LED bulbs for MG ZS EV headlights

[bloggsy]

The new led bulb, on dipped, no matter what, when I turned it (the housing that rotates inside the collar locked into the socket), always gave a nice horizontal line at the same place. But it will won't it, as it uses a moveable bit to block the light, so I don't quite know how to tell if it's lined up?
The light pattern on the ground infront of the car changed a bit as I turned it, but how do you know what it right?
Should the bit with the actual LEDs on it be vertical, such that the LEDs on either side are directly on a level horizontal plane? When it is like this, the wire coming out of the housing is either directly at the top or bottom?

I hope this makes sense!?

Hi @JodyS21 - the LED's should be at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and, in my case, the wire from my unit faces down towards the ground. However, I needed to rotate my headlight bulbs slightly so both light/dark lines on both headlights lined up, horizontally!

I never really bothered about the height of the light and just assumed it was okay and, to be fair, I can see the line in the windscreen of oncoming cars and it's below head height. That and having never been 'flashed' by other car drivers, has confirmed my headlights are correctly adjusted!

Hope this helps - it's a shame you're so far away as I could've met you and adjusted your lights.

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Kithmo]

Bit of a price increase, I paid £16 for the Nighteyes.

So did I last year (Ebay), their prices went up when Novasight bought them out.

 

[JodyS21]

Hi @JodyS21 - the LED's should be at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and, in my case, the wire from my unit faces down towards the ground. However, I needed to rotate my headlight bulbs slightly so both light/dark lines on both headlights lined up, horizontally!

I never really bothered about the height of the light and just assumed it was okay and, to be fair, I can see the line in the windscreen of oncoming cars and it's below head height. That and having never been 'flashed' by other car drivers, has confirmed my headlights are correctly adjusted!

Hope this helps - it's a shame you're so far away as I could've met you and adjusted your lights.

Cheers

Bloggsy

I come up to Edinburgh sometimes to visit my mate up there, but I don't think I'll be trying to do it in the EV, the train is a lot less stressful!

I've inspected my broken light and I think it'll still be usable

Wire straight down on these ones will line the LEDs up at 3/9o'clock too, so I'll do it like that.

For full beam it doesn't matter about the light pattern/direction does it?

For dipped. The height I can check ok, but do we need to worry about the light direction side to side - do the headlight reflectors manage this for you?

This makes me wonder, how to they adjust the light direction/height at the MOT if needed? I never noticed any simple adjuster, I'll have to have a google.

 

[bloggsy]

I come up to Edinburgh sometimes to visit my mate up there, but I don't think I'll be trying to do it in the EV, the train is a lot less stressful!

I've inspected my broken light and I think it'll still be usable

Wire straight down on these ones will line the LEDs up at 3/9o'clock too, so I'll do it like that.

For full beam it doesn't matter about the light pattern/direction does it?

For dipped. The height I can check ok, but do we need to worry about the light direction side to side - do the headlight reflectors manage this for you?

This makes me wonder, how to they adjust the light direction/height at the MOT if needed? I never noticed any simple adjuster, I'll have to have a google.

Well, some of the Scottish members are having a meet up at Falkirk Stadium Charging Hub at 1pm on Sunday 11th July if you do want to drive your car up! I'll also happily have a go with your lightbulbs and show you mines (ooerrr, missus! ).

Re your queries - as far as I'm aware, it doesn't matter for full beam as there shouldn't be anyone in front of you! For dipped, don't worry about the side to side. I've found the light extends further on both sides which is great for rural areas and I've never had 'flashes' from oncoming traffic so I assume it's fine.

To adjust/rotate the light bulbs, I just turn the main headlight bulb unit (I just hold the cooling fan bit at the rear). Just remember to wear gloves as it does get very hot, very quickly! Facing a blank wall with the headlights on, it's quite easy to see the light/dark line and you just turn the bulbs to align the 'line'.

Obviously, you have to do it when it's dusk - not too dark so you can't see but dark enough to see the light pattern!

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[JodyS21]

Well, some of the Scottish members are having a meet up at Falkirk Stadium Charging Hub at 1pm on Sunday 11th July if you do want to drive your car up! I'll also happily have a go with your lightbulbs and show you mines (ooerrr, missus! ).

Re your queries - as far as I'm aware, it doesn't matter for full beam as there shouldn't be anyone in front of you! For dipped, don't worry about the side to side. I've found the light extends further on both sides which is great for rural areas and I've never had 'flashes' from oncoming traffic so I assume it's fine.

To adjust/rotate the light bulbs, I just turn the main headlight bulb unit (I just hold the cooling fan bit at the rear). Just remember to wear gloves as it does get very hot, very quickly! Facing a blank wall with the headlights on, it's quite easy to see the light/dark line and you just turn the bulbs to align the 'line'.

Obviously, you have to do it when it's dusk - not too dark so you can't see but dark enough to see the light pattern!

Cheers

Bloggsy

I've just found this video, very useful.
And this guy talking about led bulbs and how/why you should only fit twin LED bulbs such as the ones we've all bought.

The 2 leds do need to be at 3 and 9 o'clock, such that they match exactly where the light comes from on a halogen filament. It's all about replicating the halogen filament light source.

I can't see why, on the bulbs I've bought, they've not just fixed the housing to be permanently in the correct position in relation to the collars 3 tabs!

From the video, it looks like the 9005 design is such that the small tab (of the 3) is always at 12 o'clock when fitted.

There shouldn't need to be any alignment required, as the headlight focus will be as it was before. The actual bulb shouldn't affect the alignment as long as it is fitted in the correct orientation.

