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The big news today in automotive lighting today is Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. More and more new cars, light trucks and SUVs are being factory equipped with LED headlights, taillights, indicator lights and trim lights. What started out as a styling gimmick has become mainstream lighting technology.
LED technology has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. The latest generation of LEDs are more energy-efficient and produce more light per watt than older generations. The color and quality of the light also much better, being much whiter and brighter for better vision and safety without the annoying bluish glare that some High Energy Discharge (HID) headlights produce.
Their biggest advantages are that LEDs reduce energy consumption (which translates into less load on the charging system for better fuel economy) and near “lifetime” service life (tens of thousands of hours of operation). Their longevity is good for motorists because it significantly reduces the risk of driving with a burned out headlight, taillight, brake light or turn signals. But the downside is that LEDs that last almost forever are not so good for replacement bulb sales.
The good news is that there are still more than 200 million older vehicles on the road that are equipped with conventional incandescent halogen headlights or HID bulbs. Most of these vehicles also have conventional incandescent gas-filled filament bulbs for taillights, brake lights, running lights, turn signals, center mounted stop lights, and interior lights. All of these headlamps and small bulbs add up to a significant sales opportunity because eventually all filament bulbs burn out and have to be replaced.
The major issue with replacing any type of automotive lamp is finding the correct bulb for the application. Comparing the old bulb with a new bulb is one method – assuming the old bulb was the correct one for the application. But, if the bulb was replaced previously, it may or may not be the right one. Maybe that’s why it burned out again. So, the best advice is to refer to a bulb supplier’s application chart or database to determine the correct replacement.
A customer who is buying a replacement headlight or other bulb is often an excellent prospect for some type of upgrade. Anyone who drives a performance-oriented vehicle or does a lot of night driving may appreciate some type of high performance headlamp. Regulations limit the maximum light output for street legal headlights, but there is often room for improvement over the stock headlights. A set of headlights that produce more lumens will obviously improve night driving visibility and safety, but the trade-off is usually a shorter service life.
Headlamps with various tints also are available to shift the color of the light produced. This may be to simulate the appearance of a high-performance HID headlight system, or it may actually increase visibility with a whiter or bluer light.
There also are LED conversion headlights and bulbs for upgrading lighting performance on many vehicles. For large trucks, there are 7-inch sealed beams with LED lighting that can replace conventional H6024 and 6014 incandescent headlights. The LED headlight conversions produce a brighter, whiter light that improves night visibility. Some require minor wiring modifications while others are “plug and play” installation with no modifications needed.
There are also LED upgrades for conventional small bulbs, too. The main selling point with these is replace the bulb once and forget it. They should last the life of the vehicle. LED bulbs are a good upgrade for bulbs that may fail prematurely due to shocks, such as lights mounted in truck lids or hatchbacks. Slamming the lid jolts the filament, which may cause it to break.
And, if a customer wants to customize the ambient lighting inside their vehicle, there are all kinds of custom LED light strips available in various colors that can be installed, too.
