MR2 Roadster Owners Club

Hi,

Ive only had my 04 MR2 a couple weeks and only last night when walking around the car I realised that the main low beam was the projection beams (I had always assumed they were the high beams)

i believe they are H7s in there, has anyone fitted something like Nighteye LEDs as bulbs insted and if so, as they are projection, is ther beam pattern ok and is there enough room for the heatsink behind the cover, I dont want to waste money on some only to find out they do not fit very well.

thanks in advance,

Mick

Quote from: BigMick on December 18, 2018, 10:10
[04 MR2] [the main low beam was the projection beams (I had always assumed they were the high beams)]

i believe they are H7s in there

Yes, for FL's (2003 onwards), the projector is the dipped beam and the central light is the high beam.

And yes, they're H7's for the dipped beam.

Not sure which ones will work, but... but I was thinking of the Ricoy LED's for mine - also just ~£25... but as you've pointed out - they all have large coolers behind the unit, so not sure if they'd fit... or maybe Green-L with their flexible mesh heat exchanger (no heatsink or fan), but they're £40... (https://goo.gl/T49qbU)

One other consideration: I know Xenon's are an MOT fail if you don't have washers / auto-levelling, but not sure about LED's...

Quote from: BahnStormer on December 18, 2018, 12:28
Not sure, but I was thinking of the Ricoy LED's for mine - also just ~£25... but as you've pointed out - they all have large coolers behind the unit, so not sure if they'd fit...

One other consideration: I know Xenon's are an MOT fail if you don't have washers / auto-levelling, but not sure about LED's...

yeah thats true with HIDs, im not a big fan of them, I think LEDs produce a much better light and on my previous cars had a good cutoff, Im not massively fussed about the MOT but ive not had problems before as long as they are fitted to a Projection headlight so htey a proper cutoff so it doesnt blind other road users, if they are not in the projectors the beam is everwhere.

I would be suprised if no one was running H7 leds on here, there are some lovely modified MR2s that ive seen on here.

LED/Xenon in a projector SHOULD have a sensible beam pattern: in reflector unit would be an outright MOT fail as the beam pattern would be everywhere, not to mention really dangerous - I've seen it once before in a Mk3 Golf.... and about 2 mins later the police pulling them over - it was like a super-bright crystal ball just spraying light everywhere...

These are top of my list right now... but something with a proper heatsink might be better IF it would fit.... [urlhttps://goo.gl/T49qbU]Green-L H7 LED Headlight Bulbs[/url]

If you have a few bob spare, you could get these ....

https://youtu.be/sdO2bZXInsk

Quote from: moredun on December 18, 2018, 13:51
If you have a few bob spare, you could get these ....

https://youtu.be/sdO2bZXInsk

ummm... $950 / $1250 for the PFL and $1580 for the FL.... honestly?!?

https://www.hidretrofitkit.com/toyota-mr-2-spyder/

apparently they'll do those without the Bluetooth and flashing lights, but still $1300!!

I think we just need to go for one of the H7 replacements... so we need a guinea pig to test how much clearance there is behind the unit for heatsink... or if we have to get the dangly heatsinks...

Gut feel is Ricoy looks shallower than Nighteye...

I'm going to do my fog lights first... then see how much heat they kick off...

edit: NightEye is the old trade name of NovSight.... so maybe worth looking for the NovSight if you want their latest models, NIghtEye might be old stock...

https://www.nighteyeled.com/

On that front - I'm definitely considering these ones on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOVSIGHT-Ampoule-Internal-Waterproof-Warranty/dp/B07DT2N941/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1545232206&sr=1-4-spons&keywords=led%2Bh7&th=1)... they look like they've got a very shallow heatsink/fan and they have the lowest colour rating (6000K) - remember that for colour, 3000K are Halogen and 4300K is "daylight", with most OEM HID units 4300K-5000K.... but as you go above 5000K the colour gets more blue/purple... and less actual usable light.... 6000K will be a slightly blue/white light... and 6500K will be more blue and less light.

Quote from: BahnStormer on December 19, 2018, 13:58
apparently they'll do those without the Bluetooth and flashing lights, but still $1300!!

I think we just need to go for one of the H7 replacements... so we need a guinea pig to test how much clearance there is behind the unit for heatsink... or if we have to get the dangly heatsinks...

Gut feel is Ricoy looks shallower than Nighteye...

I'm going to do my fog lights first... then see how much heat they kick off...

edit: NightEye is the old trade name of NovSight.... so maybe worth looking for the NovSight if you want their latest models, NIghtEye might be old stock...

https://www.nighteyeled.com/

On that front - I'm definitely considering these ones on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOVSIGHT-Ampoule-Internal-Waterproof-Warranty/dp/B07DT2N941/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1545232206&sr=1-4-spons&keywords=led%2Bh7&th=1)... they look like they've got a very shallow heatsink/fan and they have the lowest colour rating (6000K) - remember that for colour, 3000K are Halogen and 4300K is "daylight", with most OEM HID units 4300K-5000K.... but as you go above 5000K the colour gets more blue/purple... and less actual usable light.... 6000K will be a slightly blue/white light... and 6500K will be more blue and less light.

when the weathers a little dryer I need to remove the front bumper to replace the front fog lamps so I will look at it then to see what sort of clearance etc there is on the back of the lights, I have used nighteye in the past on another car and they were excellent but the heatsinks are quite large, ive never tried the ones with the flaps on the back, i cant imagine they dissipate heat very well.

Quote from: BigMick on December 19, 2018, 21:51
when the weathers a little dryer I need to remove the front bumper to replace the front fog lamps so I will look at it then to see what sort of clearance etc there is on the back of the lights, I have used nighteye in the past on another car and they were excellent but the heatsinks are quite large, ive never tried the ones with the flaps on the back, i cant imagine they dissipate heat very well.

I've got the NovSight bulbs - they look good and even the beam pattern doesn't look TOO bad, but I can't check it properly as I have to hold them in place!! The problem is that they don't come with the plastic sleeve to create the 1cm spacer that our H7's need, so even when the clip is done up, they rattle around pretty badly!

Suggestions welcome - I was going to put a little piece of foam rubber in place there, but I'm guessing the heat would be too much... same again for the neck off a plastic bottle and then cut it down the side... I'm assuming that there's a fan-assisted aluminium heatsink on the back of those things for a reason!

