Important functionality is reserved in cars for lighting devices that are used at night. To improve their performance, car owners strive to easily tune the optics by installing progressive illuminators. However, not everyone knows whether installing LED lamps on a car is allowed. Such light bulbs have both positive and negative qualities.
The practice of LED lights gradually replacing traditional incandescent or halogen lamps is a growing trend in various areas. However, a consensus on the effect of using LED devices in the scientific community has not yet been developed. Some experts claim that LED devices screwed into a chandelier have a negative effect on the eyes, while opponents are confident of a neutral effect. Motorists have their own reasoning.
The disadvantages of using LEDs are their rather high cost, which is 10-20 times more than the price tag of incandescent lamps. Also, such optics will require a rated current, for which it will be necessary to install a resistor or new current sources in the circuit.
The disadvantages are compensated by the advantages obtained:
Experts have calculated that the response speed of LEDs is 200 ms higher than classic lamps. This fact is relevant when operating light optics in rear lights. The driver driving behind such a car will have time to notice the “stop” light a few hundredths of a second earlier. This fact will be reflected in a reduction in braking distance and can ultimately prevent accidents..
Current rules regulate the use of diode optics for low and high beam lighting. According to these facts, legality is recognized in the following cases:
However, some car drivers convert them themselves. At the same time, they have to interfere with the design of the vehicle.
Without understanding whether LED lamps are prohibited in cars, some motorists independently look for such optics with suitable sockets and reinstall the devices. As a result, the light becomes much brighter and prettier. But everyone knows that there is a violation of the Traffic Rules and a violation of the current Code of Administrative Violations.
Clause 3.1 of the Traffic Regulations contains a complete list of faults for which it is prohibited to operate the vehicle on public roads. Among them there is not only color, quantity and operating mode, but also the “type” of the lighting device that does not correspond to the design.
The Administrative Code provides for punishment, according to Part 3, when the operating mode of lighting devices does not meet the requirements. The driver has the right to deprive his license for a period of six months to a year. Not everyone knows why you can’t install LED lamps on cars.
It is important to know that the main reason for banning LEDs in cars is the mismatch between the type of lamp and the type of reflector, so legalizing such a pair with a simple replacement will not work.
During the usual change of halogens to LEDs, the inspector has the right to impose a fine of 500 rubles, but the driver has a legal option to legalize the new product. In this case, you will need to obtain a certificate of conformity of the vehicle with the changes applied to the design that meet the safety requirements.
To do this, you need to go to the traffic police to re-register the car. This way you will be able to avoid punishment and not pay fines. It’s easier for those drivers whose cars the automaker began installing LEDs on its own for the later model range. In such a case, a safety check is not required, which is stated in the regulations of the Customs Union.
To fully comply with the conditions of the traffic police, headlights from a similar new model must be installed on the car. After all, inside there will be reflectors that comply with regulatory regulations. Therefore, before properly installing LED lamps on a car, it is necessary to install a new headlight, which will eliminate complaints from law enforcement officers.
The constant increase in the cost of energy resources, the need to save them, and the urgency of preserving the environment have pushed humanity to use LEDs as light sources. Easy to install, convenient to use, and not having a negative impact on humans and nature as a whole, they are gradually replacing the recently popular compact energy-saving lamps.
So, to understand the advantages of LED lamps, you need to understand what they consist of and what their operating principle is.
The lamp consists of a set of LEDs that correspond to the total power of the lamp, a control circuit and a housing with a reflector. LED lamps intended for domestic use are equipped with a standard E14 or E27 socket to replace conventional incandescent lamps. The number of LEDs can be different - from one to several dozen, included in one chain and connected to the control circuit through a power supply.
Since the LED produces a significant amount of heat during operation, it must be cooled. Radiators to which LEDs are attached do an excellent job of removing heat. Please note that at the point of contact between the LED and the heatsink, a special thermal paste must be used to ensure good heat transfer. Otherwise, with constant overheating of the LED, its service life is significantly reduced.
