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The automobile has been through numerous transformations during its 130-year existence. One of the most fascinating aspects of all this development has been the innovation of automotive lighting, which developed in tandem with light technology itself. Despite the constant forward-thinking of the auto industry, critics argue that the golden age of automotive lighting has passed.
In order to understand this line of reasoning, it’s important to look at the history of lighting in automobiles. Charting the rise and fall — as some people might call it — of automotive lights can help to provide a clear picture of whether a golden age has truly passed.
The 1990s marked the debut of two types of lighting that have since gone on to dominate the headlight market. The first of these is the high-intensity discharge (HID) headlight, in which two electrodes support an arc of light within a tube. Commonly known as xenon headlights, HIDs were introduced in 1991, but have grown in popularity since the turn of the millennium.
HIDs are popular for their brightness, durability and energy efficiency. In comparisons to halogen bulbs, many of today’s motorists agree that xenon lights are superior by all metrics.
The other lighting innovation of the 1990s was LED lights, which consist of charged, glowing electrons. As with HIDs, LED lights can last for periods that far exceed the life expectancy of halogen lights.
Furthermore, LED lights emit strong levels of brightness without drawing too heavily on energy supplies. LED tail lights first appeared on automobiles in 1993, but the lighting option didn’t see wider adoption until the following decade. These days, LED lights are the dominant headlight type throughout the automotive industry.
With the passing of time, it’s become increasingly apparent that the 1990s marked a downward shift in car light marketing. Even though HIDs and — to a lesser extent — LED lights remain superior to all the different types of headlights that came before, the marketing of headlight bulb types was starting to emphasize “coolness” over quality.
The short answer to this question is yes. The aftermarket and the products in this list are designed to be retrofit kits for vehicles with halogen headlights. What’s important to know however is that some LED headlight kits may not be legal in your state. So make sure to check local state laws before upgrading to LED headlights.
There is actually no definitive answer to this question, but we recommend replacing both your headlight bulbs at the same time, even if only one goes out. That’s because swapping out just one headlight bulb could result in a difference in brightness between the two. Also, depending on your vehicle, changing out your headlight bulbs could be a cumbersome task—you’re better off doing it once and saving yourself time down the road.
If you’re trying to be frugal or more practical—if it’s not broken, why fix it—then make sure you keep a spare bulb handy for when the other one does eventually burn out.
Halogen lights are a form of incandescent light bulb making use of a tungsten filament with a small amount of halogen gas. Most conventional light bulbs just make use of argon. The added halogen gas allows for evaporated tungsten to be redeposited onto the filament, allowing for longer lasting bulbs. Alternatively, the bulbs’ brightness can be increased for the same lifespan.
When a current is passed through the filament, it heats up, and because it gets white hot, it starts to emit light. This is why halogen light bulbs are so hot to the touch. One problem with this is that a lot of the energy they emit is as heat.
A bulb’s ability to emit light relative to its power draw is referred to as its luminous efficiency. That looks at the amount of power emitted as light, compared to the amount of electrical power drawn. Halogen light bulbs have a luminous efficiency of only 2% – 4%.
For many countries, the power of their headlamps is limited from a legal perspective. Usually in the 50W – 60W range. This rating is based on the amount of power the light draws. As such any improvements to a light bulb’s luminous efficiency allows for a brighter light. This is one of the reasons LED and HID bulbs can be much brighter than halogens as they are more than 10 times more efficient than halogens.
Halogen’s redeeming features are its simplicity and its cost. Unlike HID and LED setups, there’s no fancy electronics required to keep the bulbs happy, it’s just straight wires connecting everything. If the bulb stops working, it’s because the filament is damaged. This simplicity helps keep its cost low.
For all the amazing benefits of HID and LED bulbs, halogens get the job done for a fraction of the price.
LEDs are far more efficient than halogen lights. Although they do generate some heat, it is nowhere near as much as halogens. In a similar manner to halogens though, lifespan is related to the constant operating temperature of the lamps. By keeping the operating temperature of the LEDs in a reasonable zone, they can run indefinitely, thus manufacturers promise 20,000+ hour operating times.