I think this is what I need...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Quality-Toyota-MR2-Celica-00-inc-Wti-H7-HID-BULB-HOLDERS-ADAPTER-Spacers-/330643589748

And according to eBay, their postcode is SL1 4LP, so this would be their website: https://www.aetonline.co.uk/

and I think THIS (https://www.aetonline.co.uk/mazda-3-6-crv-cx7-h7-hid-bulb-holders-adapter-3332-p.asp) is the part, although not sure if it will fit in the gap available... and if it does, it's going to be a right pain getting the clip back in with the heatsink snagging it!

I'll give 'em a call tomorrow and see if I can pick some up...

edit and I think I answered my own question for what else uses the same mounting shape:

QuoteSuitable for:
Mazda 3 6
CRV CX7
Toyota MR2 Celica Avensis
Corolla Range

edit2: or ONE of these  :-\ :-\ :-\

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NOVSIGHT-Headlight-Adapter-Retainers-Universal/dp/B07K8DRDXQ/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1545595992&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=h7%2Btoyota%2Bbulb%2Bholder&th=1

I need to replace my PFL headlights early next year and was going to change them to projectors,  so I would be very interseted in the outcome of fitting LED lamps and what parts would be required for them. :lurk:

Quote from: moredun on December 24, 2018, 12:50
I need to replace my PFL headlights early next year and was going to change them to projectors,  so I would be very interseted in the outcome of fitting LED lamps and what parts would be required for them. :lurk:

Stick around here then - yours will be a two-part process thought:

1) the conversion to FL projectors (I've seen various guides for doing that wiring)... then after that we should be able to help you...

2) LED install into projectors: I've got the bulbs, I THINK I know what is required in terms of other parts (the spacers) I just can't confirm which spacers will fit which LED bulbs right now... hopefully should be able to confirm in the next week or so.

My backup plan is to try these: ZHENGXI H7 LED Headlight Bulb, 55W 6000K 13000Lumens Extremely Brigh CSP Chips Conversion Kit [Energy Class A++] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HVYBWNK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3R9FVYWFMZ9BG&psc=1) (or an identical alternative at HALF the price)

It looks like the would fit into the stock adapters, but there's no heatsink, so I'm not sure what the longevity would be like... and they're £40 (£50 and a 20% discount).

In the interests of not losing any "knowledge"...

QuoteHRVMR2: I took the clips out and siliconed in my LED headlights
2 of the left: Jeez what happens when they fail??
@HRVMR2 (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=22262)  : Had one fail, just take it out and pop a new one in :)

Thanks @HRVMR2 (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=22262) , I'll bear that in mine, but I've ordered the spacers (£5), so I'll try those first... and have the silicon idea as yet another one of mu backups.

ive not been on here for a while, I have broken a few ribs doing the rear brakes so i am now going to have to take it easy for a while now whilst that heals, I will remove the headlights at some point and look at what I can do with them, I do fancy fitting drls in them similar to the one you linked and maybe spraying the housing black with red switchable deamon eyes in the projectors.  how do-able that is, I have no idea lol

Quote from: BigMick on December 27, 2018, 22:16
ive not been on here for a while, I have broken a few ribs doing the rear brakes so i am now going to have to take it easy for a while now whilst that heals, I will remove the headlights at some point and look at what I can do with them, I do fancy fitting drls in them similar to the one you linked and maybe spraying the housing black with red switchable deamon eyes in the projectors.  how do-able that is, I have no idea lol

What???
Did the car fall on you? Hope you're ok

Quote from: BigMick on December 27, 2018, 22:16
ive not been on here for a while, I have broken a few ribs doing the rear brakes

:o :o :o :o :o ummm.... WFT?!?!?!

So you just dropped that into the conversation and then carried on like nothing happened - what on earth happened? Did an axle stand tip / no axle stands? I've always been a fan of putting the wheels under that car after they've been taken off, but that might become mandatory!!

And yes, fair call, don't worry about the headlights for a few weeks, eh?

If you want some vids to watch - check out the channel by @Leethesparky (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=21922) on YouTube (I think it's SpyderLee or something like that)... he's got a PFL, but did some pretty funky looking DRL red Demon eyes... not my cuppa, but definitely funky!!

lol sorry it was very busy over christmas, I had replaced the rear brake discs and pads and was cleaning up, i remembered that I had left my socket on the floor in the drivers so I leant in without opening the door and heard an almighty crack and a shed load of pain, fast fiorward an hour at my local walk in centre I had fractured 2 lower left ribs.  this was a few weeks ago now and it is still uncomfortable to lay down, that will leach me.

I follow SpyderLee and Daddiaries on youtubem they both have done some great videos.


Mick

Quote from: BahnStormer on December 28, 2018, 10:24

Quote from: BigMick on December 27, 2018, 22:16
ive not been on here for a while, I have broken a few ribs doing the rear brakes

:o :o :o :o :o ummm.... WFT?!?!?!

So you just dropped that into the conversation and then carried on like nothing happened - what on earth happened? Did an axle stand tip / no axle stands? I've always been a fan of putting the wheels under that car after they've been taken off, but that might become mandatory!!

And yes, fair call, don't worry about the headlights for a few weeks, eh?

If you want some vids to watch - check out the channel by @Leethesparky (https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=21922) on YouTube (I think it's SpyderLee or something like that)... he's got a PFL, but did some pretty funky looking DRL red Demon eyes... not my cuppa, but definitely funky!!

wow - so unlucky rather than some life-threatening catastrophe!

Good luck getting on the mend.

BTW - I bought the plastic spacers for the NovSight LED's and I can confirm they're a waste of £5... I've had to hack them down to less than half the size, had to cut them in half and now I've cracked one in half trying to fit it and just hacksawed the other and it WOULD have broken and a controlled break will give me a better chance of using that part.

And after all that I'm still gluing the spacers in place and using cable ties to hold them together...

I'll post some diagrams / photo's IF this works, but what you need for the spacer is a very short, fat piece of plastic piping that is reasonably heat resistant:
length: ~9mm
inner diameter same as central core of the NovSight
outer diameter (wall thickness) as fat as you can get it, ideally 6mm+ wider that is the lip that the metal clips will have to get purchase on - so that would be a 3mm lip. If this fails, you won't lose the bulb, but the bulb will slide back in the projector unit and your focus will go out pretty badly.

Why not use something like high density fire/water proof foam pads/strips?

