Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Wipac Led Headligts

Does anyone have experience with the 7" Wipac Led Headlights as sold by Holden

I feel increasingly left in the dark when all new cars come with xenon or Led headlights.

Greetings,
Harald

Consider these as well Harald offered by Wolf Performance and available for l/h drive.

I am very happy with my last solution after I had more "modern" looking LED head lights. This new old style look solution with real glass reflectors delivers quit good light (tbh, better than the "modern" ones before), it will not blind any oncoming traffic and it is at least not directly obvious. In Germany it is not legal for my Morgan but for some other car types it is. It is more so a grey area which I use with satisfaction.

http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthread...ook-to-classic-led-headlights#Post738470

Hei igjen, Harald!
I agree, the OEM headlights are terrible. There are several ways to fix this, more or less expensive, legal or stylish:
Putting in LED bulbs in a reflector meant for halogen is not MOT legal in Norway. Then one could ask would anybody notice, or you could swap bulbs back and forth prior to each MOT.
If you change the whole headlight and the light output exceeds 2000 lumen, it is mandatory with automatic level control and also a cleaning system. The Wolf Performance does not exceed 2000 lumen, don't know about the Wipacs, which I think are quite ugly on a Morgan. The Wolfs are 280 £ + shipping + Norwegian VAT, so not a cheap solution.
A cheap solution that really makes a difference, is simply fitting relays to your existing headlights. Biltema (for our British friends: Norwegian car equipment and tool giant warehouse) sells a really cheap kit for aprox 400 NOK- although it has to be modified a little. It is a DIY job. This will prevent voltage loss along the circuitry, so the bulbs really will get 12 Volts. I have done this on three Morgans and one MG Midget, with surprising effect - still it is not as bright as LED or xenon, but good enough for me.
The next step could then be actually changing to LED which of course also would profit from the relays, or a less expensive improvement could be swapping the Wipac headlights with Cibie 180, sold by Librands at 144 £ + shipping + VAT. You will not get better light output, but as the Cibie optics are far better, the light will be better projected. I have done this, and am satisfied. I now run Phillips Racing vision H4, Osram Nightbreaker is a good alternative. Then you have the japanese PIAA H4 bulbs, said to be super bright, which I will try next time. After all, my Morgan is a summer car, and with the bright Nordic nights I am not that dependant on super powerful headlights, altough I want to be seen well.

Remember that LED headlights whether they are replacement bulbs or legal dedicated lens integrated LED units will draw half or less current than OE halogen bulb draw. Added to this is the fact that LED headlamps will work at 100% through a range of voltages. The advice on fitting a relay with such will likely offer no advantage therefore especially as volt drop is proportional to current draw. It will however be counter-productive given increased likelihood of unreliability from extra connections.

As I've said before generally electrics benefit from simplicity or applying KISS principle.

Worth bearing in mind that most dedicated LED headlamps incorporate some form of higher power sidelight or DRL function which when used give safety benefits in terms of visibility during daytime driving.

Of course you are right, Richard. I was suggesting relays as a cheap first step improving the existing headlights, that still would not interfere with fitting LEDs later if the first attempt with relays is not satisfactory. Fitting relays if you have already decided on LEDs is as you not needed. As for unreliability, I do not see that as a problem, Nothing has gone wrong on the cars I have fixed (admittedly only four) and remember nearly all modern cars have relays fitted from factory. That Morgans have no relays is actually strange, but oh - so Morgan. Of course you have to do a proper job fitting them. Connections should be well made - waterproof and perhaps soldered, cables protected from chafing, with good earth connections etc.

I think use of headlamp relays on modern vehicles is more to do with the way they are controlled Robbie, with very low switching currents via software in the BCU or equivalent. The M3W for example employs two relays for dip and flash as these are both controlled via software from multi-function stalk.

I am pleased MMC have stuck with the body electric technology they are comfortable with on the Classics, until recently. Look at the issues they have had with the Aero range when they first stepped outside this zone and on the M3W with its infamous TSM unit.

Holley Retrobright are the most classic-looking LED headlights I have found. https://www.holley.com/products/electrical/led_lighting/retrobright/parts/LFRB135 Available warm white 3,000K or modern white 5,700K or even yellow for an old French look. Its described as a sealed beam light as only the Holley replaceable bulb will fit. Comes out well in the review at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekMpdKfLlMQ American flat-top dipped beam cut-off. $199.95 at Summit Racing.

Yes, they look very good, but they are not E-marked and do not have the assymmrtric low beam light pattern to spot pedestrians.

Harald

Worth noting Harald the Wipac LED headlamps you linked to have a "halo ring" sidelight function. They are also available here at lower price although you would have to confirm they offer LHD version. Note other options on link.

Further cheaper full LED options from Powerful UK where I bought mine. Scroll down to see E marked LHD options.



You can see in comparison with previous high power halogen on left, the angled dip mask favouring the left hand side of road on my RHD version. Also the extremely sharp cut off compared with halogen. Very pleased with them after three plus years of use and no UK MOT issues as you would expect.