Headlight help

Some of those LEDs can be turned in ways that allows the proper light reflection. I don't believe this adjustment was for alignment though but I thought it was worth noting. MAybe they are just inserted incorrectly. Some of those more universal ones need to have tabs removed.

With all that being said, get the high quality halogen ones designed for that housing or spend the $1500 for the OEM LEDs headlights and the harness. I highly recommend the OEM LEDS. I put them on my 2019 and love them.

 

You’ll almost certainly be fine with new bulbs if your headlights are OEM. It’s a simple $5 fix, use Philips H9 and remove green center plastic. I also like to trim the extra bit off the one metal tab to make it easier to insert for the low beam slot. Stash a second pair in the glove box. Replace once a year with wiper inserts.

You’ve got all the smart people here already. Nothing else for me to add.

OP, I dream of the day my kids become semi functional humans. Congrats on a milestone for yours.

 

oh come on now, i've just learned to be really thick-skinned with the internet. it would actually be more fun for me to continue the conversation i started here in person with anyone. i'm much more careful and reserved online...

unfortunately, an internet text-only conversation leaves a lot to be interpreted by the reader, and all of us all have drastically different life experiences. i've worked at houses where a kid would purposely use his parents credit card to purchase a vehicle like the tacoma to 'shame' the household just to drive his parents crazy. but then i've also been shamed online for calling obnoxious subwoofer setups in really cheap cars 'ghetto blasters'(as i grew up knowing them), because 'ghetto' in broader terms references to the old jewish ghetto's where people were intentionally economically depressed due to political factors we can't quite discuss too far here despite the historical relevance...

always going to be a problem with the internet in general, just need to be open on both sides of the conversation that assumptions can be wrong just as often as they can be right.

 

No, it's not a stretch to call these cheap Chinese pieces of crap illegal. They are illegal because they don't comply with basic lighting safety standards and Federal lighting requirements, and as you have pointed out, their beam pattern is not correct. The OEM LED lights that are optional on most new Tacomas since 2020 and which can be retrofitted into older 3rd generation Tacomas are fully legal and have been tested and comply with all applicable lighting standards, plus they are about the best lights (assuming you don't drive in heavy snow) that you can put on your (or your son's) truck. For my money, and I spent my money, the $1500 for the 2020 OEM LED's was and still is the best and cheapest safety investment I could make in my Tacoma.

 

It wasn't apparent until near the end of this thread that these were in fact the OEM halogen housings with a piece of crap LED H11 replacement, so in that case, the aforementioned advice of putting in H9 bulbs is the best solution and just tossing what was there, and do make sure that they're aligned properly, which is actually more difficult to get done right than it should be.

 

I see what you mean now when you said illegal. Yeah they are garbage for sure.

 

Thanks for the insult? I think? I'm not up on my internet lingo so im unfamiliar with SA.

Regardless, sorry that my question was offensive. Im generally curious about behaviorisms of people from time to time. And that last bit about your son was just curious as I didnt think it had anything to do with what is a legitmate question. But hey, my bad guy, sorry for for being dick.

Scratch all that, my gf said i was being judgemental..also SmartAss, got it. Sorry about that, wasnt trying to be judgemental, it came from a place of curiosity but landed as judgement.
Intent vs impact....im workin on it

On another note, I think theres a level of risk taking that ones willing to take vs letting someone else take and maybe thats what i was curious about. Like you, as a parent and more experienced adult might be willing to take more risk and drive with shit led bulbs vs letting your less experienced son, do so. Im not a parent but I do similar things in different ways. Social behaviors are weird but I find them fascinating. Again, meant no ill will by my question.

 

No problem. As someone else mentioned there is a lot to the imagination of interpreting messages, so no ill will. I’m told all the the time I’m a SA by my bride so it takes one to know one . Id say I was just generally speaking in the post and there was nothing to decipher between the lines. Have a good night.

 

So I replaced the bulbs with Sylvania Halogens and the problem is resolved. Thanks for all the help and interesting posts. All have a good night.

 

If you want to read further, here is a thread on aiming.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-adjust-projector-lights.458096/

 

Stuff like what you are referring to is why i rarely visit this forum anymore.