I hate projector lights

This isn't really a knock on the 3rd generation but I really miss the light output on the 2nd gen with the reflective lenses. Even on my Honda Pilot the light out out was way more than my new Tacoma. I've tried hid bulbs previously on a 4Runner and it just seemed to be whiter but still had the sharp cut off.

Is there a way to adjust the cutoff to show more light down the road and not blind oncoming traffic?

 

Wow the 2nd Gen lighting must have been exceptional. I came from a Ford Escape with reflector lights and the Taco with projectors lights up the way ahead so much better.

 

Yea, its called having projector headlights. they are worlds better then old reflective setup. now yours may not be aimed correctly so i would start there.

1. Find a level surface and a vertical wall or garage door. Park the vehicle close to the wall and, using the masking tape, mark the low-beams' horizontal centerlines.
2. Mark the vertical centerlines of each beam and the center of the vehicle with masking tape. Marking the vehicle centerline is helpful to determine side to-side alignment, or lack thereof.
3. Move the vehicle 25 feet straight backwards. Turn the horizontal-vertical adjusting screws to position the low beam hot spots two inches below and to the right of the taped centerlines.

 

It's mostly with road signs and such. I feel like these lights just don't spread light as high. Running the same bulbs in both and it's a drastic difference imo

 

That's funny. We also have a 2012 Pilot, and I've been really happy with the light output of the 2016 Tacoma. They do have a pretty distinct cut off line, but that's what hi-beams are for.

 

Wat? Projectors do nothing except direct all available light output where it needs to be. They prevent wasted light being sent up and furthermore allow the use of higher lumen bulbs because you don't risk blinding on-coming drivers. Projectors belong in every car straight from the factory. The industry has already made significant strides towards this and will be there one day.

If there are situations in which you need the extra "upward" light or long range/flood coverage turn on your high beams or buy some aftermarket lights - LED light bar or better yet housed HIDs.

I can't say for sure but I'm willing to bet you can adjust the aim of the headlights... it has been do-able in every car I have owned by simply turning some screws, however, you will likely get into blinding on-coming traffic territory very fast doing that.

 

I get that it's more light on the road which is all well and good. And I guess the risk of something hanging in the sky above my line of travel isn't really a realistic concern. It just seems like there isn't as much output compared to the other types of housings.

Maybe I just need to adjust the aim and it'll become the new normal.

 

Projector headlights as well as the Xenon/HID bulbs that most newer cars come with are far superior to the old reflective ones. I would take the vehicle into the dealership to ensure they are calibrated correctly. I've had Projector based headlights for almost 10 years now and would never go back.

 

30" light bar in my bumper. 2x 18w pods. Blows the headlights out of the water. Assuming your on an empty road with no traffic

 

+1 for the headlights sucking in the 3rd gen. If they can put good rated LED headlights in a $15k Corolla why do we get these shit H11 halogens in a $40k Tacoma? I had much better light output from the halogen headlights in my old Subaru Crosstrek, FJ Cruiser, 2nd gen. Tacoma, and Lexus GX470 (projector). It doesn't matter whether or not you have a projector housing or a multi-reflector housing some headlights just perform much better than others and the 3rd gen. Tacoma's factory headlights do not perform well. The H11s just seem too dim to be used as headlights, my Honda CRZ also had H11 bulbs in a projector housing and they were even more worthless as headlights. Hopefully now that the IIHS is rating headlights Toyota will make some improvements and offer an OEM LED headlight on the Tacoma to replace my aftermarket LED setup. The best headlights I ever had were the OEM adaptive HIDs in my 04 Lexus LS430.

 

Sounds like you should be driving one of the aforementioned cars then

 

The LED headlights in the Corolla are shit. My Taco projectors with the TRS 2 Stroke bulbs outclass them along with many other stock setups on the road.

 

Well I needed (wanted) a truck lol and my other car is a 2015 Outback 3.6R and it already has decent OEM HID lamps. The headlight issue was almost enough to convince me to get the 2017 Ridgeline RTL-E with OEM LED headlights among other things, but the Ridgeline doesn't look nearly as cool as the Tacoma when parked at the mall so I bought the Tacoma.

 

You must not have been around for the days of sealed beam bulbs

 

Nope my first car was a 2003 Toyota Celica with projector headlights...

 

Lol I haven't driven the newer Corolla with LED units, but I saw they got a good headlight rating with consumer reports which is hard to get. I also have the 2stroke LEDs in my Tacoma and find them very good overall, probably a hell of a lot more light to the sides than the Corolla, but I wish they shot a little further down the road in terms of distance. I have driven a Prius with LED headlights and and they seemed to shoot further down the road but not as bright to the sides and overall intensity was lower than the 2stroke. Other than that you are right the 2stroke LEDs are great!

 

If you are using led bulbs, put the stock ones back on.

 

I use silver star ultras. I've tried "whiter" hid bulbs and the like but actually get eye fatigue if driving a lot at night. Turns out the whiter light looks cool but is actually harder to see since it is cleaner. Gonna try to align the bulbs better this weekend.

 

So part of the reason that projector headlamps are designed to do what you guys don't like is to minimize any light from blinding any oncoming traffic. I like the way they throw light on the road and in front of my truck. If I want/need more light, its only when Im playing around on dirt roads and for that I have a led light bar. It lights the front of the truck up like the sun.

 

Projectors FTW.