[dreamkiller_18]

There has been extensive discussion about the H19 bulbs/leds on the forum however I did not find any specifics to H19 only hence I have put in this guide.

Nowadays the manufacturers are putting in whatnot limitations to make sure that customers do not do aftermarket upgrades to different systems some examples are head-units embedded with climate control features ( MG Hector ) speaker configurations disabled from head-units using engineering modes ( KIA ) and similar stuff etc. H19 is also one of them, so that you pay more for the higher model of same vehicle which comes at a high premium. Earlier the headlights came with mostly H4 bulbs which were user replaceable. H19 is usually not available aftermarket from major brands at this time as its a new standard and mostly dedicated to OEMs. H19 is available from some OEM providers like Osram, excelite and Philips but only halogen is available so people cannot upgrade from OEM manufracturers itself.
Thanks to Chinese manufacturers who come to the rescue here. H19 has a very specific design with 2 additional probes which makes the H4 bulb difficult to fit all the way in the reflectors causing uneven beam pattern.
Before we go ahead with the upgrade the model of car which I have used here is KIA Carens 1.4 T-GDI Prestige Plus model. However this guide will help you with any LED Upgrade along with this I will also share some of my recommendations which I checked in the market. Its upto you if you want to buy from these reseller. This is just to share an idea of pricing. ** no promotions**

The H19 Halogen to H19 LED reasons.
When I purchased this vehicle from KIA , after doing my first long trip on highway I was very sure that I have a pathetic headlight throw and they are very much in need of an upgrade. So I started exploring my options.

Recommendations
I had options available like the blaupunkts, Genome, excelite ( Kia/Hyundai OEM ). These were the best as per my research in build quality and brightness.
These were also the only plug and play in the market as they come with the H19 holder. We will see how it differs from the H4 later in images.
I went for Excelite 130W 6000K Temp got it in 6200INR with MRP of 12399INR sounded like a good deal to me. I purchased from Pal Motors Delhi as I have had previous very good experiences with them for my Swift damping and speaker upgrades.

1. Excelite is a product of DHlighting Korea. Its an OEM which provides lighting to KIA and Hyundai globally. The are located in Faridabad for India Operations. So you can get good pricing across Delhi for this. I sourced this from Pal Motors Delhi. They have the following configurations and the price difference between Pune and Delhi is easily 1-2k on same model of LED. ( I can share the contact information for Pal Motors if needed ) Price ranging from 4200INR to 7200INR

Excelite available temps are 4300k,5000k,6000k
Wattages are - 70W, 110W, 130W and 180W
Lumens 20000 for 130W pair which I doubt.

Models available as below


Blaupunt is a german brand however in india all products are imported from china for blaupunkt the trademark in india is used by someone sitting in delhi.
Blaupunkt available temps are 4300k and 6000k
80w 6000k - https://blaupunktcar.in/buy/car-acce...0k-h4-h19/289/

110w 4300k https://blaupunktcar.in/buy/car-acce...ro-h4-h19/358/

110w 6000k - https://blaupunktcar.in/buy/car-acce...0k-h4-h19/289/

Genome car accessories Pune, these are manufracturers of DRLs, Projectors and Leds. I liked their built quality but dropped it because they were over priced for me. https://www.instagram.com/genomecaraccessories/ you can find their contact number on their insta page.

Aozoom- Another indian manufracturer based in delhi with chinese imports and branding.
https://aozoom.in/product-category/led/
This is brighter however may cost you bit of premium 150W goes till 7500INR



Point to be careful of for any led upgrade:

1. Always make sure that you don't go over and above your manufacturer wattage rating, so you don't burn out your headlight assembly and can avoid CAN-BUS errors.
2. The LED you are using is as near as possible to the halogen in diameter and length. Also the LED placement on the led unit replicates the halogen. As you know that your reflector is not for an LED, so the size of led should replicate an halogen bulb to make sure that you get the best possible throw and reflection. ( see the linked videos for proper assistance)
3. Stay within the RTO limitations so that you maybe able to claim insurance when needed. CMVR 1989 Act says not going above 60W each bulb on Headlamp.
4. The LEDs are said to be 80% brighter and cooler than halogens. I somewhat disagree but this is what is available on internet. So you have enough space to go below your halogen wattages.
5. Do proper alignment to get the best out of your headlight upgrade and so it does not hurt the incoming traffic as well.

