3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Yeah, I think any control you had through entune would still be there. I have an SR with an aftermarket Headunit, so I haven't the slightest idea what control that would be though. And there are some extra steps (and hardware if you want plug&play) needed for the SR/SR5. I finally found someone brave enough to give them a shot, and they seem to be working good. 2020 Tacoma OEM LED Headlight Megathread | Page 77 | Tacoma World @Gtboosted

They seem to be a success. Now I just have to get you to start production. Maybe start another BST thread?

 

There is options in entune to turn off and on your daytime running lights

 

Danngg. I can not wait for my bezels to come in. To be honest I really love how the rigid bezel and fogs look, but I also love brighter lights. So I’ll go ahead and install the diode Dynamic max fogs when ever my bezel comes in. Be on the look out, I will be having the stock trd pro 2020 rigid fog lights & bezel for sale here soon, if it doesn’t sale on market place.

 

Gotchya. I believe all control logic for DRL is handled by the brain boxes in the cab near the fuse box. For example, your high beams on overrides fog lights and turns them off, by electronic smarts before the wires reach the lights. The lights themselves only have logic for doing stuff like switchback of DRL to amber for turns, reverse sequential flash, etc.
At least that’s how I understand things. I haven’t played around with the head unit options.

 

It depends how close you are to the garage. If you line up per DD instructions at 15ft. And then do the same at 25ft. You'll have completely different angles since the low beam hotspot will be lower at 25ft, bringing your fog lights lower with it.

Ideally the upper fog cutoff should be lower than the measured height of the fog light in your bumper at any distance.

 

The RX-350 projector with clear lens is definitely the go-to solution for improving headlight output. I always wonder why people spend the time or pay someone to do the BHLM, but leave the lights stock. I am curious on why you went with AMP ballasts. The RX-350 projectors use D2S bulbs, thus a D2S ballast. Wouldn't it have been easier to just buy D2S ballasts, therefore you wouldn't need to use AMP to D2S adapters?

I'm not sure of your retrofitting skills, but it's tough to fit shrouds in the high beam spot without a lot of work and patience. The Morimoto HB high beams definitely need shrouds to clean up the look. If you wanted to go an easier route, you could try the Profile high-lens 2.0, they have a cleaner exterior and wouldn't require shrouds. They also have 2 versions, both have a built in DRL, the other is RGBW, with a switchback DRL/turn signal.

Also, you could probably get rid of all those accessories to save some money; H11 pass through harness, shrouds, pass-through cables, optional centric rings.

Don't forget the high beam splitters.

Interested to see how your retrofit turn out

 

As this is a light thread, how do you run your running lights and fogs at the same time? When I turn fogs on the running lights go off and vise versa. Seen few racks running both at the same time.

 

I didn't upgrade the bulbs inside my headlights and used stock lamps for last 5 years, because before my taco I had a car for 9 years, and I hated lifted trucks with a passion with retrofitted lights which blinded me.
I swore that when i get a truck I'd never do that, and always stopped at a distance from drivers up front. I didn't upgrade the lights on my Ranger, or the taco I got later until now.
But projectors, bulb and headlight technology has improved so much, and there's 10+ other factors that goes into retrofitting if done right, so I am finally changing my perspective.
Mostly working with Leo @Customretrofitheadlights , I just buy the parts he needed to work with from list. He'll worry about tuning, fitment, alignment, cleanup. He's great, and has done plenty of these.
Why Amp Hylux, and not Morimoto or other ballasts, Because when asked about this specifically, and he said his customers with morimoto and other ballasts he had to re-service them as they went bad within a year, whereas he said he never had issues with Amp Hylux ballasts.
I bought two types of mini H1 HB shrouds, the mini gatling black series and also the mini graphite, may go with graphite. Mine will be unique, he has full creative control on the build.

 

In an unmodified Tacoma, you can run your low beam headlights and your fog lights at the same time. If you switch to your high beams, your fogs go out, If you switch to your parking lights, your fogs go out. Isn't that the way your truck works?

 

On my 2020 you can have fogs on for Parking lights or low beam. Fogs are off for lights off, DRL or high beam.

I just re-read your question, are you referring to the parking lights dimming when headlights or fogs are turned on? That is normal function, at least for headlights, I've never looked for fogs.

 

Ok makes sense now, you're having someone do the retrofit for you.

