Halogen & LED Headlight Bulb Upgrades

[lefty421]

If I am understanding correctly, the VLED H11 bulbs are just as bright as the standard HI-beam bulbs (9005)...

 

So with the brighter H11 bulbs installed for lo-beams, wouldn't oncoming traffic constantly flash you thinking you had your hi beams on?!?

 

Also, after installing the H11 bulbs for lo-beams, wouldn't your hi and lo beams both be the exact same brightness? again, leading to surely being flashed by oncoming traffic no matter which lights are on?

[MotoMedic]

Not necessarily, if you do this properly: http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/topic/158300-aiming-adjusting-headlights/?hl=%2Baiming+%2Badjusting (Standard 9005 = 1600 lumen, VLED's H11 = 2000, HID's = 3000+)

 

On the Silverado, the lows stay on with the highs, so lighting you high beams at night would instantly double your total output (not to mention highs generally have a much wider focus than lows).

[Txmade]

If I am understanding correctly, the VLED H11 bulbs are just as bright as the standard HI-beam bulbs (9005)...

 

So with the brighter H11 bulbs installed for lo-beams, wouldn't oncoming traffic constantly flash you thinking you had your hi beams on?!?

 

Also, after installing the H11 bulbs for lo-beams, wouldn't your hi and lo beams both be the exact same brightness? again, leading to surely being flashed by oncoming traffic no matter which lights are on?

 

I kinda have the same question , wouldn't the h11s as low beams be to bright? And also is there a led version for the low beams and one for the high beams or is that what the h11s would do.? Would the high beam be any brighter or the same as the Low beam???? I'm confused on that part.

[MikeNH]

Brightness isn't what blinds people, it's headlamp aim. Within reason I don't think a brighter bulb of the proper type will be bothersome to other drivers because the light is still contained by the low beam pattern.

[Txmade]

Would there be any reason to re aim the head lights if I put in the LEDs for the low beam?

[MotoMedic]

9006 halogen 55 watt bulb ≈ 1000 lumen

H11 halogen 55 watt ≈ 1350 lumen

9005 halogen 65 watt bulb ≈ 1600 lumen

9012 HIR 55/60 watt bulbs ≈ 1700 lumen

9011 HIR 65 watt bulb ≈ 2300 lumen

(halogen bulbs are 3200K - 3400K temp color)

HID 35 watt bulb ≈ 3200 lumen

[Isriam]

Has anyone looked into replacing the Sierra's factory 9012 (HIR-2, 55watt) bulb with a 9011 (HIR-1, 65watt) bulb? The 9011 has quite a bit more lumens then the 9012. The 9012 is considered a low beam bulb while the 9011 is a high beam. Don't know if it might be too bright for on coming traffic when in low beam.

 

Never saw a response to this and I was curious also.

[MotoMedic]

Never saw a response to this and I was curious also.

 

One member (I can't recall who or where) had posted he was going to attempt it, but I never saw it mentioned again.

 

You have to trim a small tab from inside the 9011 bulb's socket to make it fit but it's nothing major. If you're willing to try, you'll be the first on the forum

[Isriam]

I purchased the 9012 4000K bulbs to replace the factory ones with. I don't have a problem with the existing bulbs other than them being too yellow.

[Mike1220]

Has anyone tried switching both the headlight and fog light bulbs for the Oracle LED Bulbs? Both boast 2,200 lumens per bulb, but as everything oracle is, they are expensive.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Aaron1085]

More info on this Mike....Also, how'd those bulbs work for you Isriam?

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD

 

 

[Fiosguy05]

I installed the VLED H11's tonight and ended up taking them back out. Color wise they looked awesome but both lights flickered occasionally, not to the point where they went out and came back on. Just a quick flicker that was extremely noticeable. It also seemed like the light was more scattered compared to the stock halogens. I initially parked about 20' from my garage and marked a line with tape on the garage door with the stock bulbs in and then replaced them with the led's and seemed like the led's cast the light all over the place and the upper light cut off line was hard to determine. It certainly was way above the tape. I tried adjusting the lights downward but didn't seem like it made any difference. Guess I'll end up returning these and trying to find something different. By the way, I have the non projector headlights.

[2014blacksinglecab]

I installed the VLED H11's tonight and ended up taking them back out. Color wise they looked awesome but both lights flickered occasionally, not to the point where they went out and came back on. Just a quick flicker that was extremely noticeable. It also seemed like the light was more scattered compared to the stock halogens. I initially parked about 20' from my garage and marked a line with tape on the garage door with the stock bulbs in and then replaced them with the led's and seemed like the led's cast the light all over the place and the upper light cut off line was hard to determine. It certainly was way above the tape. I tried adjusting the lights downward but didn't seem like it made any difference. Guess I'll end up returning these and trying to find something different. By the way, I have the non projector headlights.

one morning on my way to work , about a week after installing mine i noticed my passenger light was flickering like every minute it would dim for like two seconds and then back to full brightness, it did the whole time i was driving, when i got to work i turned the lights off with the switch and turned it back on and hte flickering stopped hasnt been back. what i did notice is they dont work as drls when is bright outside they come one when shifting to drive but turn off like a minute later.

[MotoMedic]

FYI for LED Headlight Bulb Users:

The LED's use "constant current drivers" similar to HID ballasts, so it's likely y'all are encountering the same issues these trucks have with HID's: pulse width modulation (electronic noise in signal). You should definitely be running the LED headlights off a relay harness or have capacitors between the drivers and stock wiring.

 

If issues still persist after using one of the above, it means you need both the relay harness & capacitors.

 

Congrats on being the LED headlight guinea pigs! I was the HID headlight guinea pig last summer and it was annoying at best! haha

[2014blacksinglecab]

FYI for LED Headlight Bulb Users:

The LED's use "constant current drivers" similar to HID ballasts, so it's likely y'all are encountering the same issues these trucks have with HID's: pulse width modulation (electronic noise in signal). You should definitely be running the LED headlights off a relay harness or have capacitors between the drivers and stock wiring.

 

If issues still persist after using one of the above, it means you need both the relay harness & capacitors.

 

Congrats on being the LED headlight guinea pigs! I was the HID headlight guinea pig last summer and it was annoying at best! haha

thanks for the info motomedic, I will try the relay harness & capacitor if it starts flickering... what harness and capacitor do you recommend?