The upgrade -
There are some very good installers in Pune but I wanted to do this as DIY myself. It did not take me much time to open the headlight back dust cover and put in the bulbs I have attached some images of the holder which will will help you understand the difference and the 2 probes placement which is why the H4 bulb cannot go in fully and gives you a scattered beam pattern when fitted in an H19 holder. If you can get H19 holder from anywhere you can fit any led into your reflector as this is the only difference in all the aftermarket leds. This holder is provided by most of the manufacturers who on their box say its for H19. Do note that some manufacturers will supply you an H4 and say it will fit. But you yourself will see how different is the beam pattern is when holder is a mismatch. Do remember your reflector is built for a halogen and fitting an led may have its drawbacks. Like insurance claims , heating and condensation if not fitted properly. Fan can cause condensation on the long run in some headlights only during winters when its colder or rainy weather.

Caption 1: H19 Holder


You will have to first attach the holder in the lock position and the bulb can get into the holder in only one position make sure to check this out when installing. Make sure the position of the led is vertical in the reflector adjust as per below diagram.


Caption 2: Installation Method


Holder lock mechanism:


Specifications of the Led Bulb:
I have preferred that it should have a CREE led for a longer life . However I will update here soon how long it lasts.


Performance:
As you know that the reflectors are not made for LED so this is a miss or hit case mostly whenever you upgrade . However if you pay attention to the specifics of adjusting the headlights carefully after installation. You will find the performance at par or even better than the OEM provided LEDs. The high beams cutting and throw can be somewhat disappointing. I have adjusted mine with the adjuster screw located on the headlight assembly itself to the lowest possible throw so I only see the roads and dont blind others. I use the headlight leveller button in the cabin if I need to move this higher anytime when needed. However when you have a superb low beam throw who needs high beam too often. ( Personal preference ). If you need extreme cut outs on beam pattern go for projectors which includes opening the headlight housing and installation by pros. Genome Accessories have good success rate on this one. However Osram CBI Pro projectors are good as well on KIA Carens. The only reason to go for me for LED is keeping the warranty intact and I did not want to open my headlight assembly yet.... Also I wanted to save some money. Projectors can cost you anywhere around 22-32k.

I have loaded multiple images with and without adjustment of LED for you guys to decide yourself on the throw. Right side image is always halogen in the below images.



Bulb image: Do note my is a H/L led with both high and low beams and 2 leds each side. Some vehicles may have separate High and low beam bulbs setup.


See the led placement how it replicates the filament of Halogen. Some leds like philips Ultinon do have a small reflector as well on the led itself to concentrate the beam pattern. Never tried Philips because of its high cost and difficult warranty coverages in India.


Low beam comparison without adjustment ( left led / right halogen)


High beam comparison without adjustment ( left led / right halogen)


Low beam comparison after adjustment of headlight ( left led / right halogen)


High beam comparison after adjustment of headlight ( left led / right halogen)


I would also like to share some of the video links which will help you decide on which led bulbs to choose from and how you can do any headlight adjustments yourselves from headlight revolution.
Do note that the adjustment is not the leveler which is next to steering wheel but the vertical and horizontal adjustment screws available on the headlight assembly itself. (See attached Videos)

Headlight adjustment screw on headlamp assembly. There will be 2. Vertical and horizontal ones. Easy to identify it has this teeth pattern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIow5YgdRro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnD_sDWNjEw

Thank you for reading till the end. Please do share your experience on how did your upgrade go.
This is my first post of teambhp.

[Omkar]

Originally Posted by dreamkiller_18

This is my first post of teambhp.

