LED Headlight Conversions | Page 13 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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So I had the same question when I called. You only need the decoder if your model of Explorer has canbus. Mine is a 2014 so I got mine without the decoder.

Thanks, just to confirm the 2017 sport does have a canbus and needs the decoder correct?
 






Thanks, just to confirm the 2017 sport does have a canbus and needs the decoder correct?
I have no idea. Mine is a 2014. Give them a call before you order. Im super happy with mine. The 8th gen is fanless and fits much better.
 






I have no idea. Mine is a 2014. Give them a call before you order. Im super happy with mine. The 8th gen is fanless and fits much better.

Thanks, any updates on the pictures of them installed?
 












Has anyone tried these yet? Are these supposed to go on before or after you install the aftermarket LEDs?
I have them i have not had time to install.
 






Has anyone tried these yet? Are these supposed to go on before or after you install the aftermarket LEDs?
It's a dust cover so I would guess that it goes on after the fixture is installed.

Peter
 






It's a dust cover so I would guess that it goes on after the fixture is installed.

Peter
Just make sure you run wires through the hole in the dust cover before you install the lights.
 






Hey everyone, just bought a 2011 Exp Limited. Been reading these posts for past couple days and getting kind of confused. I see everyone talking how much they are saving with LED but when I looked up the OPT7x, it's around $100. Some HIDs go for $50 and I do see some LED kit for $20-$60. So are the OPT7 way overpriced or are they just really good and reliable compared to the cheaper LED bulbs. Trying to find the best option.
 






Welcome to the Forum Jim.:wave:

Peter
 












In case anyone is interested. here is a listing on Ebay for dust covers with the holes already cut in them for LED conversion.

2X NEW 1.5" Headlight Dust Cover for HID LED Conversion Kit Bulb Seal Cap H1 H3 | eBay

I did not use these. I purchased another set of dust caps, cut out a nickel sized air hole in the center & placed it over some screen material to keep out larger items but still let the air flow. Not sure if all this was needed, but I didn't want the led replacements to over heat anything. If the headlights start getting dirty, I will just blow out & install the original dust caps
 






I just picked up a pair of LED headlamps for my '13 XLT from a local LED store (sells pretty much any bulb type in an LED equivalent. I'll get pics of before and after as well as the information on the kit and put them up here.
 






Had my OPT7 Fluxbeam X 9005 installed in January of this year go out on me this week. The bulb itself is fine, but the little capacitor box seems to be fried and is no longer powering the bulb itself. It still powers the tiny fan.

Have reinstalled my stockers for right now and have contacted the seller to go about getting them replaced under warranty (2yr warranty).
 






Had my OPT7 Fluxbeam X 9005 installed in January of this year go out on me this week. The bulb itself is fine, but the little capacitor box seems to be fried and is no longer powering the bulb itself. It still powers the tiny fan.

Have reinstalled my stockers for right now and have contacted the seller to go about getting them replaced under warranty (2yr warranty).
As someone who has gone through many LED headlights that you put into the existing reflector housing, I can personally attest to how crappy the resistor/capacitor boxes are, they're the first to burn out or start blowing fuses due to something inside them having gone bad. Same with "flicker cancel" units. It seems to be pure luck if they'll hold up or will fail within a short period of time (hence the very varied Amazon reviews on these things).

However, I have found that most lower-wattage (~35W) LEDs don't seem to have this issue (as much), so once you get tired of them dying, I'd suggest going there. The 50+ watt ones are the ones that die way too fast. You may lose a few lumens though.
 






Went with these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H8VILD6 - as they seemed compact and I wanted to try out a set that was relatively cheap and compact to see if I liked the LED switch.

Very bright and throw slightly better than stock. I'm going back and forth on whether to return and trying out a higher lumen set, but so far I'm quite happy. Everything fits behind the dust cover as it's an all in one unit and the heat sink isn't huge.

I drove around for almost 2 hours yesterday, running errands, etc. with the longest stint over an hour without shutting engine/lights off. When returning home I checked the dust covers and they weren't even warm to the touch. I have a road trip coming up in about a week and half where I'll be driving for about 6 hours - I'll make sure to check out the heat situation and report back.

EDIT - for my own peace of mine I did some quick research on heat from led vs stock/halogen and came across this article with heat tests -

How hot do LED headlight bulbs get? - Better Automotive Lighting

Conclusion from their test -


6+ month update - still no issues with the set I bought and no heat issues without modifying the stock headlight dust covers.
 






I went with the JDM ASTAR H3/9005 set and so far no issues. The OEM dust cover folds a touch back in the center that's probably why I have a little room for air to circulate around the cooling fan. I got the 30W per bulb set up and I will monitor heat and turn the Auto High Beam set up if necessary but so far so good.
 






Hello Stephen, I opted for the HID upgrade from Diode Dynamics and upgraded my fogs to matching temp. LEDs ( these are my DRLs as well) I am extremely happy with the DD HID upgrade. I don't have any wild light streams and don't get flashed( as I believe have been some others experience) I realize the housings in my case are intended for halogen bulbs. My experience with these has been very good. DDs customer service is amazing. I was Ok with space to get to the bulbs.
 






Hello guys,
I have 2012 Limited with factory HID and I'm sick and tired of its fainted light since pretty much very beginning.
Seems to me they are going to die soon since they are turning purple-ish color.
Some people were playing with some other HID bulbs, but this is apparently a projector which is pathetic and new bulbs do not make any considerable difference...

Any idea if I can somehow convert them to LED (if I disconnect ballast)? It might be cheaper to me rather then buying new HID bulbs
 



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I had a full HID kit on my 2011 F150 and was happy with that, so the 2018 F150 Halogen lights left me very disappointed. They flat out suck. So I did a full kit of Low/High/Fog to replace them. Scattered beam but nicely throw on the road. Bright white somewhat yellow ish in there which it helps on visibility in rain or wet conditions. They just like from night to day compared to stock.
 






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