How To Choose The Right Led Bulb?

LED lights provide up to 90% power savings compared to traditional halogen or luminescent bulbs. They also have a greatly superior life period – lasting 10,000s of hours compared to a conventional bulb which may last only 1,000 hours. 

Even comparing LED bulbs with the CFL low energy lights there are obvious benefits – as you turn on the light switch, an LED light will right away provide full lighting, while the CFL would still be heating up. LEDs can also be created to generate a variety of colour temperatures.

Now while the advantages of LED are now quite well known, what a lot of customers don’t know is that LED lights differ extremely in quality.

The majority of LED lighting makers all guarantee supreme performance, in terms of lifetime and the quality of the luminosity the bulb offers, but they can’t all be true can they?

Heat Dissipation

One of the most important features of a LED bulb when it comes to superiority is how well the bulb dissipates warmth.

There are varieties of designs for heat sinks, which is why the exterior of LED bulbs changes so much between brands. You may be familiar with the metal fins on some LEDs – higher end LEDs will have ceramic heat sinks or aluminum fins. The ceramic fins can be more efficient than any metal heat sink, since they possess plenty of little pores, which offer an even better surface area to dispel the heat from compared to metals. Ceramic heat sinks have an extremely low thermal capacity, but the highest surface area to maximize heat loss into the nearby environment.

So in our understanding improved LED bulbs will use ceramics or aluminum, but this alone does not make them a marketplace leader!

Chip Set

The chip used to change electrical energy to light is also really vital aspect.

Bad quality chip will produce more heat, and will consequently not last as long. Improved bulbs will make use of chips from better producers, which create less heat and convert more power to light. You get what you pay for and it is 100% true with the LED lights.

Power Driver

The driver controls the energy entering the LED’s, making sure that the bulb functions optimally and does not burn. In an MR16, this mechanism can be found in the light switch or in the fitting, since the bulb does not have an integral driver. GU10s have an innate driver hence they do not require an outer device.

If you choose to make the switch to LED bulbs, we advise ignoring MR16 spots totally and just installing GU10s even if you have to modify the fitting. 

Colour Temperature

Unlike conventional incandescent and halogen bulbs that have a tendency to generate a warm white light, LED lights are offered in numerous different colours – this is identified as the colour temperature of the bulb. To imitate the colour temperature created from a halogen GU10, you would require opting for a warm / daylight coloured bulb. If you favor the cooler light frequently linked with office spaces, then you would possibly prefer the cool light bulbs.

Quality is the most important factor and you should always choose the LED bulb which is of good quality.

Checking External Lighting

Sometimes when you get home from work, it’s late, gloomy and dark. And so you switch on the lights in your home to see where you are going and to see the room. Exterior car lights have the same purpose – to see the direction and to see all around. Without these lights, you will be driving into danger. Even if one light is out, it can make all of the difference to your safety and comfort. When the time comes to replace or upgrade a light bulb, it is easy to leave it until tomorrow or the next weekend, but just like replacing a bulb in the home, you need to replace a bulb in your car as soon as possible. Driving with one headlight on in the dark may confuse motorists into thinking a motorcycle is approaching, not a 1.5 ton car.

If your headlights fail while driving in darkness, try using the light from sidelights or following the tail lights of another vehicle until you reach somewhere safe you can assess your situation.

Brake gently and try the dip switch. You may get lucky and still have a full or dip beam available if one or the other fails. Also try your light switch; sometimes a bad connection causes a temporary fault so turn it on and off a few times to see if anything happens.

If nothing happens and you are still without lights, pull off the road where possible and park safely. Switch your hazard lights or indicators on to make other drivers aware of your presence. They are very unlikely to see you unless you do this.  

It is recommended that you check your car lights on a weekly basis. Have someone with you to stand in front and behind your car while you test each and every light. Any light that does not illuminate will need to be replaced.

Finding the bulb that needs replacement will be easy. Auto LED Shop has the highest quality car light bulbs at competitive prices. If you are not sure as to which bulb you need, you can use the Find Your Matching Bulbs form on our website.

Battle of Headlights: Halogen vs HID vs LED vs Laser

From the simple acetylene lamps of 1880’s to the complicated LED assemblies today, technology has played a huge role in headlight innovation. There’s no stop as researchers are still putting in time, effort, and money into finding new breakthroughs in headlight technologies. Commonly used in automobile manufacturing, evolving headlight technologies are making roads safer and usage easier and cost-effective.

The prominent headlights which one would see around in automobiles today can be categorized into 4 technologies – Halogen, HID, LED and Laser. Let’s take a deeper look into the advantages each provides over the other.

