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Brighter low-beam bulb replacement

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by beedoola, Jun 13, 2015.

  1. Jun 13, 2015 at 10:17 PM
    #1
    beedoola

    beedoola [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Front low beam bulb is out on my 01' taco. Are there replacement bulbs that are brighter than the stock bulbs? And do bulb's brightness fade with age? I'm wondering if maybe my bulbs are just so old they're not that bright. Maybe just regular replacements will work.

    Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2015
  2. Jun 13, 2015 at 10:29 PM
    #2
    keakar

    keakar Well-Known Member

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    I use the Sylvania extra vision bulbs and they are brighter then stock and are great bulbs. I have used the premium expensive super bright bulbs and find they aren't any brighter then the Sylvania extra visions, they just cost a lot more.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sylvania-Si...NEW-/141557218432?hash=item20f577bc80&vxp=mtr

    that said, often the problem is the headlight plastic gets old and faded so it doesn't shine very bright no matter what bulb you put in it.
     
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    #2
  3. Jun 13, 2015 at 11:10 PM
    #3
    MainahWithaYota

    MainahWithaYota Well-Known Member

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    Definitely look at the headlight lense and either replace or wet sand the lense if it is foggy. I replaced mine and used the old bulbs because the bulbs I bought to put in my truck ended up in my wife's car when the headlights died in that. It was a night and day difference.
     
  4. Jun 14, 2015 at 5:39 AM
    #4
    nswsparky

    nswsparky Well-Known Member

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  5. Jun 14, 2015 at 8:52 AM
    #5
    beedoola

    beedoola [OP] Well-Known Member

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    what grit paper did you use? sand inside and out?
     
  6. Jun 14, 2015 at 10:41 PM
    #6
    MainahWithaYota

    MainahWithaYota Well-Known Member

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    Honestly, I started wet sanding mine but I couldn't get them to a point I was happy. I ended up buying a set of Matrix headlights off from Amazon for $60. I read mixed reviews on them, but so far they have been fine.

    When I tried sanding I only sanded the outside. I don't remember what grits I used. There is a 3M kit that comes with a bunch of different grits that some people say has worked great. Honestly, for less than $60 the Matrix head lights were the easiest route to take. I have the old headlights in the garage, when I get free time I'll sand em up and have a spare set.
     
  7. Jun 15, 2015 at 10:27 AM
    #7
    Indy

    Indy Master of all I survey.

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    If the lens isn't clear you're going to lose light. The plastic on most headlights will oxidize over time and even develop a textures. Both will trap the light inside and diffuse it so you lose performance. My wife's were basically opaque before I went to work on them. You can buy kits for about $10 that run on a drill, will come with a few grits of sanding discs and some polish. It only takes a few minutes per side.

    If your lenses are actually clear, yep bulbs start dying the moment you fire them up. The color emitted will change and turn yellowish over time, output will fade, and eventually they will fail. Pretty much any bulb regardless of design will do the same, not just halogen. LED's I think are the only ones that don't, but they're not actually bulbs to start with :)
     
  8. Jun 29, 2015 at 10:20 AM
    #8
    beedoola

    beedoola [OP] Well-Known Member

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    I just wanted to bump the thread to say these bulbs are awesome. I had some material left over in a Turtle Wax headlight restore kit. I used that and popped the Sylvanias in: HUGE difference. These bulbs are very bright. Thanks for the suggestion, keaker.
     
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    #8
  9. Jun 29, 2015 at 11:58 AM
    #9
    bubbabud

    bubbabud Well-Known Member

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    I have used Sylvania silver star and ultra star bulbs and they are a little bit brighter BUT the are short lived and you would be wise to have spares on hand.
     
  10. Jun 29, 2015 at 1:08 PM
    #10
    Kurama

    Kurama Member

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    I replaced mine w/ LED's too instead of going HID's since there's no retrofit and the beam pattern does not change much and I've never been highbeam flashed (yet as of 2 months of driving) so I don't think it's blinding. I've also had someone drive the truck while I was in someone else's sedan to see if it was blinding if I was go oncoming, but other than it being bright, it isn't blinding/glaring as if someone had HID's in a halogen housing. I've tried Osram Night Breakers and Philips Extreme Vision with great results if you want to stick with Halogens though. However, in hindsight, I would go back to Halogen if someone wants to buy my LED's... They're bright, but the highbeam function does not act the same way and is barely noticeable so I'm somewhat disappointed but if you don't care about the highbeam much, it's great alternative to a HID Retrofit.
     
  11. Jun 29, 2015 at 2:38 PM
    #11
    devinzz1

    devinzz1 Well-Known Member

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    upgraded to silverstars in my corolla and they were quite a bit brighter. Idk if im the only one but i prefer the yellowish light output of the halogens over a white/blue output.
     

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