The photo shows several types of radiators for LEDs.
A typical LED control circuit in a luminaire looks like this:
A quenching resistor and capacitance are installed at the input - they act as a step-down power supply. Further, since the LEDs are powered only by direct current, a diode bridge is installed that converts alternating voltage to direct current. In the presented circuit, all the LEDs are connected in series, but this is not the only way to connect them. Such “bulbs” can be connected in parallel to each other or in a mixed way, as shown below.
Parallel connection of LEDs. A current-limiting resistor must be connected in series to each lamp to protect the LED from breakdown.
Mixed connection of LEDs. In this case, each group of series-connected lamps is connected in parallel with respect to each other.
The disadvantage of a series connection is that if one element of the circuit fails, the entire assembly will not be able to work, since an open circuit has formed in the circuit. If the LED does not just burn out, but there is a breakdown, then in this case the circuit will not be interrupted, but since the supply voltage remains unchanged and the number of consumers has decreased, they will all begin to work with overload and eventually burn out. This also applies to mixed connection schemes. The most reliable in this case is a parallel circuit for connecting an LED lamp; even if half of the lamps fail, it will be able to continue to perform its functions, albeit not at full capacity. But such schemes are the most expensive, so they are used quite rarely.
Thanks to modern technologies and the variety of LEDs that are sold in electrical stores and construction supermarkets, assembling a lamp from LEDs is not difficult. First you need to decide what type of lighting is preferable for the selected room. For example, if this is a corridor in the hallway, then there is no need to install spotlights, but it will be more aesthetically pleasing to use an LED strip, which you can easily install yourself by gluing it around the perimeter of the ceiling.
It is sold completely ready for installation, on one side its end is closed with a plug that protects the contacts from oxidation, and the other has output wires that are connected to the power supply while maintaining polarity. Depending on the length of the tape and, accordingly, its power, it is necessary to select a power supply (LED driver) that could power the entire chain without overload. Up to 60 LEDs can be placed in one meter of such tape. As a rule, choose a power supply that has a power 10-15% higher than the rated load. It is highly not recommended to close such devices in small niches with limited ventilation, since LED drivers can generate a significant amount of heat during operation. An alternative is to use power supplies with forced ventilation.
If an LED strip works well for a hallway, then for a hall or bedroom it will be too ineffective as the main lighting. In large rooms it is used as lighting, and the main lamps are placed on the ceiling or walls for maximum comfort. When planning LED lighting, you need to take into account the area of the room, the height of the ceilings in it, the shades of the surface of the walls and, accordingly, the power of the lamps. When the entire set of equipment has been purchased, we begin to assemble the lamps.
To do this, an LED is attached to the radiator with thermal paste applied. If the radiator area allows heat to be removed from several lamps, it is permissible to attach a nominal number of LEDs to it. How LED lamps are selected, articles on the Internet describe this process in sufficient detail. The main thing you need to pay attention to is their power and size. Thus, SMD LEDs are considered one of the most popular. They are marked smd3528/1210, smd5050/5060 and smd5070 (the most powerful). The numbers in the LED labeling indicate their size. For example, smd5050 has a size of 5x5 mm, and smd5070 has a size of 5x7 mm. Due to their small size, such LEDs are used almost everywhere: in LED strips and lamps, in rulers and in other lighting devices.
LED lamps are divided into types:
Lamps can be equipped with motion sensors to significantly increase the lifespan of LEDs, which turn on only when necessary. Such equipment works great in the entrances of houses, long office corridors and other places where constant lighting is not necessary.
There are ready-made lamps that are equipped with radiators designed for LEDs installed in them. If the knowledge for self-assembly is not enough, then you can use ready-made solutions and purchase, for example, an LED lamp for the home - assembled LEDs on radiators. They are enclosed in a housing that can decorate any apartment.
A variety of lamps with LEDs allows them to be used in almost any place, including rooms with high humidity. But LED lamps emit a significant amount of heat during operation, so you should avoid installing them in the kitchen above the hob. Due to additional heating and poor heat dissipation, LEDs will not last long and will quickly fail.
