The 921 LED Reverse Light Bulb Study

Yup! Same here, Osram NB Laser's in my RX350 retrofit. Not a cheap setup, but man is it nice!!

Heck, people spend $1000+ on a light bar!!! For me it's not worth it because I don't do high speed off road and don't need light 1 mile away. But for some it's required, safety first when doing 60mph+ down a desert stretch! But there are many that do it just for the bling and "look at me status". Not my pocket book! haha

Sorry for getting a little off topic here....haha

 

Got the VLEDs V6 Triton 921’s installed on our 2021 Subaru Ascent. I know it’s not a Tacoma, but it has a 921 reverse bulb also and my wife needs all the help she can get....love ya hun! Lol With the results though I may have to get some for my Tacoma too though!

As soon as we got the car I installed the Osram GY6.35 which was a big improvement, especially with the tint.

These V6 Tritons absolutely demolish the Osrams! However, they come at a cost...$120 cost. But like their other V6 Triton line-up, they simply can’t be beat in terms of output and light spread. Unfortunately all I have is my iPhone 11 Pro. So I don’t have a Lux meter either. You’ll have to suffice with what I have. But here goes!

https://www.vleds.com/shop-products/v6-triton/v6-triton-extreme-kit-w-921.html

Pictures were taken at dusk, not quite dark FYI. The garage door was about 12-15ft away from the car. I dimmed the brightness of the photos to better show the output differences as well. Something else you’ll see is a dark spot in the middle, it’s not visible in person.

Standing the middle of the vehicle. Osram left and V6 Triton right.


From the drivers side at the corner of the vehicle. Osram left, V6 Triton right.


From the passengers side of the vehicle. Osram left, V6 Triton right.


Finally both V6 Tritons!!!!!

 

Installed VLEDS 921-6LED 5K reverse light in the 2009. rated at 850LMs. Like "Oddball", the Donald Sutherland character in Kelly's Heroes, who introduced Kelly to their mechanic, "Moriarty is our genius. He modified our Shermans so they go as fast in reverse as they do in forward. We like to think that we can get out of trouble as fast as we get into it." I thought these would be my headlights for backing, and jolt other drivers in the morning to slow down and watch in other directions for traffic. These are $80 a pair, and with the aluminum shroud, all the engineering, design, and shipping done from Bellingham, WA (and great customer support), these bulbs are worth the money. The three year warranty indicates that they'll last longer than that. Given the cost, I'll plan to replace the other exterior lamps gradually so I don't break the bank.
AMD. Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician, speaks highly of VLEDS on his YouTube channel "The Car Care Nut" and replaced the interior lights with VLEDS on his new Camry Hybrid commuter. He's keeping his Tacoma, a favorite.
Thank you for the review!

 

I would highly recommend giving the V6 Triton serious a look if they fit in the location. There are many people out there that have been using the original V6 tritons for 5+ years without any issues and swapping them when they get a new car. I have a buddy that has ran his V6 Tritons for 5 years and swapped them between 4 different cars. What's great about the V6 Tritons is that they fill the housing like a halogen bulb does so it is noticeable from all directions unlike LED bulbs that have LED's on multiple sides and/or on the top.

If you really want to splurge, the V6 Extremes are INSANE!!! I have seen some use the switchback V6 Extreme in the rear and tie the white running light into the reverse wiring. That gives an additional 1000LM (theoretically) per tail light housing! Granted the turn signal housing is designed in a way to attract attention more so than project light. BUT they still project light very well. I've stuck with Halogen on my truck because I have loved these bulbs since discovering them over 10 years ago. They are surprisingly Sylvania Silver Star 3357 (higher wattage than 3157 with the same base) bulbs and have a "neo-chrome" finish. I had them in my 08 xB, swapped them to my 12 Fusion and sold the fusion a year ago with the same bulbs since 08!! Never had a failure!! The ones in my Tacoma (front and rear) have been in since 2017 or so. You can clearly see the rear indicator on the ground or surrounding area in the rearview mirror, so they aren't getting missed!! However, you may have to be careful on your truck if you have the DRL function on if you choose to get the bulbs I am referring to. If I recall the 05-11 had issues if the DRL's were left on. I haven't researched to see if that issue was ever resolved, I have just seen that pop up.

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

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AME5GI?ie=UTF8

 

This '09 Access Cab lacks the DRL system, but does have the auto-off, which I don't trust in high humidity areas. The first DRL headlights to appear in humid coastal Alaska as I recall, were on a new Chevy pickup that one of our Cordova fishermen would park, walk down to his bowpicker and depart on a 24 or 48 hour opener. We'd watch his truck (new so it was locked) from across the street to see how long it would be before the headlights went out. Twenty-some years later, his DRL headlights went out at the same time as the more recent case of the LED light bar on a bizjet crew's pickup, when the battery was discharged. I don't drive in the dark that often, and more forward than backward, so I'll save the money toward the forward facing lighting. Before DRls, we'd drive with low beams in conditions of reduced visibility. I still do, and pay attention to manually shut off electrical systems, and disconnect the battery ground so the vehicle computers don't discharge the battery during long downtime periods.
Pay attention, as we know that the eyes of moose do not reflect headlights, and they do cross the interstate and other highways at night.

 

So what is the consensus on best 921 reverse bulb upgrade?

looking at diode dynamics XPR because their website seems to suggest that it is the best
But am not sure the latest on what everyone goes with

diode dynamics claims their XPR is 720 lumens.
If I am interpreting these backup bulb threads correctly it sounds to me like everyone believes Philips GY6.35 HIR to be the best/#1/king of them all and plug-n-play

which sounds good considering they look much cheaper than XPR

 

The XPR has much higher initial output than the Gy6.35 upgrade, but as with all small form non-actively cooled replacement LEDs, they rapidly start losing output as they heat up to where the Gy6.35s put out more for stable output. However, for the typical backing out of a parking spot, it isn't much of a consideration. Backing out of a trail is a different story. Where the Gy6.35s excel is pattern uniformity, since you are using an incandescent light source in an incandescent reflector you get a very consistent smooth wide pattern that is a major upgrade over stock for a small fraction of the price of the alternative.

