LED Headlight Conversion FG Mk1

[KEET]

With an FG Mk1 have wanted for some time to clean up the front end with a headlight presentation; modernising, moving on from the dull glow of the standard light parker globe look.

 

With my original headlights showing that micropitting and beginnings of hazing on the outer polycarbonate, I decided to change the units over and got for replacement H7 and H4  "globes" in LED form.

 

Ordered these units with integrated halo:  https://www.ozeparts.com.au/1027314.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIpKrvtfSG_AIVWCUrCh3n3gnsEAQYBCABEgJeefD_BwE

 

Quality I would say is NOT quite on par with OEM, but not bad.

 

There are various H4 and H7 led globes out there.  I just went with Stedi as they specifically said their globes are ADR compliant.  Possibly many of the other are too but don't say as such.  Stedi are quite pricey, but are aligned to the other top of the market phillips and osram.

 

Overall, the look is improved, but I would say that the Halos are nowhere near as bright as those that get retrofitted, they are a single white LED that bounces the light round a faceted plastic ring.    Looks good at night but in daylight it is nearly imperceptible, where you see other OEM highlights on late model cars and the day time running lights are very bright and apparent in the day time.

 

As a low cost option, not bad and much less costly than the custom halo insertion route, but was a bit disappointing.

 

The H4 and H7s (and fogs for that matter) from Stedi are very well made and as they have cooling rings they don't need the ballast of the alternate HiD systems, essentially a plug and play option.  They are good but I would say the throw and the evenness of the light is not as good that of a decent high-spec standard glob like "nightbreaker".  Trouble I have had with these higher brightness "whiter" globes is the same as many of you they only last about 1yr.   Put in a less bright redder more like a 4500 kelvin and it goes way longer.

 

As my driving is 98% urban, I'm happy with it, but if I lived out in more open countryside I might have preferred the much cleaner throw of light from the standard high power bulbs.    I think on the Mk2 with the projector housing probably fixes this up although, in imho, I think the headlight on the mk1 is nicer look.

 

[biddie_fiddler]

Looks good! 

 

Highly, highly recommend adjusting your headlights to aim way more down. With mk1 headlights they kinda just throw light EVERYWHERE. 

You will blind oncoming traffic with those and will get plenty flashes in return.

 

Had this when I put LEDs in my headlights. Haven't had any complains since dipping them down

[bossmang]

is that projection on the wall with high beam on? cause fuark that's gonna blind people lol

Edited 21/12/22 06:48 AM by bossmang

[KEET]

That is full beam, and what the photos don't give away is that the part of the driveway the car is sat on slopes away so the car is actually quite nose up in the pictures.    Think of Mark Webber's 1999 Mercedes GT CLR.

 

To be fair though I'm not convinced that the faceting of the mirrors behind the globes is as good (geometrically) as it was in the OEM headlight unit.