The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

Please confirm:

Note: I do not believe i will be installing the harness

1) the suggested smoked headlights (part #81110-04210 & #

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

81150-04210) will fit a 2005 PreRunner?

2) installing the stock wattage bulbs suggested with the above suggested headlights...that is the my best option? (remember i don't think i will be doing the harness)

 

1) Correct on the assemblies.

2) See other bulbs section in the thread for best bulbs without a harness:
A) IPF Fatboy 60/80w bulbs have best low beam. 80w low, 60w high no harness required since high beam is stock. Expensive and life is not listed.
B) Philips Racing Vision +150 has best stock wattage low beam, but reduced output high beam as the high beam filament has a blue coating.
C) GE Xenon +120 has the best stock wattage low beam without reducing high beam output.

See output charts in the original thread to compare output intensity and determine what is best for you.

And welcome to the forum!

 

Strange bulb abnormalities! Both my Philips Xtreme +100 H13 bulbs exploded within minutes of install.



Back story: my Dad recently purchased a 2006 Ram Cummins 2500, it takes H13 bulbs. Looking for the best H13 I decided to test and compare Philips Xtreme +100 vs Volsa +120.

While I planned a comparison, the bulbs ended up being a PITA to install, and required removal of the headlight assemblies to lock the bulbs in place. It was getting late so we decided to just go with the Philips for the time being. After installing both and testing they work, one of the Philips bulbs exploded. Very unusual.



So I installed the Volsa +120 in its place and the was going to take a side-by-side measured comparison of the Philips vs Volsa, but then the other Philips bulb physically exploded in the housing, sending glass shrapnel throughout the housing.



Baffling. Both bulbs were clean and exploded minutes after install. The socket fit at the housing was tight but not something I would expect to cause this catastrophic failure. I’ve run the Philips +100 H13s in past vehicles without issue. The Volsas worked fine.

Before the Philips exploded I had the Volsas about 12% brighter in peak intensity, but I was still taking the Philips measurement when it failed, so it is an incomplete comparison. Frustrating as getting the broken glass out of the headlight assembly isn’t very practical.

 

The old hirs in 3rd gen avalon high beams have done that to me before. No clue what causes it.

 

I need to do this mod.

 

Which one?

The ultimate upgrade with improved wiring harness?
Or the all new exploding bulb mod?

 

Going to be fun getting all the glass shards out of those housings!

 

Wow, I've never heard of that happening before...especially not two of the same bulbs. My guess is there was a manufacturing flaw in those bulbs.

Guess the only way to clear them is to remove the headlight housings and shake out the glass.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the post I've been looking into options for upgrading my headlights. After reading through everything it seems I may be missing something. It appears the IPF Fatboy 60/80W bulbs have a higher lux output as well as a slightly whiter light than the Osram 100/90W bulbs and require no harness upgrade. Why bother with the harness upgrade if there is a brighter light available that can run on the stock harness?

EDIT: After looking into bulbs I'm guessing the price is the answer to my question. Looks like those IPF bulbs are around $80 US vs $15-20 US for Osram bulbs

 

Yes, that would be the reason.

 

Great question! As you've discovered those IPF bulbs are pricey! The Osrams will also give your high beam a huge boost in power, whereas the IPF bulbs have stock powered high beam. The Osrams are rated at 200 hours, the IPF spec is not published but most other high wattage bulbs seem to be 150 hours. In those output tests, the voltage was constant. Installing a harness will reduce voltage drop, increasing voltage to the bulb resulting in ~15% gain in output vs not running a harness. Meaning comparing the IPF bulbs on factory wiring to the Osrams on a standalone harness running at higher voltage, the Osrams will have higher peak intensity.

 

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'm going to order the harness and bulbs tonight. For anyone interested I have a 2015 and confirmed it is conventionally switched with a voltmeter on the headlight harness. With the lights switched on I had 0V on each side and 12V on the top.

 

Anyone have any luck getting one of those Headlight Services harnesses shipped to Canada? I ordered 4 Osram bulbs and then afterwards realized there is no Canadian shipping option for the harness! I noticed RallyLights offers shipping to Canada but its $48 USD, seems a bit ridiculous.

 

Ohhh

 

Might try shooting Mike at Headlight Services an email and see if he’ll make an exception.

 

Yeah I did that earlier as well as emailed RallyLights to see if they have any other more reasonable shipping options. I'll let you know how it goes

 

Really??

Dang, I was looking into doing this mod around September. Gives me some time to put a little cash aside following the purchase of the truck, and means that annual bulb replacement would happen right before winter and not during. Plan was to have freshest lights going into winter, without having to swap in -20.

Hoping a work around can be found

 

Great write up! Did this mod in full with Osram lights, harness upgrade etc... and it has been working great, a few years now, up until last night. The lights start out fine when starting, but after a few seconds (20 sec or so) of driving they seem to dim considerably (especially the high beams). When I switch between high and low beams from this point they are fine for a few seconds and then dim right away. Does this sound like a bulb issue? My alternator tested ok. Thanks for any help. I’m guessing just older bulbs, but before I get into replacing and resetting beam I’d like to be somewhat sure that this is the problem.

 

Just an update regarding shipping the Headlight Services harness to Canada...they will do it! Just had to send an email. $24. Ordering now!