Kia Niro EV Led Headlight Installation

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jayc1358

jayc1358

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Made a video on the installation of LED headlights, side marker lights, dome light and license plate lights.
If you have the EX trim and are interested in replacing the bulbs it is pretty easy. Check out the video and if you want to see anything else let me know in the comments.

 
jayc,
Thanks for the video and the links on your youtube page. Not caring much about the sunroof, heated seats or Nav, I went for the EX, but was somewhat disappointed that LED's weren't standard. Especially the headlamps - every watt counts!
 
scram69 said:
jayc,
Thanks for the video and the links on your youtube page. Not caring much about the sunroof, heated seats or Nav, I went for the EX, but was somewhat disappointed that LED's weren't standard. Especially the headlamps - every watt counts!
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I agree! Thank you so much for the comment. Once I got the car and saw how easy an LED conversion was, I was really happy to be able to share how easy it would be to replace the stock bulbs with LED's. Thanks again for your time in commenting.
 
Sure - also wanted to let folks know there's a $5 coupon currently on amazon for the headlamps. Mine arrive tomorrow :)

Saw your pics on the other thread; did you find the cargo net on amazon as well?
 
Nice! I forgot to add in the video, when you take the old bulbs out look at the position of the tabs that lock the bulb into the housing. Then put them the same way on the led bulbs. Makes getting them in properly easier. Does that make sense?
There are three tabs at the base of the bulbs that lock the bulb into place.

The cargo net came with the car. That, wheel locks, cargo cover which I took out and floor mats.
I’m sure you could find one that would fit. I like it so my groceries don’t go flying around when I’m in sport mode lol
 
That's good to know thanks! I took out the first level under the floor to free up some more space under there for beach towels, the charger and some other things. There is quite a bit of room under there if you take them both out but I want to keep the tire kit and tools there.
 
Nonsense for most US States. Led headlights are legal if they are installed correctly and either white or yellow. Cannot project farther than 75 feet (that's why you make sure they are installed correctly.) Please check your state laws
 
Do the LED headlights now more closely match the white color of the small vertical daytime running lights? I think those are LED from factory on all trims. The stock halogen headlights look more brown/red in comparison.
 
wizziwig said:
Do the LED headlights now more closely match the white color of the small vertical daytime running lights? I think those are LED from factory on all trims. The stock halogen headlights look more brown/red in comparison.
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Yes exactly. Look the same white color. I bought fog lights because those are the same orange halogen. You have to go in through a panel in the wheel well. I have not decided if I am going to do those as well. I returned them but now that I am thinking about it, I may do it so they are all the same color. As of now I keep the fog lamps off. If they were all the same color I would consider leaving them on all the time
 
wizziwig said:
Do the LED headlights now more closely match the white color of the small vertical daytime running lights? I think those are LED from factory on all trims. The stock halogen headlights look more brown/red in comparison.
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The spectrum from this type of LED headlight is "engineered" white by combining the shorter wavelength blue light that comes from the transitions in the semiconductor of the diode with the longer wavelength yellow light coming from the transitions in the phosphor.
By comparison, halogen bulbs are just a hot piece of tungsten (Z=74) and therefore emit a thermal spectrum due to the many outer shell electrons. Even though they can operate at higher temperatures due to the chemistry from the halogen gas allowing some of the tungsten to re-plate on the wire, the spectrum is still going to contain significant longer wavelength content.
But this raises an important point vis-a-vis earlier comments about LED's being "illegal". In a state like CA where the Vehicle Code cares nothing of the origin on the photons, but only that the color of the headlights be "white", strictly scientifically speaking, LED headlights are actually more "legal" than halogen.
 
Yes. That is what I meant to say.. LOL

scram69 said:
The spectrum from this type of LED headlight is "engineered" white by combining the shorter wavelength blue light that comes from the transitions in the semiconductor of the diode with the longer wavelength yellow light coming from the transitions in the phosphor.
By comparison, halogen bulbs are just a hot piece of tungsten (Z=74) and therefore emit a thermal spectrum due to the many outer shell electrons. Even though they can operate at higher temperatures due to the chemistry from the halogen gas allowing some of the tungsten to re-plate on the wire, the spectrum is still going to contain significant longer wavelength content.
But this raises an important point vis-a-vis earlier comments about LED's being "illegal". In a state like CA where the Vehicle Code cares nothing of the origin on the photons, but only that the color of the headlights be "white", strictly scientifically speaking, LED headlights are actually more "legal" than halogen.
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meercatter said:
In that video are you replacing the high beams or the low beams? Those bulbs you linked to on the video are high beams.
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The ex trim does not have different bulbs for low/high beams. When you put on the high beams it angles the beam up. You do not need a separate bulb for low/high
 
jayc1358 said:
The ex trim does not have different bulbs for low/high beams. When you put on the high beams it angles the beam up. You do not need a separate bulb for low/high
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That's very interesting, didn't realize there was only one bulb in there. In that case I'll order a pair of headlights and give this a try :)
 
meercatter said:
That's very interesting, didn't realize there was only one bulb in there. In that case I'll order a pair of headlights and give this a try :)
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Awesome! Have the car on and get out with the lights on. Then switch on the high beams. You can hear the mechanism working to adjust the beam. Pretty cool
 
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