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.
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.
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!
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 😢
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.
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!"
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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
HID IS KING, Vs LEDs ...BUT if you have OEM projectors. I bought a pair of aftermarket Projectors, Headlights for my Malibu. And after putting some HIDs 55w 8k. The whole headlight sealent had melted. And the Plastic was super hot. I took them off and haven't had problem's with my LEDs
My 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Came standard with LED Projector headlights my girlfriend’s 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee wk came with HID Projector headlights there is a slight difference but overall visibility is generally the same
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
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
Well, almost true, bi-xenon related reflector lights, like volvo XC90 2003-2006 uses reflector bixenon headlights for high and low beam similar to lens. except it's done by tilting the reflector. So the statement of that reflector lights only get one beam pattern is wrong. i have not see halogen doing that though. :)
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.
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...
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.
i had 4 cars in my life, 3 of those had projector headlights...never again ! The biggest problem with lenses is that over time they get dirty, they oxydize and then you have to pick between taking the headlight apart in your owen (and making condensate your new best friend) to properly clean them or upgrade to HID in other to get average lighting...I tried the first option, broke my headlight lens housing, botched it so that it could work kindda, but then condesate started to build up on rainy days so I ended up buying a pair of new headlights for my old goddamn Mazda (was expensive too). After that I did try HID, but I failed MOT so I ended up pulling them out...Now I got a Ford with reflector headlights, sure it's not ideal and I wouldn't mind more light but it's driveable. Maybe I will splurge for some premium halogens....
Jonathan A taking the headlight apart to clean the lens is a tricky job, sometimes they break and then you have a whole new set of problems. If you manage to take it apart then getting that glue to sealup after the cleanup is even more tricky... if you dont get it right you are left with condensate whenever there is a rainy day. Reflectors oxydize from the outside and thats an easy polish job no need to take the headlight apart
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
Good thing most cars now come with projectors. Only ford fuck it up in their f150, still has halogen reflectors while Silverado comes stocks with LED. Being able to see is the most important safety factor in a car,
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?
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
Great presentation 👍. I have Dodge Durango with HID projector but not giving enough long distance light up especially when we are on high speed. It is just lighting up well near to the vehicle's front. Any good advise please? I have philips crystal visian halogen pair with me unboxed will this help?
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/
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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 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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
3 years later i got to understand the difference properly 👍👍👍
Good to hear
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 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!
This guy is not only knowledgeable, he is an outstanding teacher!
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!
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
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 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.
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. 😢
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
Great speaker! - well spoken, on script, knowledgeable and focused.
You tube is a wonderful thing a lot of solutions for everything
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 can definitely understand the explanation without visual. Clear explanation
Glad we could help!
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.
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!
Very clear explanation! Now I need to find the best projector kit or headlight projector with hid for my 2004 Ram.
Good to hear!
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!
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!
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.
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....
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.
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 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
8:51 what I really wanted to know. Thanks! 🙏
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.
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".
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!
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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
Thanks! I learned a few things watching this.
Glad it was helpful!
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.
This is a great video to get a boomer like me up to speed!
Glad I could help!
Enjoying this channel. Very informative and explains things well.
Glad you enjoy it!
Projectors are awesome for evenly distributed light.
They definitely are.
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?
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!
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!
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!
HID IS KING, Vs LEDs ...BUT if you have OEM projectors. I bought a pair of aftermarket Projectors, Headlights for my Malibu. And after putting some HIDs 55w 8k. The whole headlight sealent had melted. And the Plastic was super hot. I took them off and haven't had problem's with my LEDs
Thanks for the feedback!
My 2017 Nissan Sentra SR Came standard with LED Projector headlights my girlfriend’s 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee wk came with HID Projector headlights there is a slight difference but overall visibility is generally the same
Nice!
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!
Thank you for explaining this so thoroughly. It's a Godsend!
Glad it was helpful!
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
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 got a grand caravan 2008 i wish install a projector !
Do u think can be install one of them projectors on it?
Thank u
Well, almost true, bi-xenon related reflector lights, like volvo XC90 2003-2006 uses reflector bixenon headlights for high and low beam similar to lens. except it's done by tilting the reflector. So the statement of that reflector lights only get one beam pattern is wrong. i have not see halogen doing that though. :)
Yes that is true for older vehicles.
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..
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
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...
Any upgrades for a 2000 Dodge Ram with a reflector? Thanks for the info, great educational material, Dave.
Retrofit them
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.
My jeep grand Cherokee limited has hid headlights with projector and daytime running lights which I switched over to led
Thanks for explaining. Now I know the difference :)
No difference they all blind just the same..
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
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
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.
Best explanation- thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
i had 4 cars in my life, 3 of those had projector headlights...never again ! The biggest problem with lenses is that over time they get dirty, they oxydize and then you have to pick between taking the headlight apart in your owen (and making condensate your new best friend) to properly clean them or upgrade to HID in other to get average lighting...I tried the first option, broke my headlight lens housing, botched it so that it could work kindda, but then condesate started to build up on rainy days so I ended up buying a pair of new headlights for my old goddamn Mazda (was expensive too). After that I did try HID, but I failed MOT so I ended up pulling them out...Now I got a Ford with reflector headlights, sure it's not ideal and I wouldn't mind more light but it's driveable. Maybe I will splurge for some premium halogens....
Jonathan A taking the headlight apart to clean the lens is a tricky job, sometimes they break and then you have a whole new set of problems. If you manage to take it apart then getting that glue to sealup after the cleanup is even more tricky... if you dont get it right you are left with condensate whenever there is a rainy day. Reflectors oxydize from the outside and thats an easy polish job no need to take the headlight apart
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
Good thing most cars now come with projectors. Only ford fuck it up in their f150, still has halogen reflectors while Silverado comes stocks with LED. Being able to see is the most important safety factor in a car,
This was extremely helpful.
So glad it helped!
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.
what an incredible channel. Congrats. Video quality is top
Great explanation sir👏
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!
Now I understand my 15 Dodge Dart and the noises it makes...🧐🧐🧐
Good to hear.
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!
Give me a good advice for the LED lights for a Subaru Ascent 2020, please
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
Can you make a video on the Philips Ultinon LED series please?
Stay Tuned! ;)
Very good explanation. Thnx.
You are welcome
H13 does both high and low and other #s also
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!!!
Reflector still the best option
Very nice explained. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
future reference, most people are looking for more side by side functional comparison...
Love the way which was explained
Went from reflector to projector on my MK5 golf GTI. Light seems very dull so I've been looking at Osram 200 H7 bulbs
Look into HID bulbs!
@@HeadlightRevolution Are the HID H7 bulbs good? I see you can get them without having to get a conversion kit?
They sure are! I would recommend GTR Lighting!
Great presentation 👍. I have Dodge Durango with HID projector but not giving enough long distance light up especially when we are on high speed. It is just lighting up well near to the vehicle's front. Any good advise please? I have philips crystal visian halogen pair with me unboxed will this help?
Thanks for the comment! For recommendations please reach out to our CS team so we can better assist you!
218-755-5200
Sales@HeadlightRevolution.com
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 18 sonata has reflectors and projectors. Which my low n high beams are separate bulbs.
Very nice video. Good information provided and very good presentation. 👌👌
great explanation good job man thanks
Thanks!