Headlights: sealed beam, Halogen, HID, LED???

[kgreen]

Very brief history:

Prior to 1940 and after the period of using kerosene or acetylene fueled lamps, cars were equipped with headlights that were constructed of a headlight bucket with a replaceable filament bulb.  The headlight bucket served as a housing for the components of the headlamp including a mount for the bulb, a larger reflective surface used to broaden the beam of light emitted from the bulb and a clear lens to protect the bulb and reflector and to a degree aim and focus the light emitted from the bulb. Typical problems with this approach were that the lens and reflector were not always tightly sealed and contaminants could enter the headlight bucket, coating the inside of the lens and the surface of the reflector.  Proper maintenance of the headlight bucket could reduce these problems, but there was a diligent effort required to remove the lens for cleaning both lens and reflector.  Further, the reflector could get damaged from frequent cleaning, reducing its' efficiency.

 

Beginning in 1940, Federal law required two 7-inch sealed beam headlamps on each car.  The sealed beam lamp was an integral, sealed unit of filament bulb, reflector and lens.  The stated purpose of the sealed beam lamp was to provide a new, clean reflector within a sealed chamber that would not get dirty, easing the motorists mind with reduced maintenance.  The sealed beam lamp was equipped with two filaments that today we call low beam and high beam.  In 1957 Federal law allowed four headlamps of 5 1/4-inch diameter; two headlamps served for low beam and the second pair provided additional light to serve as high beam.

 

More history is available that can excite your interest.

 

Today's options:

Headlamps are still available today in both 6 and 12-volt, 5 1/4 and 7-inch sealed beam.  The dim glow of traditional sealed beam bulbs is due to at least two factors. (1) low light because of damaged wiring, corroded terminal connections or low generator output or (2) lower actual light levels compared to the newer cars to which we have become accustomed.  For a time, auto accidents were considerably more prevalent at night than during the day for reasons including poor night visibility.  Modern lamp technology achieves considerably better results for night time driving, possibly reducing poor visibility as a cause for increased auto accidents  Some in our hobby are updating their headlamps to more current technology.  Replacement options can include Halogen, HID and LED.  

 

Which one should we select, are these options viable and do they interrupt the preservation of the old style?

 

Some of these bulbs draw considerably more power and care must be taken not to overheat existing wires and switches.  In these cases, a relay is required to directly connect the headlamps to the battery, using a lower power relay to "throw the switch".  

 

I found no searchable threads on this forum for "headlight" that addressed any conversion discussions.  The following website  (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html)  has very good information on conversion to Halogen but is a sales website which is not endorsed by this forum or by me personally.  Other discussions on this topic were found on the HAMB  http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/halogen-vs-sealed-beam-headlights.312933/  and the Ford Barn: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47571.  Wikipedia also has interesting but non peer-reviewed content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp.

 

I was hoping to provide a concise guide to a conversion; that is not possible.  There is much to consider in a conversion and your participation with your experience and knowledge are more than welcome.  Frankly, I am going to stay with original lighting, I have other more pressing priorities.  When the time comes I would consider Halogen with a relay switch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2017 by kgreen (see edit history)

[MrEarl]

Great idea for a thread, Ken, thanks for sharing in General so all might see?

[Pilgrim65]

Thanks Ken very enlightening!

will be looking into one of the options

cheers

pilgrim

[Beemon]

Halogen bulbs are still standard in current automobiles that use reflector housings. Only halogen bulbs can be used in a reflector housing. Some automakers are also adopting the projector housing, where HID/Xenon/LED bulbs can be used. The difference is of course, one has the lens behind the bulb to reflect it, and the other has the lens in front of the bulb to project it. You cannot put halogens in a projector and you cannot put HIDs in a reflector - they do not work the same. In fact, HID projectors do not dim from high to low - there is a shudder that blocks vision on "low beam" and then opens up on "high beam"; the bulb does not dim at all. Halogen seal beams and even the "seal beam to bulb" conversion kits work pretty good. Most conversion kits use the H4 halogen bulb that has the same socket connector as a halogen seal beam, but they do the same thing - the only difference being you only remove the bulb to replace vs the entire unit and then fumble to adjust the beam again. To convert to HID/Xenon/LED, you need to add some type of resistor in line and then find a way to make a projector work in the place of the seal beam. Some people do make them, but they are expensive - and keep away from the cheap kits, they are not the real deal. Here's a thread I found where someone made their own projector lens. Likewise, here's a vendor that makes them for you using the same stuff. As you can see, it gets pretty pricey, but may be worth it. It just looks goofy and stands out with the projector right there in the center where the seal beam used to be.

