Headlight Upgrade 2017 TRD

I've got a few different sets of what claim to be high performance H9s coming in to see if they are any better than the GEs or standard H9s. Everyone says no such thing as a high performance H9 actually exist. Only testing will tell.

 

Always wanting to test the latest and greatest, I ordered the latest recently released performance +120 bulbs from Volsa to compare to the GEs.

Volsa +120


GE +130 vs Volsa +120


Output measurements


While the Volsa bulbs are a good improvement, the GE +130 bulbs continue to provide the best output.

 

Love the Mega +130s right now. They've definitely changed my outlook on halogen lighting. Cannot thank you enough for your research.

 

I just installed the GE Megalight +130 but after all the anticipation and excitement that built after all the reviews I am Disappointed.
The left or Driverside has a more yellowish tint than the right side , They do not match I really don't know what to do at this point because I can't keep throwing $40.00dollars down on bulbs . Any suggestions.

 

The color mismatch is odd, have you tried swapping the bulb sides just to rule it out? Have you taken the truck out on some dark roads, vs areas of high ambient light and street lights? Sometimes the halogen-ish colored lights can get washed out in urban driving by ambient light, but when you go somewhere truly dark you realize how great the light projection really is.

I do have some possible high efficiency H9s coming which might do better, but I cannot say how legit the claims are until I test them. I'll be sure to share the results when I do.

 

No I have not switched sides , but yes I pulled up to a flat wall and you definitely can tell the difference .At first I thought I might have it crooked when I twist locked it in but that was not the case . H9 Are what the 3rd gen High beams are correct or are they H11 Also.

 

High beams are H9. A common H11 performance mod is to swap a 2100 lumen H9 into an H11 socket with some trimming on the bulb connector so it can plug in. A basic H9 is outperformed in the low beams by high efficiency GE H11s as shown in post #29 here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/headlight-upgrade-2017-trd.575174/page-2#post-19035062

I've got some claimed high efficiency H9s coming that work just like the high efficiency low beams to generate more projected light by using smaller filaments. You can see the effects this has for the H11 with the GE bulbs. If I can find an H9 that does that, and then trim the connector to put it in the low beam, the results would be outstanding. But high efficiency H9s pretty much do not exist, so I am skeptical. We'll see when they arrive.

 

Cool keep us posted.

 

Sorry in advance for my TL;DR question...

Are these GE Mega’s direct replacements of the stock bulbs? Meaning, are they direct plug n play? Also, do they have a whiter color output? Looking for something that will match up better with my TRD Pro ridged industries fogs.

Thanks!

 

Yes, the GE bulbs are H11s just like the stock bulbs, it is completely plug and play. They do have whiter output, stock is 3000-3200k, the GEs are 3500k. While that is whiter than stock, it is not going to match the Pro Rigid fogs. I measured those at about 6000k here:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

 

I used Hikari, wasn’t sure about which brand to trust. These however have been fantastic. Tons of light at short to medium distance on the freeway. Out in the open when it’s just truck light, they are great. Had HIDs before. Not bad, but not my fav. LEDs for me from here on out.

 

I’ve tested those too. They are the best performing LED I’ve tried, though the quality seems very questionable. But the GEs still do better, have better focus, more consistent beam, and will project further.

 

What are you looking with a price difference! Now I’m interested

 

Just ordered the GE +130's looking forward to seeing the results! For the High beams on my 3rd gen I am looking forward to seeing your reviews of the high performance H9 when they come in. In the mean time what do you think about these Piaa's? https://www.powerbulbs.com/ca/product/piaa-hyper-arros-h9 Thanks in advance.

 

Thanks for the quick response! Any recommendations for a plug n play bulb that might match up better with the Ridgid fogs? As long as I can keep the stock brightness or very close and get a color closer to 6000k (4500k+ I’m thinking), that’s all I’m really aiming for.

 

Blue coatings significantly reduce output of halogen bulbs. Since halogens produce so little blue light, attempting to filter out the yellow light to allow the blue light to be more prominent means filtering out a good amount of the overall output. The coatings also make the bulb run hotter and reduce lifespan. As far as blue coatings go, 3900k is on the lower end but no coating would be much better to get all the light generated by the bulb.

There will be no good performing halogen at 4500k. The coatings will have to be so dark they will severely hamper output to the point of being much lower output than stock. Your best bet if you are set on higher color temps is HID. But you might also reconsider the fogs as 6000k isn’t a good color temp for poor weather use. Ideally want low color temps to minimize refraction off the precipitation in the air so you can see the roadway past the rain/snow/fog rather than the light bouncing back at you off the rain/snow/fog itself causing the precipitation to be hyper illuminated.

 

Makes sense. I wish they put the Kelvin numbers in the specs. Maybe being +120% they will end up being 5% or 10% better overall . I may try them, and if they are no good I will have them as spares. I'll post a review once they arrive.

 

Thanks for the great info! Did a whole HID conversion on my old 1st gen. Just don’t think it’s worth the effort on my 2017 TRD Pro. Also, it came stock with the Ridgid Fogs. Once my stock burn out, I’ll try these GE Mega’s and just deal with the difference in color between the dogs and headlights.

 

hey crash......i did the HID update a while back....got better light with 4300k, diode dynamics harness and 35w ballast......if i decide to go back to halogen using the GE Mega's +130, do I need to disconnect the harness and go back to toyota harness 100%, or can i just put in the new bulbs using the diode dynamics harness....thanks in advance

 

The bulbs say on the box they are 3900k. PIAA is known for very misleading advertising, claiming things like a stock wattage bulb is brighter or equal to high power based on the color temperature of the light, rather than by increased lumen output, even though the higher color temperature is done by using output reducing coatings. Note on the box it doesn't say 120% more light, it says "120% light appearance".

Stock bulbs are basic/long life bulbs, they probably won't burn out for a long time. I wouldn't wait to pull the trigger.

Be sure to remove the ballasts but yes you can leave the harness. If you have a multimeter you might check the voltage at the harness vs the OEM socket. The HID harnesses are not intended to reduce voltage drop like a halogen harnesses is. Depending on the wire gauge there is likely little if any gain. I'd probably remove it for simplicity and reliability. Otherwise your headlights are at the mercy of the likely a single Chinese relay and single fuse, vs dual Japanese relays and multiple fuses in the OEM system designed so a single component failure doesn't eliminate the functionality of all your headlights.