December 14, 2015 Lada.Online 34 021 2
Many modern foreign cars have daytime running lights designed in the style of angel eyes. Such lights can be made using different methods, but we will focus on only one of them. Let's look at the advantages of plexiglass tubes, as well as their disadvantages.
LED Angel Eyes
The LED version of angel eyes is an alternative to CCFL technology and has three main advantages:
- LEDs are ultra bright and are clearly visible in both dark and daylight hours, unlike CCFLs, which are only clearly visible at night. If you want angel eyes to be visible at any time of the day, then use the LED version.
- Since each ring includes many individual LEDs, these angel eyes can change color at the request of the car owner.
- LED angel eyes are the only type of lighting whose color can be changed using a remote control or a program from a smartphone. Only white lights are allowed on the front of the vehicle.
- LED lighting is slightly more durable than CCFL and has a lifespan of 60,000 hours of use.
How legal is it to use such tuning?
The question of whether angel eyes are allowed requires separate consideration. The fact is that there are no regulations that directly regulate the use of such headlight upgrades. At the same time, there are clear and unambiguously interpreted settings, according to which the front lighting devices must emit exclusively white color. Thus, the use of colored or multi-colored angel eyes is unacceptable.
At the same time, many standard lighting devices, especially on older cars, emit light close to the yellow spectrum. Therefore, RGB LEDs equipped with a controller can be given a yellowish tint without particularly worrying about the consequences. But for running lights that are red, blue, green or any other color, you can get a fine, and the inspector has the right to confiscate such devices that do not comply with traffic regulations.
Note that the only exception is orange, which is acceptable for side lights and direction indicators.
As for the shape and size of angel eyes, there should be no complaints against you here. Is it possible to undergo maintenance with such an improvement? This question is no longer relevant: the institute of technical inspections in Russia has sunk into oblivion. But when receiving a roadmap for insurance, the above nuance should be taken into account. If you are planning a trip abroad, you should carefully study the traffic rules of the country you intend to visit. But, based on our experience, we assert that such retrofitting of lighting devices is not considered a serious violation anywhere, so the occurrence of serious problems is unlikely.
But owners of show cars can use colored LEDs quite legally, even in exotic colors and with lighting effects.
Connection
It is best to connect angel eyes in parallel with the side lights of the car. You cannot do this directly to the Priora on-board network. When the engine is running, the car's electrical network is about 14.5 V, while the LEDs are designed for 12 V. Connecting directly will lead to them failing after some time. This is the reason for most of the negative reviews about this tuning.
Angel eyes must be connected through a stabilizer. You can do it yourself. In the store you need to buy an integrated voltage stabilizer KR142EN8B. It is installed on the radiator or on a metal part of the body so that it can be cooled. All eyes are connected in parallel, and then connected to the stabilizer output. Its input is connected to the power supply for the side lights.
Installing angel eyes allows you to make your car more visible and beautiful. They are visible when approaching 10 meters. When installing such tuning, you must follow the existing rules and then there will be no problems with the police.
Options for ready-made modules
If you don’t want to bother with making angel eyes, you can use ready-made rings that are on sale. The most popular of them:
- Gas discharge (CCFL).
- Cluster.
- LED.
Gas discharge
They are ordinary fluorescent tubes made in the shape of a ring. Since such tubes require high voltage and ignition, a boost converter with a starting system (inverter) is included with the rings.
Cluster
These eyes are a solid base on which an LED matrix (COB technology) is applied, made in the form of a radial spiral. These eyes are powered by 12 V, and often come with a 12-volt stabilizer.
On SMD LEDs
The design of these eyes is similar to what we used when working with LED strip on SMD diodes. The rings are powered by 12 V; a stabilizer may be included.
How much do angel eyes and their installation on Lada Priora cost?
The cost of purchased illuminators depends on their type. For example, manufacturers set the price for angel eyes for Priora CCFL (gas-filled) within 1000-1500 rubles. LED analogues (SMD) are sold for 1500-2200 rubles. Replacing them, if necessary, will be expensive.
There are other angel eyes, the price for Priora, which ranges from 1200 to 1700 rubles. They consist of COB diodes, which are inferior in brightness to conventional LEDs. They have less durability than the SMD type, but longer than CCFL. They are less common and are sold only in specialized stores.
Before purchasing, you should study each type in action. Priora's angel eyes will help in this photo, demonstrating the brightness of the glow of different types. Therefore, drivers who want to make their car stand out as much as possible are recommended to install diode elements. Practical owners should purchase durable CCFL illuminators.
For those who want to go even further, there is an example of RGB tape for angel eyes. Just remember: turning on any color other than white will raise a lot of questions from the traffic police. However, nothing prevents you from turning on such a thing to music during your next stop with friends. But I didn't tell you that!
