efficient headlights

[Flying White Dutchman]

anyone now the power use of the standard headlight and more Efficient replacements

[lenjack]

If you'te comparing the standard halogens to the hID bulbs, the HID's use a lot less power. I don't remember how much, but someone else here will let you know.

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by Flying White Dutchman

anyone now the power use of the standard headlight and more Efficient replacements

Getting a set of HIDs.... from a US Junkyard... assuming you're LHD (otherwise it'll blind oncoming traffic). Otherwise, we're kinda stuck.

[Shawn Clark]

Standard halogens are only 55 W each on low beam. It is my understanding that the HID's use 35 W each (please correct me if this is in error.) So by changing to HID one could reduced consumption by about 40 W. Don't forget that other lights will be on when the headlights are, so the total with halogens and running lights is ~135 W while with HID it would be about 95 W.

I wouldn't want the HID's as they are too expensive if there are any problems. But to look at it another way, at home I would swap out fixtures for ones that can take standard CFL's if I was saving ~40 watts and the conversion was less than about $20...of course this depends on how many hours it is used per day and your electric cost. It's pretty easy to justify CFL's themselves (especially now that per bulb cost is way down), but changing fixtures is trickier/more expensive problem, although a no brainer if you are remodeling and changing the fixture anyway. On that sort of basis the HID system is also out.

[David Beale]

H4 halogen bulbs consume 5 Amps on low beam and 7 Amps on high beam. HIDs consume about 3 Amps on either high or low (same single light emitter).

Total draw is of course double the above as there are two lamps.

I'm not aware of any "more efficient" halogen bulbs. There isn't much you could do to improve their efficiency, other than operating them at a higher temperature, but that would greatly shorten their life (and make them "bluer"). One day we may see LED headlamps, but I think they are still a few years off. You can get them now, but only if you have a LOT of money. They are still "experimental".

[ken1784]

Originally Posted by David Beale

One day we may see LED headlamps, but I think they are still a few years off. You can get them now, but only if you have a LOT of money. They are still "experimental".

Lexus LS600h uses LED headlamps, but the wattage is greater than halogen lamps.
Maybe, we'll see LED headlamps on the 2010 Prius.

Ken@Japan

[Flying White Dutchman]

The lexus is only daylight running light here
Vw uses led also for night! on there..... new A4 if i am not mistaken!

i dont like it! there so bright... to bright.

i already replaced my backlights with led from 5x2=10wats to 1x2=2watts and the same with the parking lights with lower watts leds

[ken1784]

Originally Posted by Flying White Dutchman

The lexus is only daylight running light here

I don't know the Dutch one, but the UK Lexus LS600h has the LED low-beam headights for night drive.
LEXUS - LS - EQUIPMENT LIST

Ken@Japan

[Flying White Dutchman]

Light Emitting Diode (LED) low-beam headights

HID (High Intensity Discharge) bi-xenon headlights with auto-levelling

from your link.

so daylight and citylights are LED but normal headlights are HID and not LED

[ken1784]

I use low-beam headights 99.99% of time at night.
How about you?

Ken@Japan