[NTX5467]

I've seen the "takes more power" comment before, but I'm not sure where that orientation comes from.  Reason is that the bulbs all have the same wattage rating as the older halogen sealed beam lights of the 1980s.  Which were a major advance over the earlier sealed beams!  The halogen bulb is a bulb itself, placed inside a sealed enclosure, unlike the European "replaceable bulb" headlights (otherwise termed "E-code" due to their beam pattern).  If you research the beam patterns themselves, the USA-spec sealed beams have tended more toward the E-code light pattern as time has progressed with sharper upper cut-offs and more of a flare to the rh side of the road for signs and such.

 

Initially, HIDs were only on low beams (on US brands) as it was necessary to "flash" the high beams for various reasons and this could not be done with HIDs as it took them time to illuminate.  In later single-light headlight assemblies, there was a solenoid which supposedly moved the bulb's position to make low beam and high beam with the same bulb.

 

An observed issue with projector beam lights is their very sharp upper cut-off pattern does not work very well in rural settings with undulating road surfaces.  Pretty easy for an oncoming driver to perceive the other driver just flashed their high beams to him (as if HIS lights were on high beam when they shouldn't be).  THAT takes some getting used to, by observation!!!  Plus, with each alleged upgrade to higher-performance headlighting, the color of the light has become more bright white.  The whiter light of the earlier halogens made the older sealed beams look "yellow" by comparison.

 

For an older vehicle, to me, the BEST option is a name brand of E-code replaceable-bulb headlight (which used to be legal on only motorcycles, but are now legal on cars).  The beam pattern has a sharper upper cut-off and focuses more light down the road than most USA-code headlights ever did.  Without that big area near the front of the car (on the road) illuminated, the E-code lights do take some getting used to, but you also have to get used to looking farther down the road, too.

 

NOW, here's another thing to consider . . . with the brighter light of the newer vehicles and a more concentrated light source on the vehicle, this light EASILY over-powered any adjacent amber turn signal's light.  This can be an issue in "high contrast" settings at night and at sunrise/sunset!!!  On vehicles which physically separate the turn signals, no problem.  But when they are basically next to each other, problems in seeing the turn signal DO exist, by observation.  To me, when things got to where the DRLs had to turn off when that side's turn signal light was activated, THAT's when things got too far away from where they need to be . . . even if some higher-end Euro brands did that.  That HID or projector beam headlight can't turn off at night in the same situation, so the amber turn signal's light is overshadowed so as to be "not there".

 

Many OTR trucks and off-road Jeeps are using LED headlights (I first learned of them on military Hummers, but cringed at the cost!).  IF properly aimed, they are just another white light.

 

The older sealed beams with a visible bulb inside of them (circa 1950s) were in the "dark ages" of headlights.  BUT also consider that at night, unless you were in town under streetlights, there was little ambient light on the roads outside of the towns.  This, basically, made the headlights more effective.  In modern times, there is so much ambient light that it makes me wonder if my E-code headlights are really working! 

 

We used to hear cautions to "not over-drive your headlights" at night.  It wasn't just the lower wattage, but also the USA beam pattern which contributed to general poorer performance compared to European lights.

 

In short, to me the best alternative would be a halogen light with an E-code beam pattern, UNLESS you are entering the vehicle in a judged class event where the rules specified "original-style" headlights and did not allow them.

 

You might check out Daniel Stern's lighting website for lots of good information, especially on light "color".  Plus how to wire the headlights to a relay so the bulbs get full battery voltage for better performance "than stock" (on older vehicles).

 

There are some upgrades to more modern/current OEM parts which are good, BUT seeking "trendy" headlights just because somebody else is using them is NOT a good reason to do so.  The headlight performance of a new Corvette is not needed on a vehicle that normally cruises at 60-80mph, but something better than stock can be in order, sometimes.  The "least is best" rule can apply to headlights, too!