Easy to cut, shape and build up the thickness you require. I have seen this in packing for harddrives, tool cases etc, the link below is just to give you an idea of what I mean ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ansblue-Protector-Anti-collision-Self-adhesive-Waterproof/dp/B07KJCCT2Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1546854926&sr=8-5&keywords=high+density+fireproof+foam

Quote from: moredun on January  7, 2019, 10:08
Why not use something like high density fire/water proof foam pads/strips?

Easy to cut, shape and build up the thickness you require. I have seen this in packing for harddrives, tool cases etc, the link below is just to give you an idea of what I mean ....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ansblue-Protector-Anti-collision-Self-adhesive-Waterproof/dp/B07KJCCT2Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1546854926&sr=8-5&keywords=high+density+fireproof+foam

I thought about this, but the metal clips still need something to catch onto at the back of the spacer: so I think you'd need some sort of washer behind the foam.

I've got fed up trying to get this to work: the metal clips are getting caught in the back of the heatsink on the back of the LED bulb the whole time - it makes it almost impossible to get them in.... or if I get them in, there's no room to latch up the clip and it'll be almost impossible to change the bulbs (if there are ever issues with MOT's or I need to change a bulb). IF anybody else in Surrey/Sussex area wants to have a try with these, let me know and you can have them for a tenner (I'll drop them off on my commute!).

The options are either to take the entire headlight unit out (this and every time I want/need to change bulbs!)... or to go to the backup plan (the ZHENGXI (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HVYBWNK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3R9FVYWFMZ9BG&psc=1) units).... but they're on one month lead time... or these TXVSO units (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GN1LJJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that get pretty mixed reviews (but half the price and available on Prime). I think I'll go for the cheaper ones... the "bad" reviews mostly seem to relate to flickering and bulb sensor warning on later model cars... I don't think the MR2 has anything that technical, so worth a crack :)

Quote from: BahnStormer on January  8, 2019, 09:08... or these TXVSO units (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GN1LJJ8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) that get pretty mixed reviews (but half the price and available on Prime). I think I'll go for the cheaper ones... the "bad" reviews mostly seem to relate to flickering and bulb sensor warning on later model cars... I don't think the MR2 has anything that technical, so worth a crack :)

Did I mention I'm pretty impatient? I ordered the "TXVSO" (cheap ones) on Tues night, they arrived Weds night and and installed them y'day.

One point worth mentioning for anybody installing these: remember this is DC current and an LED is a Light Emitting Diode (has to be plugged in with correct polarity), so I'd advise people to to plug them in and test first... I had a moment of panic when mine didn't fire at all and I thought the bulbs were DoA or had fried soemthing in the electrics, but then tried flipping the connectors around. It's 50-50 each time and I've clearly just fluked it EVER time previously!

Regarding the TXVSO budget LED's: very mixed feelings, but overall very positive as a Proof-Of-Concept at least. These were a doddle to install (almost identical physical shape to a halogen), so I just unclipped the old ones, moved the Toyota adaptor over and clipped them back in.

No flickering/errors, beam pattern is good* and VERY consistent light - better than any halogens, but the intensity of the light is pretty tepid... even compared to the Halfords Advanced, which are the best Halogen bulbs I've found (certainly better than the Philips / Osram NB's I've had previously).

*initially the beam pattern was AWFUL - but that is because both clips hadn't been done up properly and both bulbs had dropped back in the projectors slightly: this creates a narrow "zoomed" intense beam of light up and to the right (oncoming drivers) and nothing in front of you.... which has made me even more nervous about silicon seal / glue solutions....

In terms of the actual light quality - for context: my other car has the Audi Matrix LED setup, so I will acknowledge that I'm spoilt... and that I'm driving on a mix of London street and then pitch black country lanes for my commute... to I have a weird mix of a few miles lots of external lights and then utter darkness for 20miles.

Ironically the country lanes felt fine - the light is decent, but just felt a little "watery", especially compared to when I flick the NovSight LED highbeams on (yes, I'm only comparing the front section of the beam, where there should be light from dipped beams).

The weak light is most noticeable on the London streets, where the light sometimes struggles to cut through shadows cast by street lighting.

Will I keep them? Yes, for now, but I'm looking for other options....

Although I had to hold them in place, the NovSight H7 dippedbeams were a FAR more intense light, but I just don't have the confidence to glue them in or try to secure them in another way as I'd like to know that I will either DEFINITELY pass an MOT and even when that does pass, I need to know I can definitely swap in a replacement bulb easily.

As much as the beam pattern looks decent and clean (correct slope, no artifacts/shards of light poking out all over the place, etc), but I'm still worried about picky MOT testers - my MOT is in April - if that passes, I think I will try taking the headlight units out and creating a new clip and/or silicon sealing the NovSights in place - IF it looks like I can do this in a way that I could just pull them out again and put a Halogen bulb in as a temporary replacement.

Inspired partly by this thread and the desire to improve the dipped beam on my 06 facelift Two, I've just completed a successful led headlight conversion.

I took a few pictures of the process which are posted here, which may be of help if anyone is thinking of doing the same.

Firstly the components I used.
I sourced this H7 led set from a Chinese web site that I've used on many occasion with great success, although you do have to be patient especially if you order just before Chinese New Year, as I did.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50W-8000LM-G7-LED-Headlight-Auto-Kit-H4-H1-H7-9005-9006-H8-H9-H11-H10/32878389233.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.2.2b15573aZDgmPb&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10065_10068_10130_10547_319_317_10548_10696_10192_10190_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_10820_10301_10821_10303_537_536_10902_10059_10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_70,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=ddcad548-720c-4e58-87f6-727b4c888454-0&algo_pvid=ddcad548-720c-4e58-87f6-727b4c888454&transAbTest=ae803_3 (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/50W-8000LM-G7-LED-Headlight-Auto-Kit-H4-H1-H7-9005-9006-H8-H9-H11-H10/32878389233.html?spm=2114.search0104.3.2.2b15573aZDgmPb&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10065_10068_10130_10547_319_317_10548_10696_10192_10190_453_10084_454_10083_10618_10307_10820_10301_10821_10303_537_536_10902_10059_10884_10887_321_322_10103,searchweb201603_70,ppcSwitch_0&algo_expid=ddcad548-720c-4e58-87f6-727b4c888454-0&algo_pvid=ddcad548-720c-4e58-87f6-727b4c888454&transAbTest=ae803_3) 

These links come and go, if this one has expired just search the web site for 'G7 Led headlight'. I paid £18.50 for a set including delivery from China.

