I think something worth mentioning is that most aftermarket LED bulbs don't work because the lights are usually not designed for them. Reflectora for example expect a continuous amount of light from all directions to work properly. LEDs don't work like that (some attempt to simulate this though) so if your wondering why your "upgraded" LED bulbs suck, it's probably because your headlights weren't designed for them...but it's ok, just install some more harbor freight light bars and you'll be fine
Agree entirely.. Plus... LEDS and HID conversions fitted to a reflector that was not designed for them will completely blind other drivers as they will have no directional control... Publications in Australia that advertise these products put a VERY small disclaimer citing " These globes are for off road only"
LEDs and HIDs in a reflector housing are simply awful for everyone you can barely see with them as the light bounces and scatters in every direction and it therefore blinds all of traffic. Good quaility aftermarket LEDs and HIDs can be fitted in projector housings with some success just avoid the cheap Chinese junk and opt for Osram or Philips for aftermarket LEDs. My car has projector headlights and it originally came with halogens, the aftermarket Philips LEDs I fitted work perfectly and nobody has ever flashed at me for them.
If you can find aftermarket DOT projector headlight assemblies to replace your reflector type, I highly recommend it. This is the only way I’d ever use even quality LED’s. With a properly designed LED( two sides, thin, and placed in same position as the halogen filament) a reflector type still tends to have too much “spill” or glare for oncoming traffic. As a side note projectors have an internal mask that block light above a certain point. This helps immensely in fog!
The man knows what he's talking about when he says the odds aren't that good with led upgrades because there's a ton of them to choose from and u might choose the wrong one easily.
Yeah but I went to a shop who kept telling I need to buy this or that after like $500 I got bad and bought a aftermarket version of my jetta led/ hid projector headlights massive improvement.why do some just like to jerk you around, and not know what they are talking about. I told them simple I drive a lot at night so I just want a bright light like the new cars do.
As a tech for 12 yrs, I've found most HID kits don't last more than 2-3yrs. I've found LEDs far better, longer lasting, and generally brighter. Now with LEDs that can be adjusted to sit properly in the housings, they are even better. (When properly installed.) Also, the cops are cracking down on HIDs installed in factory halogen housings, which are rarely designed for the hid bulbs. I typically stear everyone away from HID, and towards LEDs when they're upgrading thier lights. But, i did learn alot from this vid.. thanks!
Lynx Genisys that’s a very generalised statement. There are plenty of junk LED bulb kits that are horrible with bad light throw and low lumens due to high colour temperatures. HID kits like morimoto on the other hand come with specific projector beams with superior light beam and brightness.
b888 just google it, but i know phillips has a realy good bulb out there, generally considerd one of the best. I don't recall what its called though. Franklin, LEDs work great in projector housings. Im pretty certain theres vehicles out there with led in projector housings from factory.
Just came across your channel. I have a 2026 f350 and am just being exposed to this stuff. Trying to decide how I want to brighten the output of my headlights. Your videos are as professional and helpful as anyone will see. Thanks for not wasting people's time with irrelevant chit chat. Thanks for all of your effort. bg
If projector was reflector and reflector looked like projector then reflector projector could be turned into reflectors projection. Dude man you need to reflect what you projected for 15 mins. Reflect you, son of a projection.
My Outlander had a projector low beam with a seperate reflector high beam. Fantastic combination for factory lights, particularly since my area has potential wildlife on the road at night.
Once I got my FR-S with factory projector headlights after years of driving older cars with awful dim reflector housings, I told myself I'm done living that crappy headlight life. I got the Diode Dynamics 35W HID conversion kit for the low beams and I could not be happier with the superior light output compared to stock. Then, after driving my dad's Genesis with factory LED highs, I decided I need that, too, so I ordered some GTR lighting LEDs from you guys. Can't wait to get them and try them out.
I love projector headlights so much better! All my cars have had reflectors and my new car I recently bought has projectors and I love them so much better. I love the straight even cutoff projectors provide so the light isn’t scattered all over the place
Not only are they a brighter but they are also much more freindly to oncoming cars that have the see your headlights. I could literally stare directly at the headlights on my car for a prolonged time and not be blinded much. The worst phase for headlights was when there were cars released from the factory with reflector Xenon lights that blinded everyone and gave HIDs/Xenons a bad name that still exists to this day.
This man is very good at explaining things. I wish i had seen his video sooner. But now i know what direction to go in. I have 2 headlights on a yamaha tdm 850 one is a projector. I fitted a led bulb to the projector and it was worse than the halogen bulb. So that backs up what this man has said. Im giving this guy and his video a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating.
I read the regs regarding the “brightness” tolerances for your headlights. Your low beams need to operate below 3000 candelas, and high beams below 7000 candelas. Those numbers depend on your headlight housings. Basically, the wider angles your headlights are, the brighter the light you can pack. A 1700 lumen lightbulb can have a 135 cd rating, but the same light bulb in a narrower 20 degree beam can have a 18,000 cd rating.
Explain this to me again lol. Because I'm getting some Led halos and they have an option for 18.5k lumens ( I guessing that's between the 2 bulbs ). That seems TOO bright.
And that's why they pay the HR guy the big bucks, to break it down! It DOES matter which bulb and technology you use. Leave it to the pros at HR; I've used them twice with great results. I had to deal in both LED and HID technologies because of the two different vehicles I had. So glad they helped me pick the correct setup. If you can't wrap your head around it, the do as Thanos says, "move on!"
I love how the projector headlights look which is why I'm changing my reflector headlights for projectors headlights later today on my Elantra 2,016 Limited.
Projector LED's with 8000k lights or higher & you're seeing not just everything at night but you're also seeing into the future their so beautifully bright.
Great explanation! I just just purchased a Dodge Durango and it's my first vehicle with projector headlights. I was curious about the design and engineering of them and this video answered all of the questions I had.
