Will my truck run 4 100w bulbs?

I was mentioning to another Tacoma owner that I was thinking of putting some driving lights on my truck. Was going to take out the 55w bulbs and replace with 100w bulbs. He told me my charging system would not keep up. Said my lights would be going dim because my battery would be dying as i drive. What gives? He said with heater blowing, radio going etc, and everything else it is a no go. Bummed me out, because HID's are 5x more.

 

Replacing your regular 55w headlights with 100w headlights? If you're planning on doing that better upgrade your existing OEM one.

 

I guess I can just try the driving lights with the 55w that they come with. 4 55w driving lights will be better then no driving lights.

 

You are looking at about 35 amps of extra current draw with 4 100W lights. I don't know offhand what the alternator rating is on these trucks. I believe the towing package comes with a larger alternator. I would think the tow package alternator could handle it, if you don't have that I think you are pushing it.

If you can find a decent electrical shop, have them check your total current draw with everything on, then test the max output of your alternator. Then you would know for sure.

I've run 100W headlight bulbs and a pair of 130W off road lights before. I know for a fact I was about 10amps over the capacity of the truck's alternator. Since they were never on for that long, the battery picked up the slack and I never had a problem.

 

The 4cyl comes with an 80amp alternator, the V6 comes with 100amp alternator and the V6 with the tow package gets 130amps.

The 80 amp alternator can generate a total of about 960 watts. your auxiliary lights would be about half of the total capacity. headlights on high-beams will add another 130 total watts. So a max of 530 watts just for lighting it only leaves 430 watts for all other appliances in the vehicle.

I don't know what other appliances in the vehicle draw a large electrical load. So since I don't know, its safe to assume that they don't exist and therefore 430 watts is plenty for all the mystery appliances in the vehicle.

 

Sounds like I might be overdoing it with the 4 100w bulbs. I also run a cell phone booster, 2way radio, satellite radio, that all add up. Seems so close, and the fact that I have the 80 amp alternator my goose is cooked. To close for comfort for me.

 

i have four hell 700ff driving lights on the front of mine running 100 watt bulb with stereo heater ac subs everything. i haven't had an issue with my battery or lights dimming because the battery is dying.

 

You might consider running 2 100W bulbs and 2 55w bulbs. I haven't done more than 2x 100w bulbs, and there was no problem (like wolfpack's Lightforces). I'd be a little nervous about 4x 100w, but it could probably do it.

If also might be less of an issue if you use them more in summer than winter, depending on your driving style (winter more likely to have defroster & wipers going, etc).

 

Living as far north as I do, in the winter we get daylight from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on dec 21st the shortest daylight day of the year. And June 21st it is almost daylight for 24 hours straight, so I use mine almost exclusively in the winter!