The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

I have a year old pair of them in my Taco right now and one pair of spares on the shelf. They're pretty sweet.

I did find this with a quick search though:
https://www.ebay.com/p/1154108606?i...AlP5jkFHGJn2Op-hJxlQ4Kz2kWa2NM_RoCxjQQAvD_BwE

 

Wow, someone not price gouging! The all seasons do produce more glare and while the warmer color temp is nice I didn't find it noticeably beneficial in poor weather use. I think I may try removing the all season coating on my next set, as I am currently running my last pair of clear Hypers.

Edit: they are not 85/80w, disregard.

 

What solvent are you using to remove said coating... have a box of Hella YellowStars i got cited with i had to remove.

 

Now if those were just the high output ones we'd have it made.

 

They are. They just have the all season diffraction coating vs clear.

Edit: they are not. Disregard.

 

Not according to the ad, which lists them as "60/55W" bulbs. Zooming-in on the picture shows the same.

 

Somehow missed that, edited previous posts accordingly.

 

Bummer. I missed that one too. Good catch!

 

Thank you OP! A great post and very informative/educational.

I was/am in the middle of building an auxiliary fuse box, using this thread (https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diy-build-and-install-a-bussmann-rtmr-fuse-relay-block.399454/ the “Bussmann Thread”). That is another great thread that, like this post, the creator put a great deal of time into.

Not being impressed with the light output of my headlights, this headlight upgrade mod was something I wanted to do. Having a lot of wire, connectors, etc. in my possession (using to build auxiliary fuse box) and wanting to minimize the number of unique components in my setup (the relays and fuses I used to build the harness below are the same sort that I will be using in the auxiliary fuse box), I decided to build my own harness.

Below are pictures of the harness installed. The techniques used to build the harness are basically the same as @tacozord explains in great detail in the Bussmann Thread above. I used the techniques in the Bussmann Thread and the parts below to build my own harness. It took quite a bit of time, so if it wasn’t for wanting to use the same relays as the bussman uses, purchasing a prebuilt harness would have been a good choice too.














Wire Diagram:



Parts Used (see Bussman Thread above for parts not listed below)

Common Bar 38074, 6 Gang
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/38074/Common-Bar-38074-6-Gang/


GEP Power Products FRH-A24 Compact 24-Way Sealed Fuse and Relay Holder
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/38553/GEP-Power-Products-FRH-A24-Compact-24-Way/


GEP Power Products FRH-A24-C, 24-Way Sealed Fuse and Relay Holder Cover
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/38554/GEP-Power-Products-FRH-A24-C-24-Way/


Aptiv 12077413 Metri-Pack Female Tanged Terminal 12-10 GA, 280 Series
https://www.waytekwire.com/item/32035/METRI-PACK-280-SERIES-FEMALE/


2sets 3Pin H4 Car connector plug H4 Auto holder plug 7.8mm lamp plug bulb socket
https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?spm=a2g0s.9042647.0.0.79b34c4dopNHw5&orderId=8009936970462243&productId=32871898783


2sets 3Pin H4 Car connector plug H4 Auto holder plug 7.8mm lamp plug bulb socket
https://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/0.html?spm=a2g0s.9042647.0.0.79b34c4dopNHw5&orderId=8009936970472243&productId=32871898783


I used 12 gauge wire for the signal wire. A smaller gauge could have been used, but using 12 gauge allowed me to use one part number for the tanged terminals, so I didn't have to buy another size. The H4 connectors from Aliexpress are fine, just take a long time (ie months) to arrive.

 

I like the weather proof relay box!

 

Thankyou for sharing

 

Nice, except for the Chinese relays. Recommend buying some spares (made elsewhere) for when they fail.

 

I do believe the factory GM ones are made elsewhere.

I really like this setup..

 

Huh?

 

GM uses those little Relays. omron brand. pretty sure theyre made in the USA

 

Thanks for the clarification.

Non-Chinese Bosch relays are also available.

 

Carrying spares is a good idea. Primary reason for building this was that the bussman auxiliary fuse box I am building will use the exact same relays. The bussmann will hold 5 of the same relay (doubt I'll use all 5) and this headlight harness I built will hold another 2. So I'll have 7 under the hood (excluding any I throw in the glove box). From a headlight perspective, if the LOW relay goes out, I could always just throw in the HIGH relay to get me back home.

Here’s the datasheet for the relays above. The mechanical life expediency is 10,000,000 cycles and the electrical life expediency is 100,000 cycles. As the electrical life expediency is lower, let's use that for our math: 100,000 operation life / 6 operations per day (a number I chose assumes lights are turned on/off 6x per day on average) / 365 days in year = 45 years. So if the datasheet is accurate, I'd expect the relays to last 45 years. I wouldn't bet any serious money on a 45 year life, but based on what the manufacture 'claims' (emphasis on 'claims') in the data sheet these relays should work fine. Again, agree on the need for redundancy/spares.

I am not aware of any other relays with a similar footprint that would work with the Metri-Pak 280 system. The Bosch relays look fantastic, I was just looking for something that would work with the Metri-Pak 280 pin spacing.

 

Those relays in the bussman and the little box you listed can be obtained easily from junkyards in GM cars for us made relays. I’m likely going to do the same setup you did. (Albeit ground switched)

 

Thank you @crashnburn80 for a super well made post! You clearly put a lot of time, thought, and legwork into this. I just ordered my bulbs and a harness, and am looking forward to improving my main complaint with my truck. People like you / posts like these are what makes TW such an awesome resource and community. Big cheers man!

 

Well maybe someone in here can help. My stock bulb that came with the brand new Toyota headlights exploded in wonderful fashion. How the hell do I get all this crap out of the lense? Glass stuck everywhere and what looks like powder..

going to see if my parts manager can get it warrantied. Bulbs have been in there for months. Never been out of the housings.