Nadogradnje rasvjete vozila nude mnoge mogućnosti

Kada je u pitanju vožnja po mraku, kvaliteta i količina rasvjete koju imate najvažnija je za vašu sigurnost, a sigurnost onih oko vas. Posljednjih su godina proizvođači automobila počeli ulagati značajne napore u svoje sustave rasvjete. Od dana rasvjete sa žarnom niti do nadogradnji s halogenim plinovima, pražnjenjem visokog intenziteta (HID), diodama koje emitiraju svjetlost (LED) i – nedavno – laserima, rasvjeta je prešla dug put. Tržište rezervnih dijelova također se brzo razvija, pa pogledajmo neke od opcija koje vašu noćnu vožnju mogu učiniti sigurnijom.

Opcije izvora svjetla

Tvorničke opcije zamjene prednjih svjetala najpopularnije su dostupne nadogradnje. Postoje tri osnovne opcije:sa žarnom niti, LED i HID. Žarulje sa žarnom niti koriste visokotemperaturnu žarnu nit koja svijetli užareno kada struja prolazi kroz nju. Napretkom u materijalima i izboru plinova koji se koriste u konstrukciji žarulje poboljšana je učinkovitost i dugovječnost, kao i povećana svjetlosna snaga. Prije nekoliko godina zatamnjene žarulje sa žarnom niti bile su popularne – davale su bijelo/plavi izgled skupim HID kompletima. Međutim, kad god stavite nešto između izvora svjetla i onoga što pokušavate osvijetliti, smanjujete izlaz svjetla. Cool? Da. Svijetao? Ne toliko.

Posljednji bijes su LED svjetla. Vozila poput Toyote Corolle, Acure MDX i nove Honde Civic dostupna su s LED prednjim svjetlima. Ovi izvori svjetlosti su vrlo svijetli. Kada se uključe, vrlo brzo proizvode punu snagu. Na naknadnom tržištu, LED zamjenske žarulje za prednja svjetla postaju sve popularnije. Kvaliteta dostupnih LED dioda raste u tandemu s potražnjom. Međutim, svjetlosna snaga (mjerena u lumenima) još uvijek malo zaostaje za HID žaruljama. LED svjetla često koštaju više jer se ne proizvodi toliko – problem ponude i potražnje. LED svjetla također zahtijevaju vanjsko hlađenje. Aluminijski hladnjaci, pleteni metalni jezičci i ventilatori uobičajena su rješenja za odvođenje topline koju stvaraju LED diode. To može predstavljati izazove u pogledu instalacije i dostupnog prostora.

Lincoln Mark VIII iz 1996. smatra se prvim proizvodnim vozilom s HID svjetlima. Ovaj sustav radi tako da povećava napon električnog sustava vozila od 12 V na oko 100 volti. Ovaj napon ide na par elektroda u komori ispunjenoj plinom. Stalna iskra između dviju elektroda je ono što proizvodi svjetlost. Međutim, potrebno je oko 25 000 volti da svjetla počnu raditi. Zato dobivate mali, svijetli bljesak kada prvi put uključite HID sustav. HID svjetla su među najsvjetlijim na tržištu. Boja svjetlosti koju proizvode bliža je sunčevoj svjetlosti, s više plavog sadržaja nego kod žarulja sa žarnom niti.

Svjetla boja

Trebalo bi govoriti o boji svjetla, točnije, temperatura svjetla se procjenjuje na Kelvinovoj ljestvici. Niži brojevi, oko 3500–4500 K, imaju značajan sadržaj žute i narančaste boje i slični su žaruljama sa žarnom niti. Pomicanjem prema gore, 4500–6000 K je plavija i bliža sunčevoj svjetlosti. That said, as the blue content increases, so can the propensity for eye fatigue – blue light can be tiring to look at. You don’t want to go too high for daily use. Bulbs rated at 6,000–10,000 K are for appearance purposes only. The light becomes more purple toward the high-end of the spectrum. These are fine for a show car, but not practical or safe for daily use.

Light Intensity

Many people believe there is a direct correlation between color temperature and light output. That depends, of course, on the manufacturer of the bulb. The thinking is that lower temperatures produce more light output. Ultimately, the amount of light that is produced will determine how much and how far you can see.

Light output is measured in lumens. More lumens means more brightness, which, for a given beam pattern, means that the road will be illuminated better.

Beam Pattern

When upgrading your headlights, it is critically important that you are conscious of the resulting beam pattern. The light that is emitted from the front your vehicle is in a specific pattern – not round like a flashlight. The beam has a flat line through it, ever so slightly below horizontal. This allows the light to illuminate the road without blinding oncoming drivers. The light should also be brighter near the edge of this cutoff, putting more light down the road rather than in front of the vehicle. Too much light in the foreground will cause your pupils to close slightly, reducing how far down the road you can see.

Likewise – and this is a great night driving tip – the brightness of the vehicle interior can have the same effect. Keep the dash and radio illumination as dim as possible. That can help you see further down the road.

If the new light bulbs you install change the beam pattern, remove them. They are not compatible with your headlights, and they will blind oncoming drivers. This is extremely dangerous and can cause accidents.

Headlight Styles

There are two types of factory headlight assemblies in use today:reflector style and projector style.

The projectors are fairly easy to recognize – they have smallish, 2–3” round lenses. Reflectors have a large, molded, mirror-finish bowl behind the light. While one is not necessarily better than the other, you do need to know which you have when you go shopping for upgrades. Aftermarket HID kits don’t typically work properly in reflector-style headlight assemblies. The beam pattern becomes uncontrolled, pointing light into the eyes of oncoming drivers. In many cases, depending on the specific design of the kit you choose, you can use an LED upgrade in those applications.

In projector-style systems, the shape of the internal reflector is designed to work with either incandescent or HID style bulbs. The position and shape of the light source differs between these two bulb types. You can often get away with putting HID bulb kits in a projector designed for Incandescent bulbs without any detrimental effects, but they may not be quite as bright or focused as an HID bulb in a projector designed specifically for that application.

Retrofits

If you are looking for the ultimate lighting upgrade, you may want to contact your local mobile electronics specialist about a retrofit. A retrofit involves removing the headlights from the vehicle, taking them apart, and installing new projectors with OEM-quality bulbs and ballasts. Most of these solutions use what is known as a bi-xenon projector. These projector assemblies have motorized shutters that move to produce a “high beam” light pattern. The output of these systems is among the best there is – perfect beam pattern, excellent cutoff and great light output. Some headlights are easier to work on than others, so contact a local specialist for details about your lights.

You can also make some cosmetic changes while the lights are apart. The installation of LED halo rings, and painting some of the interior components can have a dramatic effect on the look of the vehicle.

Wiring

When you want to change headlights, wiring is often involved. Many new vehicles have systems in place to detect when a bulb is burnt out. They can also modulate the voltage to high-beam lighting circuits to operate them as daytime running lights.

When it comes to wiring, nobody is better than your local car audio specialist retailer. Work with them to ensure that your new light wiring can provide enough current and operates the way it should. Relays, capacitors and load resistors may be required to achieve the results you want. Don’t ever skimp on wiring – it affects the reliability of the lights you install, and your safety is at risk.

A Word of Caution About Vehicle Lighting Upgrades

We want to remind you that your headlights are a tool. They are not toys, and their performance and reliability are of the utmost importance to your safety and the safety of those you share the road with. Lighting upgrades are a great way to improve your safety at night. Drop by your local mobile electronics specialist and discuss your options.