Halogen

Halogen was the first step to headlight modernisation after the acetylene technology. However, it is still being used and preferred by several car manufacturers and owners today. Halogen uses tungsten filaments, similar to the ones found in incandescent bulbs, encased in is halogen gas for longevity and improved performance. While the filament is itself the light source, car headlights were fitted with lenses to focus light onto the road. The casing and the lens also act as an enhanced protective housing for the lights. Gradually the glass components of these headlights were replaced by polycarbonate materials that produced even stronger beams while making the overall headlight lighter. Halogen headlights thus proved to be both low cost and powerful car lighting solution. They provide a working life between 500 and 1000 hours and could be seen in the cars like Mazda MX-5 and Ford Ranger.

The disadvantage with the halogen lamps is however that much of the power (55 watt) is wasted in heating up the filament than producing the light. This doesn’t make the technology quite energy efficient.

HID (High Intensity Discharge)

Seen in the cars like the Lexus IS; HID uses a rare combination of metals and gases to generate a bright and white glow. Compared to the halogens, HID is three times stronger and brighter. However this has also been the reason that cars coming from the other direction would get blinded off. To make driving safer, several countries like Australia have put forth strict regulations for cars operating on HID technology. These headlights need to be integrated with self leveling mechanisms and a washer. Self leveling ensures that the light is pointed towards the ground and washers dust off the grime and dust.

HIDs offer more than 2000 hours of lamp life and operate on 35 watt of power (10 units less compared to halogens).

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

LED technology has come a long way from simple flash lights to being the key components in televisions and cars. Though LED is not as bright as HID, they power up in a millionth of a second and improve the reaction time on road. The small size of the LED also allows a more fashionable application in car head lighting.

Compared to halogen or HID, LEDs offer more than 15,000 hours of lamp life. However the biggest advantage of LEDs is that they don’t heat up and you can easily touch the light even when in use. Dare not do that with halogen or HID! Today, LEDs are used as mainstream car lighting seen in high end models like the Audi A8, Toyota Prius, Lexus LS and even the Corolla Sedan.

Laser

Last year, BMW came with the first laser headlights in the i8 plug-in hybrid supercar. Encased in phosphorous gas, laser headlights provide a powerful white but diffused glow. These headlights are more energy efficient but we will have to wait for some more manufacturers to use laser technology to see its worth.

Use LED Lights and Save Money This Holiday Season

Holiday season is fast approaching. We all are planning to decorate our homes with colorful lights. Holiday light decoration means higher electricity bills. 

But you can save money this festive season, How? Here we are sharing the secret:

Due to the higher living costs people are now searching for efficient options to light up their homes this season. They are opting for LED lights. These lights are durable and generate more light than traditional bulbs.

Instead of cutting back on decoration, you can choose these highly durable and energy saving LED lights to enjoy the festive week. While buying make sure to check the specification of the bulb, this way you can get an idea about the money you can save after choosing LED. A common box of LED light says that you can save about 88 percent on energy, and their lifespan is 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

LED Saves More Power than CFLs and Traditional Bulbs

When we talk about the power consumption, LED consume 10-12% of the power consumed by lighting bulb and about half the power consumed by the CFLs. Talking about their lifetime, compared to the light bulbs which lasts for hundreds of hours and CFLs which lasts for thousands of hours, the lifespan of  CFL is tens of thousands of hours.

The cost of LED lights can be seen high initially but in the long run based on their lifespan they are much more economical than the other options.

Make Your Surrounding Colorful With Colored Led Lights

Led lights not only come in white color but they are available in many different shades. Therefore these lights can be readily used for festive decoration. Not only they are durable but in the long run they are quite economical too therefore try them out this festive season.  Since they consume minimal electricity therefore you need not have to worry about their electricity consumption. They may be pricey initially but since they can work for the life time therefore they are extremely economical in the long run.

Led Televisions and Monitors

Unlike the old televisions which used the fluorescent bulbs and plasma for display, the latest ones use LED lights. There are many advantages of this. They consume way less electricity than the earlier televisions. LEDS are also capable of providing more clarity than its predecessors.

LED Flashlights 

LED flashlights are fast capturing the market of flashlights. There are lots of reasons for them becoming popular. They can work longer than their counterparts on the same sized batteries. They can easily endure high shocks and other resistance unlike their counter parts which can easily crack or break under shock. If handled properly the LED flashlights can last through your entire lifetime.

With the durability LED lights possess and the power they consume they are one of the best choices to use for lightning.

Mazda Is Showcasing Its Next-Generation Adaptive LED Headlights

Car headlights can both be an assistive and dangerous on the road. While you cannot drive without putting them on, the traditional system also leads to blinding other drivers coming from the opposite direction. Many drivers have wished they could have done more with low beams and be more responsible and safe. A perfect solution has been provided by Mazda’s next generation adaptive LED headlight system.