I have used these leds in another car and knew they were bright and well engineered. Of particular note is the removable/reversible heat sink and adjustable rotation and focus should you need it.
What you get is a pair of these:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iZbNr8LLgbmEyPSv9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/iZbNr8LLgbmEyPSv9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hp6EXWC751UpqdX26 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hp6EXWC751UpqdX26)


I also sourced these plastic adaptors, despite being listed as a Mazda part they looked very close to the pattern of the bulb holder in the Toyota.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pcs-Black-Plastic-H7-Xenon-HID-Headlight-Bulb-Base-Holder-Adapter-for-Mazda/192208229234?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Pcs-Black-Plastic-H7-Xenon-HID-Headlight-Bulb-Base-Holder-Adapter-for-Mazda/192208229234?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649)

As is turned out they were close but the prongs were a little short, so I had to do a little reshaping to use them.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wp3gB8UTnhwCwQ8J8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wp3gB8UTnhwCwQ8J8)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/9tCQPKXrgRYejmu5A (https://photos.app.goo.gl/9tCQPKXrgRYejmu5A)

I should point out that I removed the headlights to make this whole process much easier.

I reshaped the plastic adapters to sit inside the back of the headlight housing rather than on top, this took out any play and with the clip in place held the H7 led snug in the housing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/X7p61UvxR6bvsDF67 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/X7p61UvxR6bvsDF67)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xnVVaZz9SugePMqy9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/xnVVaZz9SugePMqy9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/LBvAtD7wb9S3KR2x9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/LBvAtD7wb9S3KR2x9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qZv9RXxKs2DZ19Px8 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/qZv9RXxKs2DZ19Px8)

With the led in place and secure I trimmed the rubber cover to allow the heat sink to screw onto the back of the led housing.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4UxA1cvG4NiDjAqaA (https://photos.app.goo.gl/4UxA1cvG4NiDjAqaA)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zJpiuL9XtKcB59je9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/zJpiuL9XtKcB59je9)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6Km5yeyLLanwYcq87 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/6Km5yeyLLanwYcq87)

Finally, put the headlights back into the car and secured the led driver pack with a couple of cable ties.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ik2PTffgvA7NnpzT6 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/ik2PTffgvA7NnpzT6)

I ran the headlights for 20 minutes or so to see how much heat dissipated from the heatsink and was surprised to find they run quite cool, no danger of melting the rubber covers or plastic parts.

The brightness, evenness and focus is excellent with none of the scatter sometimes witnessed with leds fitted in none projector lamp housings.
I know there is some debate on the legality of fitting leds and HIDs in cars as after market mods but I'm not going to enter into discussion here. However this mod does allow me to easily go back to the halogen bulbs if I have to.

thank you for taking the time to post this dude, this will definetly help me when i do mine and I know others will find it useful.

Good point, hadn't really thought of that aspect.

A quick update: My headlights sailed through two FULL MOT's with the LED's last week - one at a test centre (where it failed, but not headlight - emissions: high Lambda / manifold leak) and another at the garage where the manifold leak was investigated and then retested (I was in a rush and didn't want to have to book a retest at the other site).

No mention of the lights at all.

I have:
Novsight HB4 LED (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FXC6MGN/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) fogs - 10k lum, VERY bright - not really usable unless genuinely really foggy...
Novsight LED HB3 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DQVMYWF/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) highbeams - 10k lum - again - VERY bright!
TXVSO8 H7's (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GN1LJJ8/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)'s (£20 budget ones) in the projectors for dipped beam - simple, straight swap for the halogens, although rated as "10k lum", they are nowhere near as bright as the Novsight (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DT2N941/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) bulbs that I have on standby - they will probably be fitted, but I've only been able to run them held in place by hand - I still need to find a way of mounting them properly so that the bulbs can be swapped (i.e. not glued in!).

That is encouraging, mine also passed it's MOT with the LED head light set up I have.

Quote from: mr2noob on October 27, 2019, 21:40Forgive me for necrothreading, but ....

You're forgiven, I was about to resurrect this one!!!

Quote from: mr2noob on October 27, 2019, 21:40@BahnStormer and @mitrelkov how much better are LEDs compared to stock halogens?

I've used OSRAM Rally 65W H7 in my bike and car for together 12 years (without even one bulbs dying...), but as I was thinking of testing OSRAM 80W H7 (and hoping it wouldn't melt my lens and assembly) I came across the LED bulbs and this topic. Now I'm intrigued.

For the fogs + highbeams, the Novsights are like night and day - excuse the pun, but they really are MASSIVELY better than any 50W bulb I've found... really even, clear beam pattern too.

Sadly, for the most important ones, the high-end LED's I bought wouldn't fit, due to the huge heatsink behind them and the budget dipped beam H7's I've got are pretty uninspiring... they look much cleaner (clinical white rather than yellow) and the beam pattern is really even: on average for the lit area, I'd say slightly brighter than basic halogens but the top end 50W Halogens definitely cut a more obvious pattern - possibly more noticeable because of the variable beam pattern the Halogens normally cast. They're fine on country lanes, but when you're in the city, they scarcely cast a brighter light on the ground than a bright streetlight, so not great.

Gimme a couple of weeks* - I'm about to test a new solution on my new MR2... I think I've eventually found a new high-end LED and the correct spacer that SHOULD fit without any manipulation required. Total cost expected ~£50 for the lot (similar to 2x high end 50W Halogens).

*I have the LED's already and I ordered the spacers last week, but they're on a boat / SLOW plane from China...

Subscribe to this thread - if the new plan works, I'll post the links, part numbers, order details, install instructions, etc here.

edit: I'll be comparing the output of these to other bulbs in these lights rather than other cars as the headlights on my new '2 have that nasty internal crazing that means I think I'll need a new pair of lenses to get any really decent output from them.

Okay - it worked - full write up tomorrow/later if I have the time...

Is it noticably different - without a doubt*... is it worth >£40 vs ~£10... debatable... would I do it again - definitely!

*most noticeably on street-lit A roads where it now cuts a clear pattern on the ground where the beam pattern is.

The "bulbs" are the 2019 edition of the Novsight H7 LED (HERE (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PT6NWHF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1))... £43 though, but all the other LED's I've tried have either had massive heatsinks or were tiny and pretty weedy (like my budget ones).

The MUCH cheaper Novsight's (£20-£25 with the massive heatsinks) are the ones I have on my fogs + high beams...

