Nolden Headlights

DCPU · Sep 20, 2022

So I was looking for a little more info on the headlights. They appear to be a different arrangement to any in Nolden's product range.

Although, it looks like the very early prototypes were running aftermarket Noldens:

Screenshot_20200702_153130_com.google.android.youtube.jpg

Ineos should have a word with them about changing some of their catalogue photos...

stickshifter · Sep 20, 2022

There is a good review of these Nolden headlights on Expedition Portal:

Nolden 7" round Bi-LED headlight review!

First off I have to give credit where credit is due. Robert(Oilworker) first turned me on to these Nolden bi-LED's after he fitted them to his Defender; http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/37713-An-expedition-truck-on-portals/page75...

expeditionportal.com

And someone in Germany driving around with some Nolden headlights (from 2018):

stickshifter · Sep 20, 2022

Do the Nolden headlights have a heater element? LED lights can get pretty caked-over with snow here in the Rockies. Some companies build a heater into the headlight that activates when temperatures get below freezing. I replaced the terrible halogen headlights in my old Jeep with JW Speaker LED lights that were heated; cost a lot but I never had a problem. A lot of folks I know have had trouble with non-heated LEDs.

WhiteBear · Sep 21, 2022

stickshifter said:
Do the Nolden headlights have a heater element? LED lights can get pretty caked-over with snow here in the Rockies. Some companies build a heater into the headlight that activates when temperatures get below freezing. I replaced the terrible halogen headlights in my old Jeep with JW Speaker LED lights that were heated; cost a lot but I never had a problem. A lot of folks I know have had trouble with non-heated LEDs.

No. I asked them and they do not intend to give the car heaters. Bad decision for driving in Europe, for example Austria or Germany. If you have to drive on the motorway in blowing snow the headlights are covered soon. I know from the unheated LED-lights on my Defender.
Maybe they change their mind later - when my car is delivered.

DCPU · Oct 1, 2022

Nolden say their lights should be good for 10 years.

As a rough guide, equivalent Nolden aftermarket lights seem to be @£750 to replace. So if you were to write them off over that period (yes I know some will last longer but some will inevitably fail earlier), that's a simple £75 per annum for the set, or £37.50 per lamp.

That buys you an awful lot of halogen bulbs...

The only other saving of LEDs I can see is lower power consumption equaling less call on the alternator so maybe some quantifiable fuel savings. Anyone ever worked that calculation out?

Added to that, if a lamp fails at an inconvenient point then your whole vehicle is unroadworthy. Everyone (OK not everyone) carries spare halogen bulbs but who's planning on carrying a spare set (they are handed) of headlights for those long intercontinental trips?

Is the smart solution to "upgrade" or "downgrade" to halogen units?

bemax · Oct 1, 2022

DCPU said:
Nolden say their lights should be good for 10 years.

As a rough guide, equivalent Nolden aftermarket lights seem to be @£750 to replace. So if you were to write them off over that period (yes I know some will last longer but some will inevitably fail earlier), that's a simple £75 per annum for the set, or £37.50 per lamp.

That buys you an awful lot of halogen bulbs...

The only other saving of LEDs I can see is lower power consumption equaling less call on the alternator so maybe some quantifiable fuel savings. Anyone ever worked that calculation out?

Added to that, if a lamp fails at an inconvenient point then your whole vehicle is unroadworthy. Everyone (OK not everyone) carries spare halogen bulbs but who's planning on carrying a spare set (they are handed) of headlights for those long intercontinental trips?

Is the smart solution to "upgrade" or "downgrade" to halogen units?

I see your point but am not your opinion. The LED lights are so much better that I would never ever change them back into halogen. I upgraded my Defender some years ago to Nolden and this was definitely one of the best upgrades I did. Now driving at night is driving not guessing a road!
The lights are the same right and left I think. So buy a spare after five years if you want to be safe but never downgrade to candles.

DCPU · Oct 1, 2022

bemax said:
The lights are the same right and left I think.

Can anyone confirm this?

I noticed that Ineos were keen to point out that the rear lights were round/symmetrical by design/choice so as a single part fitted left or right; but they were strangely silent on this point for the front lights.

Looking at a Nolden parts catalogue they have separate part numbers for left and right.

As for driving at night, yes LEDs are quantitively superior but that's not to say there's anything wrong for me with halogen for dipped headlights and having a secondary LED source for when main beam comes on - as indeed the Grenadier has.

It's a single point of failure that's a 10 minute fix with halogen but a roadside wait for a recovery with an LED unit.

I have LED lights and bulbs throughout my house, garden, garage and workshop. All quote lives of 10,000 to 50,000 hours but it seems they never reach these figures. Now I try to use small units with swappable LED bulbs rather than sealed/integrated units.

Why can't we get the best of both worlds, swappable LED bulbs in bespoke LED housings?

emax · Oct 1, 2022

I have xenon headlights on my old Mercedes. They have lasted 22 years now without a failure, they are hot enough to melt snow and ice and the light is super nova. Best solution I've ever had.

If I could get lights like these for the Grenadier, that would be my choice.

