Recent WOF Experience (White vs Blue LEDs) LONG POST

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SepticSceptic

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#1281906 13-Apr-2015 10:43

Read somewhere that excessive blue-ish headlights can cause severe dazzling effect at night - our eyes are more sensitive to blue, especially at night, and our eyes take a long time to recover from a blue dazzle than from standard headlights. The dazzle effect is more pronounced as you get older.

When the HID lights first came out, there was insufficient study done on this, only recently has there been extensive study on this effect, hence why the crackdown on the more bluish-leaning HID's ?

heylinb4nz

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#1281910 13-Apr-2015 10:48

SepticSceptic: Read somewhere that excessive blue-ish headlights can cause severe dazzling effect at night - our eyes are more sensitive to blue, especially at night, and our eyes take a long time to recover from a blue dazzle than from standard headlights. The dazzle effect is more pronounced as you get older.

When the HID lights first came out, there was insufficient study done on this, only recently has there been extensive study on this effect, hence why the crackdown on the more bluish-leaning HID's ?

No problem with them cracking down on retro fit HID, but White LEDs....different story.

VTNZ emailed me to say they are investigating :)

Athlonite

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#1281917 13-Apr-2015 10:53

SepticSceptic: Read somewhere that excessive blue-ish headlights can cause severe dazzling effect at night - our eyes are more sensitive to blue, especially at night, and our eyes take a long time to recover from a blue dazzle than from standard headlights. The dazzle effect is more pronounced as you get older.

When the HID lights first came out, there was insufficient study done on this, only recently has there been extensive study on this effect, hence why the crackdown on the more bluish-leaning HID's ?

Precisely why I went with the 6500K HID's instead of the 8000K as they're quite blueish in colour

MikeAqua

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#1284472 15-Apr-2015 09:38

I have replaced the rego plate lights on my Primera with LEDs bulbs, as the filament ones kept failing. I couldn't tell you the K value for them, but they are a little blueish.

I've had them, for 4 or 5 WOF inspections and VTNZ haven't said anything about them.

Inspectors can be pig headed, as can vehicle owners.

Mike

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#1284484 15-Apr-2015 09:52

I used to play with bulbs... blue is horrible, can't see a thing in the dark when I compare it back to yellow. but those were cheap trademe bulbs not the $100 narva ones from repco though

richms

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#1284490 15-Apr-2015 09:56

The main led ones on the back they care about are the stop and tail lights. Led retrofits are usually too bright on the tail lamp so there is minimal difference when you break. Also the reflectors and lens are made for the filament position to be where it is on an incandescent lamp so the spread is all bad with most LED lamps.

You can basically do what you like for reverse and plate lamps and they don't care unless it's really bad even tho technically you have invalidated the approval of the light by using a non specified lamp in it.

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Bung

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#1284501 15-Apr-2015 10:03

Even the $100 Narva ones achieve the blue look by filtering out some of the output. Without the blue filter there would be more light that your eye night vision uses.

heylinb4nz

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#1284502 15-Apr-2015 10:05

richms: The main led ones on the back they care about are the stop and tail lights. Led retrofits are usually too bright on the tail lamp so there is minimal difference when you break. Also the reflectors and lens are made for the filament position to be where it is on an incandescent lamp so the spread is all bad with most LED lamps.

You can basically do what you like for reverse and plate lamps and they don't care unless it's really bad even tho technically you have invalidated the approval of the light by using a non specified lamp in it.

Hmmm I thought that rule only applied to main lights, for all other lights provided you don't modify the factory fitting (ie W5W) then it only has to meet the substantially white or amber rule).

Im a bit of an LED nerd, and LEDs have certainly changed. Not sure where the TradeMe sellers are getting all their blue rubbish from.

When I import of Aliexpress I always get "Pure White" and its amazing the amount of layout you can get for the emmiters for all sorts of applications (spread, focused beam etc).

Ive found the performance of all my LEDs to far exceed the horrid W5W filiment bulbs.

CitizenErased

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#1284594 15-Apr-2015 11:23

I've got a new company car with factory HID headlights and don't see what all the fuss is about. I actually prefer the "softer" colour output from halogen bulbs.

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#1284611 15-Apr-2015 11:38

Because factory hid is awesome and meets standards

BTR

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#1284834 15-Apr-2015 15:38

lagbort: Pledge furniture polish spray on a microfibre cloth works wonders as well

NOOOO!!!

Pledge eats away at the plastic, if you can't afford proper cleaner use toothpaste.

AMMO cleaning products in the US has a good video on Youtube channel Drive about cleaning headlights.

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BTR

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#1284838 15-Apr-2015 15:42

ubergeeknz: This is easy

1. Keep factory bulbs in glovebox

tbh the rest should be obvious

I once had a problem with my ABS so I disconnected it. WOF failed. So I connected it up. Light came on, inspector happy, got WOF, pulled fuse again. (obvs. I got it fixed later)

Thats just plan dangerous and means your car isn't up to WOF standard, its nice to know you don't mind putting others lives at risk by driving around in a car with faulty brakes.

heylinb4nz

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#1284912 15-Apr-2015 16:30

BTR:
lagbort: Pledge furniture polish spray on a microfibre cloth works wonders as well

NOOOO!!!

Pledge eats away at the plastic, if you can't afford proper cleaner use toothpaste.

AMMO cleaning products in the US has a good video on Youtube channel Drive about cleaning headlights.

I use autosol and a high speed buffer :) works a treat.

richms

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#1284983 15-Apr-2015 17:27

Pledge will make it look good for a short time, which is great if you are just selling it.

I have used the proper stuff on my cars with plastic lights, takes a while but the improvement to the whole look of the car is great.

Richard rich.ms

heylinb4nz

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#1286055 17-Apr-2015 09:34

richms: Pledge will make it look good for a short time, which is great if you are just selling it.

I have used the proper stuff on my cars with plastic lights, takes a while but the improvement to the whole look of the car is great.

The proper stuff is usually just a super fine polishing compound packaged up as a headlight restoration kit and then marked up accordingly.

Check out Smits Group website and look at the Meguiars Mirror Fine Cut Compound $24+gst. Works great on headlights and also good for doing the car to remove fine scratches and marring.

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