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3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by crashnburn80, Jan 25, 2019.

  1. Sep 17, 2021 at 12:05 AM
    #5081
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    Nice output shots! It is difficult to compare phots without being in the same spot with fixed camera settings. But in your photos the Tungsram appear to outperform the Hikaris in distance projection. This is somewhat difficult to see on mobile where the images are small, but is more obvious on a desktop/laptop. Focus on the distance projection/distance horizon and not the foreground light. The Hikaris demonstrate the usual problem with LEDs with increasing foreground light and losing distance light (and the Hikaris are reasonably decent LED compared to others). Those Tungsrams appear to throw so much further down road, and that is a stock wattage H11. You could bomb down that road with the Tungsrams, I wouldn't do that with the limited distance using the Hikaris. Although it is hard to say if maybe unlevel terrain is playing a role here.

    This is a usual difficult adjustment coming from replacement LED users accustomed to higher amounts of high color temp foreground light that really throws off the illumination perception. I wouldn't expect to be immediately blown away by an H11 vs a reasonable LED. The foreground light will play tricks on your judgement in person. But look at your own photos on a larger monitor than a phone. But if you want to step it up even more an H9 swap would be the way to go.
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2021
    Too Stroked likes this.
  2. Sep 17, 2021 at 7:50 PM
    #5082
    mynameistory

    mynameistory My member is well known

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    Even on mobile I can see where the light stops, it's almost abrupt in comparison with the halogen bulbs.

    When I switched from LED to halogen I could tell my vision was focusing further down the road, but in a way that was almost subconscious. It's like... you're seeing the road again, not just seeing your lights.
     
  3. Sep 17, 2021 at 7:52 PM
    #5083
    Saturnine

    Saturnine YVAN EHT NIOJ

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    If you're referring to the photos I posted, both are the tungsram halogens taken on the same road
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2021
  4. Sep 17, 2021 at 8:42 PM
    #5084
    Spike Spiegel

    Spike Spiegel Well-Known Member

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    Got any shots to compare your previous setup?
     
  5. Sep 17, 2021 at 8:52 PM
    #5085
    Saturnine

    Saturnine YVAN EHT NIOJ

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    Not currently
     
  6. Sep 17, 2021 at 9:40 PM
    #5086
    mynameistory

    mynameistory My member is well known

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    Ah I see. I didn't realize the second picture was pointing at an uphill section of road.
    :anonymous:
     
  7. Sep 18, 2021 at 6:16 AM
    #5087
    Dtax

    Dtax Well-Known Member

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    nice "cut off"..... your Johnson Lebowski
     
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  8. Sep 18, 2021 at 7:22 AM
    #5088
    replica9000

    replica9000 Das ist no bueno

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    Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg
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    Met a guy with a 21 4Runner while getting coffee this morning. He told me he's getting different headlamps, so I might be able the get a set of the 21 LED lights on a good deal.
     
  9. Sep 18, 2021 at 7:27 AM
    #5089
    Too Stroked

    Too Stroked Well-Known Member

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    I snagged a spare set of OEM LED headlights for my 4Runner the same way. The guy pulled the OEMs out to install a set of Depo aftermarket units. I didn't have the heart to tell him he was about to enjoy a huge downgrade in performance. His loss, my gain.
     
  10. Sep 18, 2021 at 7:52 PM
    #5090
    NorNev

    NorNev Phone? Call someone who gives a shit.

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    Yep, swapped back from LED h11s to Hella 65 watt h9 tb and what a difference. @crashnburn80 you were correct. Can’t wait to add the DD SS3’s soon.
     
  11. Sep 18, 2021 at 9:11 PM
    #5091
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    Note the Hellas are rated at 65w, but actually draw 73.7w by my measurements. The Philips draw slightly more.
     
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  12. Sep 18, 2021 at 9:27 PM
    #5092
    viruszzz94

    viruszzz94 Active Member

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    Hello! I have a curiosity about oem led headlights and halogen bulbs. As you know, aftermarket led lose light intensity as they heat up, even the high quality ones lose at least 10%. What about oem led headlights, do they also lose intensity? Because from what I know, those are passive cooled. Same questions about halogen bulbs, their intensity remains the same after let's say 30 minutes or more?
     
