3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

The fine print said 16. And the price makes me think lame connectors. But since I’m not yet weatherproof crimp capable I’ve shut my mouth.

I do, however, have both OEM H11 fogs and nokya H9 harness. I can send both to @taco-houla as payment for my constraint drain on puppypunter if that’s helpful?

 

^^ at the price paid they may be worthwhile for the connectors alone.

 

I missed that one. I’ve got a programmer that has it as a configurable setting for the Gladiator as the stock LEDs do glare in the camera a bit.

 

Photos

 

damn, Jeep thought of that! I wonder if it’s in forscan for the ranger. OEM is fine but I trashed one in the trails and it ripped the entire housing out. Somehow. So I put new ones in and the aftermarket ones are glare city.

good point @daveeasa i have some 12 and 14 at home. I can rewire them if I feel I need to.

 

Well the programmer is aftermarket and allows you to change many factory settings that the end user wouldn’t otherwise have access to, license plate lights off in reverse being one of them.

 

I would be happy to hook you up with one! As long as you’re not in a hurry, I’ll get the parts ordered next time I place an order. You have a 2nd gen, correct?

 

Crash needs to update his sig. Gladiator 2020 Mojave badassmobile. I am starting the cookie train now so I’m lined up for when he sells it . Wish I had lined up for his 2015 Taco.

 

I might be interested in one. Is there a thread somewhere?

 

Sold the 2nd Gen and have a Gladiator Mojave. I just need to plug the programmer in and select the option to turn them off in reverse.

 

see pictures in that thread. I’d have to look at it again I think it’s basically wiring in a relay. I have the meso stage 1 so I’ll have to see if that works as normal for me.

how you like it? Price scared me away from new but I’ll be honest they’re starting to grow on me. But, the biggest detriment to them is that I have in fact owned a Jeep before and....well there’s a reason I don’t still

 

They do cost more, but they are also more feature rich. The factory equal length exhaust gives the V6 a decent note and the 8spd auto is amazing. The stock disc brakes are larger than my StopTech big brake kit on my 2nd Gen, both front *and* rear. The early Gladiators never really clicked with me till the Mojave version came out which mirrored many aspects of my Baja Tacoma build.

And to keep it on topic, here is how the OEM JL/JT Projector LED headlights compare to the OEM Tacoma reflector LED headlights.

 

I don’t think anything official yet. I need to get on it, but there is a diagram out there somewhere that @caribe makaira whipped up. It’s a relay with a couple of tee taps. We hit a small snag with BSM, but I believe I have that worked out. I’ll be testing it tomorrow on @MGMSangTaco to make sure. If everything goes ok, I’ll get up a tutorial. If you don’t want to deal with the DIY, shot me or @daveeasa a PM.

Yeah, it’s a simple circuit. The universal one we are working on will work with the Meso tail lights though. Stage 1 and 2.

Show off

 

Morimoto 2stroke 3.0

Note this product uses different emitters based on being a single or dual filament bulb, this covers the H11 single filament model.



This is one of the most innovative replacement LED products I've seen come to market yet and one with some impressive design characteristics.

First lets start with focus. The smaller the light source the better the focus, meaning the larger the light source the worse the focus. The width of a standard halogen H11 filament is 1.42mm.


To date the best LED width I've tested is the Hikari Ultras at 2.64mm.


The Morimoto 2stroke 3.0s come in at a remarkably unheard of 2.0mm.


Another unique innovation, is the fan system is completely sealed, drawing and exhausting air from within the headlight assembly through vents that flank the LED blade. One of the real challenges in building an LED PCB this thin is adequate cooling to maintain high output. Blowing air directly across the PCB to aid in cooling rather than only relying on radiated heat to the heat sink and fan assembly at the rear is cleaver. This also offers the additional benefit that the LED microprocessor cooling fan is sealed from the dirty/wet/dusty and unfriendly environment of an engine bay which should aid in product longevity.


By having the fan as a completely sealed system, the fan noise is quieter and at a much lower note than open exposed fans like the Hikaris Ultras that tend to have a high pitch whine. I'd describe the Morimoto fan noise as more of a low pitch hum, and much more pleasant than the Hikaris. Morimoto also claims this system increases the headlight assembly temperature to aid in winter conditions.

In an ambient 61 degrees after 40 minutes of run time, the outer lens was 65.5 degrees, aka a 4.5 degree increase. The sealed projector inside the assembly clearly prevents this system from allowing adequate heat to reach the outer lens and will be ineffective in preventing icing. I also tested this in the high beam which does not have the separated cavity issue like the projector and the outer lens did not warm more than a few degrees. However in the 3rd Gen the high beam is exposed to the entire assembly, so it is a large volume to heat.


Power draw after 15 minutes of run time, 22.2w. Right on the published 22w spec.


The back of the LED and the driver both run cooler than Hikari Ultras.


Beam pattern Morimoto 2stroke 3.0 vs GE/Tungsram Megalight +130 H11


Morimoto 2stroke 3.0 (left) vs Hikari Ultra (right)
Interestingly how the Morimotos have a smoother pattern at the base with their design being symmetrical top to bottom but the Hikaris use a bulging heat sink at the base of the PCB and have a slightly more abrupt dark spot at the bottom of the beam. Photos don't capture it as well as seen in person.