I love the projector style headlamps. The beam is much more directed. And you can install LEDs in them with no issues. LEDs in a reflector housing just scatters the light and blinds everyone.
I will say that reflector headlights have been around a lot longer than projectors and that reflector headlights have come a long way in the past 5 years. A lot of modern cars with reflector headlights have pretty good throw and spread on the halogen level that compares well to halogen projectors.
i'd like to see a comparison of the beam and intensity of OEM haogen reflector x projector. It always seems that the projector gets a better beam pattern, at the cost of brightness.
jpaulo33 The light output does not change from reflector to projector. The projector simply focuses more of the light down onto the road for better visibility and less glare for oncoming traffic. It may seem like there’s less output, but in reality there is no difference.
Great description. I was wondering why when I turned on and off the high beams on my vehicles with projectors that I was hearing a shuttering sound. I thought something was wrong because my previous vehicle used the projector and reflector combo. The high beams used a separate bulb with the reflector.
So if the projectors reflector has more projected reflection over the projected reflections light then the reflectors projector can also be a good choice to reflect and project on your reflector or projector? Or was it projector is a better choice then reflector because the projector projects high beam reflector detector projector inspector.
Old school reflectors have a proper beam pattern for North America! The low beam shield could easily be cut to match that pattern. The flat cutoff being used is in my opinion one reason why so many people are always driving with high beams on. It's the only way to read road signs. 😢
Great video, it always baffles me how LED arent really street legal but yet most car manufacturers like honda,dodge,lexus etc ship their cars with full LED. Highly confused
All the cars with factory LED headlights are designed to use LED bulbs. The problem comes when people put LED bulbs in an old reflector housing that wasn't designed for it.
@@benjaminmuhitch9044 Also aftermarket LEDs are mostly crap I tried them in my projector lights and they were exactly as bright as the halogens in there unless you were looking right next to the car.
I've tried them all, and hid are the brightest but blind incoming traffic, so I only do led now they last way longer and have a better beam pattern if you install them correctly .
Yes, the standards of lights today, seam to be more concerned with style and aerodynamics, than lighting up what you need on the road in front of you and a corner you are entering. The price of the car has little to do, that really makes no sense. I’ve been very critical of the headlights I use. I drove tractor trailers all my life, both local an regional, with a lot of night driving. Back in the late 70’s the Europeans had the best sealed beam type, or separate bulb/ housing setup, one company in particular, a French Company, I believe was spelled Cibie, that’s still available an great for older deals beam replacement in all 5-3/4” to 7”, plus rectangular in both sizes. That was the 7’, I used in my motorcycle and Mack Tractor I drove over 200,000 miles in three years! That were the best at the time and legal. Today I own a 2019 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab, 4x4, V6,,WT, that unfortunately comes with the reflector type, that are not that good as far as low beams go. But finally the same company he used above, MORIMOTO, had developed an LED, that you are able to adjust how it sits in the mount, so as to not scatter the light to blind oncoming drivers. That I can honestly tell you, the difference is night and day, pardon the expression, different than even the Sylvania Silver Star Ultra I had in the low beams and the ones I still have in the high beams actually look yellow now,, so I will need to get some MORIMOTO for my high beams, to get the most I’m able to.
This is a little confusing. Chris said in another comment that LED is not legal for street use. So upgrading from halogen to LED for a reflector housing is obviously not recommended. Does it help to stay off the radar because you actually adjusted the focus to the correct height?
@@wulimu I still greatly appreciate the increase in illumination across two lanes in front of me with the led low beam replacement and especially the high beam replacement. I really could care less, especially seeing as how I went through great efforts to be sure I won’t blind oncoming drivers, in anything street legal, that’s normally has more hight than a go cart. I’ve even driven up on my truck in a BMW Z3, that’s fairly low and I can honestly say I was not blinded by glare. Most importantly is the vast improvement I have SEEING at night with the LED’s.
Anyone can sell you brighter stuff, What you need to know is that when you switch a headlamp to high beam you need brighter light at a distance further away from the car, this helps your eyes focus better ahead at higher speeds. Aftermarket stuff always makes the light brighter and wider in front of the vehicle. This is not the right set up for night driving on highways.
All i know is the headlamps today are to bright and blinding on coming traffic! They should do a study on how many accidents their causing . what happend to common curtesy like turn off high beams when another car is coming. Ithink headlamps are to bright and if you have trouble seeing at night you should not drive. anyway thanks for the info it was very helpful! Cheers!
I love my protector headlight in my caddy They actually turn the corner before I finish turning so I could see where I’m going try that with a reflector headlight
My Golf mk4 originally had reflector headlights. Dipped and high beam! They light output is good but I want something more efficient like a projector and see better at night especially running LED bulbs in so it be nice and bright! So I swap the whole headlight to projector!😊 be thing I noticed is after I changed the headlights, that I had to readjust the headlights by myself rather than get somebody to do it!😊 I strongly strongly suggest to anybody that they must adjust their headlights so it’s not aiming too high or too low!
So we learn, halogen is old school as it can be, reflectors are clearer/wider visibility, Hid the best way to go because technology has been mastered and Led is the new cool source and its slowly getting there def an upgrade from reflectors but technology isnt there yet to compete with HID. Love it thanks bro
Halogen is indeed old school, but it's just a light source, like hid or led. The reflector or projector is imo the important part. True led lighting is on another level, not needing reflectors or projectors, but several leds on each side of the vehicle. They may each be in separate tiny projectors to focus output, but that's conjecture on my part.
Main problem with most projectors is they are spot lights with almost no side illumination. Most of the newer vehicles with adaptive lighting run fogs to make up for the deficiency, that being said the morimoto projectors have a much better spread than oem projectors but at the cost of some of the hotspot in the middle.
Old seal beam reflector $10 dollars. (chrom and glass leans) New reflector headbeam $200 dollars (cheap plastic) that fades out in a few years. Technology at it's finest.