To keep the LED’s cool, they require extra heat sinks and fans. This makes the lights physically larger than a halogen light bulb, occasionally causing problems when trying to fit in conventional halogen designed headlight housings.
Another benefit of how LEDs function is that to get a whiter light, the physical properties of the semi-conductor can be changed to alter the color, as opposed to halogens which require a hotter burning filament to achieve the same result.
LEDs also operate at a lower voltage than halogens. This along with newer communications systems in cars (like CAN bus) often require extra electronics for correct functioning. The cooling system also needs electronics to monitor and control the fans. This adds bulk, complexity and cost to LED systems.
The vast majority of vehicles leave dealership lots these days with one of three headlight bulbs: halogen, HID, or LED. Halogen bulbs are the oldest of the three and are still very common. They’re extremely affordable and typically have a life of around 800 hours on average. When compared to HID or LED bulbs however, halogen bulbs are the worst performing of the three. They also require more energy than LED bulbs and are more prone to heat. At the end of the day however, halogen bulbs offer enough lighting for safe driving, but upgrading to LEDs will make a noticeable difference to your driving experience.
LED headlight bulbs are becoming more commonly used by luxury automakers such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. You’ve also likely heard of LED bulbs for home use, which deliver equal or better lighting with lower power consumption and longer life. LED headlight bulbs are similar, offering better performance and longevity at a greater cost. Fortunately they’ve become so popular and common these days that they don’t cost significantly more than halogen bulbs.
Some will argue that LED headlight bulbs aren’t as bright as HIDs, but they are definitely brighter than halogen bulbs. They also don’t produce as much glare as HID headlights, and they don’t need a small period of time to charge up. Just as important, LED bulbs don’t use a filament that burns out or breaks, which allows them to last much longer than halogen bulbs.
A: The most notable advantage of LED headlights is their bright white day-like color. Apart from that, LED lamps are power-efficient and more durable than their halogen counterparts.
A: Although LED headlights generally last over 25 times longer than halogen lights, the final say relies on the manufacturer’s technology. Some lights can have a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours, which is over 10 years.
A: The ease of installation of any light depends on its construction. However, many LED headlights are easy to install. It is vital to read the instructions manual before you begin any installation.
You’re in some automotive Twilight Zone episode, sitting between “headlights quit working” and “headlights are too bright” dimensions. Fortunately, getting out of this paranormal predicament is fairly simple. Although bad headlight switches and alternators can cause issues with hazy headlamps, dim headlights are usually caused by either old-bulb filaments or corroded ground wires.
If you feel like car headlights are getting brighter each year, you’re not crazy. With LED, halogen, HID, and xenon technology becoming a new norm, high-intensity headlights on the road today can cause temporary blindness, or “road dazzle,” putting other drivers at risk. Avoiding bright lights can be difficult – look toward the side of the road when needed – if not altogether impossible. In fact, 88% of drivers surveyed believe that modern headlights are too bright.
Halogen: Until recently, halogen headlamps have long been the most common type of car headlight. They’re easier to manufacture and install, which ultimately means they’re cheap. Most halogen bulbs sit in the color temperature range between 3,000 and 4,500 KELVIN (K) and emit a warm or cool white light. Because halogen light bulbs use filaments, they have a shorter lifespan than alternative bulbs—usually 400 hours.
LED: Newer LED car headlights are more popular now than they were 20 years ago, when LED bulbs were costly and inefficient. Today, LED headlamps are much cheaper and can operate for up to 5,000 hours. They produce up to 6,000K and emit a crisp, daylight-mimicking glow. Cars with DRL, or Daytime Running Lights, usually utilize LEDs.
Xenon: Oftentimes optional on range-topping models, xenon headlights last up to 3,000 hours and produce a more natural light with a color temperature ranging from 4,000K to 6,000K. Unlike LEDs, xenon headlamps are slightly less efficient, as they require up to 30,000 volts to ignite the xenon gas inside.