 

NTX5467

[60FlatTop]

Old car electric devices can take a pretty circuitous path on the ground side of the circuit. Many of the problems lie there. On a 1930's car the ground from a headlight can pass from the bulb (load) terminal and socket, through a wire attached to the headlight bucket, through the headlight stantion, to the fender, to the bracket, the frame, and back to the battery terminal. That's a lot of potential (no pun) resistances.

I like to solder a dedicated ground wire to the outside of the socket on any light. I use stranded wire and splay out the strands where I solder. Then I run the wire directly to the frame rail, use an eyelet terminal and attach it securely.

I was leaving a cruise night a couple of decades ago in a '35 Nash that I have installed original headlights on and wired in that manner. The owner of a pretty heavy genuine Classic car stopped in front of me, got out of his car, and came back to ask "What the hell do you have for headlights." His were dim and yellow.

I don't have that car anymore, but the taillights of my '64 Riviera have the same treatment and they are very bright and they all work.

 

Halogen lights are fine if you want them. I tend to stick with original style bulbs. As parts age, I have considered adding a relay for some of the electrical loads in the car to minimize the current flow through the switch. I have also thought about adding a condenser to minimize arching at the contacts, all to extend the life of the switch. I can see some headlight switches in the $100-$200 range soon.

 

My Packard will be the next car to get some major electrical work done. It will have original incandescent bulbs with the enhancement mentioned above and remain 6 volts.

 

LED's and HID's work in a difference light spectrum range. I have seen some comparison videos showing less distance penetration. I can understand that. I bought LED trouble lights when they first came out and found my vision under the car was not adequate. I switched to compact fluorescent and I am much happier, no filament to break! I have a couple of LED lights but they are last choice.

 

Being an old sailor, telling someone to run a ground doesn't sound right, but that is my first step with any electric load on an old car.

 

Bernie

[NTX5467]

I've found some YouTube vids of upgrade headlight installations where the Before and After night driving was compared.  I just don't see any big advantage in what I see there, just brighter and not much more.  The advantage of the E-code lights is their beam pattern, NOT specific brightness per se.  MORE light down the road for better/safer high speed night driving.  AIM is important, too! 

 

The sharper horizontal beam cut-off allows the light to be aimed more level on low beam, so visibility is improved.  Compared to the factory sealed beams they replaced, you'd be surprised how many turns of the adjusting screw it took to get the E-code lights to where they lit up more than 25' in front of the car (7" lights).  I ended up with them just a little "down" from horizontal to a flat road and a little "to the right" . . . on low beam.  Seeing how the light hits the car in front (as you approach a stopped vehicle at a stop sign/red light can verify the "good" aim needed.  On low beam, with that aim, no real need for high beams, but high beams "light up the night" when needed.

 

I've found some 7" replacement lights which are projector beam lights.  THOSE might work pretty good and look neat, too.  But it should be more about the beam pattern rather than a trendy light source.

 

NTX5467

[Brad Conley]

Exactly correct Willis.  I ran E-Code Cibie's  in everything I ever owned that would permit such.  I owned a 2010 Subaru Outback for a while and while I couldn't install my Cibie's, I did upgrade the bulbs and installed a pair of driving lights (Cibie' Oscar+ clear driving) and also a set of Cibie' Super Oscar's.  All were upgraded to 100 watt lamps,  

 

Don't ever leave your

high beams on when I'm coming at you....

 

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by Brad Conley
Darn auto-correct.... (see edit history)

[Turbinator]

On 4/18/2017 at 10:53 AM, 60FlatTop said:

Old car electric devices can take a pretty circuitous path on the ground side of the circuit. Many of the problems lie there. On a 1930's car the ground from a headlight can pass from the bulb (load) terminal and socket, through a wire attached to the headlight bucket, through the headlight stantion, to the fender, to the bracket, the frame, and back to the battery terminal. That's a lot of potential (no pun) resistances.

I like to solder a dedicated ground wire to the outside of the socket on any light. I use stranded wire and splay out the strands where I solder. Then I run the wire directly to the frame rail, use an eyelet terminal and attach it securely.