Delta Matt Thats because the halogen doesnt have enough output to require a proyector, so the amount of light gets reduced by the lens. Proyectors were made for HIDs because they are way brighter than halogens and cause glare. Automakers use proyectors with halogens to make you think youre having an upgraded tecnology. Theyre just fine but not necessary
I wish I watched this video last week. I just purchased and installed led headlights in my 2017 ford escape titanium with projector low beam and reflector high beam. Might return them and get hid instead.
Rolling eyes occur when you see headlight after headlight with different levels of light intensity but all equal to an effect in which it blinds, another example is two headlights in one brand of vehicle and 4 and up to 6 headlights on other brands...
@@topreventretaliations3590 Pretty sure there's a rule of thumb for setting your headlights (of whatever kind)... If memory serves, it's 3' off the ground at 25' from the vehicle. In theory, this prevents oncoming traffic from being blinded while still providing your vehicle plenty of light spread & distance... Regardless of what road you're on.
I got pulled over by an officer because per reason I failed to switch off the high beam while I was getting blinded by officers low beam dazzling headlights
Question: I've been doing research on headlights and wanting to upgrade. I have a 2017 Honda Hr-v LX and I would like to know your recommendations about obtaining a projector for my car. Would you be able to help? This is a great, informative video. Thanks!
It usually tells you wether its a projector headlight or a reflector headlight. If you want advice on picking a quality headlight assembly, then the best thing to look out for would be generally good reviews, name brands, and if you can a video or review of the product showing you how it works. Besides this, make sure you have a good light bulb because if you have a weak one, then you wont be able to see the full potential of the assembly so if you're looking to replace your stock headlight assembly, then you might want to consider switching out the bulbs as well.
HID conversion kit from halogen in a project style headlight is the best and easiest way to get the best result. But, make sure that you are getting a correct HID bulb for your application. H11 HID bulbs for example aren't made the same. There is H11A and H11B and no one will tell you which one works in your application. There are generally guidelines by make but trial and error something is the only way.
Think you did a wonderful job of explaining whats the difference between the two light.can you do another video but this time Actually showing how they work in the dark with the light turn off to see how they work
That is something we hear a lot actually! I can not guarantee that we will re-do this video, as that is a large process for adding little things like that, but that thought is something that we are looking to incorporate in new content!
You're right, they will also eventually burn up. If you have an older vehicle, you may see this in your projector. Typically this takes a long time to happen though. As for getting dirty, that's not much of an issue because the housing is sealed up, but again, over time this will happen too.
Wish I had seen this video before making the mistake of installing LED bulbs on my projector headlights. Can't see a thing while driving at night. After a little over a year driving like that, I finally bough three HID conversion kits (55w) for the fog lights, for the projector (low beam) & and for the reflector (high beam). Haven't had a chance to install them, but once I do I hope I can drive at night without the stress of not seeing well.
Can you please explain the automatic alignment tech in headlamps and also any split headlamp technology. The video was great, loved the point of distinction you explained about solenoid. Nyc video
We also do not like headlight modifications that create excessive glare which is why we get our hands on as many LED headlight bulbs as possible, and test them on as many vehicles headlights as possible. This allows us to find out which ones create a more suitable and usable beam pattern. Here's one example of what I'm talking about: th-cam.com/video/SQF5ESBHLrw/w-d-xo.html
Why does that bother you lol? If we're talking about them blinding oncoming traffic, well there are plenty of factory halogens in reflector housings that are much worse imo.
I had a 2021 Sonata with LED reflector headlights and traded it for a '23 Sonata with LED projector headlights. After a few months of ownership I have to say the reflector headlights are my choice. The projector lights are gawd awful on back roads that are hilly. Im terrified I'll hit a deer that I can't see because the projector is so narrowly focused
Man, thank you for the clarification ; one update tip or rather discussion; is it really safe to use HID or LED bulbs inside reflector? it might glare oncoming drivers cos the lights ain't as focused as the light from projector lens, right? Mike From China and new in car lighting; and have been studying your video for several days which are really helpful in building better understanding the whole products and business. Love your videos. Thank you
Unfortunately, LEDs and HIDs are no longer legal for street use in the United States, so we can only recommend halogens fro street use. With that said, we still do sell off-road options, and I would say that there are plenty of LEDs that will perform grat in projector applicaitons, but there are also a lot of bad ones out there. If you have any other questions just shoot us an email and we will be happy to help! Sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
@@HeadlightRevolution Thank you for the info; that explains why on your website it states these lights are for 100% off-road use only. Damn, then why there still so many LED Sold on Amazon, won't they do something for that? Uh, but I heard E.U's gonna ban halogen so I guess it's just different situation we gonna have to deal with differently.
There are definitely a lot still on the market, it is hard for the government to track down all of those small LED lighting comapnies on Amazon or eBay, but the same laws apply! I havent heard anything on the EU banning halogens, I will have to look into that! Thank you for commenting, let us know if you have any other questions!
I recently replaced headlight housings on a 2016 Honda Civic. The replacement housings included a projector low beam just like the original housing. The replacement fit perfectly but when we drove the car we noticed the top of the low beam was noticeably clipped. Investigating the new housing you can see a fixed shield / shutter that is responsible for clipping the beam. Is it possible that the original factory projector housing didn't use any type of shutter, or did we just not notice it before?
That sharp cutoff makes me wozy, and it seems to look like a big black wall is in front of me. I prefer a fade off beam,. Personally using reflector HID in a 98 gm truck with new reflectors, using white on low and yellow ish on high, and very happy with it.also have an led bar but rarely use it. Thinking of converting fog lights to hid yellow to finish it off And led in Tail and signal
Going from a reflector to a projector on a ram this week I just ordered the harness from you guys for my 2017 to do this did I need to do that and also what the bulb would be an upgrade for the projector
May be it is just me but I have a lot of trouble seeing when driving at night with the projector headlights. I can barely see the road and there is no side light to see anything. My Prius has both project for low/high and a reflector for high. When I turn on the high and the reflectors are on I can soooo much better. I really hate the projector headlights and wish I could replace them with reflector type.
