will affect other drivers. This will decrease the overall safety of the roads as oncoming drivers could be blinded by your headlights. These are all technical issues which new car designs have taken into account and actively tried to reduce.

When Can You Legally Use LED Bulbs

In many cases, these of LED lights for your headlights will be illegal because they have not passed safety testing. However, if you are going to be using an LED bulb in one of the lights that do not face the road, you will be able to. If you want to use an LED bulb for your headlights, you will need to be very careful with this and it is recommended that you speak to a specialist beforehand.

A specialist will be able to determine if your vehicle can handle LED lights and will be able to fit ones that comply with all driving regulations. And you can find the best car headlight for your model here.

Can LED Lights Be Used In Classic Cars?

If you own a classic car, you will notice that the headlights are much dimmer than modern cars. This may tempt you to fit LED lights, but you have to be careful with this. While your classic car should have the power needed for these lamps, the headlights will not be correct and you will have the same issues as a halogen-powered headlight.