1. General Information ______________________________________________________________________ 2
1.1. What is LED retrofit? For which applications? ___________________________________________________ 2
1.2. What are the differences between Philips Ultinon LED and Philips X-tremeUltinon gen2 range? ___________ 2
1.1. Why does the color temperature decrease from 6 500 K for the first generation of Philips X-tremeUltinon LED
to 5 800 K for the second generation? _____________________________________________________________ 2
1.3. Why should I buy this product? ______________________________________________________________ 3
1.4. How the lifetime of an LED is calculated? ______________________________________________________ 3
1.5. What’s the difference compared to the competitors? ____________________________________________ 3
1.6. What is the purpose of the control box? _______________________________________________________ 3
1.7. What is generally the first failure point of an LED? _______________________________________________ 4
1.8. Are Philips LED range environment friendly? ____________________________________________________ 4
1.2. What is the difference between LED-FOG [≈H8/H11/H16] and LED-HL [≈H11] low beam? ________________ 4
1.9. Can I save money by switching to LED? ________________________________________________________ 4
1.10. How would I recognize fake Philips LED bulbs from a genuine? _____________________________________ 4
1.11. How do I know if the Philips LED Retrofit is compatible with my headlamp? ___________________________ 4
1.12. What are the advantages of the Philips LED design? ______________________________________________ 5
1.13. What does CANbus adapter stand for? ________________________________________________________ 5
1.14. What does connector rings stand for? _________________________________________________________ 5
1.15. Is it mandatory to use an additional connector ring while fitting LED? ________________________________ 5
1.16. What are the meaning of AirFlux, AirCool, CeraLight and SafeBeam? ________________________________ 5
2. Technical questions _______________________________________________________________________ 6
2.1. How can I verify which LED to use to replace my old bulb? ________________________________________ 6
1.3. How to make sure my car can be equipped with LED retrofit? ______________________________________ 6
1.4. Is it mandatory to use a CANbus adapter while fitting LED? ________________________________________ 6
1.5. What SMD or SMT means? __________________________________________________________________ 6
1.6. Why most of the competitors are using Lumileds chips? __________________________________________ 7
1.7. Binning of the LED chips. How do we chose them to make sure that we have the same CCT for each PCB? __ 7
1.8. Why Philips LED don’t have integrated CANbus? ________________________________________________ 7
1.9. Is the 24V festoon equipped with CANbus? _____________________________________________________ 7
1.10. Is it possible to use the 21W CANbus for 24V LEDs? If yes, how many per lamps is required? _____________ 7
1.11. Does the CANbus removes the residual current at the time when the lamp goes off? ___________________ 7
1.12. Does the progressive on/off of exterior lamps on certain vehicles remain after installing LEDs? ___________ 8
1.13. How does the beam geometry fit in comparison with a normal H4/H8/H11? __________________________ 8
1.14. On the driver box of the LED lamp it says: “Caution: Do not touch – Hot surface”. How hot will this become? Is
it getting this hot that it can damage cables or any other car parts under the hood? ________________________ 8
2. During installation ________________________________________________________________________ 8
2.1. After installing an LED light, would I get an error message on the dashboard? _________________________ 8
2.2. What do happen if the blinkers fail? __________________________________________________________ 8
2.3. How do I replace the incandescent bulb with a LED bulb? Is it difficult? ______________________________ 8
2.4. The LED does not light up after installation. How can I resolve this issue? _____________________________ 8
2.5. Which CANbus adapter do I need: 5W or 21W? _________________________________________________ 9
For more information related to Philips LED range, please contact us www.philips.com/support or contact your local representative.