42' distance test
Moritmoto 2stroke 3.0 vs GE/Tungsram Megalight +130




The Morimoto LEDs fail to outperform the GE (now Tungsram) Megalight +130 in peak intensity at a distance of 42'. However, they do provide about 41% higher intensity output than stock at 42', which is a solid achievement for a replacement LED. Typical of a Morimoto product the color temp is in the mid-5000k range, I have them measured at 5632k.

Peak intensity is still a little lower than desired, but so far the Morimoto 2stroke 3.0s offer the best focus of any replacement LED tested.



The question I know everyone is curious about is how the latest Morimotos stack up against the Hikaris.


The Hikari Ultras put down 10% higher output intensity at 42'. This caught me off guard as I was not expecting that result. When running these tests I don't preview any of the previous data so that I can remain as objective as possible. After I am done and review the data, if the results do not match what I would expect, I go back and look for why.

Re-running a stable Hikari Ultra current test, since I did not have it documented in my previous review. The Hikaris draw 24w vs Morimotos 22.2, nearly a 10% difference in Hikari's favor for being higher powered.


The Hikaris bulkier heat sink system along the base of the PCB may also be more beneficial for maintaining higher output that the ultra thin PCB with cooling airflow.

Even though the Hikaris come in slightly higher in peak intensity output, I would rate the Morimoto 2stroke 3.0s as a better low beam product. They have better focus, the lower part of the beam is not obstructed by a bulky pcb heatsink, the innovative sealed fan system should provide a more reliable product design, the fans are quieter, the 5600k color temp is better than Hikaris 6200k color temp. The Morimotos carry a 3 year warranty, whereas there are a number of reports of the Hikaris lasting roughly 2 years.

Another nice feature of these Morimoto LEDs is they used a fixed collar mount just like every other reputable brand such as Philips, Osram/Sylvania, Tungsram and Diode Dynamics. They are not 'adjustable' like lessor designs that allow room for install error. So when you install these in your Tacoma low beam, you are guarenteed the correct orientation when they lock into place with the emitters at 3 and 9 o'clock. No guess work, and the square housing design makes it super simple to confirm they are positioned correctly.



EDIT: These are adjustable, revised high beam comparison coming soon
However, there is a drawback in that design in the case of the 3rd Gen Tacoma. When installed in the 3rd Gen high beam location, the emitters are not pointed at 3 and 9 o'clock as they should be. The LED is rotated too far when locked into position.


Due to the three dimensional contouring on the back of the 3rd Gen headlight housing, Toyota rotated the H9 bulbs off center to clear the wiring harness plug into the bulb. With an omnidirectional and symmetrical halogen H9, that doesn't matter, but when replacing with an LED where the emitters need to be at 3 and 9 o'clock it does. As such this product is not recommended for high beam use as it cannot align correctly, unlike the Hikaris that use the less precise and less than ideal adjustable mount.

Props to Morimoto on the engineering of this product. While not highest in peak output intensity, this is a remarkable product in design in terms of building the closest LED replacement yet to a halogen bulb. They are stepping up their game in published product specs too, with listing more detail than they have in the past with actual initial lumen output, actual stable lumen output, the emitters used and more.

 

Thanks for the reviews! Been a lurker for years, but wanted to let you know how much help I’ve gotten from your posts. Looking forward to the XB gen2 review.

 

Coming soon! With a couple hangups in testing tonight and having to recheck results I didn't get started on them tonight as I hoped. Spending extended periods outside in 35 degree weather wasn't helping either.

Edit: Hopefully the rain can hold off in the evenings for outdoor testing, as rain is in the forecast fo the next 9 days.

 

Thanks for another thorough review crashnburn80.

 

Rain in Washington State? Come now.

 

awesome!

I will bring this into it too, I was out with a guy who had an LED light kick it because of the dust getting into the fan. So that’s a consideration to take is that the light might be 10% less than the Hikari, but significantly better than OEM AND has the benefit of the fan being sort of contained from the elements. It might be worth it to some to sacrifice a smidge of performance for something that will last rather than get shredded from dust off road.

 

Is it fair to use the phrase “truly revolutionary” to describe a product which doesn’t beat the best in class options?

I see a swing and a miss by Morimoto with the 2stroke 3.0, a wasted opportunity to take a commanding lead in a crowded field. Which is exactly what I expected. Coming on the heels of the DD SS3 MAX which redefined the bar, it feels especially muted. I wouldn’t even use the word innovative here.

You didn’t use revolutionary to describe the DD SS3 MAX, perhaps because the design is so similar to sport and pro. I understand the sentiment you wish to convey, that the engineering is impressive and groundbreaking. But I don’t know that I agree with the specific language used in the summary.

In my book, revolutionary changes the game. I would use language more like “welcome refinement” or “edges the competition in its specific class” or “increases competition at the top”.

To me, a revolutionary product has to win at something important. In this case, the best you give us is that maybe they will last longer and if not the warranty is better? That’s a pretty weak W. Or beam pattern at the bottom? Also rather weak. Lower noise in the engine bay of an otherwise noisy truck? Yawn.