I have done alot of investigation on LED headlights and have come to the conclusion that the OPT7 should be what I purchase. The main reasons being the CREE LED choice they made, the compact electronics, cooling system, and all the reviews I read. I couldn't find anywhere that they were compatible with the model S, but I decided to give them a try. The following are the results of this installation. For reference, I installed them on a 2013 Model S with Halogen lights.
Upon installation I immediately found that the electronics and cable harnesses were small enough to fit into the headlight assembly. Therefore no holes needed to be cut into then rubber cap. See picture
After installing one, I did the side by side comparison. I was hoping for more light than the Halogen bulb, but in my opinion it was about the same. Altgough with such a change in K it's hard to compare. See picture
After installing the second bulb and running a test, in a silent garage, I was able to audibly notice the cooling fans in the bulbs. It wasn't objectionably loud but it was audible.
Beam alignment was perfectly matched to the old bulbs, both low and high beams. See pictures
The road test.... Both bulbs turned on instantly, and I immediately noticed the much cooler light. Very white with a slight tint of blue. It gave an appearance of a brighter lighting on the road and near objects, but the advantage quickly went away in the distance. I didn't notice any advantage at objects over 20 -30 feet. I also noticed another interesting phenomenon. The little model car on the dash board now has headlights that go on and off. Left and right independent of each other..... The lower power usage must be near the threshold of a "blown bulb" indication feature.
All in all, I like the fact that I now have LEDs throughout the car (plate lights as well). I like the 100 watt savings. I like that the headlight and daytime running lights white match well. I would have preferred them to be brighter, but they seem as bright as the halogens. I am pleased with the OPT7 and will now wait to see how the reliability is.
Upon installation I immediately found that the electronics and cable harnesses were small enough to fit into the headlight assembly. Therefore no holes needed to be cut into then rubber cap. See picture
After installing one, I did the side by side comparison. I was hoping for more light than the Halogen bulb, but in my opinion it was about the same. Altgough with such a change in K it's hard to compare. See picture
After installing the second bulb and running a test, in a silent garage, I was able to audibly notice the cooling fans in the bulbs. It wasn't objectionably loud but it was audible.
Beam alignment was perfectly matched to the old bulbs, both low and high beams. See pictures
The road test.... Both bulbs turned on instantly, and I immediately noticed the much cooler light. Very white with a slight tint of blue. It gave an appearance of a brighter lighting on the road and near objects, but the advantage quickly went away in the distance. I didn't notice any advantage at objects over 20 -30 feet. I also noticed another interesting phenomenon. The little model car on the dash board now has headlights that go on and off. Left and right independent of each other..... The lower power usage must be near the threshold of a "blown bulb" indication feature.
All in all, I like the fact that I now have LEDs throughout the car (plate lights as well). I like the 100 watt savings. I like that the headlight and daytime running lights white match well. I would have preferred them to be brighter, but they seem as bright as the halogens. I am pleased with the OPT7 and will now wait to see how the reliability is.