LED lamps have proven themselves to be excellent in living rooms and bedrooms. They install perfectly and without any problems on any surface. This is how, for example, an LED lamp is installed on a suspended ceiling:
Guided by this simple diagram, such lamps are installed in a similar way on suspended plasterboard ceilings.
But if in the room in which you plan to install LED lighting, the ceilings are a monolithic concrete slab, then you need to choose overhead or pendant type lamps.
In this case, the LED lamp or its suspended structure is mounted directly on the concrete surface using special holes in the housing or other devices.
Attention! All work related to connecting lamps to the electrical network must be carried out with the voltage turned off to avoid electric shock!
Of course, in order to connect a spotlight, it is necessary to lay current-carrying wires to the place of its installation. If you plan to install a suspended or suspended ceiling, then the wire is pulled into a corrugated plastic sleeve, which, in turn, is secured with brackets on the ceiling.
After laying all the wires and installing the LED drivers in a place convenient for their maintenance with good ventilation, the suspended ceiling is mounted. Next, holes are carefully cut out in it corresponding to the diameter of the lamps and the wires are carefully routed out and connected to the terminals of the lamp. After connecting the lamp, install it in the cut hole, being careful not to break the lamp or damage the stretch ceiling film. Moreover, if the room has a suspended ceiling, then thermal rings must be installed on the lamp, which prevent overheating of the film. But for plasterboard ceilings this procedure is not necessary.
The connection is made according to the diagram:
If the lamps are assembled and connected correctly, then when voltage is applied to the power supplies, the lamps should light up.
Of course, manufacturers of LED lamps claim enormous service life for their products, but if LEDs are used incorrectly, their lifespan can be significantly reduced and they will require replacement.
To replace a spotlight lamp, you must:
Replacing lamps should be done with cotton gloves so as not to damage the LED and not to leave grease on its surface, which is found on our fingers.
After completing these operations, you can apply voltage and enjoy the results of your work.
Prices for new buildings, apartments with a mortgage for young families. You can choose the layout of the apartments to suit your taste. Apartments in Balashikha are an excellent choice.
At one time, fluorescent lamps were considered a real breakthrough - they could be seen in schools, hospitals, kindergartens, other institutions, and even in some apartments. But recently the attitude towards them has become ambiguous. On the one hand, they are characterized by low electrical energy consumption, long service life and high luminous efficiency. But all these positive qualities pale in comparison to their main drawback - fluorescent lamps contain a bulb filled with mercury.
With the invention of LED lamps, there was no longer any need to expose oneself to mortal danger, especially since such lamps are much superior to fluorescent lamps in their characteristics.
But when we first think about replacing obsolete fluorescent lamps, we are faced with the question: how to do this with the least material costs, because the cost of LED lamps is quite high, and a complete replacement will cost us a tidy sum. It is much easier to replace only the lamps, especially since it is quite simple to do if you know some of the features. So, let's consider in order how to connect an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent lamp yourself.
The manufacturer of LED lamps has long simplified our lives by releasing T8 lamps suitable for the G13 base. All that remains is to slightly remake the old lamp. To do this, it is necessary to remove all unnecessary components from the connection diagram.
Let's see how to connect an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent lamp in the diagram of a standard raster lamp with four fluorescent tubes, which is most often found - with a ballast and a starter.
LDS lamps have additional equipment that is necessary for their operation. LED lamps do not require these additions: everything necessary for their normal functioning is already built into the housing. Therefore, before connecting an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent one, it is necessary to dismantle everything unnecessary and power the lamp contacts directly.
Both categories of lamps are connected according to the same circuit: the green conductor is connected to the neutral wire, and the red conductor is connected to the phase. Below, the diagram shows how to correctly connect an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent one.
This is quite easy to do - you need to connect a phase to one side of the lamp, and a zero to the other.
There is no need to observe polarity, since the power comes from alternating current. The wire itself can be connected to any of the contact pins, because each pair of contacts on one side of the LED lamp is closed to each other.