I took reasonable tripod photo's for comparison with:
1) my fairly expensive Halfords Halogens (>£20 per bulbs better than any of the Osram/Philips bulbs)
2) my budget LED's (£10-£12 a pair)
3) the new project (2019 Novsight's) at £43 for the pair....

I'll post those tomorrow as I need to get them off the proper camera though!

Hopefully those will at least allow you to see how much the crazing on my lenses is messing up the light :(

The plastic spacer that you need is in the pic below: eBay links (HERE @ ~£2 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-H7-LED-Headlight-Bulb-Base-Holder-Adapter-for-Mazda-Toyota-Camry-Collora-ABS/123531960101?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) and HERE @ ~£4 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Afarnova-H7-H1-LED-Bulb-Holders-Headlight-Adapter-Clip-Base-Retainer-High-Low-X2/323819290579?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=512824946723&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649))... I bought both as I wanted spares, in case I broke one... same part, same delivery time, so buy the cheaper one unless you're impatient like me and want to spend the money to get a better chance of one arriving sooner....

Quote from: BahnStormer on November  7, 2019, 03:25Okay - it worked - full write up tomorrow/later if I have the time...

Is it noticably different - without a doubt*... is it worth >£40 vs ~£10... debatable... would I do it again - definitely!

*most noticeably on street-lit A roads where it now cuts a clear pattern on the ground where the beam pattern is.

The "bulbs" are the 2019 edition of the Novsight H7 LED (HERE (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PT6NWHF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1))... £43 though, but all the other LED's I've tried have either had massive heatsinks or were tiny and pretty weedy (like my budget ones).

The MUCH cheaper Novsight's (£20-£25 with the massive heatsinks) are the ones I have on my fogs + high beams...

I took reasonable tripod photo's for comparison with:
1) my fairly expensive Halfords Halogens (>£20 per bulbs better than any of the Osram/Philips bulbs)
2) my budget LED's (£10-£12 a pair)
3) the new project (2019 Novsight's) at £43 for the pair....

I'll post those tomorrow as I need to get them off the proper camera though!

Hopefully those will at least allow you to see how much the crazing on my lenses is messing up the light :(

The plastic spacer that you need is in the pic below: eBay links (HERE @ ~£2 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-H7-LED-Headlight-Bulb-Base-Holder-Adapter-for-Mazda-Toyota-Camry-Collora-ABS/123531960101?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649) and HERE @ ~£4 (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Afarnova-H7-H1-LED-Bulb-Holders-Headlight-Adapter-Clip-Base-Retainer-High-Low-X2/323819290579?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=512824946723&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649))... I bought both as I wanted spares, in case I broke one... same part, same delivery time, so buy the cheaper one unless you're impatient like me and want to spend the money to get a better chance of one arriving sooner....

There are two after-thought concerns though:
1) installation - with the rain coming in, late time, etc I took a bit of a skortcut with lower part of the I actually have mine over the lower part of the little right-angled plug... and that has a VERY small fan inside it.... post install regret - I should have spent more time trying to get the lower arm into the narrow gap between the plug and the spacer. I'll try to sketch something one day if people need this explained. It will probably be apparent when you're trying to install them.


2) output - it is way better than any other Halogen/LED I've ever had, but it definitely increases the one small fragment heading high and right - it's very small and not sure if it would be an MOT fail, but it is more noticeable...

edit: the output is great IF you can get the retention clips to hold the LED unit in place. The 2019 Novsight is a lot easier to fit than the earlier version (2017) - those TXVSO's have a perfect beam pattern, but pretty ordinary output and after going back and forth, I'm not sure the 2019 Novsights are worth the hassle as the beam pattern is too difficult to maintain - I'm back on the Halford Premium Halogens for a bit.
edit2: I may have a solution - TBC in the next day or two!

Here are the "easy" photo's (off my phone/DropBox)...

1&2: Camera setup - which also shows quite how dark the alley was with a phone flash.

3: My headlight lens, from the top, which highlights the crazing more...

4&5: The 2019 Novsight H7's and the spacers - note that you have to twist the metal ring to unlock the baynonet and then take it off, put the spacer in place - "legs" pointing towards the front, then put the metal piece back on.... and when you do - be sure to rotate it so the tab goes towards the top (with the lead pointing down).

Quote from: mr2noob on November  7, 2019, 16:53Is it just my imagination or is your headlight really in a bad shape? There seems to be a lot of scratches in it.

That's all my comments about the "crazing" and why I took that photo - they've been refurbed twice: once by a previous owner with what must have been a handful of gravel... and then professionally at Shinding South. Too little too late.....

I need to see how Christmas goes, but I think I'll be spending the £355 on a new set soon :(

Quote from: mr2noob on November  8, 2019, 00:08

Quote from: BahnStormer on November  7, 2019, 22:02I need to see how Christmas goes, but I think I'll be spending the £355 on a new set soon :(

Count yourself lucky it's only 355. I had to spend 700 eur cause only one person in Europe was selling them that I could find and he wanted premium for them. :(

That sounds pretty brutal on the pricing!

There was rain on the lens for my last photo from the light beams (it's just a blur!) -so I'll try to grab another photo - it's my local sports club that I'm at all the time, but I think it will be too busy tonight as I'll be there earlier... probably good for tomorrow night though, when I'll be there a lot later.

And I'll get a photo with foglights too  :o

Quote from: BahnStormer on November  7, 2019, 22:02I need to see how Christmas goes, but I think I'll be spending the £355 on a new set soon :(

Have you tried the split unit (headlight and/or relationship) method yet? If it works you´ll have saved 355 and if it does not, you´ve lost none. Lee explains it pretty well I think.

Quote from: Petrus on November 11, 2019, 13:03

Quote from: BahnStormer on November  7, 2019, 22:02I need to see how Christmas goes, but I think I'll be spending the £355 on a new set soon :(

Have you tried the split unit (headlight and/or relationship) method yet? If it works you´ll have saved 355 and if it does not, you´ve lost none. Lee explains it pretty well I think.

Wasn't Lee's setup on PFL's... and in order to Joey mod them (or something similar?)... mine have lenses that have surface scratching and micro-cracks through the entire depth over the entire surface....until I get rid of the lens, I'm not getting any decent light out of mine..l.

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 11, 2019, 19:54Wasn't Lee's setup on PFL's... and in order to Joey mod them (or something similar?)...[/qoute]

Yes.
It still serves to polish the inside if needed, regardless the type.

