I am intrigued by the LED headlights and frustrated that none of the reviews I have seen so far say whether/how the lights are different/better/worse than conventional or HID lights. (As usual, most of the reviews seem to bang on about hard and soft plastics and don't tell you, for example, how effective or easy-to-use the touchscreen infotainment system is.)
So I've been doing some Internet research and discovered, among other things, that a JD Power driver survey in the USA last year found that LED headlights are the technology option that drivers most desire in their next car. (I find that I am not allowed to post URLs here, but there is a report on the survey on AutoGuide.com dated 26 April).
So the LED lights should help with resale values - at least for the next two or three years until every car has them.
In terms of the technology, LED headlights produce most of their heat at the back of the lamp rather than the front, as happens with conventional lamps. This means, for a start, that they won't melt snow and ice from the headlight cover. I wonder whether SEAT have made provision for this?
The heat at the back has to be removed effectively to prevent the LEDs from overheating, which shortens their lives. This is sometimes done using fans, which might introduce reliability problems. It will be interesting to see how SEAT are removing the heat. Incidentally, LEDs get brighter as they get colder, so this aspect needs to controlled as well.
One of the potential attractions of LEDs is their long lives. In theory, they could last as long as the car, and SEAT boasts about their long lives in its promotional literature. So I wonder whether they will be covered by the warranty like other long-lasting parts of the car. If not, what will replacement headlights cost? If the cost of the headlight option in almost £1,000 (if not bought as part of a technology pack), the cost of replacement LEDs and their cooling/control systems could be quite steep, and that's before labour costs. The early adopters will be guineapigs for the new technology and this could be costly if the lights are not covered by the warranty and have reliability problems.
Finally, I came across a Spanish video review of the new Leon in which the daylight running LEDS seem to be doing some odd things at about 3.56 and 4.59 in the video (again no URL, but the site is called coches.net and the review was posted on 29 January). Do these lights double as indicators? Even if that is the case, it doesn't explain the second phenomenon - unless the LEDs are acting as hazard warning lights. Any ideas?
Perhaps someone who has earned the right to post URLs on this site could post the links mentioned above.
So I've been doing some Internet research and discovered, among other things, that a JD Power driver survey in the USA last year found that LED headlights are the technology option that drivers most desire in their next car. (I find that I am not allowed to post URLs here, but there is a report on the survey on AutoGuide.com dated 26 April).
So the LED lights should help with resale values - at least for the next two or three years until every car has them.
In terms of the technology, LED headlights produce most of their heat at the back of the lamp rather than the front, as happens with conventional lamps. This means, for a start, that they won't melt snow and ice from the headlight cover. I wonder whether SEAT have made provision for this?
The heat at the back has to be removed effectively to prevent the LEDs from overheating, which shortens their lives. This is sometimes done using fans, which might introduce reliability problems. It will be interesting to see how SEAT are removing the heat. Incidentally, LEDs get brighter as they get colder, so this aspect needs to controlled as well.
One of the potential attractions of LEDs is their long lives. In theory, they could last as long as the car, and SEAT boasts about their long lives in its promotional literature. So I wonder whether they will be covered by the warranty like other long-lasting parts of the car. If not, what will replacement headlights cost? If the cost of the headlight option in almost £1,000 (if not bought as part of a technology pack), the cost of replacement LEDs and their cooling/control systems could be quite steep, and that's before labour costs. The early adopters will be guineapigs for the new technology and this could be costly if the lights are not covered by the warranty and have reliability problems.
Finally, I came across a Spanish video review of the new Leon in which the daylight running LEDS seem to be doing some odd things at about 3.56 and 4.59 in the video (again no URL, but the site is called coches.net and the review was posted on 29 January). Do these lights double as indicators? Even if that is the case, it doesn't explain the second phenomenon - unless the LEDs are acting as hazard warning lights. Any ideas?
Perhaps someone who has earned the right to post URLs on this site could post the links mentioned above.