 

You can do the fog anytime mod and run your fogs independently at any time if that is what you are referring to. I did it on my 2nd Gen. The procedure varies by Gen, unsure of what the preferred method is for 3rd Gen.

 

We've got quite the extended discussion on the topic Caribe has several suggestions, I can't decide which one I think is the least effort. In my opinion, fogs on with high beams is the least useful but fogs on with no DRL or Parking Lights is the most useful. Others might disagree and want fogs on with high beams. Since these are all ground switched it's a bit of a PIA and could involve messing with the fog relays (which for me are under my switch-pros tray and MT reservoir and less accessible as a result).

Most of the discussion centers on how best to handle the wiring in least destructive manner inside the cab so the indicator light works and it can be quickly undone to pass vehicle inspection. many of these TE connectors are wire-to-board so don't have a male counterpart so no T harness option exists.

I'm honestly not happy with anything so far and the LOE greatly exceeds the ROI but the OEM LED DRL's are pretty bright even when parking lights are on and might cause some legit glare in a true whiteout.

The bummer about today is I was hoping to be in the middle of the snowstorm heading to deep powder but that got canceled when my youngest puked up his dinner

The easiest option for anyone with a switchpros might be to direct feed a circuit to the intercept junction at the front bumper so you can swap between OEM fog control and switchpros fog control. But a solution leveraging the OEM stalk switch would be preferable, it's just a bit of a PIA.

 

I may do this on my Gen 3, because at my Fog lamp location, I replaced OEM fogs with Diode Dynamics SS3's Sport SAE white which are actually driving high beam which throw light much farther and have a nice hot spot, though they sit far low/closer to the ground location wise.
(As for actual fogs I removed, I plan to add a combo amber/white lightbar behind the grill)
I say I may do this, because my new RX350 retrofit would give me both highs as well as lows, and I also am retrofitting dedicated morimoto H1 high beam projectors too inside the headlight housing, so I probably won't need 6 separate high beam sources, which would be overkill and un-necessary.
But for those who don't have a high beam projectors, I can see the merits in this anytime fog mod.

 

In my opinion it would be far easier and cleaner to get fog lights for the actual fog lights and use a light bar for the additional high beam. Additionally any oncoming traffic that sees a light bar on is going to flash you for having your high beams on, even if it’s an safe legal fog pattern.


If you need or want light going 90 degrees out to the sides of the truck with the high beams on, add ditch lights and aim accordingly.

 

But I don't believe everything I read on the Internet! I know what my eyes tell me!

As an aside, my eyes tell me I'm a better basketball player than Michael Jordan, a better hockey player than Wayne Gretzky and more handsome than any leading man in Hollywood. It's good to be me.

My engineering degree loves your data. Keep up the good work.

 

I read through this write up and correct me if I'm wrong but, Using halogens in a stock third gen housing will perform better at distance compared to LEDs? Halogens are also more likely to have an even beam distribution. And the best plug and play replacement for third gen stock housing you recomend

GE Lighting 69865 H11 55NHX/BP2 Nighthawk Xenon Halogen Replacement Bulb, 2-Pack

https://www.amazon.com/Lighting-H11...ywords=GE+H11&qid=1555797042&s=gateway&sr=8-3 . I understand HIDs are the best as far as the numbers go but I am looking for a plug and play solution. Are there any halogen bulbs that would produce a white light similar to HID/LED? Sorry for so many questions. Lighting is not my strong suit. Just looking for some plug and play bulbs that produce more of a white light output.

 

Yes

H11 is true plug and play, yes. But modifying an H9 is also easy

(note: your link goes to an H1 bulb, don't buy those! they don't fit)

2020+ OEM LED housing is the "best" (pending morimoto housing 2.0 review)
HIDs are only good in a full housing retrofit.

short answer - No
You can get somewhat closer to the color you want with a coated bulb, but to get towards matching HID/LED color (not intensity), that would require a coating that significantly reduces performance

 

Thank you for the response. And for h9 conversion, modifying the bulb itself is cutting off a tab? Or buying a harness that would go to the bulb to the truck itself? Part of me wonders if going to h9 is really worth it. I would be going the additional harness route just for the sake of not messing anything up and playing it safe.

 

Amazon says those bulbs don’t fit my 2020 SR5. Is that true?