HID: High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights – which are offshoots of xenon lights – are typically installed as aftermarket parts or via a headlight conversion kit. Most people install HID bulbs because of their vast color options; HID color temperatures range from 3000K to nearly 30,000K (purple). If you see a car with blue headlights, they’re rolling with HID.
Genuine OEM HID car lights are legal; aftermarket HID conversion kits are only road legal if marked with an “E” or “ECE R99” grade. So, you can change your headlights to appear blue or change colors. However, the original headlamp unit must also be replaced entirely with a new US-manufactured HID conversion unit to be legal. Generally speaking, any headlight over 6,000K could present problems with the fuzz. You may not be breaking the law, but there are safety concerns associated with bright or colored HID lights.
The most common reasons for flickering car headlights: an old battery, failing bulbs, or a faulty electrical system or component.
Don’t fret; moisture inside your headlight is completely natural. When the bulbs warm up – halogen and xenon lights generate heat – and the outer plastic headlamp cover cools, condensation can form inside. Driving your vehicle for a moment will normally de-fog fogged headlights. However, pooling water inside your headlight assembly can be caused by cracks, poor headlamp seals, and blocked vents. Inspect your headlight units for any signs of damage.
If your car lights aren’t angled well, your reaction time is drastically diminished. Correcting your headlight angle is the best solution—even if it’s quite a tedious task.
Many new car models include headlights that move with the car. These types of headlights feature Dynamic Bending Light technology, which gives drivers a wider point of view going around turns.
Fog lights have a very short range and should only be used when conditions are…well, foggy. Don’t expect fog lights to serve as your primary light source; these lights are specifically designed to reduce glare from fog, as well as sleet and falling snow.
Ah, the old “headlights in the rain” law! Is it fact or fiction? Enforced in most states, this headlight law requires all vehicle headlamps be on during inclement weather. Headlight-rain laws vary by state; for instance, drivers in Kansas City, KS, must have headlights on during the day when there’s fog, visibility is less than 1000 feet, or windshield wipers are in use. If they drive across the border and into Missouri, drivers must turn their headlights on when visibility is less than 500 feet.
The Jeep Wrangler is just one of the many popular Jeep models on the market. Since the Jeep is designed to be as much of an off-road vehicle as one you can take on the highway, it's important to make sure you have high-quality headlights.
There are many different headlights to choose from, including halo headlights, LED projector headlights, beam headlights, and many others. You should also consider if you want high beams, anti-flicker lights, low beams, and how many lumens might be best for you.
If you modify your car's headlights, it may void your warranty, so be sure to check with your manufacturer first. Many different car parts, adapters, conversion kits, and other connectors can be found on big websites like Amazon - you're not limited to specialty websites or dealers, you can checkout with the proper parts on nearly any popular website nowadays.
Super bright lights may be blinding to other drivers, so be sure to consider how bright your turn signals are, and perhaps go with amber turn signals, rather than choices that will be super bright.
The Jeep Wrangler JK, as well as the Jeep Wrangler JL are both popular models for Jeep lovers. If you want to modify headlights for these models, make sure you choose lights that are DOT approved.
DOT is the official organization which regulates what is (and is not) legal when it comes to all automobiles on the road. Jeep Wrangler LED headlights are not installed by default, so make sure the headlights you choose are DOT approved.
The Jeep Gladiator is another popular model, but this vehicle again does not come with LED headlights by default. One popular modification for Jeeps are Cree LED headlights, which can work with LED chips.
You also have to be sure you achieve the proper fitment with new lights, and make sure that all elements (including the bezel) are tightly locked in place. Stock headlights will always fit properly, so if you don't change the headlights on either a Jeep Wrangler JK/TJ, your headlights will fit by default.
One popular manufacturer of off-road headlights that will work with most Jeeps, is KC HiLites. Sunpie is another popular manufacturer of Jeep Wrangler headlights, as are Rubicon and Mopar.
