1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by crashnburn80, Oct 27, 2015.

  1. May 28, 2022 at 4:49 AM
    #4401
    dTed

    dTed Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2016
    Member:
    #195018
    Messages:
    89
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2013 DCLB SR5 4x4 MGM
    @Silva1181 I’ll pick your brain since you read this entire thread haha.

    I have a 2013 SR5. When you say conventional, you mean NOT ground-switched, correct? I’m just curious if I can go ahead and order the wiring harness from work, or if I need to wait and actually get out my multimeter and see if my headlights are conventional or ground-switched.
     
  2. May 28, 2022 at 7:35 AM
    #4402
    BenMara

    BenMara That Asian RedNeck

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2011
    Member:
    #54903
    Messages:
    1,900
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Ben
    Belton/Charleston, SC
    Vehicle:
    2011 DC 4x4 SCed
    TRD Blower, Ham Radio, DBA T2 Rotors
    You can search on the thread and search on the page... this was in the first post... @dTed

     
  3. May 28, 2022 at 8:10 AM
    #4403
    Silva1181

    Silva1181 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 15, 2022
    Member:
    #387414
    Messages:
    49
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Marc
    Houston
    Vehicle:
    2013 Tacoma Double Cab, 2.7L, Silver Streak Mica

    I purchased the Pro headlights and was ready to buy the harness but ended up trading my truck in, so I didn't buy the harness. Based on reading through the thread, I concluded my truck would have required the conventional harness. This was based on what others with the 2.5 (2012-2015) purchased, so I had planned to follow what they did.

    I am sure other members will provide good input as well.

    Good Luck.
     
  4. May 29, 2022 at 3:41 PM
    #4404
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Your 2013 should be conventionally switched, aka power switched (not ground switched).
     
  5. May 29, 2022 at 6:19 PM
    #4405
    dTed

    dTed Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2016
    Member:
    #195018
    Messages:
    89
    Gender:
    Male
    Vehicle:
    2013 DCLB SR5 4x4 MGM
    I hope so, I ordered the harness! Lol

    I think I just got confused because I never saw a definite “2007-2015 need this harness”.

    Definitely pumped to get everything in and aligned!
     
  6. Jun 5, 2022 at 5:48 AM
    #4406
    CR00

    CR00 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2014
    Member:
    #139457
    Messages:
    160
    Gender:
    Female
    First Name:
    "C"
    Napa, Ca
    Vehicle:
    06 sr5 access cab 4x4
    885 OME lift with dakars. CRL fog lights
    I have the set up for 2nd gen my truck is 06.
    Brand new harness and 4 bulbs.

    Let me know if you want to buy it.
    I'll figure out the price when I look at the receipts.
     
    dirtnsmores likes this.
  7. Jun 5, 2022 at 4:52 PM
    #4407
    coylifut

    coylifut Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2010
    Member:
    #47028
    Messages:
    374
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    tk
    portland or
    Vehicle:
    2011 TRD Sport DBC LB
    Weather Techs, Wet Okoles, cbi rear bumper with swingout
    I received my harness last week and got it installed today. Thanks crashnburn80 for your efforts and innovation. I think I'll take on the fog upgrade next.
     
    crashnburn80[OP] and Toy_Runner like this.
  8. Jun 5, 2022 at 9:41 PM
    #4408
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    For the fog upgrade be sure to checkout the SAE LED thread. I’d recommend the SS3 yellow Sport or Max.
     
    ace96 likes this.
  9. Jun 5, 2022 at 9:59 PM
    #4409
    coylifut

    coylifut Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2010
    Member:
    #47028
    Messages:
    374
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    tk
    portland or
    Vehicle:
    2011 TRD Sport DBC LB
    Weather Techs, Wet Okoles, cbi rear bumper with swingout
    I certainly will read it. Thanks for suggesting a fog compatible with my 2011. So you prefer amber over white?

    Separately, my new headlights are the old design and I don't want to melt and crack the DRLs. You mentioned previous that although its not your favorite solution, I could run an LED. Any suggestions?
     
