3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Okay y’all. Buckle up!

I got these.



I figured they are H9 extensions so they’ll work on an H9 bulb. How wrong I was. That notch doesn’t carry all the way through. So, I had to take a utility knife and score the channel and then slice into it to make it look like this.



Long of the short, the extensions are not PNP, they’ll need to be cut. However, now I can swing by any store and get any H9 and they’ll drop right in. No modifications needed on a continuous basis, just one, today. In the cold because I didn’t know it would be needed and didn’t want to deal with returns and whatnot so I figured F it. It’s going in.



Fogs are the cheap o H11s, lows are the hella H9 yellows.

waiting for the sun to go down and then I’ll take it for a spin. But as far as initial impressions, I am very happy!

 

Have you considered a good set of fog pattern lights? Everything you need to know is here:

The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review | Tacoma World

Spoiler: Just buy the Diode Dynamics SS3 Sports. Quite possibly the best deal on the planet. If you want even more performance, step up to the Pro or Max models.

 

It's strange that h4 has a lifetime of 400h, but the H7 has only 250h.

 

That is interesting. It does look like the GT200 H7 did improve lift in the over the Racing Vision +150 H7, which was rated at 200 hours, but the life improvement isn't as great as the H4.

 

i have been planning a blackout headlight mod for a while, but following this thread has really changed my perspective. originally, i was looking into a bi-xenon retrofit but recently settled on an all-led build:
mori m led 2.0 projector retrofit and mori 2 stroke in the high bowl, but only used for highbeam. jdm astar amber turn bulbs, dd switchback drl boards, and meso sidemarkers. i have also been considering a dual-projector, bi-led solution (2 projectors per housing, each with high/low beam) but idk if i could pull it off. i even started gathering some of the parts for the mod...

after seeing crash's tests on the 2020 oem led housing, it seems like a no-brainer to go that route instead of trying to retrofit everything. if the mori xb performs close to oem or better, i am definitely going that route. i like the idea of switchback turn signals and meso sidemarker, so i might still be modifying the housing just not as extensively as i had planned

i value aesthetic nearly as much as performance, but if anyone here has any feedback on my ideas i would gladly welcome it. it's been many years since i have done a full housing mod like this

 

First post on TW ever...go easy. 203 pages is a lot to read on headlights. My '18 TRD is stock and I don't have time for a master's dissertation on headlights. Roast me if you need to, just being honest.

For the never-modded-anything people (me) which headlights will give me the easiest, most reliable low beam upgrade versus the OEM bulbs I currently have? Philips H9s correct? Do they come in the superior, ultra, standard like the H11s do?

Thanks and Merry Christmas.

 

Just one option for them. Best and basically easiest upgrade!

Philips 12361B1 H9 Standard Halogen Replacement Headlight Bulb, 1 Pack

$11 Philips 12361B1 H9 Standard Halogen Replacement Headlight Bulb, 1 Pack

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B003YMP...i_glc_fabc_tvq4FbCX215PC?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

Thank you. That was easy.

 

Yes Philips H9 but they require the tiniest of effort to modify for using in low beams.

The best halogen alternative to H9 are the GE xenon +120 (Walmart apparently has them for some strange reason) followed closely by the Tungsram +130 from power bulbs. Often people order two pair of the high efficiency bulbs as lifetime and availability are reduced compared to H9.

I have +130 and H9 and am really on the fence on preference. I like the whiter color of +130 but for max visibility I prefer max intensity / output. I found the bulb mod more than a trivial 3 min job but in retrospect not that big of a deal, I did two pairs at the same time so I’m ready if one burns out.

 

Yes, you MUST modify slightly.

 

See my post about modifications. I got the pig tail so that I wouldn't have to mod. Then I did have to mod, BUT I modded the connector instead of the bulb. Now, I can go to any walmart auto zone oreilly whatever and get a set of H9s and pop them in no fuss, since I have a modified connector instead of the bulbs each time.