  13. Sep 18, 2021 at 10:37 PM
    #5093
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    All LEDs reduce output intensity as they warm up, but the amount they reduce depends on how well they are cooled. The way to minimize this drop is to design better cooling systems so the LEDs do not get as hot and therefor do not lose as much output. In a replacement LED (LED designed to replace a halogen bulb) the design is extremely constrained around having to replicate a halogen, and be replaceable in a halogen assembly. This leads to a very non-optimal design for the LED with minimal cooling surface area and a very small heat sink on the back of the LED 'bulb'. Because the heat sink isn't very adequate, most manufactures add fans to help cool the small heat sink to maintain output. Although fans add a failure point in the product design. Because LED assemblies are not constrained by having to mimic a halogen bulb with small heat sinks, they have massive heat sinks on the assembly. There is no need for fans to have active cooling because the cooling heat sinks are so much larger, many times larger than physically possible with a replacement LED. By designing a complete system not reliant on fans, they remove a failure point and will be more reliable.

    The OEM LED headlight readings in thread are stable output numbers, that is after 15-20 min runtime after power draw has stabilized. But OEM LED doesn't fluctuate much in power draw, unlike aftermarket replacement LEDs. Halogen technology isn't affected by heat like LED, if anything it is the opposite. Look at classic HIR bulbs where redirecting the IR energy back to the bulb with an IR reflective coating significantly boosts halogen output. The halogen cycle requires the bulbs to operate at a minimum of 392-482 degrees, needless to say heat isn't an issue for halogen bulb output.
     
  14. Sep 19, 2021 at 12:48 PM
    #5094
    TJH1224

    TJH1224 Well-Known Member

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    I've been thinking of upgrading my head lights from the stock ones on my 2021 SR5.

    Driving around at night in the woods up here has been pretty iffy without high beams on the whole time. The fog lights help a bit, but I'd like to get some new bulbs.

    I'd like to stick with Halogen, and should I "match" up high beam or fog lights with any new bulbs I get? I'm not sure if that's been discussed in the thread yet - there are 250 pages so maybe I missed it!

    It's important to me that my different lights don't come out looking like wildly different colors or something.

    Can anyone recommend a good new higher performance low beam bulb that would fit in alongside the stock high beam and fog lights?

    Or is it not that important that all of the lights match up?
     
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  15. Sep 19, 2021 at 1:23 PM
    #5095
    NorNev

    NorNev Phone? Call someone who gives a shit.

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  16. Sep 19, 2021 at 2:03 PM
    #5096
    TJH1224

    TJH1224 Well-Known Member

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    Nice, I'll check these out, thanks. I don't know too much about modifying them, so might just check into adapters.

    Unless the mod is like, shaving down a piece of metal or plastic, then I'm sure I could handle it
     
  17. Sep 19, 2021 at 3:17 PM
    #5097
    NorNev

    NorNev Phone? Call someone who gives a shit.

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    5D9EC70F-29C5-4F2E-9F23-5ED675F8FB8D.jpg
    DE365446-6E14-45E2-A442-9E30B0098AF5.jpg
     
  18. Sep 19, 2021 at 3:39 PM
    #5098
    Unchained 5150

    Unchained 5150 Rick

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    Put my Pro LED's in today and can't wait for it to get dark out.

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Sep 19, 2021 at 3:45 PM
    #5099
    TJH1224

    TJH1224 Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm I dunno, I'm not a rocket scientist...lol

    Thanks though that's helpful, I was looking for a simple picture like that.
     
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  20. Sep 19, 2021 at 5:30 PM
    #5100
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

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    Using the OEM high beam bulb (Philips H9) as a low beam bulb is the best performing option. They will of course then match. However there really isn't need to match the high beam color, even the slightly whiter performance bulbs are not going to be different enough in color to be distracting to the driver compared to the OEM high beam and it isn't like people will see the difference in color on the exterior of the truck. Modifications to the H9 were posted earlier, though the exterior metal color trimming is not required, but certainly makes install easier. And the internal plastic tab trimming can be worked around by removing the inner green plastic piece in your OEM wiring plug, allowing for H11 or H9. If looking for H11 plug and play, Tungsram Platinums or Tungsram Nighthawk Xenon +120 are the way to go.
     
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