3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Probably gen 2 reflectors with h9s

 

Very interesting question.

If it were a Hylux (sold internationally) and keeping cost on a Tacoma budget wasn't a concern, and a competing company wouldn't mind sharing their proprietary headlight tech, I'd consider Audi's adaptive digital matrix LED headlights with laser boost. Unfortunately slow archaic US lighting regulations prevent us from getting those in the US and they would be way outside of the appropriate price point of a Tacoma. The RX350 D2S HIDs are nice, but I wouldn't put HIDs on a new modern vehicle. Drawing from the Toyota arsenal I'd likely utilize the T4R LED projector low beam (but fix the flying saucer in the beam pattern) which have a great 5000k color temp and impressive beam intensity, and then the T4R halogen reflector high beam but make a 9011 HIR bulb standard instead of a 9005, and source the new Korean Osram 9011s as standard equipment. I would also include lens heaters as part of the cold weather package that would automatically turn on below 42 degrees. If designing from scratch, I'd likely utilize a multi-LED reflector which can offer a wider pattern than some projectors and use the same for with an LED high beam, similar to the OME Tacoma LED units. But I'd want to boost the output with higher power LEDs in a better 5000k, and again include a heated lens option. I'd also eliminate the halogen headlight option, with lens heaters there is no need and by keeping it, it means the headlight must be large enough for a halogen assembly when LED assemblies could be much smaller.

It might be fun to experiment with some of the newer optic styles allowed by LEDs, which would give greater design freedom to the front of the truck. For example, I run JW Speaker Heated Evo J3s. Here is an image of the non-heated model. The projector on the top right is the high intensity focal hot spot while the 5 ribbed lenses on the left cover the rest of the beam pattern and spread. The 3 projectors on the bottom are the high beam. The white J shape is the DRL and signal and the notch to the right of the J is a cornering light. These have an amazing 4500k color temp, but output intensity could be better. If you placed the low and high beam components in a row, you'd have a very compact headlight assembly, much smaller than what is used on the Tacoma today and something that would not be achievable in a halogen headlight.




Looks busy, but the lens heaters kinda make it all blend. Obviously wouldn't put a round headlight on the Tacoma. Wouldn't want it looking to space age weird though, Toyota has played it pretty safe with the Tacoma. But it would interesting to experiment with and see what that opens for design doors.

 

I think I need to buy a 4Runner.

 

and here is his reply @memario1214

So here's the "Cliffs Notes" response that I think that Crash would have to the question of "if you were designing the 4th Gen Tacoma headlights what would it look like". I'd write a bunch more, but I am getting on a plane, and am too cheap to pay for the Wifi :

• LED based housings - LED is an unfortunate victim of optics and performance falls off quickly if housings are not properly tuned. However, they also have the ability to produce tremendous amounts of power and output intensity in smaller form factors making them a good solution for the ever-growing grille of modern day vehicles.
• Reflector vs Projector - LED reflectors - I'm not sure if he would say separate modules for low/hi beam or standalone elements for the different patterns

 

I’m gonna take the W from Colton on a more specific prediction

 

Those are styling blue coated bulbs designed to have Sylvania’s “whitest light” which also means the greatest performance robbing coating that reduces output more than any of their others bulbs.

 

Interesting find. Keep me posted good sir. Thank you.

 

this is awesome! Thanks for the detailed post we need to get you hired at Toyota or keep or at least consulting w some of the aftermarket like morimoto to bring awesome products to market.

