3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

The H9 life will be shorter than the stock H11 bulbs but it isn't bad considering the price of the bulbs and the quality of the light. I drive 1 hour in the dark each work day and my first set of H9 Philips bulbs lasted just over a year before I replaced them. I replaced them when I noted a decrease in light intensity (expected in a halogen bulb), not when they burned out.

 

Which headlights are you referring to? I don't recall a mixed halogen/led oem headlight anywhere.

 

He's talking about the new 2021 4Runners, which have a later (and weirder) LED adoption than the Tacoma. They're split into two kinds:

1. The lower trims (SR5, Off-road, etc.) have LED projector low beams, but retain the same 9005 halogen high beam reflectors. Toyota uses PWM (pulse width modulation) to dim the halogen high beams for DRL duty.
2. The higher trims (Limited and Pro) have bi-LED projectors for low and high beam use. However, they retain the same halogen reflectors and still use them as DRLs. Also confusing, they no longer use PWM to dim them. They still use the same 9005 bulb but must be using some other means of dimming (voltage reduction?). Someone tried replacing their DRL bulbs with an older kit from Xenon Depot, with specially made modules that work with PWM dimming. The lights came on at full (high beam) brightness.

Definitely a weird integration there.

 

Thank you, completely overlooked the vehicle tag

 

I'm planning to go with H11, not do the modification for H9s. Still probably about the same life though. Thanks.

 

I think it’d be cool to have real world testing for practical lifetime for the H9 and +130 / +120 bulbs to know roughly when to expect they are at ~90% of original output. At this time we don’t have that data. So all we have are manufactures posted specs. Given the relatively reasonable costs involved, I’d change them based on calendar or mileage. This is one aspect where LED’s shine bright.

From the physics of it, given that halogens degrade as the filament burns down (that may not be a technically accurate summary of what's happening but I think it's an OK layman's version) a high efficiency (tighter/smaller filament) halogen will have decreased lifetime.

OEM bulb lifetime is significantly better than any high performance or high wattage halogen. The whole point of the OEM halogen bulb is to maximize lifetime so that buyers don’t consider the bulb defective for burning out in the first five years. Most people _only_ replace a halogen bulb once it has burned out (or fill a tire when it's flat, not when it's 5-10% low). Obviously TW is a different user group.

Summary:

1. I would not be concerned with lens damage due to heat with H9 in low beams and I'd have even fewer concerns about high efficiency H11's. The higher output of a high performance H11 is from increased focus, not increased power (heat) so the only _concern_ to have is bulb lifetime.

2. Buy two pairs at first, then buy your replacement pair once you swap out the first set to second set. Replace once a year or once every 10,000 miles or (pick your interval and just stick to it) and just consider this like you do gas in the tank, a consumable.

3. If you want a set-and-forget option, go OEM LED. If you don't want to pay for OEM LED, see 2. If you don't want to pay for 2, stick with stock H11 and ignore this entire thread

 

Hello all. To those with SR model trucks, has anybody put on headlights from a higher model? I want to go the LED route since the fog lights I installed are LED, but I also want use Toyota headlights rather than aftermarket. I have seen a few sets for sale on this forum but before I buy them and install them I want to make sure they will work. Is there any wiring upgrade that needs to be done for them to work with my truck?

 

It would be difficult to create hard data for practical lifetime since there are many factors that play into the bulbs life expectancy or degradation of performance. Voltage is a large roll, which can change with temperature as colder or hotter temps will draw the battery down and thus increasing output of the charging system. As well as when running high draw accessories in those conditions. If the person upgraded the wire size to increase voltage to the bulb can also factor.

I know we are getting in the weeds here, but that is what these types of threads are for. We are nerds of a different breed! haha

 

@Puppypunter is looking for a brave guinea pig to test his harness

 

If a new harness is necessary I would possibly be willing to try it, but I am still undecided on whether or not I want to get away from using OEM parts.

 

There is no OEM part to convert a Tacoma with halogen headlights to one which can use OEM LED headlights. If you ask at the parts department, your friendly Toyota dealer will tell you that you can only order a new truck with LED headlights, you can't retrofit on existing Tacomas. To them it is a different factory wiring harness so they aren't actually lying. But as far as complexity goes, for Pro/Sport/OffRoad with LED DRL and halogen headlights, the conversion harness is rather straightforward. For SR/SR5, it's a work in progress and as explained in this thread, the punter of pups is your best resource.

 

I was just looking for some sort of validation that the manufacturer's posted specs are

a. In line with approximate real world expectations
b. Indicative of {0%, 50%, 80-90%} output level

I mean, it'd be ideal if the Tacoma ECU could just log minutes powering low beams and high beams when equipped with halogen headlights, much like the odometer, and even better if it could prompt for replacement via info message when it auto senses they have degraded, and auto-adjusted aim as you drive and tracked spare tire pressure and ...

 

Great post, thanks. I think #2 is the most likely option for me. Now, to decide if I want the Tungsram or Philips. My experience with Philips is with LED lights in my house. They seem to be very high quality, but of course it doesn't directly translate. My experience with Sylvania Halogen lights in my Tundra didn't impress me in terms of life expectancy, but after reading your post maybe the problem was my lack of understanding of the issue.

I'll probably go with the Philips CrystalVision unless someone has a better recommendation.

 

All of crash’s recommendations for halogen bulbs are right there in post 2.

I’m a fan of the +130 color but haven’t tried the 120’s yet. I believe both are available today, the 120’s were hard to find when I last bought.

 

I clicked on all of those links and they are either out of stock, or in one case the lights were not compatible with the Tacoma. At least none of the Amazon links were good. Which is why I went afield looking for suitable bulbs that would work.

The search continues.

 

+120’s are available at Walmart. +130’s at powerbulbs. It’s hard to track these down, hence buy two pairs to start.

I’ll dig up links for you.

EDIT: indeed OOS at powerbulbs. I am on my phone so pls double check the +120’s. I might order a pair too just to try em.

EDIT2: +130’s on eBay if you must. I’d go 120’s if you can get them.

please double check my work, haven’t fully reviewed my links for accuracy.

 

Thanks. I'll check around and see who might have them. I have an Auto Zone, Advance, and O'Reilly's in my town, so maybe one of them will have them.

 

Edit- Dang, y’all are fast!

 

Highly unlikely you find them for local sale. Philips H9, on the other hand, super easy.

 

I've been running H9 Hella Performance 2.0 bulbs in my lows for a week now and can definitely attest to the improved light output. It is a lot better than stock and doesn't create any glare for oncoming drivers. Going to pick up a set for the highs as well.

I haven't decided on fog light bulbs yet. I'm in conversations with Daniel Stern regarding a set of high-luminance selective-yellow bulbs. Will be sure to post my impressions if I go that route.