Just bought a brand new Tucson and not happy with the basic lighting. I want that luxury car look with my lighting system. Will replacing the bulb do the trick or do I need a whole new headlight housing? I believe I currently have a reflector.
the reflector is safer for other cars but it can be powerful when needed.it has beampatern which is better for instrumentation of digital design and it like scanning the front area
Both are street legal and both are great options. Just because it's easy I would recommend the LED bulbs! headlightrevolution.com/led-headlight-bulbs/v-4-led-headlight-bulbs/
Great video ! I would like to ask you if you think a quality led bulb (H4) is going to look good on an older car with glass headlights (it's a 1993 model). I didn't quite understand in what category of headlights I'm in. Thanks
I think something worth mentioning is that most aftermarket LED bulbs don't work because the lights are usually not designed for them. Reflectora for example expect a continuous amount of light from all directions to work properly. LEDs don't work like that (some attempt to simulate this though) so if your wondering why your "upgraded" LED bulbs suck, it's probably because your headlights weren't designed for them...but it's ok, just install some more harbor freight light bars and you'll be fine
Harbor Freight specials solve everything! 😂
TELL EM!
Agree entirely.. Plus... LEDS and HID conversions fitted to a reflector that was not designed for them will completely blind other drivers as they will have no directional control... Publications in Australia that advertise these products put a VERY small disclaimer citing " These globes are for off road only"
LEDs and HIDs in a reflector housing are simply awful for everyone you can barely see with them as the light bounces and scatters in every direction and it therefore blinds all of traffic. Good quaility aftermarket LEDs and HIDs can be fitted in projector housings with some success just avoid the cheap Chinese junk and opt for Osram or Philips for aftermarket LEDs. My car has projector headlights and it originally came with halogens, the aftermarket Philips LEDs I fitted work perfectly and nobody has ever flashed at me for them.
Nicely done! As a 30 year automotive instructor I appreciate the clarity and presentation!
No problem, thank you for the supportive comment!
Jesus loves you alot trust in His death 4 salvation and be saved from eternal hell
If you can find aftermarket DOT projector headlight assemblies to replace your reflector type, I highly recommend it. This is the only way I’d ever use even quality LED’s. With a properly designed LED( two sides, thin, and placed in same position as the halogen filament) a reflector type still tends to have too much “spill” or glare for oncoming traffic. As a side note projectors have an internal mask that block light above a certain point. This helps immensely in fog!
Do not buy spec d headlights. They are quite literally semi circles, and do not offer good beam patterns at all
Jesus loves you alot trust in His death 4 salvation and be saved from eternal hell
LEDs typically blind on coming traffic and don’t provide good visibility on the road for drivers. Mostly found on civics and trashy cheap Jeep owners
The man knows what he's talking about when he says the odds aren't that good with led upgrades because there's a ton of them to choose from and u might choose the wrong one easily.
There's a lot of junk out there!
Yeah but I went to a shop who kept telling I need to buy this or that after like $500 I got bad and bought a aftermarket version of my jetta led/ hid projector headlights massive improvement.why do some just like to jerk you around, and not know what they are talking about. I told them simple I drive a lot at night so I just want a bright light like the new cars do.
As a tech for 12 yrs, I've found most HID kits don't last more than 2-3yrs. I've found LEDs far better, longer lasting, and generally brighter. Now with LEDs that can be adjusted to sit properly in the housings, they are even better. (When properly installed.)
Also, the cops are cracking down on HIDs installed in factory halogen housings, which are rarely designed for the hid bulbs.
I typically stear everyone away from HID, and towards LEDs when they're upgrading thier lights.
But, i did learn alot from this vid.. thanks!
Lynx Genisys Pls give me examples or at least links to get adjustable LEDs!
Lynx Genisys that’s a very generalised statement. There are plenty of junk LED bulb kits that are horrible with bad light throw and low lumens due to high colour temperatures. HID kits like morimoto on the other hand come with specific projector beams with superior light beam and brightness.
b888 just google it, but i know phillips has a realy good bulb out there, generally considerd one of the best. I don't recall what its called though.
Franklin, LEDs work great in projector housings. Im pretty certain theres vehicles out there with led in projector housings from factory.
Mine work fine, perfect beam pattern...
Lynx Genisys unless you are doing a retrofit anything else is blinding and illegal.
Just came across your channel. I have a 2026 f350 and am just being exposed to this stuff. Trying to decide how I want to brighten the output of my headlights. Your videos are as professional and helpful as anyone will see. Thanks for not wasting people's time with irrelevant chit chat. Thanks for all of your effort. bg
Thank you for the support! Check out the XB Headlights for your truck, They produce a really sharp beam pattern and look incredible too.
@@HeadlightRevolution would loooove those but reality is more of a high end bulb budget!
Basically there are two projection pattern: reflector and lens. Within this, you can use a regular bulb, xenon bulb or led bulb
thank you for this presentation. these are less boring than most school home work in school now around the world.
There are a lot of people learning from home right now, not the greatest setup for sure! Glad this was better for you! Thanks for watching!
If projector was reflector and reflector looked like projector then reflector projector could be turned into reflectors projection. Dude man you need to reflect what you projected for 15 mins. Reflect you, son of a projection.
Haroon Jamshed you see that door?
No...after all that projection reflection, I can't see anything!
Hahahahaha!
Unfortunately that's what I walked away from after watching this.
@@dttomsen971 I guess this video just isn't for everybody.
My Outlander had a projector low beam with a seperate reflector high beam. Fantastic combination for factory lights, particularly since my area has potential wildlife on the road at night.
That is an awesome combo!
