GE Nighthawk headlights

sure wish these (with appropriate lenses) were available for my F150 .. the headlights are PITIFUL … the only change between high and low beams is how wide the spread is when the highs are on … very little added depth

Stock headlights are usually 55W/65W for low/high beam. That's right around 5A per bulb.

What's the power/current draw on those LEDs?

I'm thinking it has as much to do with lens design as it does power of the bulbs … the difference between low and high beams on the Integra is amazing … the F150 …almost none-existat

Awesome write up Keith. I wonder if they will throw those 7s on a pedestal mount to use as Aux lights.

I'd like to find something to improve my NB Miata and my MINI. In "the good ole days" I'd just bop down to Canadian Tire and buy a standard set of Hella or Bosch H4s.

Sky_Render wrote: Stock headlights are usually 55W/65W for low/high beam. That's right around 5A per bulb. What's the power/current draw on those LEDs?

Interestingly, they give a range. 1.1-1.8A for low, 2.3-3.6A for high, both on a 12.8V system. Picking the middle of the range, that's the equivalent of 19W low and 38W for high. I'm so used to thinking of LEDs as being almost zero draw that those numbers are a bit surprising. Still, I guess they're about 1/4 of the halogen equivalent based on light output. And yes, I do have a set of 90/130W Hella bulbs in my stash.

If you've got a 1999-00 Miata, pick up a set of 2001-05 lights. They'll bolt in, although the shape of the nose will be just a bit off at the point. It's unlikely anyone will notice. The later ones are much better.

Dunno about the F150, though. Lots of aftermarket projector options, but how many are designed for light output vs looking rad?

For aux lights, I'd use the LED light bars that are popular both with endurance racers and off-roaders. They're a lower profile and they sure work. I'm tempted to pick one up to put on the front of the big Ram between the two 9" Hellas. Because, well, because I like light and 7700 lb trucks don't perform evasive maneuvers that well. Still, if you want these lights as aux lights, it's easy to find 7" pedestal mounts. Dune buggy shops are the source for inexpensive ones, Harley shops are the source for eye-watering prices.

I was driving home last night in the deep dark and loving these GE lights. I really need to take a picture of how they light up the open road, the visibility is excellent.

Found this while looking for the draw details. The source is the GE website, so take the "before" with a grain of salt as always. I expect those are high beam diagrams.
GE Nighthawk 7"

7" sealed beam

Keith, have you noticed an "x" pattern on the ground where the left and right beams overlap? Some of the Jeep owners using a different brand reported that there is a visable "x" in the beam pattern. Some people complained that it was distracting at night on unlit roads.

On some vehicles that use PWM to control the lights (like all '07 and up Jeeps), you can get a noticable flicker due to the super quick response time of LEDs. Some have said it is as bad as headlight strobes but others don't notice at all. They made harnesses to fix the flicker, which is just a capacitor wired in series.

I'm still a fan though. I researched these to death. Anything is better than the candles Chrysler puts on the Jeeps.

Haven't noticed an X, but there are those two "pencil beams" in the center of the pattern. It's not distracting at all, it's kind of fun to use it for aiming the car down the road actually.

I've heard of the flicker, but my Miata's headlight system is only slightly more complicated than a flashlight. So no PWMs here and no personal experience.

There is some speculation that these are rebranded Truck Lite LEDs. Know anything about that?

Keith Tanner wrote: Interestingly, they give a range. 1.1-1.8A for low, 2.3-3.6A for high, both on a 12.8V system. Picking the middle of the range, that's the equivalent of 19W low and 38W for high. I'm so used to thinking of LEDs as being almost zero draw that those numbers are a bit surprising. Still, I guess they're about 1/4 of the halogen equivalent based on light output.

LEDs generally draw little amperage.. but at 12v, they are going to draw more than an LED plugged into the house mains at 120v. You only need look at Ohm's law

But will the lenses fog over long before the bulbs wear out? (Just curious...)

Nice, I'll keep these in mind as an upgrade option for my Samurai...lotta money but it might be a good deal if I can run these with a stock alternator. I just wonder if the lenses will yellow over time.

Ohm's law is exactly how I converted those amperage numbers to watts I'm just used to the battery life of things like LED flashlights being so much better than the life of incandescent flashlights that usually consider the draw to almost zero. Of course, many of those LED flashlights also have much degraded light output because they're cheap and nasty.

They appear identical to the Truck Lites. I don't know who's making them for who. There is a GE logo on the lens, so maybe it's a licensing deal. The KCs are visibly different.

GE claims "non-yellowing" polycarbonate for the lights, but I guess we won't know for a while how they stand up. Thanks to the Miata's pop-up lights, I won't be a good test case there.

I've been dealing with LED lighting fixtures for commercial buildings. The power draw is less than lumen-comparible fluorescents, but not as much as you might think. Where manufacturers are able to make them work better is in being able to focus light exactly where they want it, so there's better efficiency.

Building managers love them for the same reason truckers do - reduced maintenance costs. In commercial applications where the labor costs to replace hundreds of fluorescent bulbs is more than the cost of the bulbs, this is where the cost savings is, more so than in energy savings.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Got it, great light regardless of who makes it. These might find their way onto my Starlet post challenge (assuming I ever finish the damn thing)

Keith Tanner wrote: Ohm's law is exactly how I converted those amperage numbers to watts I'm just used to the battery life of things like LED flashlights being so much better than the life of incandescent flashlights that usually consider the draw to almost zero. Of course, many of those LED flashlights also have much degraded light output because they're cheap and nasty.

I use expensive LED flashlights.. with high lumens. I think I get about 4 hours out of 4 AA batteries

How are they in the rain and fog?

Nm just reread the fist post.

Indulging in a bit of thread necromancy...

My recently acquired 1990 NA needs the sealed beams chucked into the bin, stat. I'm trying to decide between LED replacement headlights and just chucking a set of Cibies + H4 bulbs in.

Keith, any longer term updates on this? How are these headlights holding up and would you still consider buying them with your own money?

Interested for the 944, as well.

Nice write up Keith. I’m still waiting for someone to make a modern 5.25” projector headlight either HID or LED that isn’t designed for a damn motorcycle. I’d like to upgrade the headlights in the Corvair. It seems like people have forgotten about the classic car market and that some people may want to upgrade their lighting. 

For 5.25 headlights in my 64 chevelle i adapted 89ish 525i hella projectors 

Miatas run 7" headlights, though.

I got WHDZ 7" round LED headlights in my Samurai, they're $150/set and the light output is excellent. They have the same split-reflector design as the GE Nighthawk. They've survived 3 offroad rallies so far too.

Dusterbd13 said:

For 5.25 headlights in my 64 chevelle i adapted 89ish 525i hella projectors 

Yeah but I’m lazy and don’t want to have to retrofit headlights, I want someone else to figure that out for me.