Over time several auto manufacturers have researched and come out with headlight technology, that present you both high beams to see the road clearly and low beams that will not blind the vehicle coming in your direction. However, this would also mean that until and unless the car ahead crosses you, you are stuck with low beam and lower road visibility. As such, Mazda has come up with a technology that would selectively dim the portion of light beam that could be concerning the driver ahead, while allowing you to drive in full beam and a clear road.

What is adaptive LED headlight technology?

Most adaptive headlight technology is aimed towards improving distant sight at night. They are also programmed to respond automatically to presence of another vehicle, weather condition and similar factors. All throughout the automobile history, there have been various types of adaptive technologies. However, each adaptive headlight technology comes with its unique capability and is different from each other. As an example, the modern directional headlights are assisted by sensor inputs that determine vehicles taking a curve or changing direction. In such cases, the headlight rotates with the vehicle and illuminates the side of the road when cornering. Traditional designs don’t have this system and can be quite dangerous.

Other adaptive systems have sensors that can determine the intensity of the beam and adjust it to facilitate a safe driving. This system doesn’t require the driver to switch to manual adjustment of the beam and thus concentrate on the road. These systems can determine how far an incoming vehicle is and creates enough light to illuminate the road but without creating any glare.

Mazda’s current adaptive LED headlight system is integrated with a camera that can read images itself and identify vehicles coming from the opposite direction. Now, the system uses an array of high beams, wherein each of them can be dimmed and brightened individually. The area of beam that falls on the car coming from the opposite side will turn low while the rest remains the same presenting a consistent view of the road ahead.

Importance of adaptive LED headlight systems

Adaptive headlights have been conceived with the only aim to reduce accidents on the road, especially during the night. According to statics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, technology such as Mazda’s have been resulted in 10% less insurance claims and it can be directly linked to a safer driving standards. The institute has also found out that 7% of nighttime accidents reported by highway police are due to reasons related to headlights. Even real world data shows that adaptive LED headlight technology can have a significant positive impact on the safety of the car and fellow travelers. As they have been designed to work automatically, it helps the driver to focus better on the road and not get distracted. With many automobile manufacturers researching on better head lighting, it is really the time that car owners switch to a safer technology.

Clash In The City- How To Avoid Car Accidents?

Driving at night without proper headlights can cause grave road accidents. Therefore it is recommended to install good quality, high precision headlights in your vehicles to avoid road mishaps. 

Read More: Guide To Buy LED Headlights 

Guide To Buy LED Lights

Lighting is an integral part of vehicle designing and LEDs have brought forward a variety of opportunity for the average customer. Road traffic has increased today and more people are opting for night travel, making lighting a serious consideration. Be it headlight, taillight or interior lighting, all inspire better road visibility, maneuverability and road safety. As compared to the traditional car lighting technology, LEDs provide a range of advantages including more energy efficiency, higher and more powerful and variable beams and the option to decorate the vehicle effectively. If you are planning to search for the best LED lighting for your vehicle, it is important to know the various options at hand.

LEDs come to good use in any application. It will be good to consider the fact that a car uses various types of lighting at every point of travel. It could be light for illuminations, indication/warning lights and decorative installations.

LED Headlight: It is the light at the front of every vehicle used for illuminating the road ahead. A variety of beams with LED arrangements provides long distance visibility and lowers the risks of an accident.

LED Taillight: It is the red light at the back of the vehicle when the car is powered on. They are mostly used as brake lights but also indicate a following vehicle’s exact position with respect to your car.

Brake lights: Brake lights indicate to the following vehicle that the driver in front has slowed down the vehicle and he/she needs to do the same. Brake lights will also indicate warning signs to the following vehicle to stop.

LED Turn Signals: In case a driver wants to turn in either direction, turning on the Turn Signals will make sure that the car behind will not get surprised and an accident will be averted.

Side Marker LEDs: Side lights allow passing vehicles to exactly mark the position of the car. Side marking LEDs also give immense flexibility to integrate cool light designs for night travelers.

Fog lights: Fog lights increase the visibility of the road in low light conditions – fog and rain specifically. They also help other drivers to maintain safer distance from each other.

Under Car LED lighting: Mainly used for decorative purposes, decorative LEDs under the car make the vehicle look more “cool” and futuristic.

Convenience lights: Generally referring to the interior lighting, it allows the driver and passengers more visibility inside the car. Convenient LED lighting constitutes map lights, glove compartment lights, dome lights, etc.

While the above types of lighting constitute the basic installations in all cars, customization can include several other forms of LED arrangements. It depends on the needs and requirements of the owner.

Most modern vehicles are coming up with Led alternatives and many existing car owners are replacing the traditional bulbs with Led counterparts. As it is, LEDs offer many advantages including energy saving, brighter illumination, low heat generation, durability and in fact cost less in the long run. 

