question on keeping dust covers when replacing headlight bulb for led
- Thread starter bmorse
- Start date
If the bulb is separable from the mounting flange, the trick is to install the flange, then the rubber, then the bulb. That keeps the heat sink outside the rubber.
@Larry Fine is right. If you don't use the dust cover you will get, well yeah, dust inside the lens which will eventually affect the output. You will also get condensation occasionally. My ST11 has LED lights and dust covers. You can buy aftermarket dust covers that are more flexible as well. IF the lights you have are not separable, find some that are.
ok i will try this tomorrow. Any opinion on if the LED bulb should shine DOWN or UP?
It should be indexed by the pins. Do you have the adapters to use H4 bulbs?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M5HYSMQ?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1
Here is some info on orientation...
https://jdmastarblog.com/2017/07/21/which-way-should-the-chips-face-on-your-led-headlights/
sirbike
Site Supporter
Shines up.
+ 1 on using the dust covers. Duh, i didn't know the LED was separable from the fan when i first installed them, and eventually figured that out. But then I could not get my dust cover on the LED. I cut it down. This bothered me so I bought a new dust cover and replaced the cut one.
Yes i have the adapters i used them on previous bulbs. interestingly, the bulb itself (with built in fan) detaches from the standard H4 ring and can be rotated 180 degrees, thus my query on the bulb pointing up or down.
The Cheese
I trimmed the dust cover when installing LEDs. I think it was just the first ring. Maybe two.
If the bulbs are like mine the flat part should be horizontal. The instructions should say for sure.
If the bulbs are like mine the flat part should be horizontal. The instructions should say for sure.
I'd keep 'em.
This was written for / photographed on my ST1300 but, apart from the issue of the possibility of the need for adapter rings, may also be of use for the 1100 (with which I admit to having zero experience- I've never even watched someone do it...). It addresses the topic of those dust covers. Assuming your lights have a removeable mounting ring, I'd seriously consider this approach. And on the 1300 the orientation of the "blade" part of the LED unit is vertical, with the wiring pigtail coming off the bottom of the fan housing. On 1100s I defer to someone who has actually done it, like @Uncle Phil .
See also here for a bullet-point summary of the steps. I'd think they'll be similar between the two models.
This was written for / photographed on my ST1300 but, apart from the issue of the possibility of the need for adapter rings, may also be of use for the 1100 (with which I admit to having zero experience- I've never even watched someone do it...). It addresses the topic of those dust covers. Assuming your lights have a removeable mounting ring, I'd seriously consider this approach. And on the 1300 the orientation of the "blade" part of the LED unit is vertical, with the wiring pigtail coming off the bottom of the fan housing. On 1100s I defer to someone who has actually done it, like @Uncle Phil .
See also here for a bullet-point summary of the steps. I'd think they'll be similar between the two models.
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
You have to fuss with it a bit, but yes you can put the rubber covers back on on a ST1100.
Did it 4 times as I have 4 ST1100s.
I do recommend (especially if you have a ABSII model) to remove the headlight assembly and install them on a bench.
You have to adjust that pesky retaining wire just right or you will cock the LEDs to one side or the other (at least with the ones I have).
Not that big a deal - just remember the 'hidden' bolt up buried in the upper fairings near the headlight.
Once I get those two out (one on each side), I never reinstall them.
Did it 4 times as I have 4 ST1100s.
I do recommend (especially if you have a ABSII model) to remove the headlight assembly and install them on a bench.
You have to adjust that pesky retaining wire just right or you will cock the LEDs to one side or the other (at least with the ones I have).
Not that big a deal - just remember the 'hidden' bolt up buried in the upper fairings near the headlight.
Once I get those two out (one on each side), I never reinstall them.
IIRC, my LED's had a detent which made it clear how the two parts fit together. There seems to be a new version every three months so yours might not have it.
One side also had the shield, and this is the high level cut-off to prevent your 'low beam' from frying the eyes of oncoming LEO's and getting you a commendation (isn't that what a citation is?). The shield goes on top. If you are not familiar with the cut-off, aim your headlight at a blank wall, turn on the lights and you should see a horizontal line along the top of the bright splotch of light. It will be dark above and bright below this 'line'. There is no such cut off on the bottom, since we don't care about blinding frogs and turtles - indeed, we want to see obstructions on the road.
Calling @spiderman302 . He has forgotten more about H4 lighting than the rest of us know, and he hasn't forgotten much - which doesn't bode well for our own understanding. I am pretty dog-gone sure that the emitters need to go left and right and that the shield goes on the bottom. I don't think the shield is what produces the cut-off line - I believe that is done by the reflector and sometimes in conjunction with a Fresnel lens on front. I believe that the shield only blocks wasted light that would miss the reflector and be emitted as scatter and glare. The biggest practical problem that I have seen from a missing glare shield (as on early LED H4's) and which I assume could be attributed to an existing, but improperly oriented shield, is that it lights the ground too close to the vehicle. This gives the mistaken impression of brighter lights by lighting the pavement up close to the vehicle. But at 88 feet per second, nothing you can do anything about is happening within 20 feet of the vehicle. Regardless, the light from that glare can reduce your night vision and detract from your ability to see what is down the road.
Yes, the shield needs to be on the bottom. The shield does create the sharp horizontal cut off line. For the H4 low beam only the top part of the reflector gets the light. since the low beam led is not at the focus point, and it is reflecting off a mirror (reversal), the top reflection goes down on the road and (dark) bottom of the reflector would have gone up....
The top and bottom parts of our reflectors are missing. This is what helps create a better horizontal beam. Less glare on the road in front of you and less glare for on coming traffic. So the important part of the reflector is horizontal, the Leds should be set to project side to side (left and right) again shield on the bottom. On the F2 the wire hangs off the bottom. I live in a mostly dry climate, so I have left off the rubber boot..... maybe - because I got tired of changing out so many bulbs in my search for the right one.........
The top and bottom parts of our reflectors are missing. This is what helps create a better horizontal beam. Less glare on the road in front of you and less glare for on coming traffic. So the important part of the reflector is horizontal, the Leds should be set to project side to side (left and right) again shield on the bottom. On the F2 the wire hangs off the bottom. I live in a mostly dry climate, so I have left off the rubber boot..... maybe - because I got tired of changing out so many bulbs in my search for the right one.........
Beemerphile has it right, the emitters are left and right and the shield goes to the bottom, which is counterintutive for but we are talking about reflection here, so that does give the cut-off for low beam. I did manage to ride my 1100 one evening with one bulb correct and the other inverted and could not work out why the headlight adjuster didn't work. It's probably good that I could not hear what others thought of me.