What makes bad headlights bad?

[inv4zn]

Saw a ton of egay projector/headlight questions, and I thought I'd ask my own...

So the reason people tell others not to get anything other than OEM is the horrible light output, along with the cheap materials/workmanship, and their tendency to break easily...

But what makes the light output so horrible?

Is it the reflector buckets that don't reflect the light properly?

Or is it the clear lenses? Do these affect light output in anyway?

 

[KnightRyder]

the reflector buckets dont reflect like OEM. sometimes the general fitment of the headlight on the car is off too. if you're getting an oem looking set (not blackhoused) then chances are the chroming on the shroud piece is not that great.

 

[ryan s]

generally the design of the reflectors.

if you have an OEM and an ebay side by side, you can see they are almost identical. now imagine you want to make a copy of the OEM via a mould. when you go to make another via that mould, the lines won't be as sharp. each of the "geometric" areas on the reflector are there for a reason, in that spot for a reason.

its the loss of precision (caring?) in the copying process that makes the light output suffer.

 

[inv4zn]

I see, so it wouldn't be as much the lens of the headlight, as it is the silver/chroms internal reflector?

I ask because I have a set of OEM headlights with cracked/oxidized/generally gross lenses, but the reflectors are decent.

I'm running ebay headlights at the moment...lol

If I mix/match, would the output improve?

 

[arise257]

Saw a ton of egay projector/headlight questions, and I thought I'd ask my own...

So the reason people tell others not to get anything other than OEM is the horrible light output, along with the cheap materials/workmanship, and their tendency to break easily...

But what makes the light output so horrible?

Is it the reflector buckets that don't reflect the light properly?

Or is it the clear lenses? Do these affect light output in anyway?

From personal experience, I think it's the quality of the projector itself. It seems like 99.9% of eBay projector headlights have:

(A) The same design with slight variations in LED positioning/Halos/texture/color

(B) An absurdly low starting price - consider that a pair of eBay projectors costs the same as just one OEM headlight.

(C) Instructions and packaging written in "Engrish".

In reading some DIY Projector retrofits on this site, people are paying almost $600 just for projectors, lenses, and shrouds and they still have to put it all together. So quality parts -- not even a complete assembly -- costs more than 3 times what a pair of fully assembled eGays cost.

From what I've seen, if you're going to get a pair of aftermarket assembled projectors for your Accord, get the TYC Elegante set. Check out pictures in the lighting review thread and you can see how well they light up the road. With an HID setup, you'll be shining bright.

 

[HondaLuver83]

From personal experience, I think it's the quality of the projector itself. It seems like 99.9% of eBay projector headlights have:

(A) The same design with slight variations in LED positioning/Halos/texture/color

(B) An absurdly low starting price - consider that a pair of eBay projectors costs the same as just one OEM headlight.

(C) Instructions and packaging written in "Engrish".

In reading some DIY Projector retrofits on this site, people are paying almost $600 just for projectors, lenses, and shrouds and they still have to put it all together. So quality parts -- not even a complete assembly -- costs more than 3 times what a pair of fully assembled eGays cost.

From what I've seen, if you're going to get a pair of aftermarket assembled projectors for your Accord, get the TYC Elegante set. Check out pictures in the lighting review thread and you can see how well they light up the road. With an HID setup, you'll be shining bright.

Have you used TYC's? They arent that great, they are a hell of a lot better than halos. The output was better with HIDs installed, but I still had better results with OEM headlights and HIDs.

. Comparing them with my retro fit, they light up the road better than my OEM headlights and HIDs combo.


Also the TYCs arent just plug and play with HIDS. You have to do a little bit of customization to the bulb housing.

 

[KnightRyder]

I see, so it wouldn't be as much the lens of the headlight, as it is the silver/chroms internal reflector?

I ask because I have a set of OEM headlights with cracked/oxidized/generally gross lenses, but the reflectors are decent.

I'm running ebay headlights at the moment...lol

If I mix/match, would the output improve?

also keep in mind that its still an aftermarket piece so generally yes it'll fit, but you'll probably need to apply some force to get them to fit together correctly and even then you're probably going to need to silicone around the edges to prevent any leaks.

 

[inv4zn]

So I have a few options then right now...

I can get a set of new TYC projectors for $150. I'm split on whether or not I like the looks though..

Or I can try and frankenstein the two sets I have now to see if they workout well.

Which would you guys recommend? Getting new OEM's and retro's are out of the question for now...

 

[HondaLuver83]

So I have a few options then right now...

I can get a set of new TYC projectors for $150. I'm split on whether or not I like the looks though..

Or I can try and frankenstein the two sets I have now to see if they workout well.

Which would you guys recommend? Getting new OEM's and retro's are out of the question for now...

Frankenstein the two sets....TYCs are not worth it in the end, since you will be left wanting more light performance.

 

[inv4zn]

Sweet...thanks =)