Replacing a LED is easier than with traditional lighting arrangements and you have the flexibility to include a variety of bulb shapes and beam color. For those looking for a futuristic looking vehicle, LED is the best alternative technology available in the market today. They also suit every type of budget and lighting requirements.

7 Popular Auto Styling Trends

The automobile industry has always been on the move with new products and designs being launched into the market every other day. In the light of the current situation, various unique auto styling trends have emerged involving an evolution in technology and demands. Technology has always been a driver in this industry. The new perspectives can be expected to emerge in the future. However, if you are looking to give your vehicle a “cool” look, here are some trends you need to get acquainted with.

LED technology

LED by far has brought the most revolutionary twists in automotive designs. While LED’s started as a basic add on, today it is being fluently integrated in the body design and lighting for creating eye catching models. LED’s no longer just form the decorative aspect of vehicles but are an advantageous integration for better road safety and interior lighting. Small LED bulbs arranged in clusters can produce a range of beams and the flexibility to add color to it makes it a “cool” tool. The technology has been used to create impressive Led headlights, taillights, signals, fog lights and decorative under car lighting. LEDs are also more energy efficient and the overall functional benefits outweigh the cost of initial installation.

Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic designs have long been associated with racing vehicles and of course air planes. But the technology is being introduced in everyday cars today. With diverse nature, aerodynamic car designs present a unique look to the vehicle and provide speed and added fuel efficiency to the vehicle. The changes as compared to the traditional design include lower seating, sharp and more inclined wings and subtle radius. Active vanes also improve the aerodynamics of modern cars.

Legislation  

A more legal aspect of car design, elements like softer front ends make accident impacts much less harmful. This would involve more space between the outer skin of the car and the core steel parts. Large front overhangs and raised hoods are common demand for the modern car customer. This also influences the use of a variety of vertical headlights in modern cars.

Roominess

Modern customers also look for more convenience of seating and more room inside the vehicle. Today’s average cars are much wider and higher, creating a larger interior space with the use of technology. Roominess is also highlighted by creative use of interior lighting. Glass surfacing is more and sunroofs highlight the need for letting in light rather than making the vehicle more airy. 

Nature inspired designs

The mega trend in today’s car designs follow sustainability and are inspired by “natural elements”. While more of a technical aspect, designers are more influenced to create textures that are inspired by natural life. Air patterns and wind tunnels are presented in the body texture making it much more relevant for the Eco sensitive consumer. 

Individuality

A car is considered to represent ones personality. As it is, volume, shape and color are inspired by general needs for personal expression. Customizations through trims, color and extensive option packages along with extensive use of accessories make the modern car. 

Electric drive

Electric drives are the most recent design and vehicle trend and constitute power train components that are flexibly routed with wired connections. 

Auto style trends are all about personalization and individual requirement for travel luxuries and conveniences. Designers continue to explore new models and their acceptability with the modern consumers. However, the points noted above represent the current status of the industry. 

Buy High Performance LED Festoon Bulbs

LED light bulbs will one day replace the entire traditional light lamps which we are still using. Reasons are obvious; they come with a number of economic and environmental benefits. LED bulbs don’t use any type of luminary gas or filament. They generate three times more light than an ordinary bulb. LED lighting is based on a technology which uses diodes to generate light. A low voltage current is passed through the diode which causes light to emit. This emitted light doesn’t cause heat pollution because these bulbs don’t use any gas. 

Improvements in lighting technology, automotives and car headlights are continuously providing lots of new energy efficient sources. Online stores nowadays are offering LED bulbs which consume 90% percent less electricity than conventional car headlamps, and produce 3 times more light. An LED bulb which operates on 0.6 watt gives same light as a xenon bulb which operates on 7 watt. 

LED bulbs are now being used widely for residential and commercial use. The most recent breakthrough came when few years ago Chinese scientists mixed yellow and blue color in precise combination to produce white color. After that White LED lights were introduced in the markets in lots of sizes and shapes. Lighting companies joined the bandwagon by offering their own range of LED lights. These cost conscious and eco-friendly lights are now ruling over the automotive market. 

Future of LED

As this energy efficient lighting is spreading its feet rapidly, no doubt the future of LED lights is quite promising. Currently the price of LED bulbs is substantially higher than incandescent bulbs. But in the long run you can easily save money installing LED lights. LED Festoon Bulbs are used for upgrade in car interiors as these bulbs are reliable, durable and consume less power.

Auto LED Shop is the leading supplier of high quality LED bulbs, HID conversion kits, Xenon Lights and Car upgrades. Visit us today and choose the perfect headlight for your car at competitive prices.