Yeah, my 2017 Silverado 3500 is setup like that. Thinking of replacing the halogen with GTR ULTRA2 LED's though.
Good explanation, but it will be better if you add some sample where you turn on each kind of lamp so prople can understand the differences.
Once I got my FR-S with factory projector headlights after years of driving older cars with awful dim reflector housings, I told myself I'm done living that crappy headlight life. I got the Diode Dynamics 35W HID conversion kit for the low beams and I could not be happier with the superior light output compared to stock. Then, after driving my dad's Genesis with factory LED highs, I decided I need that, too, so I ordered some GTR lighting LEDs from you guys. Can't wait to get them and try them out.
That’s awesome Angel, You’re going to love them!
I love projector headlights so much better! All my cars have had reflectors and my new car I recently bought has projectors and I love them so much better. I love the straight even cutoff projectors provide so the light isn’t scattered all over the place
Me too!
Not only are they a brighter but they are also much more freindly to oncoming cars that have the see your headlights. I could literally stare directly at the headlights on my car for a prolonged time and not be blinded much. The worst phase for headlights was when there were cars released from the factory with reflector Xenon lights that blinded everyone and gave HIDs/Xenons a bad name that still exists to this day.
This man is very good at explaining things. I wish i had seen his video sooner. But now i know what direction to go in. I have 2 headlights on a yamaha tdm 850 one is a projector. I fitted a led bulb to the projector and it was worse than the halogen bulb. So that backs up what this man has said. Im giving this guy and his video a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Rating.
I read the regs regarding the “brightness” tolerances for your headlights. Your low beams need to operate below 3000 candelas, and high beams below 7000 candelas. Those numbers depend on your headlight housings. Basically, the wider angles your headlights are, the brighter the light you can pack. A 1700 lumen lightbulb can have a 135 cd rating, but the same light bulb in a narrower 20 degree beam can have a 18,000 cd rating.
Explain this to me again lol. Because I'm getting some Led halos and they have an option for 18.5k lumens ( I guessing that's between the 2 bulbs ). That seems TOO bright.
And that's why they pay the HR guy the big bucks, to break it down! It DOES matter which bulb and technology you use. Leave it to the pros at HR; I've used them twice with great results. I had to deal in both LED and HID technologies because of the two different vehicles I had. So glad they helped me pick the correct setup. If you can't wrap your head around it, the do as Thanos says, "move on!"
3 years later i got to understand the difference properly 👍👍👍
Good to hear
I love how the projector headlights look which is why I'm changing my reflector headlights for projectors headlights later today on my Elantra 2,016 Limited.
Projector LED's with 8000k lights or higher & you're seeing not just everything at night but you're also seeing into the future their so beautifully bright.
LOL
Great explanation! I just just purchased a Dodge Durango and it's my first vehicle with projector headlights. I was curious about the design and engineering of them and this video answered all of the questions I had.
Glad it was helpful!
I enjoy fitting HID’s into reflector housing and aiming them upwards to blind other drivers and cause an accident. Gets me every time.
That's the worst!
I love the projector style headlamps. The beam is much more directed. And you can install LEDs in them with no issues. LEDs in a reflector housing just scatters the light and blinds everyone.
Not always true about the reflectors, depends on the housing!
HID is better than LED
@@TakeThis_L not really its all about preference, hid are better than halogen bulbs
@jacob Cool story bro.
I will say that reflector headlights have been around a lot longer than projectors and that reflector headlights have come a long way in the past 5 years. A lot of modern cars with reflector headlights have pretty good throw and spread on the halogen level that compares well to halogen projectors.
That is true. But alot of people arnt aware that projectors have been around for decades, my 1990 nissan 300zx has projector low beam
Still not as good and projector headlights are much less dazzling than reflectors.
i'd like to see a comparison of the beam and intensity of OEM haogen reflector x projector. It always seems that the projector gets a better beam pattern, at the cost of brightness.
jpaulo33 The light output does not change from reflector to projector. The projector simply focuses more of the light down onto the road for better visibility and less glare for oncoming traffic. It may seem like there’s less output, but in reality there is no difference.
I can definitely understand the explanation without visual. Clear explanation
Glad we could help!
Great description. I was wondering why when I turned on and off the high beams on my vehicles with projectors that I was hearing a shuttering sound. I thought something was wrong because my previous vehicle used the projector and reflector combo. The high beams used a separate bulb with the reflector.
Great speaker! - well spoken, on script, knowledgeable and focused.
So if the projectors reflector has more projected reflection over the projected reflections light then the reflectors projector can also be a good choice to reflect and project on your reflector or projector? Or was it projector is a better choice then reflector because the projector projects high beam reflector detector projector inspector.
Lmao wtf
fak you
😂😂😂 I’m dying
Yooo this is funny 😂😂😂😂
I can’t believe you’ve done this
Old school reflectors have a proper beam pattern for North America! The low beam shield could easily be cut to match that pattern. The flat cutoff being used is in my opinion one reason why so many people are always driving with high beams on. It's the only way to read road signs. 😢
Great video, it always baffles me how LED arent really street legal but yet most car manufacturers like honda,dodge,lexus etc ship their cars with full LED. Highly confused
All the cars with factory LED headlights are designed to use LED bulbs. The problem comes when people put LED bulbs in an old reflector housing that wasn't designed for it.
@@benjaminmuhitch9044 Also aftermarket LEDs are mostly crap I tried them in my projector lights and they were exactly as bright as the halogens in there unless you were looking right next to the car.
I've tried them all, and hid are the brightest but blind incoming traffic, so I only do led now they last way longer and have a better beam pattern if you install them correctly .
Very clear explanation! Now I need to find the best projector kit or headlight projector with hid for my 2004 Ram.
Good to hear!