Quotemine have lenses that have surface scratching and micro-cracks through the entire depth over the entire surface....until I get rid of the lens, I'm not getting any decent light out of mine..l.

That´s that then. New ones it is :-(
You may be lucky though with Noob´s

Quote from: Petrus on November 11, 2019, 20:07That´s that then. New ones it is :-(
You may be lucky though with Noob´s

Pretty sure there's not much that can be done given the level of micro-cracks all over the lenses on mine... the light output is actually pretty decent given how bad the lenses are, but new units are definitely in the plans.

Is @mr2noob giving away old lenses or something?

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 12, 2019, 12:29Is @mr2noob giving away old lenses or something?

See #39

Quote from: Petrus on November 12, 2019, 14:02

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 12, 2019, 12:29Is @mr2noob giving away old lenses or something?

See #39

Ah - that was it... thanks... I'd seen that comment somewhere along the line.... but had forgotten the details.

TBH - with something that seems to wear out as much as these do, I think it is going the be £150-£200 to get the 2nd hand ones back to London... or £355 for a new set, so I think I'd rather just hang on until I can afford a new set.

It is crazy that the beam pattern can't just be changed by adjusting the projector... in my Audi (LED matrix headlights), it is just a user-configurable option in the car "MMI" (computer).... something like "Headlight beam pattern for driving on the: LEFT/RIGHT".... one click, all done!

I think it is the one time my Audi has EVER been cheaper than the MR2!

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 12, 2019, 14:14It is crazy that the beam pattern can't just be changed by adjusting the projector... in my Audi (LED matrix headlights), it is just a user-configurable option in the car "MMI" (computer).... something like "Headlight beam pattern for driving on the: LEFT/RIGHT".... one click, all done!

I think it is the one time my Audi has EVER been cheaper than the MR2!

All that clever tech and yet ... they don't provide working indicators.

I'll get my coat!

On a more serious note ... does our car not have a manual adjustment for beam pattern that can be used when driving on the continent?

Quote from: househead on November 12, 2019, 17:15

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 12, 2019, 14:14It is crazy that the beam pattern can't just be changed by adjusting the projector... in my Audi (LED matrix headlights), it is just a user-configurable option in the car "MMI" (computer).... something like "Headlight beam pattern for driving on the: LEFT/RIGHT".... one click, all done!

I think it is the one time my Audi has EVER been cheaper than the MR2!

All that clever tech and yet ... they don't provide working indicators.

I'll get my coat!

I'll have you know that @1979scotte complimented me on my "amazing use of indicators for an Audi driver"...

Quote from: mr2noob on November 12, 2019, 18:25Yeah, it's one of the major regrets of mine over not buying a BMW instead. The E92 I was looking at has a lever on the headlight that switches from RHD to LHD.  Had to ditch perfectly good, brand new, headlight sets because Toyota was too shortsighted to do something like that.

Ummm.... not sure I'm following, E92 vs MR2.... about the only comparison is the "2" in the name!

Quote from: mr2noob on November 12, 2019, 19:38I was deciding between BMW E92 325i M-Sport and MR2 for pretty much entire Autumn. In the end MR2 won out (again), but there is stuff I regret not going for BMW for instead.

Yeah - not really comparable cars... now maybe if it was a E30 318is you were looking at.... that would be pretty comparable!! I keep the Audi A6 to lug stuff around and to remind me that power and tech don't make for a nice car to drive.... it's the pick of that category (other than the S6/RS6)... but it's still pretty soulless, big and heavy.

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 13, 2019, 09:41

Quote from: mr2noob on November 12, 2019, 19:38I was deciding between BMW E92 325i M-Sport and MR2 for pretty much entire Autumn. In the end MR2 won out (again), but there is stuff I regret not going for BMW for instead.

Yeah - not really comparable cars...

Depends.
I looked at a wíldly wide range of ´incomparable´ cars too before finally deiding for the MR Spyder.
The M3 with S65 V8 was on the list as was the S4 V8 and the R32 Golf etc. and several more vintage classics.
The comparable criterium was fun factor and depending on your personal definition of fun a lót of cars become comparable. The car to be replaced was an SY Korando cabrio turbo diesel tuned to 250 hp. Got fined for ´drifting at high speed´ with that one....

Mine's the A6 Avant with the S5 engine from ~2012 (supercharged V6)... mapped.

After I had mine mapped, a friend was so impressed that he went and bought one and did all the supercharger pulley changes, airflow, etc.... his is currently rolling roaded at 480whp... so would thrash an S6 and even give an RS6 a surprise... until the RS6's turbo's are spooled up.

I was less impressed: the car is fundamentally boring for anything other than launching it.... it's very capable in the corners, but just horrible anywhere near the limit as it's still got lifeless electric steering.

Rather than dump £3k on the upgrade work that my friend had done, I bought an MR2.

I think we're getting a little off-topic....  the carpark I was going to do the new dipped beam photo's  photos on last night was too busy when I left... plus I'd forgotten the proper camera, so I wasn't going to hang about in hope that it got quieter.

Quote from: BahnStormer on November 13, 2019, 13:32I think we're getting a little off-topic....  the carpark I was going to do the new dipped beam photo's  photos on last night was too busy when I left... plus I'd forgotten the proper camera, so I wasn't going to hang about in hope that it got quieter.

Promises, promises ;-)

Okay guys - necro-threading, but this topic contains all the background we need.... so made sense to continue here... the NEXT CHAPTER:

After handing over £450 @ TCB for a pair of brand new OEM headlight units (a good price in today's market!)
and some weekend work at chez @jvanzyl I have new headlight units fitted!

MOT today, get the beam pattern checked with the Halfords Premium Halogens and then I'm going to try the 2021 Novsights after that: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07RX34NTV

I don't want to get too optimistic just yet as I have ZERO idea what the beam pattern will look like just yet, HOWEVER there are two or three reasons to be VERY hopeful:

• The sales pitch on the new design is very much about the more halogen-like location and size of the light-source.
• Comparing them side-by-side to the 2019 versions I can confirm that the LED's are at a slightly different location and a LOT longer, so should make the projector unit more effective!
• The shape of the new unit's heatsink and fan is absolutely perfect - I've done a test-fit on the old headlights (I'll get some photo's later), but the OEM clip is able to slot around the heatsink perfectly and hold the unit VERY securely - no more having one of the arms stretched over the back of a heatsink - which was causing the beam pattern some problems - wasn't tilting, but there was a "high haze" whenever the units slipped, which is why I switched back to my Halogens most of the time.

