RE: LED headlamps installed - 2

I have had HID and LED lights on the RS for over 3 years now (well, 2 years for the LED anyhow). The HID unit has no provision for heat dispersal. I was worried about how hot it could get, so I bought a laser beam thermometer to see if the plastic housing (which you can't really get to with your fingers) was at a high temperature. It wasn't. There has been no discolouration or crazing on the HID side.

The LED side is high beam. It is infrequently illuminated in comparison. The LED unit I have uses a passive heat sink made up of loops of metal cloth. There are no heat problems with this side at all.

Common to both sides is that the headlight enclosure is "breached". It is not a complete seal. The HID has a grommet which discourages water, but is not the full seal of the standard installation. The LED side has a small gap created by the hole cut into the cap to allow the cooling loops to pass through.

If the RS was fully underwater, there headlight enclosures would flood and fill, but I don't think the lens and globe(s) would be affected. However that is all "panic" speculation. The fact is the RS bodywork is pretty good at keeping the area dry and I have had no problems.