  10. Jun 5, 2022 at 11:09 PM
    #4410
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Note that it isn’t amber, it is selective yellow. Big difference. Yes, fogs should only be run when required for poor weather, and yellow will perform better in poor weather conditions. Also for use with halogen headlights, the high 6000k color temp does not blend well with halogen output. It will be distracting, especially with the high color temp foreground (fogs) which is worse for night vision. Check out the SAE thread and feel free to post questions over there.

    I don’t have any recommendations for LED DRLs in 2nd Gen. I’d be sure to look for something that doesn’t cause signal hyperflash if you can find it. Hyperflash happens because the LED uses to little power that the truck thinks a bulb is out on a circuit and hyper flashes to alert the driver. Note that even if advertised as not causing hyperflash, if you use LEDs front *and* rear, the power drop might not be enough to cause hyperflash on just the front, but the drop of adding rear LEDs too may cause hyperflash because it is checking the left and right signal circuits as a whole, so while neither may cause it individually the combined drop might still cause it. I would not advocate adding LED signals in the rear anyway.
     
  11. Jun 6, 2022 at 7:21 AM
    #4411
    tacoboy13

    tacoboy13 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2018
    Member:
    #250768
    Messages:
    1
    Gender:
    Male
    I’m interested. Shoot me the parts you have so I can verify they would fit my 2013 and what you want for them. What kept you from putting them on your 2006?
     
  12. Jun 9, 2022 at 1:36 PM
    #4412
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Looks like Osram recently released an updated +200 bulb to their Nightbreaker line. The coating seems to have a pretty small opening around the filament on the H4, it seems more generous on the H7. Curious if these make the same play Philips did on their +200 bulbs, which was effectively keeping output the same as the +150 but moving the comparison baseline down to have a higher +xx number, though on the Philips they also doubled the bulb life on the +200, so progress was made. Not yet available in H11 for 3rd Gen.

    https://www.powerbulbs.com/us/product/osram-night-breaker-200-h4-twin
    upload_2022-6-9_13-32-48.jpg
     
    Toy_Runner and ARoman83 like this.
  13. Jun 9, 2022 at 7:31 PM
    #4413
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Wow. I’m not sure what I was thinking, I already tested these and am running them in my Tacoma currently. Posted here Osram Nightbreaker +200 in post #4066.

    Disregard. :anonymous:
     
  14. Jun 10, 2022 at 4:06 AM
    #4414
    Too Stroked

    Too Stroked Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2017
    Member:
    #208501
    Messages:
    3,704
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tom
    South shore of Lake Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2021 4Runner SR5 Premium
    Memory is the second thing to go ...
     
    ACEkraut, bassbrick, Norton and 3 others like this.
  15. Jun 13, 2022 at 5:45 AM
    #4415
    ACEkraut

    ACEkraut Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 11, 2014
    Member:
    #129627
    Messages:
    4,233
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Aaron
    Topsham, Maine
    Vehicle:
    2014 DCSB TRD Off Road
    And you can't remember the first?
     
  16. Jun 13, 2022 at 7:50 AM
    #4416
    Too Stroked

    Too Stroked Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2017
    Member:
    #208501
    Messages:
    3,704
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tom
    South shore of Lake Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2021 4Runner SR5 Premium
    Somewhat surprisingly, no.
     
  17. Jun 28, 2022 at 7:55 PM
    #4417
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Fresh in from Japan. Koito 85/80w high efficiency claimed H4 bulbs, which sound similar to the no longer produced Osram 85/80w +30 Hypers. Koito is an OEM supplier to Toyota. Testing shortly.

    6B3C45BC-1C5A-428B-A568-16EE1B88264D.jpg
     
    TacoFergie, wdb, Toy_Runner and 7 others like this.
  18. Jun 28, 2022 at 11:30 PM
    #4418
    Hayrider

    Hayrider Over the hill & going down fast...