As an added bonus, the colour should be a little closer to pure white as these are 6000K (UK legal* road colour) rather than 6500K, which looked less blue than a lot of modern LED bulbs, but is technically too blue - 4300K is the natural pure white and the best light output is between 4300K and 5000K.

*note that even correctly fitted LED's are not technically legal, but I have been through several MOT's with three different garages in various MR2's.... PROVIDED the beam pattern was perfect. They've all mentioned (verbally) that LEDs are not technically supposed to be in a 2005/2006/2007 cars, but The most regular of the garages did eventually fail me, but the beam pattern had slipped and it was a mess - failure was for beam pattern, not LED's. At that point the tech did say that since he was going in there to fix the beam pattern, he couldn't ignore the bulbs and we needed to switch it back to Halogens, which was fine as I keep the box + adapters in the frunk, just in case I ever get pulled over (or need to drive through France).

edit: here's the before and after on the headlights being installed!

This is something I WISH I'd had before I ever saw an MR2 headlight bulb.... so for anybody struggling with clipping and unclipping that H7 bulb retainer - this view of the latch will probably help!

Note that this is the driver's side (RHD), but the shape and orientation is the same on the left, it does NOT mirror.

A few observations:

• To get them to latch, you need to push where the red arrow is and create a "looping" motion, so that the little hook at the end of that wire goes past the little slot and then comes back and down into it.
• The obvious "tab" on the H7 needs to go at the top.
• Whichever you're using (the Toyota bulb adapter / LED plastic bracket I mentioned earlier), there's a further little leg that needs to go at about 7 o'clock (if you were stood in the frunk area, looks at headlight as shown in the photo). 
• In case it wasn't obvious - DON'T TOUCH ANY SCREWS (not that I did, but I've heard stories)

Quote from: BahnStormer on January 18, 2022, 10:54As an added bonus, the colour should be a little closer to pure white as these are 6000K (UK legal* road colour) rather than 6500K, which looked less blue than a lot of modern LED bulbs, but is technically too blue - 4300K is the natural pure white and the best light output is between 4300K and 5000K.

Good luck with the fitting of these. I've worked in electrical building services & lighting for 35+ years now & have had to be on my toes this last 15 years since LEDs first made their appearance in the lighting market. Don't get too hung up on colour temperatures (& what is natural pure white is a rather existential question - see Claude Monet's haystacks comparing daylight at different hours of the day). Until the introduction of LED's neutral white was given as 3500K anything below that warm white & above that cool white. Since LEDs have become the norm, the industry, for "reasons", has adopted 4000K as neutral white. LED's produce light more efficiently at the cooler end of the spectrum, & where it doesn't matter too much for human comfort, i.e. exterior lighting or car headlights they tend towards the 6000K range for performance efficacy.

Please keep us up to date on how you think these perform. I'm curious, but not curious enough to dip my toe at least until the majors such as Osram or Philips & the like feel they have a viable product.

Quote from: cptspaulding on January 19, 2022, 09:55not curious enough to dip my toe at least until the majors such as Osram or Philips & the like feel they have a viable product.

There are mainstream suppliers: Osram and Philips have some versions, the Osrams are on gen2, but not a lot of places stock them as the big brands very explicitly state that they're "non-road":
Osram "XTR" (https://www.amazon.co.uk/LEDriving-Corresponding-Generation-Replacement-67210CW/dp/B07P5NRV1K) are their gen2 - £30, so cheaper than the £40-ish Novsights!

Philips Ultinon Pro9000 5800K (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Ultinon-Pro9000-Headlight-Bulb/dp/B08N56JYJT/) - look awesome and looks like they might fit, but £120 to try!

Philips Ultinon "Essential" (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-11972UE2-Ultinon-Essential-headlight/dp/B0893WXTMY) also says "Ultinon LED-HL on the box", but clearly different from the Pro9000 model: very different looking shape (similar to the 2017 Novsights) and 6500K, at least they're "only" £50 :s

I'm very happy with the performance, longevity and reliability of the Novsights I've had - the name has only been around since about 2016/2017, but if you want some history, they used to be sold under "NightEye" name, but they changed/merged to Novsight.

The only grumble I've had is the shape of the heatsinks being a pain - not entirely their fault as it only impacts the dipped beam with the funny Toyota adapter behind it - I've got the big red Novsights (from 2017) in my fogs and high beam and cannot fault them at all... I'd still have all three with those, but the H7's were crushed by the accident that wrote off my "old" 2007 Sable.

In terms of the NightEye/Novsight H7 models:

2017 model "gen1?" were a perfect beam pattern, but almost impossible to fit due to the heatsink and a real risk of damaging the clip, when I bought the replacement car, I decided to buy the updated version...

2019 (gen2?) - the heatsink is a smaller, better shape, way easier to fit, but a really pinpoint light generation, so harder to secure properly and keep a reliable beam pattern.

2021 (gen3) - really hopeful for these.... should have an update by the weekend!

Ha. Good to know about the Osram & Philips. It's been a while since I looked at LED replacements.

Output of the Osram & Philips appears to be around the same as your Night Breaker lamps (1500lm), although lamp life is a fair bit longer & their output shouldn't degrade over time the way halogen does (if they behave the same as commercial LEDs).

But bloody hell, 5000lm from those Novsights is mental!! You should do a survey of the drivers coming towards you, to see what their impression is!  :))

The heatsink is another reason I was wary of these LEDs. The Novsights say they have a cooling fan in the heatsink. Will you be running these without any cover on the back of the headlights to allow flow of air? (I can't actually recall if there is a cover on the back of the lamp holder.)

Quote from: cptspaulding on January 19, 2022, 15:44But bloody hell, 5000lm from those Novsights is mental!! You should do a survey of the drivers coming towards you, to see what their impression is!  :))

For the oncoming drivers, it's the beam pattern to worry about: in terms of brightness, when standing in front of the car, the fogs and highbeams are a lot brighter than the dipped beam lights... but even with all three on at the same time, they are nowhere near as bright as my Audi (LED matrix), especially not if I get my head low enough to get into the main part of the dipped beam!

It might be "5000 lumens" when measuring on the diode, but the effective output is still lower than modern LED headlights: it's not going to fail on lumens - only if you get a picky MOT inspector.

The main benefit is that when the fitment is perfect, the LED beam is just a lot cleaner - not only on a measurement wall, but it's a not more relaxing when driving as the pattern on the floor is noticeably more consistent and smooth directly in front of the car, while my Halogens had a very mottled feel... 

