Anyone replace the xenon bulbs with LED bulbs?

[r0bgj]

has anyone tried replacing the xenon bulbs with LED ones? Curious how the light output/pattern would look in our housings. I need replacements asap. so need to figure out if i should get them or just the regular d3s bulbs.

PS does anyone know any D3S brands that are brighter than the phillips or osram?

 

[Ande]

The projector is made for the ~1mm arc to be in a specific place.
No LED will emit all its light, with the same pattern, in such small place. So that would require different projector design.

The ballast wattage and HID design decides power output, not brand.

 

[.jg.]

I don't know what rules apply in North America but here in Europe, it used to be illegal to have HID lights on a car without headlight washers and automatic self-levelling. The EU rules changed a few years ago, to follow UN ECE 48: on cars without headlight washers, the output must be limited to 2000 lumen, for any type of headlight (halogen, HID, LED, etc.). With HID, this equates to about 25W. I haven't checked the HID bulbs on my car but I guess they must comply with the 2000 lumen rule. Osram (the OEM for the Model S HID control unit) make 35w bulbs that can output up to 3200 lumen.

If someone modified their Model S to have headlight washers, I guess they could legitimately use brighter bulbs e.g. Osram Cool Blue Intense.

 

[yobigd20]

I just installed 'PHILIPS Xenon X-TremeVision Gen2 +150% D3S HID Xenon Bulbs Set Of Two 42403XV2S1' link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076BWMW54/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 a few weeks ago. I swear after I hit a deer that the repair center replaced both my original front xenons with cheap knock off low wattage yellow bulbs bc after it was repaired it was impossible to see at night anymore. After swapping with these Philips it is bright AF again! yey! So much so that I tend to get flashed again by oncoming cars (as if I have my high beams on but I don't). It wouldn't surprise me if that repair center used the wrong 25W bulbs instead of 35W ones. I thought I read somewhere that the original OEM xenons are discontinued so perhaps Tesla uses a lower wattage one now? beats me but the ballast is made for 35W so I used 35W D2S HID bulbs.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I just got the same bulbs, except mine are the Philips Xenon X-tremeVision Gen2 part # 42403XV2C1. any idea what the difference between C1 and S1 is??? Thinking about installing them tonight...

 

[sidmini]

looks like a right headache to remove the HID bulbs i can see why they moved to LED

 

[jthompson]

I just got the same bulbs, except mine are the Philips Xenon X-tremeVision Gen2 part # 42403XV2C1. any idea what the difference between C1 and S1 is??? Thinking about installing them tonight...

Thank you for sharing that YouTube video - looks pretty straightforward and I have seen numerous references to the same replacement bulb you mentioned. Wonder if anyone has before and after pics at night to show the improvement?

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I hope to install them this weekend. I will try and snap before and after

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Ok I installed them, save your monies, they look exactly the same, maybe slight yellower with a little brighter "hot spot" in the middle... what a waste of time and money.... arrggghhh

 

[krsgio]

You realize that HID bulbs have a burn in time that requires several hours of use before they actually color shift right?

 

[Xenoilphobe]

You realize that HID bulbs have a burn in time that requires several hours of use before they actually color shift right?

yes

 

[jthompson]

I installed the Philips Xenon X-tremeVision Gen2 bulbs in my car, and there is a noticeable difference in brightness and coverage out to the sides, down low, and out ahead (and this is before the 25 hour burn in time mentioned by another person in this thread). The first four pics are stock headlamps (low and high beam shots at two different locations), and the last four are with the Philips Xenon X-tremeVision Gen2 bulbs. Interesting that the new bulbs are picking up A LOT more detail directly in front of the car (looks like little black rocks on the road)