The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

At this point I’ll try anything. Is the same relay used for both highbeam and lowbeam, one relay each?

 

Correct, same for both, one each.

I used one of these after installing a voltage booster to log my battery’s condition. Might be interesting to look at the data and history and see if you have a slow drain or a sudden discharge event.

Battery Monitor BM2 BM3 Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Battery Tester 12V Automotive Battery Load Tester,Automotive Charging and Cranking System Monitor Digital Battery Analyzer for Android & IOS

$30 Battery Monitor BM2 BM3 Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Battery Tester 12V Automotive Battery Load Tester,Automotive Charging and Cranking System Monitor Digital Battery Analyzer for Android & iOS

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GP1RXYZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_7tHAFb5SWJ14G

 

Thanks for the info. Every time I have put a Fluke on it I get the normal 72 to 80 milliampere draw when off. Some thing is coming on in the middle of the night and draining the battery.

 

Your profile says you have a 3rd Gen, is that correct? The relays are for the headlight wiring harness used on a 2nd Gen.

 

Correct 3rd gen, I got the order canceled in time.

 

Simply buffing them and adding a layer of wax, sealant or a coating will not work long term. It may work for a year depending on your climate till they start to yellow/fade again, but it WILL happen again. Period. The ONLY PERMANENT solution is to sand and clear coat them with a 2 part automotive clear coat. The only one in a can that I know of is Spraymax 2k Glamour, which I have used multiple times with outstanding results. This is my process when restoring headlights:

-Remove headlights
-Sand 340 grit DRY till ALL the factory clear coating is gone.
-Wet sand 340. I use regular water in a 32oz spray bottle with 1-2 drops of Dawn, more is not better in this situation.
-Wet sand 600 grit till all the deep sanding marks are gone from the 340 grit.
-Wet sand 800 grit. DO NOT use any finer than 800, you need the mechanical adhesion since you cannot use a primer. Some people sand to 1000 grit but I haven't found any end product clarity differences between the two.
-Clean with Isopropyl Alcohol or Automotive Wax and Grease remover.
-Setup a VERY WELL VENTILATED AREA for spraying the clear coat!!! 2 part auto clear coats are no joke, VERY BAD FOR YOUR LUNGS!!!
-Spray the Spraymax 2k Glamour in a light coat and re-coat per the instructions using the WHOLE can for both headlights.
-If you get a small run or slight orange peel, don't worry.
-Once you're finished if you have a run or orange peel simply wet sand with 2500 grit and depending on your buffing skills and products you can buff it crystal clear from there.

This set I did almost 4 years ago. It sees gravel roads a lot, winter, no garage and rarely washed. They still look great! Before and After:

 

Sounds interesting, will these require new harness or modification to stock wiring or assembly ?

 

No, they are stock wattage performance bulbs, though a harness does increase voltage and boost performance.

 

I did this to my 09 corolla 2 weeks ago. same clear coat. this plus the 9012 +1011 bulbs have made light output significantly better

did my audi years ago and they held up till i sold it. sanding and clear coating with good 2K clear is the only correct way to go

 

While this is a Tacoma thread, I do enjoy seeing peoples other headlight projects.

 

I'm trying to get better light out of my 2000 Silverado, it takes a 9006 low beam. I've cleaned the lenses and want to use stock wattage bulbs. So far I'm considering these:
Hella +50 $12 for 2
Philips Vision Plus $23 for 2
Osram Night Breaker $40 for 2

Osram is the only one with a blue coating but its a partial coating and there's no blue over the filament. Any suggestions?

This is eventually going to be my Lowe's/trash truck when I find a GX or 4Runner to buy. But for now, more light is better as it sucks right now.

 

I've had good luck polishing with 3M's kit and then applying WeatherTech's LampGard which never needed any maintenance after application. YMMV

 

Oh boy...... I will not get started, maybe I'll post some when I get to my home computer. I have done a handful of lighting projects and illegitimate testing. I may make a post but I don't want to get too off track. Most of my projects have been retrofitting and swapping bulbs. One of my favorite bulbs is getting hard to come by. The

$25 3357A /3457A ST SilverStar 29-Watt High Performance Signal Light

3357A Sylvania Silverstar bulb for front and rear signal/DRL. It's a higher wattage, slightly deeper amber, looks cool when off (personal preference) and I have one set in my wifes car that has lasted for almost 10 years! I like them a lot because they are brighter for signals to attract attention when signaling but doesn't have the odd scatter or strange hotspots that the majority of LED's have.

Here is the running light on in the headlight and what it looks like off on the tail light.

 

The upgrade for a 9006 is to swap a higher output 9012 HIR. It does involve trimming the top outer plastic tab to fit in the socket. I believe these are the current highest performing 9012s:
https://store.candlepower.com/bvohi93subrl.html

See this page for trimming instructions:
https://store.candlepower.com/mohirbuba.html

 

This was shared in the 3rd Gen thread, Philips has released a new Racing +200 bulb series called the GT200 and it is available in H4. Philips is calling it the highest performing halogen bulb in their product line. Unfortunately it still has a blue coating over the high beam filament. I’ll order a pair to test.

https://www.powerbulbs.com/us/product/philips-racingvision-gt200-h4-twin

 

You may have already said this somewhere in this thread. So apologies if you have. But what is the purpose of these companies putting the blue coating on their bulbs?

 

People think (incorrectly) that blueish-white light is brighter. Although it defies any kind of decent scientific explanation, the Marketing guys say people want it, so companies give the people what they want. Truth be told, putting light through a dark colored filter actually cuts down on the amount of light coming out - somewhat surprisingly.

 

F & F wannabe's

 

As mentioned, blue coatings filter out yellow light making the light output whiter, however coatings only remove light so they reduce performance. Good performance bulbs will avoid covering the filament with a coating to minimize the negative effect while getting some increase in color temperature by putting coatings in proximity of the filament. Unfortunately in dual filament bulbs like the 9003/H4 this often results in covering the high beam filament, sacrificing some high beam output in exchange for slightly whiter low beam output.

 

Good to know. Thanks guys! Love following this thread and learning about lighting. Great work.