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2.6. How do I install a CANbus adapter? ___________________________________________________________ 9
2.7. Why does this polarity issue occur with LED? ___________________________________________________ 9
2.8. After installation of the LED, my car show fast flash errors as if my light is out or broken? ________________ 9
2.9. After installation of the LED, my car does not start. What should I do? ______________________________ 10
2.10. When installing an LED for turn indicators, is the blinking rhythm remains the same as for conventional or it
becomes faster? _____________________________________________________________________________ 10
3. Legislation of LED retrofit _________________________________________________________________ 10
3.1. Why is LED retrofit technology still not legal on public roads in the European Union (EU)? ______________ 10
3.2. What are the legal risks if I drive with LED retrofit bulbs on a public road? ___________________________ 10
3.3. Which countries are considered “no trade”? ___________________________________________________ 10
3.4. Why are LED retrofit bulbs intended for rally and race track? _____________________________________ 10
3.5. Will a car with LED retrofit headlight bulbs pass its mandatory inspection? __________________________ 10
3.6. Why now sell LED retrofit bulbs in countries previously considered “no trade”? ______________________ 11
3.7. What is the specific regulation that LED retrofit bulbs must conform to? ____________________________ 11
3.8. What is the impact of R128, and why do Philips LED retrofit bulbs not fulfill these requirements? ________ 11
3.9. Who bears responsibility when a consumer is found with LED retrofit bulbs on a public road? ___________ 11
3.10. Are there any legal LED retrofit bulbs available? (Other suppliers sell LED retrofit bulbs, claiming they are
legal.) 11
3.11. What do these symbols on the packaging mean? _______________________________________________ 11
3.12. What does the following text mean: “It is your own responsibility to ensure that the use of LED retrofit lights
complies with relevant local legislation”? __________________________________________________________ 12
3.13. Where can I buy LED retrofit bulbs? __________________________________________________________ 12
1. General Information
1.1. What is LED retrofit? For which applications?
It’s a solution for the drivers who want to upgrade their lights and replace their halogen/conventional bulbs. The
range that has been developed are for all cars functions, interior and exterior lights.
1.2. What are the differences between Philips Ultinon LED and Philips X-tremeUltinon gen2 range?
Two aspects are differentiating these 2 ranges: an enhanced performance for the Philips X-tremeUltinon LED with
state-of-art LED technology and a better lifetime.
Both ranges are answering to 2 different needs. Philips X-tremeUltinon range has an overall better performance in
all aspects, this is a product which intends to deliver an OEM performance. On the other side, Ultinon LED is a range
which answer to one need, switching from halogen to LED with a good light quality.
For H7 projector optics (and reflectors), it’s best to install X-tremeUltinon because of its higher performance
whereas the Ultinon works better in reflector optics.
1.1. Why does the color temperature decrease from 6 500 K for the first generation of Philips X-tremeUltinon
LED to 5 800 K for the second generation?
The color temperature of an LED retrofit depends on the model of LED chips used and the performance level to be
achieved. We have aligned ourselves with the ECE definition of “cool white”. According to ECE regulation, “cool
white” is within a range of 5 500 to 6 000 K. Most car makers defined their LED light as 5 800 K, which provides the
best white color ratio, with only a limited amount of UV light (that “bluish tint”), for superior contrast on the road.
For more information related to Philips LED range, please contact us www.philips.com/support or contact your local representative.
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We now follow this OEM reference for producing our Philips X-tremeUltinon LED gen2, to provide superior contrast
and visibility.
1.3. Why should I buy this product?
The advantages of LED retrofit are numerous:
• You can replace a conventional bulb to get the latest technology in lighting for an affordable cost (no
replacement or the full headlamp or to purchase of a new full LED car) without any modifications made
to the car
• You will get a better visibility on the road for more safety for you and other drivers
• You will have a stylish white lighting to give a refreshed look to your car and match DRL on your car
• You will benefit from a higher lifetime, meaning cost saving of replacing conventional bulbs every 1-3
years
1.4. How the lifetime of an LED is calculated?
The most critical piece of an LED is the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) because it heats a lot and if not properly cooled
down, its performance will decrease.
