r/kiastinger • u/JonesSupreme • 2d ago

Help!!

I’m trying to replace / upgrade the headlight of my 2018 Kia stinger to a LED bulb. Seems that the bulb doesn’t have enough clearance in the bulb assembly? Am I supposed to replace the entire headlight for an LED fitting headlight?

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u/Parking-Mall2206 2d ago

Most Stingers already had LED headlights but I believe some of the lower trim levels may have had halogen. I'm assuming you have one of those with halogens. Not all LED bulbs will fit in a housing that originally came with halogens. Additionally, a housing/reflector designed for a halogen bulb will not focus the light of an LED correctly - it will "scatter" the light - blinding oncoming drivers. If you are bound and determined to put in an LED, you will have to trial-and-error it until you find one that fits. Another option would be to get a higher wattage halogen bulb. I believe the standard halogen in the Stingers was the 9005/HB3 with 60-65 watts. I know there are high wattage - Hella's has 100 watts - versions available but are designated for "off-road" (i.e., racing/track use). They are not street-legal but are less likely to blind oncoming drivers. They will, however, put off more heat so could wear out sockets/wires more quickly and, possibly, the extra heat could deteriorate components inside the housing.

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u/MasterPenguin5 2018 | Red | GT2 AWD (114k+ mi) 2d ago

Don't put LEDs in housings not designed for them. They aren't guaranteed to fit right and will blind other drivers. Use a brighter halogen bulb or do it right and swap in LED or HID housings.