# LED lights on cars **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [January 12, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488 "2019-01-12T01:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Will\_loves\_cars](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/will_loves_cars/32/14553_2.png) [@Will\_loves\_cars](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Will_loves_cars)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/1 "2019-01-12T01:39:24Z")
So here is my question. Why is there LED Lights on cars? When you are infront of the person who has them on you can barely see anything. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/2 "2019-01-12T02:05:29Z")
> [@Will\_loves\_cars](#): > > When you are infront of the person who has them on you can barely see anything. I have not noticed that . It may be the way you have your mirrors adjusted . Also I don’t think it is the LED lights that are bothering you but the ones that are Xenon . ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/3 "2019-01-12T02:06:57Z")
Well there are a lot of advantages to LED lights. Styling options, they last forever, take less power to operate, cooler, and are brighter than standard bulbs. I have LED headlights and I think it has more to do with the height of the headlights and where they are aimed that cause an issue. I have a problem with pick up trucks and their lights but they are quite a bit higher up than standard vehicles. Here to stay though probably until the next generation. I heard the same thing about HIDs and really LEDs light the road ahead just about as good. Much better than the halogen bulbs. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/4 "2019-01-12T03:26:29Z")
The overly-bright headlights these days has been discussed here on a number of prior threads. Use the forum search feature, above right, to find them. I agree w/OP 100%, these new headlights are too bright, create way too much glare, especially when used on SUVs, and the result I expect is that drivers and pedestrians are less safe. ---
**Author:** ![TenB33R5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@TenB33R5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TenB33R5)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/5 "2019-01-12T04:25:12Z")
The biggest reason why people are “dazzled” or blinded by the headlights of other cars has more to do with the headlights being out of adjustment and less to do with how bright the lamps are… ie the headlamps are pointing too high… Someone could have the brightest flashlight in the world but if they point it at your knees it wont bother you a bit, however if they point that thing into your eyes you will be blinded. Self leveling headlamps have been mandatory in Europe for decades yet America has yet to adopt this standard. So IMO blame the regulators or maybe the manufacturers for not putting self leveling headlamps in all their vehicles for all their markets… not just Europe… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/6 "2019-01-12T04:34:08Z")
Not arguing the merits of proper regulation and self-levelers, but that theory’doesn’t explain why older cars with the yellow-ish headlights of days of yore didn’t cause this problem. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/7 "2019-01-12T04:49:13Z")
I was behind an ambulance with led brake lights the other day, it was just on a routine drive, no sirens or flashing lights. Regular and bright headlights I am ok with. The ambulance brake lights were higher than the car in front of me, and they were so damn bright I could barely see the brake lights of the car between me and the ambulance. Annoying a best! ---
**Author:** ![TenB33R5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@TenB33R5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TenB33R5)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 5:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/8 "2019-01-12T05:26:49Z")
Because they are dim in comparison to todays lights… i dont think anyone can say they don’t want to be able too see better in the dark … we should all want the best lighting systems available… the problem is making those systems safe for everyone not just the person behind the light… I dont think we would want to neuter the advanvments in lighting technology because of a reluctance to adopt to its advantage. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2019, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/9 "2019-01-13T18:38:41Z")
The old lights had a color temperature of around 2300K so they had that yellowish tint. Some of the more exotic headlights today rely on a much higher color temperature, around 4000K to appear brighter by being whiter. LEDs are available in 4000K and 2700K. If manufacturers used the 2700K, the headlights would be just as bright but less blinding. ---
**Author:** ![Dakotaboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dakotaboy/32/21842_2.png) [@Dakotaboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dakotaboy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/10 "2019-01-14T02:11:43Z")
“…has more to do with the headlights being out of adjustment…” There is another problem on top of that - during a service appointment for my old Dakota I requested the service writer to have the headlights adjusted. He said there were no adjusters for that, and that a lot of newer cars were the same. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 4:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/11 "2019-01-14T04:02:31Z")
> [@Dakotaboy](#): > > He said there were no adjusters for that, and that a lot of newer cars were the same. Sounds like he didn’t want to get involved, charge a customer 1/2 hour labor to adjust the headlights and they keep returning to have the headlights readjusted to their liking, then the shop is losing money on the deal. Did you adjust the headlights yourself? It is easier for you to adjust them at night vs a tech in a well lit shop. My father wanted his headlight adjusted so they weren’t too high while towing his fifth-wheel trailer, I bought him a set of Torx screw drivers and showed him the adjustment screws so he could make the adjustments when towing. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_loves\_cars](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/will_loves_cars/32/14553_2.png) [@Will\_loves\_cars](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Will_loves_cars)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/12 "2019-03-28T20:44:25Z")
Sorry for the late reply but I always sit in a Hyundai Accent. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/13 "2019-03-28T20:51:57Z")
Huh ! ……….I Have no idea what you are trying to say. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_loves\_cars](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/will_loves_cars/32/14553_2.png) [@Will\_loves\_cars](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Will_loves_cars)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/14 "2019-03-28T20:56:32Z")
When I drive up to a light I always see somebody with their leds on and it just blinds the heck out of me. Think about how small and low my car is. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/16 "2019-03-29T03:58:01Z")
Per Volvo V\_70, I think you’re confusing LED with Xenon. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 5:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/led-lights-on-cars/132488/17 "2019-03-29T05:07:04Z")
Based on light output or illumination I can’t distinguish the difference between LED and HID (Xenon gas) lights but I know how the vehicle that I work on are equipped, there is little difference between the two.