I'm putting my 300TD back on the road and want a bit better lighting- I already have driving lights where the fogs were, and aftermarket headlights which take a H4 bulb. The driving lights take an H3. I'd like to go to 6000K LED bulbs. Looking over Amazon the choices are endless.

Let's hear your experience!

Personally I think you'll have a hard time finding an LED bulb that will work better than a H3 with the reflectors. The light pattern from an LED is very different than an incandescent.

What year is your 300TD? w123 I assume? If so I have seen people who like the truck tek LED lights, but they replace the entire sealed beam assembly with an LED one.

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2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

You're not going to find an LED that outputs as much light as your stock halogens. If you want more light on the road the only way to go is HID projectors.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Basically, don't. At best you'll be downgrading(and you'll be very fortunate to only be doing this), at worst you'll become a dangerous menace to yourself and other drivers.

This covers LEDs as well:

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

That site is at least a decade out of date. There are hid projector retrifits available today that can put more light on the road with less glare than an H4 low beam.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

Don't these replace the entire reflector assembly? If so then that site is still 100% accurate.

__________________
2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

No. Daniel Stern Lighting is wrong and out of date.
https://youtu.be/0yVhZVVI9d0
This type of conversion is pretty common now. There's no cutting, no glueing. The projector is designed to mount inside a conventional reflector.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I agree, a proper projector retrofit can be an upgrade.

That's not what's being discussed here. Apples to hand grenades.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LMYVEMA/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3DQDDUGEFEFTX

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076ZKF3K3/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A29COAV6EGZQVG

To the OP, I don't know of any drop-in LED replacement for H4/H3 that works properly in a conventional headlight. I went through this last year with my MKIV Golf. After hours of research and reading posts by folks who tried to use the LEDs in the stock VW housing, I finally opted for a projector retrofit (that I am very happy with).


tjts1, who is making projector retrofit kits like that for a W123?


For better lighting, I put a pair of e-code hella replacements in my former W123. Definitely worth the price and the improvement in visibility was stunning: Hella E-Code H4 Headlights - PAIR


There are 7" round drop in projectors made by Truck Tek. But I don't have any personal experience with them. They will look out of place on a W123 imo. https://www.truck-tek.com/Truck-Tek-Accessories-Wholesale-Catalog/index.php?id_product=78&controller=product

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1991 300D 2.5 "Rocinante"
2002 Golf TDI "Teen Spirit"
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1984 300D
1966 Mustang I6 3sp
1985 Mazda RX-7 GSLSE
1982 Toyota Supra
1977 Datsun 280z
1971 Datsun 240z

Nope and nope. Ignoring any beam pattern issues(and there are plenty!), the H3 version doesn't even have enough heat sinking capability to operate at any kind of output for any length of time.

Hella or Cibie E-codes are a good option for sealed beam replacements, I have Hellas on my truck. There are also LED sealed beam replacements made by JW Speaker and others, which are upgrades in light output and beam pattern, while reducing power consumption at the same time. That's the route I'd go, if purchasing today. Note that it is IMPORTANT to buy a quality brand and that's not going to happen for $40. Lots of dangerous junk in the LED sealed beam replacement realm as well.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap

glad I did not waste money,I was thinking less demand on charging system with leds. My w140 will throw a fit if bulbs are not stock.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

The problem with those hid projector retrofits is that to function correctly they need a clear lense, like the one the video showed.There was a fellow a couple years ago that polished his euro lens clear and then fitted a projector behind it, that was correct.

As far as retrofitting in an incandescent housing, Daniel Stern is correct, an hid bulb, or led will not function well or correctly in a incandescent lense and reflector assembly.

If you want to change the lense, and the reflector/projector assembly, that's a different matter which is not what his site is discussing.

__________________
2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

You can get clear lens 7" round hosings for the w123.

LED 7" round projector sealed beam retrofit.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/led-headlight-bulbs-conversion-kits/7-round-h6024-led-projector-headlights-led-headlights-conversion-sealed-beam/3146/

A 55w hid won't trigger any errors.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

I have Hella E codes and VW Golf 5.5 high beams in place of the fogs. I was simply looking at replacing the bulbs with LED units. I did ask for experience as well as advice- but no one has relayed their LED bulb experience. Not that I doubt, but I'm kinda from Missouri- "show me" ....