LED retrofits for H3

[jelliott4]

Can anyone recommend an LED retrofit for an H3 bulb that doesn't suck?

Specifically I'm interested in finding one that produces an acceptable beam pattern in the driving lights of my 928 S4. It would also be nice if it produces as much (or slightly more) actual light output as a 55 W halogen H3 (1500+ lumens) and produces a hue that isn't obnoxiously bluish (ideal color temp would be like 3500-5500 K).

Thanks,
Joe

[dar636]

I'd suggest contacting this person. I have done so with my 911 and 928 both for all the reasons you mentioned.

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/tech.html

[jelliott4]

Originally Posted by dar636

I'd suggest contacting this person. I have done so with my 911 and 928 both for all the reasons you mentioned.

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/tech.html

Last time I talked to Dan Stern, he was even more dogmatic than I (usually) am in his belief that an LED retrofit will never truly replicate the optics of a halogen filament (e.g. you'd have to make the little circuit board supporting the LED chips infinitely thin, besides doing all the other things that most LED retrofit manufacturers neglect to do), so much so that I'd actually be a little bit embarrassed if he knew I was even asking this question!

On second thought, the last time I talked to Dan was at least five years ago, and technology has moved on since then. And a simple parabolic-reflector driving light is pretty much the hardest thing to screw up, i.e. a slightly flawed beam pattern won't render it useless and/or dangerous like an imperfect LED retrofit in a low beam headlight tends to do. ...So maybe I will shoot Mr. Stern an email, after all.

Thanks.

[harborman]

I actually hate those bright white LED head lights that blind you. The older filament type are much more easy on the eyes. I also think if one needs such a bright head light maybe they should not be driving !

[jelliott4]

Originally Posted by harborman

I actually hate those bright white LED head lights that blind you. The older filament type are much more easy on the eyes. I also think if one needs such a bright head light maybe they should not be driving !

The irony is that most of those bright white LED headlights aren’t actually any brighter than the halogen bulbs they replaced, they just do such a poor job of replicating the optics of the original bulb that they ruin the beam pattern of the lamp and spray light in the eyes of oncoming traffic (or, if they’ve been installed in pre-1997 USA-spec lights, those are designed without a proper cutoff to the low beam pattern to begin with, with predictable results when you install a flawed LED retrofit…). And of course the “whiter” light is why I specified an upper “whiteness” limit of 5500 K in my original post.

I actually did go ahead and email Dan Stern yesterday, as suggested above, and he responded right away, saying pretty much exactly what I expected him to say: “First principles; halogen lamps need to use halogen bulbs. The ‘LED bulbs’ now flooding the market (like ‘HID kits’ before them), claiming to convert halogen headlamps, are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, these are a fraudulent scam. They are not capable of producing the right amounts of light, nor producing it in the right pattern for the lamp's optics to work.”

But I’m still holding out hope that the role of the 928’s driving lamps being what it is (i.e. providing the flash-to-pass function when the pop-up headlamps are stowed, more so than any meaningful contribution to the high beam pattern), I’ll eventually find an LED retrofit well-designed enough to serve that purpose—even if the beam pattern ends up a little bit sloppy, well, the whole point of flashing the high beams is to get someone’s attention, right?

[harborman]

Originally Posted by jelliott4

The irony is that most of those bright white LED headlights aren’t actually any brighter than the halogen bulbs they replaced, they just do such a poor job of replicating the optics of the original bulb that they ruin the beam pattern of the lamp and spray light in the eyes of oncoming traffic (or, if they’ve been installed in pre-1997 USA-spec lights, those are designed without a proper cutoff to the low beam pattern to begin with, with predictable results when you install a flawed LED retrofit…). And of course the “whiter” light is why I specified an upper “whiteness” limit of 5500 K in my original post.

I actually did go ahead and email Dan Stern yesterday, as suggested above, and he responded right away, saying pretty much exactly what I expected him to say: “First principles; halogen lamps need to use halogen bulbs. The ‘LED bulbs’ now flooding the market (like ‘HID kits’ before them), claiming to convert halogen headlamps, are not a legitimate, safe, effective, or legal product. No matter whose name is on them or what the vendor claims, these are a fraudulent scam. They are not capable of producing the right amounts of light, nor producing it in the right pattern for the lamp's optics to work.”

I still have the original head lamps in my 1986S 928. They work just fine.

But I’m still holding out hope that the role of the 928’s driving lamps being what it is (i.e. providing the flash-to-pass function when the pop-up headlamps are stowed, more so than any meaningful contribution to the high beam pattern), I’ll eventually find an LED retrofit well-designed enough to serve that purpose—even if the beam pattern ends up a little bit sloppy, we’ll, the whole point of flashing the high beams is to get someone’s attention, right?

I still have the original head lamps in my 1986S 928. They work just fine.

[Alan in AZ]

Originally Posted by harborman

I still have the original head lamps in my 1986S 928. They work just fine.

If you still have the original 1986 sealed beam DOT compliant lights you actually have the worst headlights ever fitted to any stock 928 (by far). I certainly would consider them inadequate for anything but full time city driving.

Are you sure that is what you actually have installed - I'd be very surprised that you'd be really happy with them. For night driving on a dark highway most people would certainly want better (probably a lot better).

I do agree however there are lots of insane head light "upgrades" that are quite unsafe for other drivers, and even very counter productive: much more light right in front of you is Bad and compromises your far vision more (and tires the eyes
unnecessarily). You really want more light projected far & accurately down the road with only sufficient side infill for visibility. Proper H4s can do this quite well with higher power bulbs with minimal scatter.

Alan

[harborman]

Originally Posted by Alan in AZ

If you still have the original 1986 sealed beam DOT compliant lights you actually have the worst headlights ever fitted to any stock 928 (by far). I certainly would consider them inadequate for anything but full time city driving.

Are you sure that is what you actually have installed - I'd be very surprised that you'd be really happy with them. For night driving on a dark highway most people would certainly want better (probably a lot better).

I do agree however there are lots of insane head light "upgrades" that are quite unsafe for other drivers, and even very counter productive: much more light right in front of you is Bad and compromises your far vision more (and tires the eyes
unnecessarily). You really want more light projected far & accurately down the road with only sufficient side infill for visibility. Proper H4s can do this quite well with higher power bulbs with minimal scatter.

Alan

My head lights are original in my 1986 S. I just don't have a problem driving at night and I am 80 years old !. But I hate being blinded by on coming cars with these super bright head lights.