Low beam headlight LED's
 

Am currently having problems with my low beam headlights - they switch on after about 10mins and go off and don't come back on if I switch off the engine.
So was looking to switch to "plug and play" LED's, ie no ballast. I can only find led's on US websites and was told US AP1 lights don't fit. So was wondering if anyone in the UK has
managed to get anywhere with LED's for AP1's (2004). I could get another second ballast but that would be the third! and a new one is £800!

Diagnose if its actually a ballast issue or power to the ballast. If it's a ballast issue, you can buy an aftermarket ballast from morimoto. They make some really good products and its much cheaper than buying new oem

LED would be a serious downgrade from HID

I changed from the stock HID's in my 2005 S2k, to DDM Tuning Saber Pro 50 watt LEDs. The light output is amazing. They're super bright (a little brighter than the stock HIDs), and pure white in color. I would highly recommend them.

Hi thanks for info - will be taking the car into shortly to check if its the ballast again or the lead/bulb. Have also emailed Morimoto for a link and price of a replacement AP1 ballast.

Ok thanks for the info - will have a look into this re: AP1 albeit if I can get a cheap Morimoto ballast it might be simpler to stick with HID.

morimoto is a manufacturer. You'll need to talk to one of their distributors. theretrofitsource is one of the largest distributors of healight parts/bulbs

Have emailed DDM Tuning - as to whether they will fit a UK AP1 S2000. Also need to find out if anyone has got a LED low beam headlight through the UK MOT.

The S2000 HID projector is still among one of the best projectors of any vehicle, that's why they're so highly desirable and coveted among retrofit enthusiasts. An HID projector is not designed for an LED bulb....LED retrofit "bulbs" in anything simply just don't work as the projector or reflector wasn't designed for that. Sure, you'll get light output but nowhere near as good as a proper HID bulb. Not something you want in the rainy, foggy UK.

If you're blowing ballasts I'd want to think there's a short in your wiring somewhere. In the long run I'd imagine you'd save yourself a lot of money by getting the wiring properly diagnosed. I know you're looking for a solution, and preferably a cheap one, and generally I endorse a cheap fix so long as it works well enough; this won't. As others have said, get a cheap DDM ballast and keep replacing those for 30-50 bucks a pop vs 800 or whatever for OEM.

As someone who has installed and is currently using LED bulbs in the S2000 projectors, I can say that the light output is just as good, if not better, than the stock HID bulbs. I think its funny how so many people think the OEM HIDs in the S2000 are the best of anything that's ever been out there. Remember their design is 19 years old. The reality of it is most have never actually tried anything different so they have no real world results to go off of. I do. The key here is using a HIGH QUALITY LED bulb, not some $20 eBay cheapie that most people will try and find out that they're horrible.

Where I want light down the road is the High beams and in my cars that's halogen bulbs even where the low beams are HIDs. This has always confused me: superior light low beams; mediocre light high beams.

I've been driving long enough to remember when sealed beam headlights were state of the art and in the quad light setups we ran 5" diameter aircraft landing lights for high beams on those back Georgia and Alabama roads. Haven't found that light output since.

LEDs can produce some very white light which looks "bright" but isn't an ideal color for seeing things. Filament placement in the reflector is paramount and few LEDs have it. Actually I'm convinced no LEDs have it so all ya get is ricer white lights scattering light rather than directing it where you need it. Ricer white headlights are blinding for other cars but don't give better performance for the car they're mounted in. The color temperature of 5000K to 6000K most closely resembles sunlight, in which the human eye sees best. It’s that simple.

-- Chuck