I was leaving a cruise night a couple of decades ago in a '35 Nash that I have installed original headlights on and wired in that manner. The owner of a pretty heavy genuine Classic car stopped in front of me, got out of his car, and came back to ask "What the hell do you have for headlights." His were dim and yellow.

I don't have that car anymore, but the taillights of my '64 Riviera have the same treatment and they are very bright and they all work.

 

Halogen lights are fine if you want them. I tend to stick with original style bulbs. As parts age, I have considered adding a relay for some of the electrical loads in the car to minimize the current flow through the switch. I have also thought about adding a condenser to minimize arching at the contacts, all to extend the life of the switch. I can see some headlight switches in the $100-$200 range soon.

 

My Packard will be the next car to get some major electrical work done. It will have original incandescent bulbs with the enhancement mentioned above and remain 6 volts.

 

LED's and HID's work in a difference light spectrum range. I have seen some comparison videos showing less distance penetration. I can understand that. I bought LED trouble lights when they first came out and found my vision under the car was not adequate. I switched to compact fluorescent and I am much happier, no filament to break! I have a couple of LED lights but they are last choice.

 

Being an old sailor, telling someone to run a ground doesn't sound right, but that is my first step with any electric load on an old car.

 

Bernie

Bernie. Well written thoughts and information regarding the LED fad in old cars. I fell for the fad in hopes of increasing light in the cabin And having taillights and turn signals people can see. Once I grounded the metal tail light sockets to frame ,as you recommended , things began to work. I have 1157 LED’s in the tail lights and most but not all lighting in the cabin has been switched over to appropriate LED. The head lights are stock and the front turn signals are stock specification lamps and bulbs. I replaced the turn signal flasher for fear of having the rear turn signals blink to fast. I’m in hopes I don’t mess up the wiring in my car or cause a fire.

Red Riviera Bob

[Matt Harwood]

On 4/18/2017 at 10:22 PM, Brad Conley said:

Exactly correct Willis.  I ran E-Code Cibie's  in everything I ever owned that would permit such.  I owned a 2010 Subaru Outback for a while and while I couldn't install my Cibie's, I did upgrade the bulbs and installed a pair of driving lights (Cibie' Oscar+ clear driving) and also a set of Cibie' Super Oscar's.  All were upgraded to 100 watt lamps,  

 

Don't ever leave your

high beams on when I'm coming at you....

 

 

 

Are exploring space with that thing? Wow! That actually looks pretty butch.

[39BuickEight]

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2017 at 10:22 PM, Brad Conley said:

Don't ever leave your

high beams on when I'm coming at you....

 

 

 

Turning those on an oncoming driver is a good way to cause someone to be blinded and hit you head on.  The injuries or possible death wouldn't seem worth it to me.

[60FlatTop]

In a wooded park there is a point, just at dusk, when the lights and colors are just right.

 

Tungsten.

[JohnD1956]

7 hours ago, 39BuickEight said:

Turning those on an oncoming driver is a good way to cause someone to be blinded and hit you head on.  The injuries or possible death wouldn't seem worth it to me.

 

In full agreement with the above!  So many cars have the brighter lights today and then half the jamochs with fog lights run those too regardless of any need.  Just what is the thought process for those with these lights?  Does it really make sense to force oncoming drivers to divert their attention due to these bright lights? 

[Brad Conley]

2 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

 

In full agreement with the above!  So many cars have the brighter lights today and then half the jamochs with fog lights run those too regardless of any need.  Just what is the thought process for those with these lights?  Does it really make sense to force oncoming drivers to divert their attention due to these bright lights? 

 

Really guys?  Very much tongue in cheek.  If YOUR high beams are on, you may get a quick flash WITHOUT the driving/spots (they were on a separate switch).  I live in the sticks where deer/etc are a very real threat.  You need all the light possible for when zero traffic is around (trailing a car or a car approaching).  Jeesh.