The downside is the price. Not that of the bulbs (about 90€ each, but I never needed one), but of the whole lamp itself: once a car from the left took my right of way. The fender was gone as well as the lamp. Surprisingly, the lamp itself was not broken at all and still worked.
But the small plastic brackets with which it was attached were broken off: 1200 Euro. One lamp.

The xenons and the bulbs on the SLK are as well the first ones. The light is even better as they are dual-xenons, i.e. high beam and low beam as well.

So I would choose xenon if I could, and if possible dual xenons. The light is incredible. A disadvantage is that they must have an automatic self adjustment by law. Another electrical component which is prone to failure, though this didn't ever fail on our cars. However, this can look different in off-road use.

DaveB · Oct 1, 2022

DCPU said:
Can anyone confirm this?

I noticed that Ineos were keen to point out that the rear lights were round/symmetrical by design/choice so as a single part fitted left or right; but they were strangely silent on this point for the front lights.

Looking at a Nolden parts catalogue they have separate part numbers for left and right.

As for driving at night, yes LEDs are quantitively superior but that's not to say there's anything wrong for me with halogen for dipped headlights and having a secondary LED source for when main beam comes on - as indeed the Grenadier has.

It's a single point of failure that's a 10 minute fix with halogen but a roadside wait for a recovery with an LED unit.

I have LED lights and bulbs throughout my house, garden, garage and workshop. All quote lives of 10,000 to 50,000 hours but it seems they never reach these figures. Now I try to use small units with swappable LED bulbs rather than sealed/integrated units.

Why can't we get the best of both worlds, swappable LED bulbs in bespoke LED housings?

Why were Ineos "strangely" silent? Why not just "haven't mentioned it"?
I owned a specialised lighting company when swappable LED's first came in and they were fantastic compared to incandescent lamps. The problem with all high powered LED's is heat. You will notice on LED headlamps and driving lights that they have large heatsinks. Metal fins.
You can't do that easily on a swappable lamp. Halogen lamps don't like vibration, so to counter that they use a thicker filament and more supports. This leads to longer life but lower light output.
LED headlight lifespan is measured in operating hours and is typically 30-50,000 hours.
Halogen headlamps are typically 450-1,000 hours.
HID headlamps last approximately 2,000
My HID headlamps are now 8 years old.
I wouldn't worry about changing your LED headlamps.

Spjnr · Oct 4, 2022

I had trucklite LED headlights on my Wrangler for 7 years. Never had any issues with them at all.

DCPU · Oct 5, 2022

I'll be interested to see what pops up on the likes of YouTube in terms of opening them up and undertaking component level repairs.

DCPU · Oct 11, 2022

So looks like we have a pretty definitive answer back:

Halliwell Jones Chester said:
Just sent them to three of the aftersales guys at INEOS, hopefully get an answer fairly quickly.

Halliwell Jones Chester said:
@DCPU
Answer back already as follows,

Headlamps are sided LH and RH – not interchangeable

Shaky · Oct 11, 2022

Always worth a chat but I would sooner worry about other major failures on the vehicle that could happen.

I will deal with the headlight bulb when it fails 5 yrs after the IG is delivered…. so about 2029

I hadn’t noticed that the headlight has grenadier embossed on it, will that get onto the production version do we know ?

DCPU · Oct 11, 2022

Remembering it's not just a headlight, it's DRL, side/position, indicators & hazard lights all rolled into one.

This is what Nolden say:

"The ECE requires, that either the driver is informed of a defective light (e.g. indicator
lamp), or the light must switch off completely, even in the event of a partial defect (e.g. failure of a single LED). Nolden LED low beam headlights have an integrated diagnostic system and switch off in the event of a partial defect."

DCPU · Jan 17, 2023

From a photo of the Scottish trip for journalists, it looks like the headlights don't appear to suffer with the LED issue of snow build up that required some manufacturers to bring out heated lenses.

DaveB · Jan 17, 2023

DCPU said:
From a photo of the Scottish trip for journalists, it looks like the headlights don't appear to suffer with the LED issue of snow build up that required some manufacturers to bring out heated lenses.
View attachment 7800610

That white, solid writing on the tyres looks terrible.
It would look so much better if it was only white outline writing

bemax · Jan 17, 2023

DCPU said:
From a photo of the Scottish trip for journalists, it looks like the headlights don't appear to suffer with the LED issue of snow build up that required some manufacturers to bring out heated lenses.
View attachment 7800610

That’s my thought as well!

ECrider · Jan 17, 2023

maybe black outline wld look amazing

Krabby · Jan 17, 2023

DCPU said:
From a photo of the Scottish trip for journalists, it looks like the headlights don't appear to suffer with the LED issue of snow build up that required some manufacturers to bring out heated lenses.
View attachment 7800610

The one silver lining of old school bulb heat.

Stu_Barnes · Jan 17, 2023

DaveB said:
That white, solid writing on the tyres looks terrible.
It would look so much better if it was only white outline writing

I think there is an echo from the other tyre thread here, aren't we referring to lights this thread?

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