3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Where can one find these adapters?

 

Nice project! I had that idea as well as soon as I realized in the lightwerks video earlier in the thread that the OEM bi-LED headlights used a bi-projector and nothing for the halogen high beam spot. The OEM LED high beams don't look super impressive compared to the halogen ones with the HIRs, but both together should be awesome.

 

After reading the first few posts and seeing the updated bulb list, it seems the

Tungsram H11-55NHP/BP2 Nighthawk Platinum Automotive Bulb, 2-pack

Tungsram Nighthawk Platinum is the best direct replacement?

I feel like an idiot but I'm tired and it was a lot of reading lol

 

For H11, yes. The Philips H9 swap is still the highest output. The Tungsrams will be a little whiter in color.

 

Hit up @daveeasa to collaborate. He also may decide to make them a regular item in his store. Heed my warning below though.

That's the general consensus in the 4Runner forums as well. The bi-LED high beams are focused and create a decent beam throw right above the low beam cutoff, but the overall intensity and flood of the original halogen reflectors is much more usable.

The introduction of LED headlights in the 2021 model was such a strange product mix. Halogen high beams and LED projectors in the majority of trims, with the bi-LED projectors (and halogen DRL only) for the Pro and Limited trims. For 2022 forward they have decided to equip all 4Runners with the bi-LED model. The good news for retrofitting older trucks is that you don't have to activate the shutters if you don't want to, and use them only as regular low beams. Provided that you are using the correct adapter connectors, this will make stock headlight assemblies a lot easier to come by in the used marketplace (from those that are "upgrading" to the Chinesium stuff).

Warning: you will need to figure out a way to prevent your DRL mode from pinging the shutters. Older 5th gen 4Runners use PWM to dim the high beams for DRL duty. If you are using a trigger from the high-beam circuit (like an add-a-fuse), you must not directly connect it to the custom connector. Otherwise, when you turn on DRLs you will rapidly signal the shutters at a high frequency, which may wear them out or destroy them.

For now, I am connecting them using my existing switch for my Diode Dynamics driving pods. This way I can isolate them from DRL mode (though if I forget to turn the switch off I am still exposed to PWM).

Eventually, my plan is to create capacitor filters to use inline with the relay trigger. This should prevent exposure of PWM voltage to relays or the shutters. Just gotta get around to it.

 

I feel honored to get the OP to respond! Hah - I saw the Tungsrams for like $7.60 on Amazon (looks like someone just returned em unopened) so I figured I gotta try it for that cheap.

Does anyone have the page where the details are so you can mod the H9s to fit?

 

Like one page back

 

I was wondering if there was like a guide with photos as that helps my peanut sized brain lol

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ctor-headlights.589465/page-240#post-25611850

 

Thank you so much

 

Finally updated post #2 after the Philips H9 recommendation to reference this post to make it PnP.

 

OEM 4Runner headlights and backlit SS3 maxes. The bi-LED models still have those goofy dark spot artifacts at the cutoff, I wonder what the reasoning was on leaving those in.

I'm also wondering if Toyota has the same projectors in both low and bi-LED 2021 headlight models, and decided to omit the shutter wire/connector on the "cheaper" trucks? It would be funny if someone pulled apart their headlights and found an inactive shutter inside.

These things do have a ton of swing though. Very obvious real world improvement. I miss the warmer tones of the halogen headlights though, oddly.

 

What about the quad high beam???

 

Still gotta make a harness. It shouldn't take much time but the miracle was finding 2 child-free hours to rip the bumper off for the headlight swap. For now I'm going to attach it to the relay previously used by the DD pods, so I can isolate the shutters from PWM voltage.

I'm slowly prototyping more solid grill mounts for the driving pods. The current ones would vibrate off-road. I will have to wire up a Bussman box at that point though, as I will exhaust my current relays (3). Bodenzord has a phenomenal write-up that I'm going to follow.

 

Pre

Pretty much the same headlight / fog combo I have. I'm very happy with it too. Nice work!

 

Please stop before I buy a T4R too.

 

If you can find one with less than $10K markup! Definitely the time to hold and not buy.

The connectors look exactly the same for both 4Runner LED headlight models, the low only is populated with 2 pins and the bi-LED has 3. It would be funny if the only thing separating the two models is a wire for the shutter.

 

On the side of the box, it seems to mention Lumileds. Philips has a 19.9% stake in Lumileds according to Wikipedia. And it looks like they follow the same model number system as Philips with a 12362 being an H11 bulb.

Here's a PDF of all their bulbs. While I can't find this exact model, I assume it's similar to the 12362 BV+ https://lumileds.com/wp-content/uploads/files/Lumileds_Portfolio_Headlighting.pdf

 

It's about time you got one my guy

@crashnburn80 did you ever get the alignment setup squared away?

I ask because I've always wondered if the suspension setup on a vehicle also dictates what height the lights are to be set at.

For instance, those who have softer suspension and causing the rear to squat more inducing more lift in the angle of the beams.

 

Made a harness with single pin weatherpack connectors to the shutter leads. However, I made the old mistake of measuring once and cutting twice, so it wasn't long enough to reach the passenger headlight. Will need to try again another day, and I think I'm running short on wire loom so I need to restock that as well.

But! I was able to test it on the driver side. Can confirm that it does work to open the shutter! I'm halfway there to quad high beams. Gotta head to a different AutoZone for the second 9011 bulb though.