[NTX5467]

All of the Cibies, SEV-Marchals, or similar that I've had did have the sharper upper cut-off, but still had enough "scatter" above that to hit street signs and overhead highway signs (in a reflective manner), but the current OEM projector beams have a sharp upper cut-off, but little else.  The default becomes "high beam, then low beam" so that everything can be seen by the driver.  What makes it worse is the WIMPY turn signals that are too close to the headlight, such that any DRL or such has to turn off so the turn signal can be seen in the daytime.  NUTS, even it it's also on some $$$$Euro cars, too.

 

I was looking at a video for some new computer-controlled headlights.  The "ON" is "high beam.  Then the related camera system dims the light directly in front of the oncoming vehicle, only, as it still illuminates the surroundings on "high beam".  No mention of "down the road" beam pattern or how safe it is for high-speed night driving, in that respect.

 

The issue of what I'll term "high contrast light situations" still is something that needs to be addressed by the headlight vendors.  A single "bright spot" in a sea of darkness takes more than just looking at the shoulder of the road until it passes to deal with it, by observation.

                                                                                                                                                                

To me, the Cibie "Z-Beam" was one of the neatest beam patterns ever produced     _______/------------     When aimed correctly, laterally, that upper level on the right would be to the right of the car-in-front's (being approached by your car) inside rear view mirror.  Vertical aim would be for the left portion to be below the level of the driver's outside mirror.  But, alas, it obviously was not a big seller as it was gone in a year or so, possibly bested by some new trick or bulb.

 

On more modern lights, it seems that it's brightness that puts the beam farther down the road, NOT beam pattern per se (like the comparisons that used to be on the E-code headlight boxes, comparing to normal sealed beams).

 

NTX5467

[Marty Roth]

On 4/17/2017 at 4:39 AM, kgreen said:

  In 1957 Federal law allowed four headlamps of 5 1/4-inch diameter; two headlamps served for low beam and the second pair provided additional light to serve as high beam. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually two of the 5-1/4-inch diameter (as well as the later rectangular) headlamps served as BOTH LOW and HIGH BEAM (typically the upper lamp in vertical, or the outer lamp in horizontal configuration). The other two 5-1/4-inch or rectangular sealed beam headlamps were HIGH BEAM ONLY, and were the horizontally inner, or vertically lower lamp.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I agree with Marty.

 

  Ben

[RivNut]

You'll figure that out when you try to adjust the high beam units.  You'll have to cover the low beam with a cloth or something opaque so only the light from the inner (high) beam is projected.  If you look at the back of the sealed beams (round or square) you'll notice that the low beam has three terminals on the back.  One terminal is ground, one is for the low element and one is for the high element (two elements in the unit just like your tail/brake lamp).  The other sealed beam - high - has only two terminals, high and ground.  The dimmer switch - through the headlight relay - sends 12V to the low sealed beam constantly - sometimes through the low wire, sometimes through the high wire, but that lamp is always on in one way or another when you lights are on.  When you step on the dimmer switch, the 12V is directed to the high sealed beam, step on it again the 12V is terminated.  But the low sealed beam is always on.  The sealed beam is designed to direct the low part of the beam down and to the right - where the curb is.  When you turn on the brights, the high element in the low beam shines straight ahead along with the high beam.  Adjust them accordingly.  Low beam to the curb when the high beams are off.  Adjust the high beams to shine straight ahead - but you have to cover the low beam so that high element won't interfere with the light you're trying to adjust.

[Wilf Sedanet]

When importing a classic car into Europe we MUST convert to halogen E-code light so I don’t know better (although I still have some new sealed beams at home that were on my Buick and their light pattern is not great, to say the least. 

 

Anyway, I was also thinking of going the LED way to save energy and brighten things up but there are not a lot of good looking led 7” housings. Most are flat, some do have some kind of projector look, even with a convex lens and one light source from the middle, but what really puts me off is the whitish blue color that not only does not fit a classic IMHO but is also worsening visibility at night (softer yellow will help one focus better, does not reflect as harsh, does not blind as much and is safer in foggy conditions).

 

The one thing I would always recommend is using a relay. It will make a visible difference (ba-dum tsh) that will make driving at night a fun experience in stead of a challenge, even with the E halogen or sealed beams. The output will be drastically higher and it will be less stressful on the light switch. Overall safer in every way. 

 

I also agree with checking grounding and reducing resistance. That helps the flashers and rear lights tremendously.