 

Thank you. Sounds like Philips Gy6.35 HIR is the best then. Where is everyone buying it?
Google is turning up no results, including Amazon or eBay. I'm guessing the tech is not released in the US.
I recall seeing a post where someone ordered from Poland or something.

closest thing I'm finding is Osram on Amazon but there's no mention of it being HIR

$16 Osram Northstar AV 69378 Bare Lamp Replacement

https://www.amazon.com/Osram-615905...2575639&sprefix=35w+gy6.35+hir,aps,300&sr=8-1

 

The Philips 30w HIRs are no longer available. Those 35w Osrams are what is covered in the updated post in the HIR thread, they are the IR version as designated by “Eco” in their product name. If any doubts, look at the reviews on the Amazon listing.

Gy6.35 HIR thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gy6-35-hir-921-reverse-light-upgrade-vs-high-power-leds.474996/

 

wow, only $16 for 2
ordered! Gonna give it a shot and find in the thread how to bend the prongs. I'm sure it'll be a huge upgrade!
Can't see shit with the stock bulbs. Even put the truck in reverse and got out behind it (to test trailer wiring) and noticed even standing outside by the taillight, the stock bulbs barely put any light on the ground.
For prolonged use can't say I drive reverse up trails at night and there's always the option of adding LED aux pods to the bumper with a separate button for things like that.
Thank you!

 

Note the power allowance for the HIRs comes at expense of the tow circuit power capacity. Check your trailers consumption to the tow circuit Amps and add the HIRs to make sure you are not over circuit max.

 

Hello, I bought the deautoled reverse lights for my 3rd gen but ended up getting an aftermarket led setup (morimoto xb tails). I just got them and they’re still unopened, if anyone is interested I’ll let them go for $40. I’m in SoCal but can ship on your dime.

 

The best part about these 921 RV LED lights, in my opinion, is that they are a straight replacement for the original incandescent bulbs that came with my very old RV. I didn't need any adapters, and I didn't have to buy all new housings for them.

 

So for people like me who will mainly just be driving around town, where we're only reversing a few times a day to back out of parking spots, does that mean we'll get the full 1600 lumens pretty much every time we use it, and for the duration of the 10-20 seconds it takes to back out of wherever?

And compared to OEM, is 720 lumens still incredibly bright, especially for backing up?

 

For as short a time as I spend in reverse gear, I really appreciate the cheapest VLEDS 921 bulb replacements, esp. when backing into my space in the condo complex 8-bay garage. Tighter space for a taco or other pickup, and not lit well enough for working on vehicles. (This pair just arrived for my other red truck, the '07 Malibu since the left bulb is out.) VLEDS is located in Bellingham, WA. (Discount sale during November 2022... That was great timing...)

 

Yes, though light distribution and pattern may not be quite the same as stock. LEDs often do not distribute the light as evenly, or as wide, since the LED light source is highly directional based on where the emitters are pointing vs omni-directional incandescent like stock and like the stock reflector is designed for. You'll note that in the VLED model shown above, the bulb will not perform as well, 45 degrees to the rear, because there are no LEDs pointed in that specific direction, and also none pointed into the reflectors to get light to go in that direction. So while it can be brighter, the light doesn't necessarily project distance in areas that are useful like an incandescent. But for short periods, higher output is now possible with high-end LEDs, though that doesn't necessarily mean brighter illumination everywhere. Note that many cost friendly LEDs that will not be the case. Even for the high power LEDs, output will start to drop immediately, but will still be higher than the HIRs for a short period. Stock is 264 lumens, so compared to stock the 720 lumen HIRs are 2.7x+ brighter.

 

https://www.vleds.com/shop-bulb-numbers/921-led.html I installed the 6 LED High Output Cargo/Reverse Light 921 in Barcelona Red (400 Lumens for the 2009 Tacoma) and the lamp in the previous photo is their cheaper 36 LED White 921 for my older red truck, the 2007 Malibu approaching 132K miles better rear visibilty than the younger truck. (The Tacoma is running in the 26k mile range, in rotation to the garage bay for sound deadening insulation and other projects.)
VLEDS has their Black Friday Sale going...

 

I've got a pair of XPR's from DD coming to me. Should get them in a few days.

This was a nice video (quite impressive):
https://youtu.be/pbgE3QaLjZs?t=160

 

Just. Ouch... The XPRs do look to be very impressive in output and one I suggest evaluating, but that video demonstrates every flaw of evaluating replacement LEDs by those that have no idea what they are doing. And... wince, pretty typical of the domestic truck community.

You cannot evaluate a replacement LED by looking at the light source. This is a critical flaw in so many "reviews" that demonstrates the evaluator has no clue what they are doing or what they are talking about. Harsh 6000k+ LED light appears far brighter when looking at the light source compared to a lower color/warmer temp halogen, and this has everything to do with how blue light is scattered in the human eye causing temporary blindness due to the inability to process the high color temp, and is not an indicator of actual output intensity. So looking directly at the light source and saying the LED appears far brighter, no shit Sherlock, even if the LED was far less intense and lower output it would still seem way brighter when looking at the light source because of human sensitivity to blue light and eye scatter. But of course, that kind of youtube review is rarely about educated actual science.

Not dissing the XPRs here, but this lighting community has far higher evaluation standards than demonstrated in that painful video.

 

It did look pretty good when he turned around and showed it lighting up his backyard.