“LED headlights” is one search term that covers two completely different products. Ordering the wrong type is the most common — and most expensive — mistake in this category, because complete assemblies are bulky, high-value freight. This guide separates the two, and lists what to confirm before you order either one.
Two different products
LED bulbs replace the halogen bulb inside the existing headlight housing. They are small, cheap to ship, and sold by socket type — H7, H11, 9005 and so on. Fitment is mostly about the socket and the space inside the housing.
Complete LED headlight assemblies replace the whole lamp unit — housing, lens, DRL, projectors and electronics. These are model-specific: an assembly for a Mercedes-Benz W220 (1998–2005) fits nothing else. They are the higher-value business, and the one where fitment discipline matters most.
What to confirm for complete assemblies
- Exact model, year and body variant. Facelift and pre-facelift versions of the same model often use different lamps. A 2016 and a 2019 version of the same van can need different assemblies.
- Left-hand drive or right-hand drive. The beam pattern is different. LHD lamps shipped into an RHD market (UK, Japan, Australia, Southeast Asia’s RHD countries) will fail inspection and blind oncoming traffic. This is the single most costly mistake in export orders — always state the destination market.
- Original lamp type. Was the car built with halogen or xenon/HID lamps? Wiring and connectors differ, and some upgrades need the version that matches the car’s original equipment.
- Functions included. DRL (daytime running light), sequential turn signals, and projector lenses are selling points — confirm the version you are quoted actually includes them, with photos or video of the real unit lit up.
- Canbus and error codes. On many European cars, LED conversions can trigger dashboard bulb warnings. For assemblies, confirm the unit is designed for the model so decoding is handled; for bulbs, ask whether a decoder is needed for your market’s common models.
What to confirm for LED bulbs
- Socket type (H7, H11, 9005/HB3, 9012, etc.) — never order by car model alone
- Whether the housing has room for the bulb’s cooling fan or heatsink, and whether the dust cap still closes
- Canbus decoding requirements for European models
Ordering checklist
- Product type: bulbs or complete assemblies
- Car model, year, variant — and for assemblies, LHD or RHD and the destination country
- Original lamp type (halogen / xenon), and the functions you need (DRL, sequential signals)
- Photos of the customer’s current lamp help us confirm the match before you commit
Tell us the model, we confirm the lamp
Send us the models and years you are buying for, and we will confirm the correct assembly or bulb type, and quote within 24 hours.
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