 

Out of curiosity, are the road lines reflective or just painted? I feel like the LED's should make anything reflective "pop" more so than halogen, you know?

 

They are supposed to be reflective paint, but in areas where there has recently been a lot of construction and things aren't "finished" they use cheaper paint and it's harder to see things.

Also older roads that haven't been painted in a while suck.

These XBv2's definitely make the lines easier to see, I just, you know, want to make sure I didn't get an inferior product by getting the V2s over the V1's.

 

Gotcha, that's fair. I'm hoping Crash will conduct his test and the results will be favorable. If I could get say, 85% of OEM output for 60% of the cost of OEM, I'd be willing to make that trade off.

 

I bought some of the hikari ultra leds for my low beams and they are an improvement. Also put them in my high beams and that was a waste of money. Stock h9 is bright enough as is.

 

The M LED 2.0’s are supposed to be excellent projectors. I haven’t found anything definitive comparing them to the projectors in the XB headlights but I have a feeling the M LED is superior.

I’m currently debating a rx350 based HID retrofit or M LED 2.0 retrofit, either would be with a dedicated LED high beam projector in place of the stock high beam. If I were going with a full housing I’d definitely go OEM unless the morimoto outperforms it but I’m a function first guy.

I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these options. Really it comes down to what you want to spend.

 

even if the xb under-performs the oem by 20%, i think the benefit is that you could still retrofit the m led. my understanding is that the oem led is currently the best performing led assembly (tested) but you get what you get. there is not much capability for modifications. i'm really leaning toward the xb gen 2 at this point. guess i am just waiting on a sale

i've been told that the rx350 projector is being "phased out" because recent aftermarket projector assemblies are providing similar performance at a cheaper price

 

Hi there,
Can you kindly take a look at my shopping cart and tell me if everything looks good?

1. Bi-Xenon: Lexus RX350 STi Lens
Lexus RX350 Bi-Xenon Projectors: 2 X Bi-Xenon: Lexus RX350 (Non-AFS) (LHD) $290.00
Clear Lens Upgrade: 2 X Lens: STi-R

2. D2S: Osram Xenarc 66240 Cool Blue
Bulbs (CBH = CLOSEOUT): 2 X D2S: Osram 66240 CBA (6500K) (Duobox) $160
(Your opinion on this one? I have MESO switchback side markers. When driving, the side LED's are white. )

3. H11: Pass-Through Harnesses with Grommet
Adapters: 1 X Harness: H-Series housing pass-through cables w/ grommet (H11)(2x) $10.00

4. Rubber Housing Caps
Housing Caps: 2 X Housing Cap: Cylinder (75mm)

5. AMP to D2S Ballast Adapters (Straight)
AMP to D2S Ballast Adapters (Straight): 2 X AMP > D2S Ballast Adapters (Straight)

6. HD Relay: H11
2x Relay Harness: 1 X HD Relay: H11/H9/H8/880

7. AMP: Hylux A0050
Ballasts: 2 X 45W / AMP: Hylux A0050 Ballast

I need to place the order today! My local guy who did my lights gave me this list. Please advice based on everyone's best advice here.

Note:
I have a 270V aftermarket alternator from DC Power Inc in my truck.
And a regular Interstate Battery.
Also have Diode Dynamics White (Driving) Sport lights as fogs.

 

Looks like your trying to do an RX-350 retrofit, correct?
You can simply buy the D2S: Morimoto Elite bundle from TRS which is $175. It includes the H11 relay harness, ballasts, igniters and bulbs. You shouldn’t need the AMP to D2S ballast adapters. Just buy the D2S ballasts and igniters from the start. The RX-350 projectors use D2S bulbs.
There is a seller on eBay selling the RX-350 projectors, clear lens and tuned for $275 obo. I bought mine from him a couple of months ago for under $250, they look good.

 

RX-350 retrofit, yes.
Can you kindly re-link or give me the seller info? And show me to the kit please?