H7 LED Low Beam in a Volvo V50: Customer Review

If you have always driven with xenon lighting and then buy a new car with halogen, you will quickly find yourself in a dark hole on night drives.

H7 LED low beam in a Volvo V50

That is why the owner of this Volvo has now fitted our H7 LED low beam bulbs, to get back the same lovely driving experience he had with xenon.

Also take a look at all our CAN-bus LED bulbs and our xenon lighting.

From xenon to halogen: why the difference feels so big

If you have driven with xenon for years, you get used to plenty of light and a crisp white colour. Switch to a car with halogen and it is a letdown. That is not your imagination: according to Hilox product data, a xenon kit gives you 4 times more light than halogen straight away, and an XTR Black LED kit 3.5 times more. Going the other way, that is a serious step back in light output.

Halogen also looks yellower. Your eyes have to work harder in the dark to pick out contrast, and on unlit roads you notice it first. If you want that xenon feeling back, you have two options:

• A xenon kit, with bulbs and ballasts. After switching on, xenon needs a short warm-up before it burns at full strength.
• An LED kit, with bulbs, drivers and often a CAN-bus module. An LED is at full strength instantly.

The owner of this Volvo went for LED. Have a look at the xenon kits and the LED kits for low beam to compare both options.

What you need to know about an H7 LED kit

H7 is one of the most widely used fittings for low beam. An H7 bulb has a single function, so an H7 LED kit replaces your low beam; if your car also uses H7 for the high beam, you will need a second set for that. The current H7 kit from Hilox is the H7 XTR Black LED kit Hilox Evolution. According to the product data:

• 3,600 lumens per LED, which Hilox says is as powerful as xenon.
• Luxeon Z ES LED chips from Lumileds (Philips), rated for up to 50,000 hours: 50 times longer than halogen and 12 times longer than xenon.
• Adjustable through 360 degrees, so you can set the beam pattern properly in reflector and projector headlights.
• A Smart Cool IC chip with a Maglev fan keeps the chips from burning out.
• 5700K white light, IP68 waterproof and plug-and-play to fit.
• The Duo contains 2 bulbs of 36.2 mm, 2 drivers and 2 CAN-bus II modules.

You will find all versions under XTR Black LED kits 3600LM.

CAN-bus: why you need to think about it with LED

Many modern cars have CAN-bus. That computer controls the bulbs and checks whether they still work. If a bulb has failed, you get a bulb failure warning on your dashboard.

An LED draws much less current than a halogen bulb. That can make the system think the bulb is broken, resulting in an error message or a flickering LED. That is why the XTR Black kits come with a CAN-bus II module in the box. According to the product data it is 100% CAN-bus proof, so the LED works on any system without faults.

Not sure whether your car has CAN-bus? Pick a kit with a CAN-bus module and you are covered either way. For smaller bulbs, such as parking lights or number plate lights, there are separate CAN-bus LED bulbs.

How to fit H7 LED low beam, step by step

1. Mark the old beam pattern. Park the car on level ground in front of a wall, switch on the low beam and mark the cut-off line with a pencil or marker.
2. Check the space. Open the bonnet, remove the dust cover for the low beam and see whether there is room behind the headlight for the LED, the driver and the CAN-bus module.
3. Remove the halogen bulb. Do this with the ignition off and let the bulb cool down first.
4. Fit the LED. Seat the LED in the fitting and turn it until the beam pattern is right.
5. Connect the driver and CAN-bus module and route the cables neatly, away from hot and moving parts.
6. Close the dust cover again, so the headlight stays dry.
7. Test and check. Switch on the low beam, make sure there is no warning on the dashboard and compare the cut-off line with your marking.

After fitting, have the beam aligned and check that your car still meets the APK (the Dutch roadworthiness test) requirements. If in doubt, ask the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) or your inspector. Note: according to the product data, LED bulbs with an H fitting designation cannot receive ECE approval or an E-mark and are intended for racing circuits and private land.