 

@crashnburn80 https://youtu.be/teWcPQod9I0

V land (gtr) ones from headlight revolution…

 

Already do some of that as an enthusiast, but don't get paid for it. I was a long time hold out on LED fogs because they were all so ineffective for the conditions they were designed for. It seemed so obvious, if you want to see in high density fog the last thing you'd want is a high color temp 6000k LED that is extremely reflective off of the precipitation in the air. But that was exactly what everyone was doing. ~3000k longer wavelength halogens were vastly more effective effective in fog. Why weren't any of the LED fog manufactures pursuing selective yellow? Which would also benefit with higher filtration losses generating heat at that lens for better resistance to icing (another hold out of mine), since fogs are most likely going to be used in poor weather. I met with Rigid reps explaining my ideas, and as a result helped bring the very first selective yellow LED fogs to market. Post #256. And look at where that trend is now. I probably should stop giving my ideas away for free.

 

I feel the brain cells dying off in mass watching that video. That cheap Chinese Vland pattern is a train wreck, and while those may look like OEM, they are not even close. OEM had 5 low beam emitters, the Vlands have 3. OEM has 2 high beam emitters, Vland has 1. OEM has ultra high precision optics with precise cut offs, perfect intensity at the pattern cut off and appropriate uplight, it is an outstanding headlight.

OEM LED low beam


"Carbide" aka cheap Chinese Vland low beam... I'm at a loss for how to describe something this bad. Like seriously W. T. F. is this?


That isn't a correct headlight pattern in the slightest. Headlights are not supposed to look like a wave pattern. They try to brush it off in the video like "it is because it is a reflector". Are you joking?! Do you see the precision cut off of Toyota's OEM reflector? No it isn't because it is a reflector, it is because the product is shit. It is just astounding he is trying to sell people on this with a straight face. And those lux numbers, highly suspect. Being that HR also tried to sell the 2nd Gen Morimotos as 500% brighter based on their lux numbers compared to stock, when they were actually only 60% brighter, aka the same as a halogen bulb upgrade. But here is a member that installed those exact Vland units before TRS/HR/GTR bought them out. Post #44. Needless to say it isn't good. Also interesting to note, apparently the branding deal includes a design exclusivity clause, so those units will very quickly dry up off of China alibaba where you can order them direct for less.

Headlight Revolution is part of the Driven Lighting Group companies, which include TRS and Morimoto. The umbrella was recently sold to Wheel Pros. Here is how Wheel Pros breaks down the brands, they classify HR's brand contribution as a "Youtube Influencer". Cringe. If someone wanted to send me one I'd gladly review it, but I'm not wasting money on this garbage.

 

Was reading this article about the current market of vpn services and couldn't help but think about headlights lol

https://nyti.ms/2WJCy1m

EDIT: screen shot added as people may hit a pay wall.

 

Most people think VPNs are good for hiding your online activity, but those companies themselves can monitor what you're doing. Their advertising is about as honest as these aftermarket headlights companies.

 

Well dang. I use Express VPN and the Duck Duck Go app. I will say that the VPN hides my location because most sites think I'm in Atlanta.

 

@crashnburn80 Since I work at a Lexus dealership, I see older Lexus models with OEM HID headlights and open freeform housings. With just a cap in front of it, no projectors. Just an early form of HID I guess.

It's amazing how far headlight technology has come. Of course pretty much all the new models are LED and very effective.

 

HID reflectors? Are you sure they are OEM? What model did they come on? I’ve not heard of such a headlight, but doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.

 

Early Toyota Prius models (Prii?) had reflector based HID, as did some cadillac escalade models. It's not that HID cannot be refoector based, it's that the lamp needs to be designed around the lightsource, and simply mimicing the placement of the lightsource is not sufficient to act as asufficiently suitable replacement. This latter step is what most "hid" retrofit kits attempted to do for years, and what a significant number of the LED retrofit bulbs attempt to do now.

 

They are definitely OEM. I know early LS430s, GS300s and IS300s had HIDs (or at least options for HIDs). It's very weird seeing this these days. It looks like your standard halogen housing.

 

So, like everything they all just are owned by the same damn place and we cant trust anything. Sighhh

 

That's interesting. Well, it was an Amazon buy, so they can go right back. In lieu of getting the Korean Sylvania bulbs, what do you recommend in H11? The one made in Germany?