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Headlight upgrade suggestions

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Burner1061, Dec 23, 2021.

  1. Dec 23, 2021 at 1:14 PM
    #1
    Burner1061

    Burner1061 [OP] Active Member

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    My front lights are fogged up on my '06 Tacoma. I tried the Meguiar's revival kit and it worked for a few months. I was wondering, what are my options on upgrading?

    I don't have daytime running lights but if I put in 2014 or 2015 Tacoma lights would they have that?

    I'm probably going to replace the front headlights and would want something better than new 2006 lights if possible.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Dec 23, 2021 at 1:50 PM
    #2
    Island Cruiser

    Island Cruiser TVita

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    OEM replacements are the best way to go
     
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  3. Dec 23, 2021 at 1:53 PM
    #3
    AJKlug1

    AJKlug1 Well-Known Member

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    2012-2015 headlights will not fit your 2006. You will need the 2005 to 2011 body style headlights.
     
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  4. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:04 PM
    #4
    kozy

    kozy Well-Known Member

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    Burner1061[OP] likes this.
  5. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:09 PM
    #5
    Sonofliberty92

    Sonofliberty92 T O Y O T A

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    I recommend cerakote headlight restore. I used it on my 04 and they made the headlights look brand new again. A year later, they still look new. 17 dollar kit from their website or Amazon. Takes about 20 minutes to do.

    20210506_145256.jpg
     
  6. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:12 PM
    #6
    Sonofliberty92

    Sonofliberty92 T O Y O T A

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  7. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:16 PM
    #7
    Sonofliberty92

    Sonofliberty92 T O Y O T A

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    Burner1061[OP] likes this.
  8. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:17 PM
    #8
    Sprig

    Sprig Well-Known Member

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    FCE118B5-827E-4607-A312-9A7791AC01D7.jpg The secret to keeping the lens clear after you’ve polished them so they stay clear is applying a UV protectant. If you don’t they will cloud up again after a few months. I did mine a couple years ago and apply UV protectant (easy, just spray it on) about every 6 months. They continue to stay clear and look like new. You can get new ones if you want but can save a lot of $$$ by doing what I do. The truck and lights are 12 years old and the truck is not garaged. And my lights were really hazy before I cleaned them up.
    D5AC05F3-9981-4525-A955-F63816603AEB.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2021
    crashnburn80 and Canadian Caber like this.
  9. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:21 PM
    #9
    kozy

    kozy Well-Known Member

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    Well worth it IMO for quality projectors. On my old WRX I spent about $350 on some retrofits and they were absolutely incredible with the amount of night driving I was doing at the time. I would've paid a lot more if I had to, lol
     
  10. Dec 23, 2021 at 2:24 PM
    #10
    Sonofliberty92

    Sonofliberty92 T O Y O T A

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    I hear ya. I don't drive at night much but when I do, my high and low beams are plenty for me.

    To each their own!
     
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  11. Dec 23, 2021 at 6:25 PM
    #11
    HansLanda

    HansLanda Well-Known Member

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    https://www.ebay.com/itm/122904522201

    My headlights were holding water, so I did got Depo ones. $130 total, and with good Philips bulbs, I'm happy with them. I also siliconed the seals before installing just to make sure they wouldn't leak again.
     
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    #11
  12. Dec 23, 2021 at 6:41 PM
    #12
    Knute

    Knute Well-Known Member

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    Suggest to try a restore again....only this time use the Sylvania Headlight Restore kit. Available on Amazon for about $20. Follow the directions to the letter, no shortcuts.

    If you still feel the urge to change the peepers, then go OEM. They won't be cheap. IIRC, they are about $400 for the pair.
     
  13. Dec 24, 2021 at 2:33 PM
    #13
    Bajatacoma

    Bajatacoma Well-Known Member

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    That's what I used. I need to either do them again or just buy new headlights- I'll probably do the later and get sport model OEM lights.
     
  14. Dec 24, 2021 at 10:02 PM
    #14
    TacoTuesday1

    TacoTuesday1 Well-Known Member

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  15. Dec 24, 2021 at 10:08 PM
    #15
    TheSupremeReader

    TheSupremeReader Well-Known Member

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    i would do OEM. I started with a set of Depos and the pattern is terrible. Thry also took on moisture within a year.
     
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  16. Dec 24, 2021 at 10:29 PM
    #16
    TacoTuesday1

    TacoTuesday1 Well-Known Member

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    I would have thought Depo replicates OEM given the design looks the same.
    Depo is $100/set while OEM TRD Sport (black) is probably $600/set at the dealer

    Mine are brighter because I put a stronger harness and higher wattage bulbs on top of that
    However I was not expecting Lambo level performance; that may require actual projector units ($$$)
     
  17. Dec 24, 2021 at 10:43 PM
    #17
    mk5

    mk5 Probably wrong about this

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    Don't waste time and money on "restoration" products for 15+ year old headlamps.

    Just buy new ones. OEM is best, but I went with (I think) Depos. Crystal clear,, and beam structure is perfect. 18 months in and they still look 1000x better than the best I ever achieved with a handful of "restoring" products.

    All the money I spent on restoration kits would have paid for the new housings.

    It's not that restoration doesn't improve things--it does. So much in fact that they'll look "like new" by comparison.

    Last summer I broke one of my headlights, so I finally shelled out for a pair of new housings. As a test, I super-duper restored one of the old housings, to test side by side with a new one. Half an hour spent prepping and polishing... three pastes, two drill attachments, and a particularly expensive polishing protectant. And I was positive my work looked factory new.

    But wow it wasn't even close. New housings win, 100%, final answer.

    And they won't turn yellow in 3 months either. No maintenance needed, no protectants necessary... they are literally new plastic. Not 15+ year old plastic.

    So, just buy new housings. To quote @TacoTuesday1 :

    Edit: here is side by side "restored" vs new:

    comp2.jpg

    And here is where I described this on someone else's thread:

    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-and-adventures.484602/page-182#post-25124481
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2021
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    #17
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  18. Dec 25, 2021 at 5:02 AM
    #18
    Too Stroked

    Too Stroked Well-Known Member

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    I'm not going to argue with your pictures. What you are showing there is that over time, the reflectors oxidize too, and those are all but impossible to remove, restore and re-install. So yes, you do get to a point where polishing / restoring lenses no longer gets you back to full performance levels.

    What I will take issue with is your logic. One cannot tell how good a headlight is by looking into it. The only real test is a flat wall about 25 feet away. This will show the true pattern the light puts out. Many people take pictures of their lights while facing them to "prove" how bright they are. I could blind you with a $3.00 LED flashlight aimed correctly at your eyes. But how effective would it be as a headlight?

    Do you have pictures of the same side by side OEM vs Depo headlights up against a wall? I'm willing to bet (based on personal experience) that there is a significant difference in the pattern even though the lights look almost identical.
     
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  19. Dec 25, 2021 at 4:45 PM
    #19
    Too Stroked

    Too Stroked Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm, interesting. Too bad the embossed pattern in the garage door hides the exact details of the patterns.
     
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  20. Dec 25, 2021 at 5:11 PM
    #20
    mk5

    mk5 Probably wrong about this

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    Yeah, I didn't have a big enough screen, gotta work with what you got. The new housings do really work better than the old ones for me, better focused at distance, crisper cutoff, and less glare in rain or dust! Can't compare the Depos to new OEM though--those were beyond my budget!

    There was a bit of eggnog behind my rant last night... just wanted to share what worked for me. Merry Christmas y'all!
     

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