Yes, the standards of lights today, seam to be more concerned with style and aerodynamics, than lighting up what you need on the road in front of you and a corner you are entering. The price of the car has little to do, that really makes no sense. I’ve been very critical of the headlights I use. I drove tractor trailers all my life, both local an regional, with a lot of night driving. Back in the late 70’s the Europeans had the best sealed beam type, or separate bulb/ housing setup, one company in particular, a French Company, I believe was spelled Cibie, that’s still available an great for older deals beam replacement in all 5-3/4” to 7”, plus rectangular in both sizes. That was the 7’, I used in my motorcycle and Mack Tractor I drove over 200,000 miles in three years! That were the best at the time and legal. Today I own a 2019 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab, 4x4, V6,,WT, that unfortunately comes with the reflector type, that are not that good as far as low beams go. But finally the same company he used above, MORIMOTO, had developed an LED, that you are able to adjust how it sits in the mount, so as to not scatter the light to blind oncoming drivers. That I can honestly tell you, the difference is night and day, pardon the expression, different than even the Sylvania Silver Star Ultra I had in the low beams and the ones I still have in the high beams actually look yellow now,, so I will need to get some MORIMOTO for my high beams, to get the most I’m able to.
@kevin cool. Story. Bro.
This is a little confusing. Chris said in another comment that LED is not legal for street use. So upgrading from halogen to LED for a reflector housing is obviously not recommended. Does it help to stay off the radar because you actually adjusted the focus to the correct height?
@@wulimu I still greatly appreciate the increase in illumination across two lanes in front of me with the led low beam replacement and especially the high beam replacement. I really could care less, especially seeing as how I went through great efforts to be sure I won’t blind oncoming drivers, in anything street legal, that’s normally has more hight than a go cart. I’ve even driven up on my truck in a BMW Z3, that’s fairly low and I can honestly say I was not blinded by glare. Most importantly is the vast improvement I have SEEING at night with the LED’s.
I have the 55w GTR HID lighting kit and 9011HIR highbeams and it throws a huge amount of light down the road for my liking.
Thanks so much, I'm happy you like your new lights!
Anyone can sell you brighter stuff, What you need to know is that when you switch a headlamp to high beam you need brighter light at a distance further away from the car, this helps your eyes focus better ahead at higher speeds. Aftermarket stuff always makes the light brighter and wider in front of the vehicle. This is not the right set up for night driving on highways.
This guy is not only knowledgeable, he is an outstanding teacher!
All i know is the headlamps today are to bright and blinding on coming traffic! They should do a study on how many accidents their causing . what happend to common curtesy like turn off high beams when another car is coming. Ithink headlamps are to bright and if you have trouble seeing at night you should not drive. anyway thanks for the info it was very helpful! Cheers!
I agree with you on that; now, I'd say the problem is not the new gizmos' brightness, but people's lack of manners and courtesy at the wheel.
Alot of new cars are coming out with automatic headlight dimming which dims the headlights for oncoming cars.
I think it is both too bright of lights and poor manners.
@@professorchaos5689 You're kidding right? This tech has been in use on GM cars since the '50s. Google "Autronic Eye" and "Twilight Sentinel".
You tube is a wonderful thing a lot of solutions for everything
I love my protector headlight in my caddy
They actually turn the corner before I finish turning so I could see where I’m going try that with a reflector headlight
So did the headlights in my 2005 Acura RL....
My Golf mk4 originally had reflector headlights. Dipped and high beam! They light output is good but I want something more efficient like a projector and see better at night especially running LED bulbs in so it be nice and bright! So I swap the whole headlight to projector!😊 be thing I noticed is after I changed the headlights, that I had to readjust the headlights by myself rather than get somebody to do it!😊 I strongly strongly suggest to anybody that they must adjust their headlights so it’s not aiming too high or too low!
Any upgrades for a 2000 Dodge Ram with a reflector? Thanks for the info, great educational material, Dave.
Retrofit them
So we learn, halogen is old school as it can be, reflectors are clearer/wider visibility, Hid the best way to go because technology has been mastered and Led is the new cool source and its slowly getting there def an upgrade from reflectors but technology isnt there yet to compete with HID. Love it thanks bro
That basically sums it up! happy to hear you liked it!
Halogen is indeed old school, but it's just a light source, like hid or led. The reflector or projector is imo the important part. True led lighting is on another level, not needing reflectors or projectors, but several leds on each side of the vehicle. They may each be in separate tiny projectors to focus output, but that's conjecture on my part.
Main problem with most projectors is they are spot lights with almost no side illumination. Most of the newer vehicles with adaptive lighting run fogs to make up for the deficiency, that being said the morimoto projectors have a much better spread than oem projectors but at the cost of some of the hotspot in the middle.
Old seal beam reflector $10 dollars. (chrom and glass leans) New reflector headbeam $200 dollars (cheap plastic) that fades out in a few years. Technology at it's finest.
How times have changed!
Reflector still the best option
Reflector is much better than projector headlights if you're using a halogen bulb.
Julius Jones How so?
You better tell that to automakers - they keep putting the 'better' reflectors on their lowest trims.
Delta Matt Thats because the halogen doesnt have enough output to require a proyector, so the amount of light gets reduced by the lens. Proyectors were made for HIDs because they are way brighter than halogens and cause glare. Automakers use proyectors with halogens to make you think youre having an upgraded tecnology. Theyre just fine but not necessary
Yes but do you know halogen m5 for motorcycle which the lumens designed like h4 bulb for car, but it is m5 halogen bulb
I wish I watched this video last week. I just purchased and installed led headlights in my 2017 ford escape titanium with projector low beam and reflector high beam. Might return them and get hid instead.
If you want to get some HID give us a shout!
218-755-5200
Sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
If I roll my eyes any harder I may suffer retinal detachment.
Please don't hurt yourself, friend!
Rolling eyes occur when you see headlight after headlight with different levels of light intensity but all equal to an effect in which it blinds, another example is two headlights in one brand of vehicle and 4 and up to 6 headlights on other brands...