Therefore, we always calculate the lifetime of the LED based on this PCB (as opposed to the competition who’s
generally claiming the lifetime of the LED chip itself in an ambient temperature room)
1.5. What’s the difference compared to the competitors?
• The quality of the product, both in terms of raw materials used and the quality of the manufacturing
process. All our products are best-in-class quality, which allows us to be an Original Equipment
Manufacturer (OEM).
• We use the highest quality raw materials to manufacture our products. At every stage in production, we
test the bulbs to the highest specifications for improved quality and the safety of our customers.
• Some competitors may not be able to prove their performance claims, both in terms of lumen output and
product lifespan. They may indicate the specifications of the LED chips rather than the full bulb itself:
o Lumen output: As an example, say an LED chip gives up to 1,000 lm. If the LED retrofit bulb has 8
chips in total, they might claim a total lumen output of 8 x 1,000 lm = 8,000 lm. But the lumen
output cannot be calculated like this, it needs to be measured with specialist equipment.
o Lifetime value: An LED chip can usually last up to 30,000 hours at 25°C (room temperature).
However, what matters is how the LED chip is integrated within the bulb, and how the generated
heat is managed when the lamp is in use. These variables can change the lifetime of the LED chip
(so a claim of a 30,000-hour lifespan could be misleading in an inferior product).
1.6. What is the purpose of the control box?
It takes the car voltage (12V) and convert it into whatever voltage is required for the LED to run properly.
Depending on the performance needed, the type of the bulb, we can either include the control directly inside the
bulb (Ultinon LED: performance is lower, the bulb doesn’t heat that much) or outside (X-tremeUltinon).
For more information related to Philips LED range, please contact us www.philips.com/support or contact your local representative.
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1.7. What is generally the first failure point of an LED?
First things first, the construction of the LED lamp is critical to maintain its optimal performance over its lifetime.
Since heat is a major issue for LED, the system to cool down the LED is a critical part (fan and/or heat sink). Please
refer to following technical section for details on heat dissipation. The bulb needs to be properly maintained within
the headlamp so that it’s not moving and/or damaged while driving.
1.8. Are Philips LED range environment friendly?
Yes, Philips LED Retrofit range contributes to environment protection by:
1. Significant energy saving, consuming less overall resources and emitting less CO₂
2. Fully compliant with RoHS / REACH, which means no hazardous materials which are harmful to the
environment
3. Long service lifetime which means elimination of unnecessary replacement related waste and system
costs, while reducing overall resource consumption.
1.9. What is the difference between LED-FOG [≈H8/H11/H16] and LED-HL [≈H11] low beam?
The LED-FOG [≈H8/H11/H16] has been developed to fit in 3 different fog optic type: H8, H11, and H16. Therefore,
the performance has been optimized for this specific application. On the other, the LED-HL [≈H11] Low Beam (LB)
version is more performing to rightly project light on the road for low beam applications only. Since its
performance has been increased, we are using the AirCool system instead of the AirFlux in the optic.
1.10. Can I save money by switching to LED?
Yes, Philips LED Retrofit bulbs has an extended lifetime, which means you save the cost and hassle of frequent bulb
replacements which on average occur every 1-3 years. In addition, a LED bulb uses substantially less energy (e.g.
halogen H4 consumes 55W where a LED-HL [≈H4] drawn around 20W).
1.11. How would I recognize fake Philips LED bulbs from a genuine?
Whenever you purchase a Philips LED retrofit bulb for your headlights, you can check the authenticity online using
the code provided on the anti-fake label. This is an insurance for you that you get a genuine Philips LED.
1.12. How do I know if the Philips LED Retrofit is compatible with my headlamp?
To check the compatibility of the Philips LED Retrofit with your car,
1. Measure the diameter of your headlamp and the space that you have behind the headlight fixture. To
be able to install the LED retrofit you need minimum 60mm diameter and 70mm back space behind
the fixture.
For more information related to Philips LED range, please contact us www.philips.com/support or contact your local representative.
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