Before that, you need to cut off all the wires coming from the G13 sockets. After this, it is enough to connect the cable on one side to the phase terminals, and on the other to the zero terminals.
On sale it is very rare to find LED lamps made in Ukraine with contact pins phase And zero are on one side. Before connecting such lamps, you must first check the connection sides indicated on the lamp. The installation process itself will be the same as in the case of lamps with double-sided contacts.
Such lamps require additional equipment to connect chips:
Any of these stabilizing devices can be assembled independently. But for this you need to have certain knowledge and enough time.
Typically, additional stabilizing devices are required to connect LEDs, LED elements and LED strips. LED lamps usually have built-in stabilizers.
In this article we will not consider methods for assembling stabilizing devices for connection, since it is quite difficult to learn this on your own. If you do not have any knowledge of electrical engineering, then be sure to study the packaging before purchasing - it usually indicates whether additional equipment is required for connection, and what kind of equipment it is.
Such switches are very convenient to use, but are often not compatible with modern lamps. They are best suited for incandescent lamps. Their disadvantage is that they can sometimes flash in the dark, which is not very convenient, especially in the bedroom.
This happens due to the fact that the design of such lamps includes a rectifier that converts alternating voltage into direct voltage. To smooth out ripples, a capacitor is built into the rectifier, which tends to accumulate charge during operation of the lamp.
Therefore, when an LED bulb is connected to a backlit switch, it dims and sometimes flickers even when unplugged. There are several ways to fix this:
As you can see, before connecting an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent one, you do not need to completely change the lamps or have much knowledge. You can do this quite easily yourself at minimal cost, carefully following the instructions.
After these simple modifications, you will have modern, low-energy luminaires that have a long service life and, most importantly, are safe.
We should not forget that fluorescent lamps cannot simply be thrown away, as they contain mercury. Be sure to dispose of them properly. Almost all major cities have companies involved in the disposal of hazardous waste, many of them will be ready to accept lamps absolutely free of charge.
When producing modern LED car lamps, manufacturers take into account that many car enthusiasts will install them instead of standard ones. Therefore, most LEDs are produced with standard sockets, which makes it possible to easily, without any modifications, simply replace a traditional lamp with an LED one. The main problem that arises during installation is different; Which lamp to choose for different car lighting systems?
Today, in most cases, manufacturers install lamps without a base on manufactured cars. Such a lighting fixture has the code W5W (the base is marked as T10). If you have a lamp with a base installed, it will be type T4W (base brand BA9S) or H6W lamp (here the BAX9S base has protrusions offset from each other by 120 degrees). For example, devices of the T4W type with a BA9S base are standard for Russian VAZ cars (models 2101-2106).
When installing side lamps, it is necessary to remember the peculiarities of the location of these lighting devices: they are located next to a powerful heat source - high beam lamps. Therefore, there is a risk of destruction of LED crystals. To avoid such a “trouble,” manufacturers of LED lamps supply their products with current stabilizers. They reduce the voltage supply as the temperature rises. Designations of lamps with stabilizer:
- T10-1WF, T10-5SF, T10-9SE: without base;
- BA9S-1WF: with base.
Today, the majority of cars are produced with two-pin conventional lamps, where one contact is responsible for the dimensions, the other for the feet. The marking of such a lamp is P21/5W, the base is designated as BAY15D, or 1157. LED lamps with two contacts have the following markings:
- 5WF series;
- SMD: such devices can have from 15 to 27 LEDs;
- SF: considered a budget option that uses SuperFlux (or "piranha").
If a lamp with one contact is installed in the car, then the base will be designated 1156, or BA15S. A number of Japanese and American cars can install lamps without a base. In this case, single-pin ones are marked as W21W (7440 series base), two-pin ones as W21/5W (7443 series base).