Is the position (vertical or horizontal) of a LED replacement in a projector critical, or since the “bowl” is round it doesn’t matter? Thanks!
You would still need the diodes facing the proper direction!
Drink game! Every time he says projector, drink one :D
Done
Fuq, I'll get wasted 45 seconds in
I passed out with 3 mins I believe..
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ADjUST THEM SO YOU DONT BLIND PEOPLE.
Agree, they should be banned!
Most of the projector headlights are nearly impossible to adjust properly without blinding people. The magnifying lens simply magnifies more glare!
In order for a headlight alignment to work for your eyes sake, every road would have to be aligned as well, do the math..
@@topreventretaliations3590 Pretty sure there's a rule of thumb for setting your headlights (of whatever kind)... If memory serves, it's 3' off the ground at 25' from the vehicle. In theory, this prevents oncoming traffic from being blinded while still providing your vehicle plenty of light spread & distance... Regardless of what road you're on.
I got pulled over by an officer because per reason I failed to switch off the high beam while I was getting blinded by officers low beam dazzling headlights
H13 does both high and low and other #s also
Can you make a video on the Philips Ultinon LED series please?
Stay Tuned! ;)
We installed led bulbs in our gmc envoy 2008 in a reglector do you thing we should install a reflector
There really aren't any good aftermarket headlight assemblies available for your vehicle, A good bulb is going to be your best bet.
Question: I've been doing research on headlights and wanting to upgrade. I have a 2017 Honda Hr-v LX and I would like to know your recommendations about obtaining a projector for my car. Would you be able to help? This is a great, informative video. Thanks!
It usually tells you wether its a projector headlight or a reflector headlight. If you want advice on picking a quality headlight assembly, then the best thing to look out for would be generally good reviews, name brands, and if you can a video or review of the product showing you how it works. Besides this, make sure you have a good light bulb because if you have a weak one, then you wont be able to see the full potential of the assembly so if you're looking to replace your stock headlight assembly, then you might want to consider switching out the bulbs as well.
HID conversion kit from halogen in a project style headlight is the best and easiest way to get the best result. But, make sure that you are getting a correct HID bulb for your application. H11 HID bulbs for example aren't made the same. There is H11A and H11B and no one will tell you which one works in your application. There are generally guidelines by make but trial and error something is the only way.
Projectors are awesome for evenly distributed light.
They definitely are.
Can you do it for the nissan np300 i would really love to know which i can buy!!
If it is between years 2001-2004, this will work for you!
Link: headlightrevolution.com/2001-2004-nissan-frontier-headlight-bulbs-hid-conversion-kit/
I know someone who had a 2004 Toyota Prius it came factroy with HID so SINGLE filament but would do low and high they had the REflector backing
Enjoying this channel. Very informative and explains things well.
Glad you enjoy it!
What is the round piece that sets in front of the light bulbs in a reflector headlight assembly?
It’s a diffuser that helps the light hit the reflectors properly.
@@HeadlightRevolution thanks
Think you did a wonderful job of explaining whats the difference between the two light.can you do another video but this time Actually showing how they work in the dark with the light turn off to see how they work
That is something we hear a lot actually! I can not guarantee that we will re-do this video, as that is a large process for adding little things like that, but that thought is something that we are looking to incorporate in new content!
When a projector gets old it becomes dirty and are hard to clean in some cars
You're right, they will also eventually burn up. If you have an older vehicle, you may see this in your projector. Typically this takes a long time to happen though. As for getting dirty, that's not much of an issue because the housing is sealed up, but again, over time this will happen too.
You what? How does a sealed projector get dirty?
8:51 what I really wanted to know. Thanks! 🙏
Wish I had seen this video before making the mistake of installing LED bulbs on my projector headlights. Can't see a thing while driving at night. After a little over a year driving like that, I finally bough three HID conversion kits (55w) for the fog lights, for the projector (low beam) & and for the reflector (high beam). Haven't had a chance to install them, but once I do I hope I can drive at night without the stress of not seeing well.
They will make a big difference, Let us know how it all works out for you.
#MakeLightingGreatAgain
Love it!
#KeepLightingGreat
Can you please explain the automatic alignment tech in headlamps and also any split headlamp technology.
The video was great, loved the point of distinction you explained about solenoid.
Nyc video
Glad you liked the vidoe, thanks for watching! I will pass this along, and hopefully we will be able to get a video going for you down the road soon!
I got a grand caravan 2008 i wish install a projector !
Do u think can be install one of them projectors on it?
Thank u
My biggest pet headlight pet peeve is when I see led or hid bulbs in a reflector housing
We also do not like headlight modifications that create excessive glare which is why we get our hands on as many LED headlight bulbs as possible, and test them on as many vehicles headlights as possible. This allows us to find out which ones create a more suitable and usable beam pattern. Here's one example of what I'm talking about: th-cam.com/video/SQF5ESBHLrw/w-d-xo.html
Why does that bother you lol? If we're talking about them blinding oncoming traffic, well there are plenty of factory halogens in reflector housings that are much worse imo.
Julius McDow cuz it's ugly & cheap af. Makes you look like a noob.
While flickering.
Jonathan A cheap projector set from ebay thrown in say a camery have a psychotic flicker to them.
I had a 2021 Sonata with LED reflector headlights and traded it for a '23 Sonata with LED projector headlights. After a few months of ownership I have to say the reflector headlights are my choice. The projector lights are gawd awful on back roads that are hilly. Im terrified I'll hit a deer that I can't see because the projector is so narrowly focused
How good are Morimoto headlights Assembly? Moisture and uv from stock. Thanks for video
They are excellent. I’ve had them on my 2018 F150 for almost 2 years now and they look as good as they did when they were new. -Chris W
This is a great video to get a boomer like me up to speed!
Glad I could help!
