Driving at night: How to use LED headlights correctly

When the days are long and the nights are short, it is less noticeable. It is only when the dark season begins that many drivers (and motorcyclists) realize that the brightness of the old H4 or H7 halogen lamps is actually not enough. The mostly warm white light illuminates the street, but after just a few meters the outside world sinks into darkness.

This can be changed comparatively easily. Since LED lamps have been available for retrofitting, every comparison test has produced identical results. “The LED light […] is clearly whiter and illuminates the road further than halogen light […]”, for example, writes, “this means that objects or people on the edge of the road can be recognized sooner, better and with greater contrast.” It goes on to say: “The LED light shines the light more focused on the road and illuminates the right edge of the road in particular further than the halogen lamp. The light range in the practical test for the LED retrofit lamp is 170 meters, the light range of the H7 lamp in the test is only 130 meters.”

Another advantage: While conventional halogen bulbs give up after around 550 hours, according to ADAC, their LED counterparts last around five times as long. This puts the additional costs into perspective a little, because the price of modern lamps is currently many times higher than the price of halogen replacement bulbs.

So it’s no wonder that online shops like Amazon or Ebay are full of LED lamps for retrofitting. Prices start at under 20 euros per bulb. The problem: Even if the products have thousands of glowing reviews, most retrofit kits are not legal in Germany. The ADAC writes: “If an LED lamp is installed in a vehicle that has not been approved for it, the operating license may expire. In addition, the lamps with German approval may only be installed in cars that are also registered in Germany.”

It is possible to get through controls with any retrofit kit and actually have better visibility, but it can become problematic in the event of an accident. He writes: “In the event of an accident, the insurance company can refuse payments or claim recourse if the accident can be traced back to the tuning.” To make matters worse, a vehicle with inapproved lights can fail the TÜV test with a “significant defect” – then you have to show up again just because of one set of lamps.

Two manufacturers have recognized the dilemma: Philips and Osram. With the product lines “” and ““There are legal ways to get rid of the old lights and benefit from the advantages of LED technology. However, there are a few catches.

Before buying and installing the lamps, which theoretically fit into most H4 or H7 sockets, you have to take a look at the manufacturers’ so-called compatibility lists. Although both Osram and Philips now offer approval for several hundred vehicles, numerous models and brands are still missing. If your own vehicle – whether car, motorcycle, truck or motorhome – does not appear on these lists, you are not allowed to install these lights (yet). If you are interested, it is worth taking a regular look at the manufacturers’ websites, as the lists are not final and have continually expanded since the lamps were launched on the market.

There is one exception: Osram and Philips now offer street-legal LED lamps for glass bases for all vehicles. Such bulbs are used, for example, for parking lights, position lights or interior lights.

If you find your vehicle on the manufacturer’s approval lists, you can replace the bulb without hesitation. But both manufacturers are willing to pay handsomely for this. A set of H7 LED lights currently costs around 85 euros, H4 headlight bulbs even cost up to 120 euros. Depending on the vehicle and bulb, you may need certain adapters. This is also shown in the compatibility lists and costs extra if necessary. The following applies: The lamps are only harmless if they were installed strictly according to the instructions.

The ADAC also advises: After purchasing, you should access the general type approval using the QR code on the packaging, print it out and always carry it with you. On top of that, the light setting should be checked by a specialist after changing the bulbs.