Hey dreamkiller_18,

What a way to kick off your Team-BHP journey! Thanks for such an informative post. I've been meaning to read about LED headlights and this was a perfect start with a lot of insights.

The difference between halogen and LEDs (from the images) shows that this is a worthy upgrade. The low beam with halogens feels horrible.

One question - Did you have to inform the insurance company about the headlight upgrade and get an add-on cover?

[dreamkiller_18]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Hey dreamkiller_18,

What a way to kick off your Team-BHP journey! Thanks for such an informative post. I've been meaning to read about LED headlights and this was a perfect start with a lot of insights.

The difference between halogen and LEDs (from the images) shows that this is a worthy upgrade. The low beam with halogens feels horrible.

One question - Did you have to inform the insurance company about the headlight upgrade and get an add-on cover?

I have not done that. However good idea, I will check with the insurance provider about it. I have seen endorsements available for CNG kits on insurance not sure about headlights.

[lemedico]

The Tiago also has these H19 bulbs, which don't do a good job to illuminate dark driving. I have been contemplating an upgrade to 100/90w halogens with a relay but only H4s are easily available, and at a good price too.
I have decided to use a dremel to make slots in the holder plates of H4 bulbs, and then fit them in my H19 holders. This is a DIY in the pipeline, for when I have a day or two off

[goandude]

Great thread. I have an i20 which has these H19 bulbs and they leave much to be desired. Looking for an upgrade, but the negatives reported in various forums where LEDs in reflectors are not so great. Aozoom was one brand that showed some promise.
The difference in lighting in your pictures don't show such a significant improvement over the halogens.

[ike]

Originally Posted by Omkar

One question - Did you have to inform the insurance company about the headlight upgrade and get an add-on cover?

Originally Posted by dreamkiller_18

I have not done that. However good idea, I will check with the insurance provider about it.

Is this a requirement? I noticed you have mentioned insurance coverage in the introductory paragraph too. The way I see it, OEM gives a bulb that's 55/60W and we are replacing it with another bulb of the same wattage. No other changes as such. Will be interesting how insurance views it.

[D'Ro@dSt@r]

Great thread. In this world of LEDs, Hyundai & KIA have been experimenting a lot with their LED headlights. While your solution works and helps to a great extent in the light throw and illumination of models with Halogen bulb setup, Upper models which comes with fully integrated LED headlight setup still face this problem.
I own a 2020 Creta 1.4 Turbo which has the trio-beam headlight setup and trust me it is pathetic. On top of it the halogen bulbs given in the fog lamp assembly do not help either. There have been instances where i was totally blinded for a second due to this poor light setup. Decided to raise this issue with hyundai along with some other owners, but in vain. Nothing can be done for the headlights. Did some research and got the fog lights changed to excelite LED 35W and it does helps a lot during night drive.

Hope sense prevails and they start thinking abt giving projector setup for better throw and illumination.

[lemedico]

Originally Posted by D'Ro@dSt@r

Great thread. In this world of LEDs, Hyundai & KIA have been experimenting a lot with their LED headlights. While your solution works and helps to a great extent in the light throw and illumination of models with Halogen bulb setup, Upper models which comes with fully integrated LED headlight setup still face this problem.
I own a 2020 Creta 1.4 Turbo which has the trio-beam headlight setup and trust me it is pathetic. On top of it the halogen bulbs given in the fog lamp assembly do not help either. There have been instances where i was totally blinded for a second due to this poor light setup. Decided to raise this issue with hyundai along with some other owners, but in vain. Nothing can be done for the headlights. Did some research and got the fog lights changed to excelite LED 35W and it does helps a lot during night drive.

Hope sense prevails and they start thinking abt giving projector setup for better throw and illumination.

You're spot on! This is a similar problem with the current City ZX, which has the god-forsaken 9 array led headlamps. They illuminate only themselves, and vibrate on every pothole!