What led bulbs do you recommend for a 2018 Ford Fusion?
I would suggest reaching out to our CS team so we can go over some options with you!
218-755-5200
Sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
what an incredible channel. Congrats. Video quality is top
Man, thank you for the clarification ; one update tip or rather discussion; is it really safe to use HID or LED bulbs inside reflector? it might glare oncoming drivers cos the lights ain't as focused as the light from projector lens, right? Mike From China and new in car lighting; and have been studying your video for several days which are really helpful in building better understanding the whole products and business. Love your videos. Thank you
Unfortunately, LEDs and HIDs are no longer legal for street use in the United States, so we can only recommend halogens fro street use. With that said, we still do sell off-road options, and I would say that there are plenty of LEDs that will perform grat in projector applicaitons, but there are also a lot of bad ones out there. If you have any other questions just shoot us an email and we will be happy to help! Sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
@@HeadlightRevolution Thank you for the info; that explains why on your website it states these lights are for 100% off-road use only. Damn, then why there still so many LED Sold on Amazon, won't they do something for that? Uh, but I heard E.U's gonna ban halogen so I guess it's just different situation we gonna have to deal with differently.
There are definitely a lot still on the market, it is hard for the government to track down all of those small LED lighting comapnies on Amazon or eBay, but the same laws apply! I havent heard anything on the EU banning halogens, I will have to look into that! Thank you for commenting, let us know if you have any other questions!
@@HeadlightRevolution The laws have changed now. Most thanks to Toyota.
Could you recommend a good budget DIY projector I could install in my 2002 voyager? Thanks.
If the Mini D2S, Micro D2S, and the MLED are out of the price ranger - the Evo XR projectors or the H1 are a good budget-friendly alternative.
I recently replaced headlight housings on a 2016 Honda Civic. The replacement housings included a projector low beam just like the original housing. The replacement fit perfectly but when we drove the car we noticed the top of the low beam was noticeably clipped. Investigating the new housing you can see a fixed shield / shutter that is responsible for clipping the beam. Is it possible that the original factory projector housing didn't use any type of shutter, or did we just not notice it before?
It's possible for sure!
Nice video bro 👍
I sub right away 👊👊
That sharp cutoff makes me wozy, and it seems to look like a big black wall is in front of me.
I prefer a fade off beam,.
Personally using reflector HID in a 98 gm truck with new reflectors, using white on low and yellow ish on high, and very happy with it.also have an led bar but rarely use it.
Thinking of converting fog lights to hid yellow to finish it off
And led in Tail and signal
The sharp cutoff is a little less annoying on the road. I felt the same way at first!
Nice and excellent presentation...
Do i need to rotate the led bulb in projector ??
Going from a reflector to a projector on a ram this week I just ordered the harness from you guys for my 2017 to do this did I need to do that and also what the bulb would be an upgrade for the projector
Check out our GTR kit!
www.headlightrevolution.com/2013-2018-DODGE-RAM-ULTRA-2-LED-W-PROJECTOR-LOW-BEAM
What is best recommended for my 2018 ram 1500 with reflector lights? Just led swap or is something else much better
Shoot us an email at Sales@headlightrevolution.com and we can assist you!!!
Now I understand my 15 Dodge Dart and the noises it makes...🧐🧐🧐
Good to hear.
Thanks! I learned a few things watching this.
Glad it was helpful!
Very nice video. Good information provided and very good presentation. 👌👌
May be it is just me but I have a lot of trouble seeing when driving at night with the projector headlights. I can barely see the road and there is no side light to see anything. My Prius has both project for low/high and a reflector for high. When I turn on the high and the reflectors are on I can soooo much better. I really hate the projector headlights and wish I could replace them with reflector type.
I absolutely agree. Projector low beams suck big time
Thanks for explaining. Now I know the difference :)
No difference they all blind just the same..
Give me a good advice for the LED lights for a Subaru Ascent 2020, please
This was extremely helpful.
So glad it helped!
So may I ask which one is brighter is it the retrofit projector or the halogen reflector housing
Projectors will be much higher performing.
Just bought a brand new Tucson and not happy with the basic lighting. I want that luxury car look with my lighting system. Will replacing the bulb do the trick or do I need a whole new headlight housing? I believe I currently have a reflector.
If you're unhappy with the aesthetic of the housing, a bulb replacement probably won't fix the issue for you.
Headlight Revolution Thanks. Will led bulbs at least make the same quality of light?
the reflector is safer for other cars but it can be powerful when needed.it has beampatern which is better for instrumentation of digital design and it like scanning the front area
Reflectors are safe, but projectors direct the light better, and produce a safer beam pattern for the most part!
Which headlight bulbs would you recommend for a '94 Mercury Cougar, and why?
@Peligroso, for application questions like that please contact our expert sales team: sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
@@HeadlightRevolution which set up would be for my 2015 Ford Explorer XLT. I am currently running halogens
Hi Chris. What do you recommend (HID or LED) for 2006 odyssey low beams. Would it be street Legal?
Both are street legal and both are great options. Just because it's easy I would recommend the LED bulbs! headlightrevolution.com/led-headlight-bulbs/v-4-led-headlight-bulbs/
My question is: Cam you retrofit a projector with built in LEDs to a housing that came with a projector designed for Halogen bulbs.
You can!
Please suggest best led h11 for Honda Insight 2009 model project light
I would check out the S-V.4s headlightrevolution.com/v-4-led-headlights-h11-h16-bulbs/
Great video ! I would like to ask you if you think a quality led bulb (H4) is going to look good on an older car with glass headlights (it's a 1993 model). I didn't quite understand in what category of headlights I'm in. Thanks
No, it would look great! We would highly recommend the S-V.4!
How to adjust the leveling on a reflector headlight?
David Sekella thanks! I would rather go for projector style headlamp for sharp cutoff line and focus
2010 Camry! What are the best led! Also longest lasting? Thx