Quote from: cptspaulding on January 19, 2022, 15:44The heatsink is another reason I was wary of these LEDs. The Novsights say they have a cooling fan in the heatsink. Will you be running these without any cover on the back of the headlights to allow flow of air? (I can't actually recall if there is a cover on the back of the lamp holder.)

There's a rubber boot on the back of the dipped beams, nothing on the fogs / main beam / sidelights or indicators.

The LED's pretty much all have a fairly high IP rating (IP68?) - some of the manufacturer even have demo's with the full heatsink and fan fully submerged... apparently they're fine with a decent amount of moisture, provided don't submerge the contacts.

The main complaint is that LED's don't generate as much heat as the Halogens (they won't demist a fogged up light unit), but I have been fairly wary of the head they might generate - they certainly LOOK impressive: some of those heatsinks and fans look like they should have an Intel Alderlake CPU on them!

I ran the 2017 "big red" Novsights without the rubber boot - out of necessity (space!).

The 2019's were a LOT smaller and the tiny fan aimed out the back anyway, so I ran them with the car stationary for about half an hour and checked the temps (warm, not too hot), then put the boot on and checked again after the first couple of journeys. Seemed fine.

The 2021 model seems to have the fan aimed up/down, so not sure how much through-flow there will be - I'll probably test run them for 10mins and provided they haven't heated up too much, I'll slide the boot on and check them again 10-15 min later... gut feel is I'll run them with the rubber boot on just to avoid any muddy "splash" getting up and ruining the fans.

Confirmed - those 2021 Novsights are "easy" to fit (similar* to OEM Halogens, so plan to lose the usual half-pint of blood via your knuckles/hands)... WAY easier than any other LED's I've tried to fit and the beam pattern actually looks cleaner than my brand new headlight units with halogens - the Halogens were mostly perfect - certainly sailed through their MOT, but had a weird little dot going up to the right, apparently not enough to fail an MOT, but it was bugging me!

Note that you do still need the little plastic retainer clip off eBay though!

*two slight differences:
1) the H7 orientation tab at the top and the secondary "seven o'clock" tab on the extra piece of plastic can move independently until they're clipped down, so you may need a little giggle on the retainer clip to get it to slot in properly.
2) when you swing the two wire retaining "arms" over you need to move the leads a little to make sure the lower arm doesn't trap them and the upper arm needs to swing a 2-3mm higher than it's natural path, to ensure it clears the heatsink and grabs onto the plastic retainer.

I'll have a look at, resize and upload to the beam photos tomorrow - I also got some close-up installation photo's using the old units on the dining room table before I even tried on the car.

Quote from: BahnStormer on January 19, 2022, 16:44I'll probably test run them for 10mins and provided they haven't heated up too much, I'll slide the boot on and check them again 10-15 min later

That really won't tell you much. The heat being dissipated is at the junction of the semiconductors at the chip itself. Really minimal heat when compared to a halogen lamp for example but it's a very small area that needs kept cool. You'll not "feel" much of a difference at the back of the heatsink. Poor cooling will have the LED degrade/fail more quickly.

Then again, they are anticipating a lamp life of >100,000 hours so even with say a 90% increased degradation they'll still probably last longer than the car  :))

Thanks for the update. Sounds like you're being thorough with this  :)

I'll do the photo's properly later (Dropbox not sync'ing back to my PC right now), plus I'm at work today :)

While I wait to sort through the beam pattern photo's (to see if any are usable), here's a few pics of the LED units to keep you amused:

• one showing the new LED installed (on my old headlights) - can see the OEM wire-clips, the little add-in plastic retainer and the 2021 Novsight LED.
• another showing the more compact 2021 LED unit next to the 2019 model (L-shaped and and small diode = difficult to get/keep beam pattern right)
• finally the three key parts: the main unit, circular H7 adapter (included with the Novsight) and the square-ish plastic clip to fit the Toyota unit (off eBay).

The only thing that's missing from the photos is the little plug+lead that slots onto the two metal blades (sits flush with the heatsink) and runs out to the normal H7 plug - to make installation even easier :)

Beam pattern is really good when lined up against a wall, but the place that I stopped to change the bulbs over wasn't great and the photos were awful - ended up aimed partly at a hedge and although it looked okay to the eye, the photo's are useless...

A good few months have passed by

Any updates @BahnStormer?, are you still using the H7 version of this
 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07S178H9Q?th=1 < the H4 that I would need on my pfl

Or indeed anyone else who has installed these plug and play led

tempted by these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08N56SXF8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1

updated 1/10/22

ordered the Phillips (as above), spotted + researched that my Swift Sport also takes H4 ,so went mad and ordered the Osrams as well ( OSRAM LEDriving HL (Next Generation) LED H4 (Twin)) along with some Philips foglight led for the same car ( Philips Ultinon Essential LED H8/H11/H16 (Twin) ) . The H4 bulbs I propose to try on both cars

further updated 11/10/22

All 3 bulbs installed in the 2 cars, no issues, very pleased with the results

Sorry about the lack of updates: those H7 bulbs are immense in my FL - beam pattern remains razor sharp and perfectly formed, so I am assuming the bulbs are still held v firmly in place...

 re my last entry

I was initially happy with the H4 LED in the PFL car, the bulbs fitted well but the beam pattern rather too high(despite attempts to rectify) ...this caused many 'flashes' from other drivers.

So out they came, to be replaced by 'traditional' halogen Osram Nightbreakers. 

Quote from: Gibla on January  2, 2023, 09:49re my last entry

I was initially happy with the H4 LED in the PFL car, the bulbs fitted well but the beam pattern rather too high(despite attempts to rectify) ...this caused many 'flashes' from other drivers.

So out they came, to be replaced by 'traditional' halogen Osram Nightbreakers. 

 It depends on which ones you get and the housing they are placed in. Did you use the Phillips in the PFL housing?
Those are the only ones that have been reported to work with a sharp cut off. I have a modified version based on the Phillips design that works with no glare to oncoming drivers.

Quote from: Dev on January  5, 2023, 17:06It depends on which ones you get and the housing they are placed in. Did you use the Phillips in the PFL housing?
Those are the only ones that have been reported to work with a sharp cut off. I have a modified version based on the Phillips design that works with no glare to oncoming drivers.

Not ignoring this comment, but need to take a photo of the removed led to decide which type were found to be unsuitable for my pfl