Headlamps not very effective

[alan sh]

I'd not realised that you're not allowed to change them anymore

The MoT testing manual was also updated in 2021, telling testers: “Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp [the car will fail its MoT as a result].”

I do know that a bike magazine did some experiments with LED bulb swaps a few years back (same bike as mine, as it happens). The results were truly dreadful - the beam patterns were all over the place

I put LED lights on my bike - difference was night & day. They were superb. I only removed them because the bits that power them kept falling out of my fairing and I haven't had time to sort them out yet. One day!!

[Pogleswood]

I wouldn’t even try and replace the bulbs with LED’s from my experience with a Kona you’re opening yourself up to a whole world of pain, as DrElectron stated trying to align them is a nightmare in the two years they where fitted never got them right, fortunately by then we weren’t doing much night driving.

[Robbit]

Weighing up driver safety of a night verses an MOT that will never occur (My ownership wont exceed 36 months). For the cost, I'll put some LED's in and see how they align. Of course there are always external risks such as accidents etc where a car may be assessed. But, the chances of having such an accident would be greatly reduced if I can see where I'm driving !

MOT testers I've spoke with don't have the time or inclination to start closely examining the bulbs in the cars headlamps, its not that much different to changing exhaust cans on a bike ( change the illegal ones back with the OEM units prior to any MOT).

To drive a car twice the size and weight of my little 'city putt putt' with the lighting power of an AA battery torch around where I live is not a good experience.

[daibill]

Was out in an SE last night over the Brecon Beacons. Lights were quite bright, Not LED bright but more than sufficient. My mate had changed them to Osram NightBreakers though...

https://www.osram.com/am/campaigns/nightbreaker.jsp

[Robbit]

Was out in an SE last night over the Brecon Beacons. Lights were quite bright, Not LED bright but more than sufficient. My mate had changed them to Osram NightBreakers though...

https://www.osram.com/am/campaigns/nightbreaker.jsp

I've put 'Osram NightBreakers' and similar bulbs in my previous cars. I found the improvement was only minor, not the claimed increase they stated.

[PhilHornby]

I might try some LED HB3 replacements before I hit a cow.

Is it Main beam that you find lacking, or Dip as well

If you use the 'flash' position, so that Main beam and Dip are both lit, would that be a useful upgrade
(I don't actually know about the Tucson; some cars disallow this and toggle anyway. I think I've had at least one car that didn't extinguish Dip when Main was selected normally, so an experiment may be required).

Through the 1980's, I modified all my bikes, so that Dip didn't go out, when Main beam was engaged (via a simple relay and inline fuse). They all had a H4 (ie dual filament) halogen bulb and the bulbs survived the experience. These days, Internet searches result in lots of "you'll overheat the bulb" responses, but not in my experience - and I remember it being a recommended practice at one point!

Just a thought.

[Robbit]

I might try some LED HB3 replacements before I hit a cow.

Is it Main beam that you find lacking, or Dip as well

If you use the 'flash' position, so that Main beam and Dip are both lit, would that be a useful upgrade
(I don't actually know about the Tucson; some cars disallow this and toggle anyway. I think I've had at least one car that didn't extinguish Dip when Main was selected normally, so an experiment may be required).

Through the 1980's, I modified all my bikes, so that Dip didn't go out, when Main beam was engaged (via a simple relay and inline fuse). They all had a H4 (ie dual filament) halogen bulb and the bulbs survived the experience. These days, Internet searches result in lots of "you'll overheat the bulb" responses, but not in my experience - and I remember it being a recommended practice at one point!

Just a thought.

'I think' when you use the flash position both low and high are engaged simultaneously. It appears to be slightly brighter, that's all I've noticed.

The low beam is borderline acceptable for doing 50 in a 60mph dark country lane. Flicking to high beam only brings a marginal improvement. I sense - as others have alluded to - that the high beam requires more spread than distance to facilitate the lane driving assist.

On the same stretch of road in the same lighting conditions, I'd have to restrict the Tucson to 50mph in order to have good sight of the road ahead, whereas in my city car I could drive at 70mph quite safely. The difference being the city cars headlamps narrow the beam and throw it much further ahead.

[PhilHornby]

'I think' when you use the flash position both low and high are engaged simultaneously. It appears to be slightly brighter, that's all I've noticed.

So, not worth the effort of adding a relay then? (Actually, if the car has separate fuses for left and right headlights, you'd need two - or a so called double-output version ).

I sense - as others have alluded to - that the high beam requires more spread than distance to facilitate the lane driving assist.

A pal of mine solved this on his 70's bike, by simply raising the headlamp aim up, so that low beam lit the whole road. Main beam now went up in the air somewhere, so it didn't dazzle anyone

Of course, back in the 70's, with standard round headlamps, you could just swap the whole unit for Cibie Z beams .

[alan sh]

I used to have Cibie lights on my Triumph Daytona (1967 version). They were superb.

[woody2shoes]

The lights on my 2023 SE are diabolical. They are the worst headlights I've had on any car since 2013.
They are just not fit for purpose in the country, as soon as someone comes the other way you can't see a thing on your side.
This is made even worse by design. The headlights are so low down they catch all the mud from other cars, I have to clean them twice a day.
I certainly would not recommend an SE ( also the boot lid with no auto open is heally heave and the handle is high and hurts my wrist).
I didn't want all the extras on the Premium and at the price there were better other make options.
Apart from those two points is mostly a really good car but I can't keep it with those lights, it is dangerous.