As far as I can think, in the affordable segment, it is only maruti who does headlamps properly. They have incredible LED projectors on the top Ciaz, Brezza, Grand Vitara and Baleno models.

[Kkumar]

A unique and very useful article. Is this your first DIY attempt or are you regularly into it. Also welcome to the gang of petrol heads. Keep on munching miles.

[AutoDIYer]

Upgraded my Kia carens prestige plus headlight with blaupunkt 4300k 110w led. Felt the change. Not too bright and hence don't disturb oncoming vehicles. It's h19 and fit perfectly

[Revvatron]

Does this affect warranty in anyways? I am afraid that during service or during any repair they might point it out to aftermarket headlight setup.

[Siddj38]

Originally Posted by Revvatron

Does this affect warranty in anyways? I am afraid that during service or during any repair they might point it out to aftermarket headlight setup.

Highly depends on the brand, the workshop and the service advisor

I have had great experience with Honda, heard similarly for MS and VAG too.

Tata is one brand which is a hit or miss in this regard.

[dreamkiller_18]

Originally Posted by lemedico

This is a DIY in the pipeline, for when I have a day or two off

Great looking forward to see how well the H4s will fit the H19 holder. This expands H19 modification possibilities to all new levels.

Originally Posted by ike

Is this a requirement? I noticed you have mentioned insurance coverage in the introductory paragraph too. The way I see it, OEM gives a bulb that's 55/60W and we are replacing it with another bulb of the same wattage. No other changes as such. Will be interesting how insurance views it.

I will keep you posted as soon I hear back from the insurer,

Originally Posted by goandude

The difference in lighting in your pictures don't show such a significant improvement over the halogens.

It may need some more adjustments, sometimes it depends on personal liking. It could be the camera as well it was unable to capture the major difference which an human eye will catch.

Originally Posted by Kkumar

A unique and very useful article. Is this your first DIY attempt or are you regularly into it. Also welcome to the gang of petrol heads. Keep on munching miles.

Thank you. I have done quite a lot of DIY, however never posted them, because didnt had team-bhp account at that time. Lot of cabin light and H4 normal to Osram night-racer upgrades as well as some of K&N filter upgrades. Spark-plug upgrades etc.

Originally Posted by Revvatron

Does this affect warranty in anyways? I am afraid that during service or during any repair they might point it out to aftermarket headlight setup.

Thanks for reminding this is also one of the options available as an OEM fitment from KIA itself. However I am unsure of its performance. I dont think when they are providing LED as accessory themselves, it will void the warranty. Do note that the box says its H4 however its H19 as you can see in the images, the unique holder cuts.

KIA 45W LED H19. Price list is attached as well. it will cost around 7400INR, I could have updated this in the main thread. I missed it.

[Cresterk]

Congrats and welcome to the LED upgrade club!

A few things to note:

1. The wattage being advertised on these boxes is always wrong. When they advertise 180W, what they actually mean is 90W + 90W each side. And even that part is wrong because what they mean is that the LED emits light equivalent to a 90W halogen bulb. How do they get away with such misleading advertising? I will get to that later.

The actual watts consumed by the LED itself is way lower. Infact, both the fan and LED combined might draw some 30-40W max despite being advertised as 180W. In other words, they consume less current that your stock halogen bulbs so it's almost impossible to go over your manufacturer rated watts.

2. They are not Indian manufacturers. In fact they don't even manufacture anything at all nor do they have any control over the product design. They are dropshippers who bulk import products from China and then re-brand it to various names. They can thus get away with all kinds of misleading claims than established, reputed players such as Philips, Osram etc

You can thus get the same bulb made in the same factory under various brand names and various prices

Generally the bulbs you find around 6-8k inr are pretty good and will last long. Anything below that is prone to random issues. I have been running mine for about 3-4 years now and it's still one of the best upgrades I did!

[tht'snotME]

@dreamkiller_18 Thanks for the informative post. how good is the visibility in the rains? i'm also itching to upgrade my headlights of my carens.