The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

I was careful not to touch the bulb, and it still happened to me. It was a high wattage bulb with a decent amount of coating to make it slightly purple though (for the ex). Surprised the GM wiring didn't give out first

 

In my opinion, I don't see how that could happen. There is only 12 volts available, so how could connecting something in the wiring raise the voltage? If the voltage regulator went rouge, it should have damaged a lot of other stuff, and not just the headlight bulbs. I think defective bulbs. Since other people have used these same bulbs in the same headlight assemblies, I don't think overheating due to being in an improper enclosure makes sense either.

 

In this case it was very likely that heavy blue coating that helped the issue occur, in the case of the Super Brights there is no coating.

 

So I think I figured out both why my bulbs ballooned and why I keep being flashed by passing cars.

Is it possible that I accidentally switched the two relays and when I hit my brights, the lows come on and vice versa? This would also explain why the mechanic that adjusted my headlights said "we did as good as we could, if it's not right come back and we'll try again for free"

Edit: I swapped the relays but they looked the exact same and I still can't tell a difference.
Took em to get realigned, the shop owner took a look. He said it didn't look like the lows and highs were any different. So we unplugged the upgraded harness and plugged the stock harness into the driver side bulb and both highs and lows worked fine...

So I guess the next step is to call up the headlight services and.ask them

 

No difference between the lows and highs? As in both filaments are lit at once?! That would be bright as F*#$, and could certainly cause the bulbs to overheat and balloon as well as fail ridiculously early. Do you have a multimeter?

 

I think my dad might. I'll have to ask him Monday
I call headlight services around 1030 this morning (central) and left a message. Hopefully they call back to troubleshoot

 

You can pick a cheap one up at harbor freight for like $5, handy tool to have. A bulb based voltage detector would also work to check connector terminal power.

Headlight Services is a super small shop, it is not Mike’s full time job, so your unlikely to get a phone answer mid-day unlike larger full time shops. But I’m sure he’ll get back to you.

 

I finally got my headlights properly aimed. My farmer friend finished clearing out his big machinery shed, and it's dark enough in there with lights off to aim them during the day. I can see why so many other cars were flashing me. The left light was several inches higher than the right one. The right one was okay. When I first got this truck many drivers would flash me. After I got out in the mountains I could see that the lights were going up in the trees on high beam. I marked their current position with tape on the side of my house, and lowered them both a couple of inches. I still got some flashing, so I lowered them again. After I put the GE Xenons in, I got more flashing, so I had lowered them a 3rd time. I didn't get flashed much after that. When I put my new light assemblies in, I had marked the aim point of the old ones, and set the new ones to it, but I had no way to tell how close they were to being properly aimed, I know my yard isn't level. So, now I know they are right. Can I see any better? No, not due to the aiming, but I'm not blinding other drives, and getting flash continuously. The GE Xenons did noticeably improve visibility on high beam, on low, not so much. The sad part is that this truck passed state inspection twice, at 2 different places, and nobody changed, or even mention improper headlight aim, and that was before I lowered them the 1st time.

 

In my state, they only check that the headlights work. They could literally be aimed at the moon, and still pass.

 

Sometimes I wonder if they really check anything other than obvious stuff, regardless of what the inspection manual says. Here they are supposed to check aim, and all shops used to be required to have a headlamp aiming device. Since we now have visual aim lights, I don't know if an aiming device is still required or not, it's been a few years since I've read the inspection rules.

 

Hey TW, figured I’d share. I ordered the headlight services harness, and the 100/90w Osram bulbs. Was a little confused before I received anything in the mail, since I’m terrible with electric. I sent @crashnburn80 a PM and he sent me direct links and a few tips. Once I received everything I realized how simple this really was to do. I’m still pretty surprised at the difference from the stock bulbs. Guys should definitely do this mod, and thanks again to the OP for helping me out and taking the time to put this all together.

 

@crashnburn80 well Mike solved the issue for me. He accidentally had wired the black and white male connector blades backwards. He advised me to is a small screw driver to pop em out of the plug and to swap em around. Now I have high and low beams again. Before it was running highs and lows all the time and when I would hit the high beams, the lows would cut out and it would just be the highs. I'll pop in the Osrams you sent me tomorrow. I'm gunna see how the silverstars hold up tonight omw to work.

 

Glad to hear to hear it was an easy fix! Your next set of bulbs should last far longer!

 

It has come to my attention that the 2005-2011 TSB headlight numbers in this thread for the smoked chrome lights may be incorrect. Per the attached TSB doc the correct numbers are below.
81110-04210
81150-04210

My sincerest apologies to anyone that I led astray. I will update the OP.

 

When I do a search for 2009-2011 Smoked/Sport headlamps, these are the part numbers I get:

81110-04173 - right assembly
81130-04173 - right assembly
81150-04173 - left assembly

It's weird that the website doesn't show that part numbers 81110-04210 and

$350 81150-04210 Toyota Genuine Parts - Headlamp Assy, Lh (81150-04210)

81150-04210 replace their respective previous numbers, but that might be what you actually get when ordering.

I've ordered from them quite a few times without issue (I live 14 mi away). When in doubt, provide your VIN, and they'll supply the correct part if it's wrong.

 

Here is the actual TSB that has the new part numbers as well as the corresponding old ones.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2011/SB-10060761-2280.pdf

 

Good find, I’ll link that in the thread!

 

So now the big question, how do you think the GE Nighthawk Xenon +120 compare to the discontinued Osram 64205 bulbs?

 

Lux data was updated in the original post. The bulbs are great, but only a little better than the Xenons on low beam, though the Osrams will have better high beam than the GEs. I have a set of the Osram 64205s to sell, PM if interested.

Edit: 64205 Hypers have sold.

 

The 64205 are the "Hyper" models and not the "All Season model, correct?