Retrofit LED Headlights on 2013 S Trim?

Hello.

I am in the market for a Leaf and am trying to decide on trim level.

I would be happy with the S trim, but would really like the LED headlights.

Even the color I want (Glacier White) appears to be on the S trim only.

Is there any way to replace the halogens with OEM LED headlights?

I'm sure it's possible, but probably really expensive. May need to switch out the headlights as the inner housing is probably different.

You occasionally see them for sale on e-bay.
They are ridiculous $$ from the the factory, but if that's what you need to make you happy, do a good search on e-bay.

If I were going to the hassle, I'd also look into consider HID. Have no idea what I am talking about in terms of trouble, but one weak link are dim bright lights in very dark windy roads. The soft suspension of my 2011 and dim lights continue to bug me. Likely gonna upgrade the suspension this summer. Lights are on my lookout for upgrade.

The main problem with the dim high beams is the poor reflector design on the Leaf. Hids won't help much with that... Try to push a lot more light through them and you'll just melt them.

JimSouCal said:

If I were going to the hassle, I'd also look into consider HID. Have no idea what I am talking about in terms of trouble, but one weak link are dim bright lights in very dark windy roads. The soft suspension of my 2011 and dim lights continue to bug me. Likely gonna upgrade the suspension this summer. Lights are on my lookout for upgrade.

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The main problem with the dim high beams is the poor reflector design on the Leaf. Hids won't help much with that... Try to push a lot more light through them and you'll just melt them.

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I put expensive Quick start ballast 55 Watt HID's in my high beams.

If I had to be honest, they suck.

They are however now the same color as the LED headlights, and the 12 watt COB LEDs I put in my fog lights, so its all Nice and White up front, and it looks cool.

But the reflector design of the high beams is poor (really poor), and if you further degrade the performance by having a light source that doesn't 100% fall into it's focal sweet spot, they are bad.

I can see lots more AROUND my car with them, and they help to melt the snow and ice in the winter.

On a positive note, did I mention that all my lights are the same color now :roll:

JimSouCal said:

If I were going to the hassle, I'd also look into consider HID. Have no idea what I am talking about in terms of trouble, but one weak link are dim bright lights in very dark windy roads. The soft suspension of my 2011 and dim lights continue to bug me. Likely gonna upgrade the suspension this summer. Lights are on my lookout for upgrade.

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Are the LED headlights themselves dim, or just the brights?

Just the brights.

rain27 said:

Are the LED headlights themselves dim, or just the brights?

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Just the brights.

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Exactly!
I really like the LED Headlights.
I guess weird things make me happy: the color rendition is amazing.
I smile every time they find something Blue reflective.

Hello, Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I didn't see an answer to this fundamental question.

Does anyone know if it possible to install the OEM LED headlight units into a Leaf that is not factory-equipped with them (a 2013 S specifically)?

We did not test drive the Leaf S at night, and while we fundamentally appreciate the simplicity of the base model, the ancient technology halogen headlights simply suck.

Are there LED bulb replacement kits that fit the OEM housing that make any appreciable difference? Just making them brighter isn't as important to me as making them have a better beam pattern.

Thanks.

Capro22340 said:

Hello, Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I didn't see an answer to this fundamental question.

Does anyone know if it possible to install the OEM LED headlight units into a Leaf that is not factory-equipped with them (a 2013 S specifically)?

We did not test drive the Leaf S at night, and while we fundamentally appreciate the simplicity of the base model, the ancient technology halogen headlights simply suck.

Are there LED bulb replacement kits that fit the OEM housing that make any appreciable difference? Just making them brighter isn't as important to me as making them have a better beam pattern.

Thanks.

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I suggested to the moderators that this post be moved to the even-older thread:
Retrofit LED Headlights on 2013 S Trim?

Or really are the 2013 S and 2014 S enough alike that this is all a single topic?

What is the purpose of the bluish, arrowhead-shaped lens that occupies the lower left corner of the front drivers-side light assembly on a 2013 S? Does it have a bulb in it, or is it just a channel that deflects some headlight sideways? I've run my eyes and hands over the whole housing and cant find a wire, fixture, or opening.


When I look at a parts diagram, most parts-finders only let you choose between "All Trim Levels, SV, and SL" and so below is the best diagram have. it seems to suggest that it is a marker lamp (#6 bulb in a #8 socket), but they don't do the "dotted line" that shows you where these parts actually go on the light housing:


So what I can't figure out is
1) Do I have the right or wrong parts diagram?
2) Or is this just a phantom no-bulb tube that re-directs low beam light?
3) Do I not know how to turn them on? (I can't see any effect when my headlight switch is in the middle position)
4) Are both mine burnt out?

It having been a leased vehicle for 3 years before I bought it, I suspect the answer is #4, but I'd like to know where to yank before digging them out, and what bulb number I'm replacing (so I can switch to LEDs if it is burned out)

Many diagrams/videos that talk about a parking light say/show that there is an access hatch that must be opened before removing the front parking light. These are generally 2011/2012 illustrations. My Leaf has no such hatch: just a plain, flat slab of plastic on the "inner" face of the light housing. Also of no use are the SV/SL illustrations from 2013 and later.

I am now using LED headlight bulbs in our 2015 Leaf S.

I got these: http://www.amazon.com/Boltlink-Headlight-Bulbs-6000lumen-White-cree/dp/B00NSU5L62/



So far, so good. They are significantly brighter than the stock halogens. At 20W each, they take a smaller bite out of the range. They have good spread, but there are some less well lit patches. Overall much better than stock. I didn't want fans - they are noisy and they are bound to fail. These seem to have much better heatsinks than the H11's I have used; which are tightly spaced aluminum disks.

I wish there was a better way to deal with the covers that have the wires pass through them.

An issue that I have with the headlights in general (both bulbs have this problem), is that I wish they focused a little bit lower. Is there an adjustment for this? Or, is that something that went away decades ago?

Neil, are you still happy with your LEDs? What size did you get? Your link takes me to the 9004 but I don't want to order the wrong one in case it's just a stock link.

In general I like them a lot. They are significantly brighter than the stock halogens. I wish the low beams were focused lower and/or had a sharper cutoff. And the cooling has not been challenged yet, since I have had them in cool weather only, so far.

what size did you get?

Size? I got the exact bulbs I linked to.

sorry; first time I followed the link and tried to buy, Amazon prompted me for a size. It didn't happen this time and I'll have them by Friday. thanks!

Neil, I finally got around to trying to replace my halogens and the cup that sits over the bulb opening confuses me. How did you go about installing these and leaving room for the heat sink? I assume you didn't shove all of it into that cup.

You have to put the cup aside and let the heatsink get proper air flow.