Single-contact lamps with a power of 21 W (P21W) and a BA15S or 1156 socket are installed here. If the optics in the car are transparent, then lamps with yellow glass are suitable: PY21W with a BAU15S or 1156 socket. To replace these lamps with LED ones, it is necessary to use products of the SF, SMD, 5W series. There is also a nuance here; After installation, the LED lamps begin to blink much more often, so you will have to replace the standard turn relay with a special one designed for . However, you can get out of the situation in another way; You need to connect a resistor in parallel to the LED, simulating a standard lamp, then the blinking frequency will be normalized.
Let's start with the self-evident fact that modern technologies and the initial products of these technologies around us are changing and improving. This also applies to vehicles, which from year to year become better in some ways, worse in others, but on the whole they change again. More pragmatic, safe and convenient solutions sometimes displace existing ones. This also applies to lighting devices on our cars, starting from interior lighting lamps, dimensions and ending with low and high beam lighting devices. Today, the use of LEDs in low and high beam lamps is considered the most promising and advanced technology. And many motorists who share this point of view simply change the halogen lamps in their headlights to LED ones. But is it possible to do this, is it legal? This is exactly the topic we will cover in our article.
Before we talk about the fact that an LED lamp and a halogen lamp are still different things, let’s turn to the technical documents regulating the use of such light sources on vehicles. At the moment, the “Technical Regulations of the Customs Union” has become for us a kind of Mecca in relation to technical requirements for cars. And this is where you can find some interesting things about the differences between halogen and LED bulbs.
“light source class” - characteristic of the physical principle of light emission: incandescent lamp (class 0); incandescent lamp with the bulb filled with halogen-containing gases (class H), gas-discharge lamp (class D), light-emitting diode (class LED);
From here it becomes clear that the LED class is not halogen or xenon at all. It goes without saying that one cannot be replaced by another. Since, in essence, by installing a lamp with a different principle of light emission, we change the class for the light source in the headlight. There is one more interesting note here regarding the installation of LED lamps, again all from the same Technical Regulations of the Customs Union (Appendix No. 4)
1.3. Requirements for lighting and light signaling devices
1.3.7. Adaptive front lighting systems that perform the function of low beam, regardless of the light source used, low beam headlights with LED light sources, as well as low beam and fog headlights with light sources of any class having a rated luminous flux of more than 2000 lumens, must be equipped with automatic correction device for adjusting the headlight angle. Low beam headlamps having light sources with a rated luminous flux of more than 2000 lumens must be equipped with an operable headlight cleaning device.
Let's summarize. LED headlights must have an adaptive system that allows you to automatically adjust the beam of light on the road. It is clear why this was done, so as not to blind oncoming people, thereby ensuring safety. Well, the presence of wipers, nozzles of something similar for washing headlights is also a must!
Now we can already summarize that the LED lamp not only itself is a different class of light source, but also when used in headlights it requires two conditions:
Adaptive automatic headlight leveling system;
- headlight cleaners.
If something goes wrong with you, that is, there are lamps, but there are no prerequisites for them, then the failure itself may lead to problems with the law.
Many motorists consider the rationale regarding the operating mode to be far-fetched. That is, it seems like the color scheme has not changed and the lamps are not blinking, which means the mode of operation under which charges will be brought is not at all what they want to present to us. One can argue here for a long time, but if we take existing practice, we can quote an excerpt from the resolution of June 21, 2017 in case No. 05-0402/350/2017 Judicial precinct No. 350 of the Savyolovsky judicial district (Moscow City)
Letter No. 132/s of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation dated June 16, 2009 clarified that the development and production of vehicle headlights is carried out for a specific light source intended for use in vehicle headlights, in accordance with the requirements of international rules - the UNECE Rules. According to these Rules, each headlight must have a marking indicating the category of the light source with which the headlight must be used on a vehicle. At the same time, the operating mode of lighting devices, based on the disposition of the above norm, should be understood as a set of technical characteristics of headlights corresponding to a particular light distribution, ensuring road safety depending on the road situation and weather conditions, in turn, light distribution according to the UNECE Rules is determined by category the light source used and the design of the lighting device.
