Is it worth it to replace the headlights with LED for the 2013 Volt?
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The only tangible benefit would be improved visibility (illumination and coverage) and color balance.
For MPGe? No. You might be able to measure the difference in inches of increased range. The delta here in consumption is in the 10's of Watts. It's almost too small to calculate when we're working with kilowatts needed for the traction battery. Wait that said, if you REALLY wanted to maximize efficiency go HID. I believe HID is the most efficient lumen per watt for headlights you can get - but again, we're talking numbers that are almost imperceptible.
For improvement in seeing at night? Yes. Anything is better than the stock halogens. With that said, I'm not sure LED is the way to go. The human eye perceives peek brightness at 4,800K. Most OEM and some aftermarket HID's are in the 3400K-4300K color range. I've not yet seen a 9006 LED anywhere near that range. Most LEDs are over in the 5000K to 6000K (whitish-blue) range. Additionally, bluer light increases blurriness. IMO, the current LEDs are not in the peak range for the driver to see and is known to cause problems for older drivers you approach. That increases the chances of a head-on collision some tiny small percentage. Not sure that really matters, but be nice and treat others with respect by not using overly blue lights .
To see best at night with the absolute lowest watt per lumen, I'd recommend a HID setup in the 4,300K - 5,000K color range
For improvement in seeing at night? Yes. Anything is better than the stock halogens. With that said, I'm not sure LED is the way to go. The human eye perceives peek brightness at 4,800K. Most OEM and some aftermarket HID's are in the 3400K-4300K color range. I've not yet seen a 9006 LED anywhere near that range. Most LEDs are over in the 5000K to 6000K (whitish-blue) range. Additionally, bluer light increases blurriness. IMO, the current LEDs are not in the peak range for the driver to see and is known to cause problems for older drivers you approach. That increases the chances of a head-on collision some tiny small percentage. Not sure that really matters, but be nice and treat others with respect by not using overly blue lights .
To see best at night with the absolute lowest watt per lumen, I'd recommend a HID setup in the 4,300K - 5,000K color range
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You will get both yes and no answers on this. "Worth it" in what way? Cost saving, no. Brighter lights, maybe/likely. Easy replacement, probably not. Some require extra work to make them fit, some may be brighter than others. Some may be cheap junk. If you were about to replace burned out originals, it could be a time to swap in LED's. But mine are still good 7.5 years later, so you may be waiting a while.
I put LED's in another car I own and regretted it immediately. The lens has a pretty precise focal point and the old halogen bulbs were desigined so they put the filament dead center where it needs to be to get the most light out of the combination. The LED's I bought did not have that pin point accuracy where the light is coming exactly from the lens focal point. Sure, if you take before and after pictures looking at the front of th car, the LED's *look* brighter, but sitting in the drivers seat, the OEM bulbs put more light further down the road than the new LED's do, by far. I really need to swap them back
If it ain't broke . . . .
Don
If it ain't broke . . . .
Don
You must have gotten the worst bulbs imaginable. The stock halogens are utterly useless in the gen1 volt.
I put hid's in mine, and later ( one hid guidewire was cracked and intermittently wouldn't fire ) I went to a led setup and both were absolutely fantastic. Clean cutoff, no glare and enough light to light the woods and sky up at night with the high beam shutter open.
I can whole heatedly recommend these https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073QFX56T
I have to agree with Don M. I put LEDs in my 13 and couldn't tell they were on unless I got out and looked or saw the reflection on the rear of a car closely ahead of me in town.
Out in the country they lit the road but not as good as the halogens.
I now have HIDs and there is a world of difference.
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Well so far, you've heard from someone with a Gen2 who didn't like how LEDs worked in a different brand car, one person who had a bad experience with a '13, and one person who had good results. I also had good results in my '15. They have to be installed correctly--properly clocked and using good quality bulbs--but I've found them to be noticeably different from the stock halogens.
How are the LED's "clocked" or oriented? I installed a set and had them with the LED emitters at 3'oclock and 9'oclock and was disappointed. They were whiter, but didn't produce as much light as the yellow-tinged halogens.
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OEMs are struggling to get LEDs to match the output of HID from 20 years ago. How is some factory in China going to make $10 LED bulb swaps work effectively? LEDs in housings meant for halogen is a terrible idea. In a projector HID MAY work alright. But in a halogen reflector, stick with halogen.
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The instructions explained in which direction the emitter was supposed to point. As I recall, it was 3:00 or 9:00. That said, arguing over how well LEDs work in general is like arguing over whether bread tastes good. Diodes have changed significantly over the years, and there's no telling whether the bulbs you used were the same as the ones I used, or whether they used the same number of diodes, the same base, etc.
I used the Xenon Depot 9012 kit, which uses Phillips diodes. There's a pretty big thread about that kit here:
https://gm-volt.com/forum/showthrea...ED-headlight-kit-review&p=3942145#post3942145
Aside from one HID fetishist and some who objected to how they might work "in theory," everyone else tended to find them to be a great improvement.
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This is the reason I haven't installed LED bulbs on mine. On my previous car one HID bulb was out and I have replaced them with new Phillips 4300ºK bulbs, previous bulbs were Osram, same colour temp. I could see everything at night and with rain or fog, no problem.
These LED are all 6000ºK+, very blue light. Sure, they look great but at night you don't have as much contrast and in the rain just forget it.
HID I haven't find yet any 25w kits in 9012 form factor to comply with the law and just get a better colour temperature, as our cars don't have self leveling lights or headlight washers. My previous car had HID with directional headlights, it was a huge difference to the Ampera.
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Looking for LED's for my 2015, did you notice any fan noise with these? Any delay in actuation, like when flashing your high beams at passing trucks?
There will be no delay when flashing as the same bulb that is lit handles both beams, it has a shutter like affair that obstructs part of the beam for low beam.
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Why are you flashing your high beams at passing trucks? And HIDs put out way more light, shine further and wider, just a heads up..
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In Canada, it's common courtesy to flash your high beams at trucks who have clearance to merge back after passing...not sure what the culture is elsewhere...
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Usually turning the headlights off and back on is customary as it doesn’t blind the truck driver. That’s why our trucks have a button on the steering wheel to turn the headlights and market lights off momentarily. Both on separate buttons. Headlights let another truck over and the marker/tail lights to thank the driver than let you know you where clear.
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We can't turn our headlights off at night, our cars have sensors that turn them on automatically when it's dark and we're not in PARK.
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In auto mode yes, you can still turn them off.
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