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2018
    Member:
    #257836
    Messages:
    844
    First Name:
    Hey You…
    Convection Oven AZ
    Vehicle:
    15 DCSB & X-cab SOLD for more than new‼️ Now 05 & 07
    Reg Cabs, 5 lug, 5 spd, Magnuson & LS Swap, StopTech’s, Yada Yada Yada…
    Crash,
    My apologies for this question. I found an fairly clean 04 five lug w/ a lot of miles we were thinking of just getting it for a local daily. Do you know what type of headlights and or bulbs an 04 has? I still have a headlight harness I pulled from our 15 before the new owner took possession.

    :hattip:
     
  19. Jun 28, 2022 at 11:46 PM
    #4419
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    You might find my 1st Gen thread interesting, mines an 03 so same facelift 1st Gen:
    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/crashnburn80s-1st-gen-trd-double-cab-build.762757/

    As for bulbs, they also use H4/9003 like 2nd Gen, but the harness will not be compatible as 1st Gen is ground switched and 2nd Gen is conventional/power switched.
     
    Hayrider[QUOTED] likes this.
  20. Jun 29, 2022 at 1:04 AM
    #4420
    crashnburn80

    crashnburn80 [OP] Vehicle Design Engineer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2015
    Member:
    #156893
    Messages:
    14,563
    Gender:
    Male
    Kirkland, WA
    Vehicle:
    2003 DCSB TRD OR
    Go Hawks!
    Koito 85/80w H4 High Efficiency bulbs

    Koito is an OEM supplier to Toyota, but also reputable brands do not fall into the XX power in magically equals YY power out, despite Koitos claims that 85/80w in equates to 130/100w out. These can be purchased out of Japan on Amazon using the above link shopping off the .jp site plus use google chrome to translate.

    5B9C00A5-05D6-4E2B-B636-1F2113D1E126_1_201_a.jpg

    Koito 85/80w vs Osram 85/80w Hyper
    8271E2B5-38E5-46A4-BCB0-6EB192563ABE.jpg

    The Koitos have a denser filament wind than the Osrams. What is also interesting in the above photo, is the Koitos have the bulb assembly rotated slightly more counter-clockwise than other bulbs.

    Stock Osram 9003 vs 80w Koito H4. Compared to stock it looks impressive.
    520934B9-5E24-4EEE-8417-8A2C8ECAC8D8.jpg

    But it is not. The Koito H4 85/80w H4s are not like the Osram 85/80w Hypers. The product appears falsely advertised, which isn't too surprising given the PIAA like marketing.

    Osram 85/80w Hyper vs Koito 85/80w
    10D20B51-7A84-4492-88AD-4438B3E446AE.jpg

    Nowhere close to the performance levels of the Osrams.
    Koito 85/80w vs Osram 85/80w Hypers
    A3426FA9-DD5D-4D2E-9CB2-1E319A6A0599.jpg

    In fact for a claimed high efficiency bulb, the Koitos actually fail to outperform the 100/90w Superbrights on low beam, while the Koitos *also* draw more power than the Osrams.

    Osram 100/90w Superbright H4 vs Koito 85/80w
    3EF780B9-C08D-4335-AC52-B685B3F308A7.jpg

    What is interesting is the Osrams actually drew 6.0A while the Koitos drew 6.2A. So despite the Koitos having an lower nominal power rating and claiming higher output, they actually drew more power and had less output intensity than the Osrams. Koito low beam:
    F4F4EE8A-5AC5-4246-B0A0-551A14516141.jpg

    Koito 85/80w vs Osram Superbright 100/90w low beam
    AF38C64D-1330-4171-A6D5-1D9404742987.jpg
    The Koitos are actually an H4U which has a single narrower tab, and H4U bulb will fit in an H4/9003 assembly but an H4/9003 will not fit in an H4U assembly.

    H4U vs H4/9003
    AD251731-5D23-45D6-B03A-1B4E6CCB543C.jpg

    I was excited for these Koito bulbs, an H4 compatible bulb promising higher wattage plus higher efficiency from a reputable manufacture seemed promising. However this product is a disappointment with higher power draw and lower output intensity than Osrams simplistic Superbright line, much less the significant shortcoming compared to the exotic Osram Hyper bulbs.
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2022
    Norton, Toy_Runner and Too Stroked like this.

Products Discussed in

To Top