Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) LED headlights

I have read that the heat develops also or even more at the back of a LED housing. Perhaps you could feel if there is any heat outside at the top back of the headlight bowl on the wing of the Mog. But I‘m confident that there ist enough space and air.

I understand your concern Heinz although mildly optimistic it won't be an issue. The units are heavy as the whole rear of lamp is a finned cast aluminium heat sink. The suppliers mention that light output may be impaired if they run too hot, that's all. Working temperature is -40 to 60°C. Others I've seen claim higher.

I have a laser thermometer so will try and obtain some accurate temp indications. The bowls are plastic though so not going to conduct much heat. If it becomes an issue I would drill a hole in the base of bowl with rubber tube inserted externally to prevent direct water ingress whilst improving air flow.

Your link Robbie is to H4 fitting LED replacements for halogens. My understanding is that many such fitments leave illegal lighting as you are relying on the OE reflectors and or lens pattern optimised for dual filament halogens.

As mentioned the dedicated ones I've fitted do use two of the leading brands of LED chip namely Phillips and Cree an American company.

Quality of manufacturing seems good.
https://youtu.be/TScI-9C1Bhw

Regarding the fitted in Philips and Cree LED it sounds really serious (and that a Chinese company has to mention it if you see the usual copied rubbish) and it sounds funny at the same time to our ears what BRTLED writes in their FAQ when they mention Osram. (#14):

„We, BRTLED, stick to manufacturing unique & higher premium LED lighting for our clients so that we utilize real imported Cree led or Philips led instead of Cheap domestic imitated Cree or Osram led.“

I have just seen that it is a Taiwanese company, even if there are factories of those in China and elsewhere.

Exactly. They use the reflector bowl and lens designed to manage the light from a halogen bulb. I fail to see how they can be so much brighter without producing dazzle.

Go for properly-designed LED units by all means, but I have reservations about these.

How many of us drive our Morgans at night so fast that we need such lights anyway?

Totally agree. If I were to change to LEDs it would be on my daily (nightly) driver, a Toyota from 2004. But also in this I put in Osram Nightbreakers with good result. Putting LEDs in a car that I drive only in (bright nordic) summer, at a leisurly pace and seldom at night is for me a waste of money.

Robbie, that's what I have used in a classic Mini (still running a dynamo for originality) with great results & just put a pair in the Mog, very bright & good colour rendition of distant objects - they make Nightbreakers look like a yellow candle

I prefer them in classics as I'm not too keen on the very modern look of some of the complete LED replacement units

Cooperman, you are about to convince me, in spite of me being happy with the nightbreakers. Any issues with them being legal or not, dazzle etc. as mentioned by others? Were they difficult to mount? Concerning looks, I agree with you. With all respect, I think the complete LED replacements are hideous on a Mog.

I like the look of the complete LED units also not so much in the Morgan. Personally I am not "light hungry". Until about 2 years ago I was always satisfied with my H4 light.

But cars are getting brighter and brighter, many have LED, not a few have set it wrong and dazzle, you sit quite deep in the Morgan. And if I come in the spring and autumn into the deep twilight, and it is also still a little wet, then I see nothing more in the oncoming traffic with my H4 candles.
That's why a LED headlight in the Morgan is important to me for safety reasons,

And dear people, keep your hands off these H4 LED spare bulbs. The light is so bright that the reflector technology of the H4 headlights is not suitable for it. This is no fun, you bring your oncoming traffic into life-threatening situations.

Heinz, I do not understand this. I am not at all an expert on car lights, but provided the H4 LED bulb have the same geometry and the same light array as conventional H4, why should the reflector have to be different? I agree they could be very bright, but isn't that the purpose? The only way to reduce the brightness should be to make the bulb less powerful, in my mind. In Norway before, a conventional bulb should have no more than 55 W, although 100 W was available but illegal. With xenon and LED this is now changed, there is no limit to the output. Of course the dipping should work well, not to blind an oncoming driver.