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Fiesta ST LED installation Q -

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436
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211
Location
Jackson, MO, USA
#1
Hello all. Been a while since i posted, been working and DRIVING ! Still love my 15' FIST, have a question if anybody can help. My LED conversion kit that came with the car was a Opt7 set with drivers (don't have any other info on them). One of the lights went out a month ago so i grabbed some temp halogens till i understood more about LED systems. I got a replacement pair from a local aftermarket store, they are a brand called Heise, 50W, 6500k, 6000 lumens.

When i showed the store owner my Opt7 kit as a reference, he said the driver box was now built in to newer LED bulb units, and indeed the Heise pair i bought don't have drivers. Is this true? From my understanding the driver is used to maintain consistent voltage to the units, is that correct? If i install my Opt7 drivers with these Heise bulbs is that likely to damage them? I have installed just the bulbs and they work but im still unsure about the drivers part.

My 2nd Q is about actual installation. I have heard im supposed to keep the LEDs pointed up/down, and another source said they should be pointed side to side. Is there a particular direction they should be set or does it not matter? Also if anybody has any particular advice on other lights that would be a better option please share, i may not buy them now but eventually these Heise will need replacing too. Thanks to all in advance!
 


danbfree

3000 Post Club
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Location
Tigard, Oregon, USA
#2
You should be checking in the lighting section, lots of good posts there, you're lucky I saw your post randomly on the right side new posts :)

So, the thing is some LED's have external drivers, some don't, always use what does or doesn't come in the box... one the very best sets to use in the factory reflectors is the TechMax and they have a built in driver. Check out THIS great independent review site to see which have clean cutoffs or not, but indeed for 2 sided you want the stalk vertically at 12/6 position and the chips at 3/9. Also check out THIS thread in the lighting section that I started. Hope that helps!
 


OP
TalkToTheFiST
Messages
436
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211
Location
Jackson, MO, USA
Thread Starter #3
You should be checking in the lighting section, lots of good posts there, you're lucky I saw your post randomly on the right side new posts :)

So, the thing is some LED's have external drivers, some don't, always use what does or doesn't come in the box... one the very best sets to use in the factory reflectors is the TechMax and they have a built in driver. Check out THIS great independent review site to see which have clean cutoffs or not, but indeed for 2 sided you want the stalk vertically at 12/6 position and the chips at 3/9. Also check out THIS thread in the lighting section that I started. Hope that helps!
Wahooo thanks for that Dan, i bookmarked that site for reference. I didn't see a lighting section but im still new to the site here, i must have missed it. Gonna go through that thread too. Just to be clear, you say the stalk, you mean the solid part that's rectangular right? So it's supposed to be positioned stalk up and down, and so the actual LED lights are right and left?
 


danbfree

3000 Post Club
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Location
Tigard, Oregon, USA
#4
Wahooo thanks for that Dan, i bookmarked that site for reference. I didn't see a lighting section but im still new to the site here, i must have missed it. Gonna go through that thread too. Just to be clear, you say the stalk, you mean the solid part that's rectangular right? So it's supposed to be positioned stalk up and down, and so the actual LED lights are right and left?
Correct! And at the top of the page at the link to my LED thread you can click on the "Exterior Cosmetic and lighting" section, or from the main page scroll down towards the bottom... Good luck!
 


OP
TalkToTheFiST
Messages
436
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211
Location
Jackson, MO, USA
Thread Starter #5
Correct! And at the top of the page at the link to my LED thread you can click on the "Exterior Cosmetic and lighting" section, or from the main page scroll down towards the bottom... Good luck!
Ok ty for all the help, i did see the lighting section it was just further down than i had scrolled prior. Good news anyway, i readjusted them 9&3 and they are much brighter and more evenly across the FOV !

I have a good amount of tinting on my windshield and without the brighter lights it was so hard to see at night, dangerously so when it was raining with all the glare. And another easter egg, the previous owner also had LEDs in the fog lamps too. One of them was out when i got it so i never bothered to check till now, they were the same Opt7 kit.

So i took the working Opt7 bulb that i just replaced in my low beams and installed it in the bad fog lamp housing, voila i have LEDs x 4 lol. What a difference it makes driving and it looks so much better. TY for all the help Dan and i will keep reading up on these threads, much to learn.
 




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