Will have another attempt tomorrow night, hopefully I won't be out there until midnight this time with the mrs asking why it's taking so long to change a light bulb!!!!

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1766/0599/files/ORACLE_S3_Bulb_Instruction_Guide.jpg?441

 

[Coulomb]

I never really bothered about the height of the light and just assumed it was okay

On the Exclusive at least, you have some electric adjust of the height (designed for compensating uneven load on the springs, but might be useful for most night driving if needed).

 

[bloggsy]

Maybe I'm blinded but I don't see and Like button?

Maybe Admin have got sick of my replies already?!!

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Kithmo]

On the Exclusive at least, you have some electric adjust of the height (designed for compensating uneven load on the springs, but might be useful for most night driving if needed).

I actually dialled mine a notch lower initally after fitting the LEDS, with them being brighter, but then I put them back up to 0 when I noticed they weren't high enough to blind anybody at 0.

 

[JodyS21]

Re-attempted to fit my NovSights (N38 9005 BTW) tonight.
Unfortunately the one that I'd damaged slightly, although it fitted and worked, the fan was making a very loud noise (compared to the other one), so I've had to take them back out

I'd made myself a nice 3d printed tool to insert the collar too. It's a much better way to fit these; Remove the collar from the new LED bulb housing, fit the collar into the socket (using 3d printed tool), then just push the new LED housing into place at the orientation required (leds at 3/9Oclock).

If anyone wants a tool to fit these bulbs let me know and I'll print them one.

 

[bloggsy]

Ah, I mean Like/Thank button for you and other comments.

No worries @mnrck - hope you get your new LED's fitted okay.

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Spinynorman]

I know we’ve had ongoing conversations about the legality of replacing ZSEV halogens with LEDs but one of our number has recently changed cars and bought a Kia Soul. The specs for this show all-LED headlamps…So how are they getting away with it when replacing our lights could be illegal? Also Halogen replacements are shortly becoming illegal to sell, so how’s that going to work?? I’m seriously confused…

 

[macd2401]

I know we’ve had ongoing conversations about the legality of replacing ZSEV halogens with LEDs but one of our number has recently changed cars and bought a Kia Soul. The specs for this show all-LED headlamps…So how are they getting away with it when replacing our lights could be illegal? Also Halogen replacements are shortly becoming illegal to sell, so how’s that going to work?? I’m seriously confused…

The halogen bulbs being phased out are for household use, not vehicles.

A top quality led bulb will aim to replicate the placement of the filament in a regular bulb as closely as possible. So tiny chips, very thin heat sinks, all to get the light exactly where it needs to be emanating from. But for that level of precision, generally you're talking about paying a premium that most boy racers don't want to spend, so they buy low quality leds that place the chips so far out of position, it would be like putting the bulb for the lighthouse on the roof instead of being inside the lamp. And the result is so many badly botched bulb jobs that they just get banned (as do hid conversions).

The led headlights that are standard fit to newer vehicles are legal because the headlight fitting has been designed from the ground up to use leds instead of filaments.

 

[Spinynorman]

??

 

[Spinynorman]

The halogen bulbs being phased out are for household use, not vehicles.

A top quality led bulb will aim to replicate the placement of the filament in a regular bulb as closely as possible. So tiny chips, very thin heat sinks, all to get the light exactly where it needs to be emanating from. But for that level of precision, generally you're talking about paying a premium that most boy racers don't want to spend, so they buy low quality leds that place the chips so far out of position, it would be like putting the bulb for the lighthouse on the roof instead of being inside the lamp. And the result is so many badly botched bulb jobs that they just get banned (as do hid conversions).

The led headlights that are standard fit to newer vehicles are legal because the headlight fitting has been designed from the ground up to use leds instead of filaments.

Fabulous explanation macd2401 and just what I needed to understand what seemed like a minefield.
well done!

 

[Pirelli01]

Hi Mark, compliments of the season to you and of course all the members.

Can you please supply a link to the correct NightEye Headlamp bulbs you purchased?

Many thanks,

Andy

Hi I was reading this thread about led upgrades and went for the ones on the link (NIGHTEYE hb3 9005) and brought a pair and noticed there's only one beam no high beam ????

 

[Chrispydoc]

I think you will find that the bulb tilts/ changes position on dip etc.

 

[Pirelli01]

I’ve installed night eyes the other day, what a difference.

Have you got high and low beam

 

[AndyNWuk]

Hi I was reading this thread about led upgrades and went for the ones on the link (NIGHTEYE hb3 9005) and brought a pair and noticed there's only one beam no high beam ????

Hi Pirelli, These are both for dipped and main beam, mine work fine and are still excellent 10 months later but they are double beam.

 

[greentangerine]

Have you got high and low beam

The headlights are projector/shutter type so there's only one light as such - the shutter provides the dip.

 

[BarryH]

Hi I was reading this thread about led upgrades and went for the ones on the link (NIGHTEYE hb3 9005) and brought a pair and noticed there's only one beam no high beam ????

The ZS has projector headlights. Projector headlights only have a single filament (or equivalent light source) even if the headlight has to provide both High and Dipped Beams. The Dipping, unlike an old-style reflector headlight, is achieved by a solenoid putting a shutter in the path of Half of the light. This is why the cut-off at the top of the dipped beam is straight unlike the beam pattern of old-style or conventional headlights.

Regarding LED replacement bulbs, they are illegal for headlights in the UK and Europe unless originally fitted by the manufacture, have a self-levelling mechanism and headlight washers. If you fit them to a car as an upgrade and therefore it is a lighting offence if you are stopped by the police, is an MOT failure and technically a modification to the car which could mean you are uninsured also. Don't shoot me I'm only the messenger.