Draw your own conclusions about the operating mode... You can also turn to TRTS again, where in Appendix No. 9 you can find
9.4. When installing lighting and light signaling devices on a vehicle that are not provided for by its design, as well as changing the design of the headlights (changing the class of the light source in them), the requirements of UNECE Regulations No. 48, 53, 74, paragraph 1 of Appendix No. 3 to these technical regulations.
Now we open UNECE Rules No. 48 (these are Rules for cars, and No. 53 and No. 74 for motorcycles and mopeds), to which TRTS refers. And here you can find:
2.7.6 combined lights: Devices having different light sources or a single light source operating in different modes (for example, in different OPTICAL, MECHANICAL or electrical modes), wholly or partially common illuminating surfaces and a common housing.
That is, the Rules allow for an OPTICAL mode of operation and even some kind of mechanical one... And this is not bullshit, this is an international document! As a result, the statement only about flickering as an electrical mode of lamp operation is not valid. This means that with a possible replacement of the lamp and in fact the light source, it is quite possible to disrupt the operating mode for the lamp. It turns out something like this.
Well, one more excerpt from TRTS
9.2. If it is necessary to replace a light source provided by the design of a vehicle with a light source of the same class with different photometric characteristics or a different class, such a replacement can only be carried out together with the light module corresponding to the light source being replaced, or the headlight assembly. Installation of non-standard light modules is not allowed if the illuminating surface of the diffuser in the area of passage of the light beam of the non-standard light module has optical elements involved in the formation of the light beam. In case of changing the class of the light source, a conclusion from an accredited testing laboratory is required on compliance with the UNECE Rules applicable to the relevant types of headlights and light sources, the photometric parameters of the headlight with replaced light sources and light modules.
That is, in theory, even lamps can be changed to another light source in the headlight, but it is necessary to have a conclusion, in other words, approval or certificate that such lamps have been assessed for compliance with safety as part of the headlight of such a vehicle.
First, you should refer to the list of malfunctions for which the operation of the vehicle is prohibited, and find there the following paragraphs 3.1...
The number, type, color, location and operating mode of external lighting devices do not meet the requirements of the vehicle design.
Light fixtures do not have lenses or use lenses and lamps that do not match the type of light fixture in question.
In general, if there is no lamp, or maybe there is something wrong with it, or the lenses do not fit the lamp, then this is a violation. And a violation, as we know, cannot but go unpunished, at least on paper, but as happens in life, you know more than we do. So, nominally here it is necessary to apply Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, Part 3.
Driving a vehicle on the front of which there are light devices installed... the color of the lights and the mode of operation of which do not comply with the requirements of the Basic Provisions for the admission of vehicles to operation and the duties of officials to ensure road safety - entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of 6 years months to 1 year with confiscation of the specified instruments and devices.
From this it can be seen that the use of LED lamps does not even result in a fine, but in the deprivation of a driver’s license.
If it turns out that LED lamps are located where they should not be installed, then such lamps may be confiscated. The compiled protocol on the violation will be sent to court, where the judge will decide the fate of the violating driver and the lamps. After all, deprivation of a special right is possible only by a court decision. But the confiscation of things for administrative violations can occur without trial; this is permitted by Article 243 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Confiscation of lamps can be carried out in accordance with the law, on a video camera or in the presence of two witnesses (seizure protocol). In this case, the inspector’s decision can be challenged in court. But actually, it doesn’t matter how the subject of the administrative violation will be confiscated, the main thing is that it can be done, and quite legally.
There will be another depressing circumstance: after the end of the period of deprivation of special rights, you will have to take an exam, which can also partly be attributed to some kind of additional punishment.
Question: Is it possible to install LED lamps instead of other types of lamps?
Answer: With a probability of 99 percent. The points:
- the manufacturer most likely included in the design only the use of halogen lamps, you need to look at the VIN and find out from the dealers;
- halogen headlights do not provide automatic adjustment for light, which is mandatory for LED lamps;
- A headlight cleaner is a must.
