Time to change headlights

Since you have a 2010 these are OEM smoked that fit offroad/sport from 2005-2011 (came stock on the sport from 2009-2011.) Got mine from bochtoyotasouth.com
part# 81150-04173/81110-04173

 

I’ll have a set OEM TRD SMOKE headlights within the week.

 

For the money, I'd try restoration first. IF it doesn't make a remarkable difference, you're not out much. Meguiars makes a clear spray for headlights, but you have to polish them up first. I use some scratch remover polish on a buffer (tape off the surrounding areas and painted fender edges), wipe them down with some alcohol then coat with the clear.
It really should get you a few more years without dropping the coin on a new set.

 

Are these a drop in replacement for a standard 2.7l access cab model? BTW mine's a 2011, not that this seems to matter? I happened to walk into the local dealership on the same day they got the first 2011 truck in stock, late August '10.

 

I did the restoration route for my first set, and it only looked good for a few years, then it was back to yellow. The restoration is a lot of work, and I didn't want to do it again. I went with the smoked OEM ones (came on the Sport version?), and they work great in my OR. If you have the money, just replace them with new OEM, and enjoy the next 15 years of not having to deal with them.

 

Arizona sun is brutal, refurbished lights are usually good for 6 months or so.
Used car dealers do it all the time.

 

Not sure... my 07 is a 4.OL V6. Forgot to mention they have XPEL UV protection headlight film... helps keep the lens from yellowing.

This is the headlight's i removed after 16 years... had XPEL film installed when new (the film was thicker back then... real pita to install.) The lens were never polished or restored.

 

So I took out both halogen bulbs today and they are crystal clear, no darkening of the glass whatsoever. Which is one of the key advantages of the halogens from what I read, that the tungsten will not evaporate on the glass enclosure. But even though the tungsten re-deposits onto the filament, it may not do this in a uniform manner, so that you end up having thin areas (likely to break) and thick areas (not much light output). I found this chart. Still, 80% brightness may not fully explain my dim headlight.

So I am still thinking a total replacement may be worth it. I did the polishing thing ones and it didn't last long (admittedly, I did not clearcoat). Also, these microcracks that I am seeing in the plastic seem to be all through the material, not just on the surface. Cost will be around $400 for a pair of OEM lenses from what I see, about $170 each plus shipping and tax. My truck only has 60k miles and a almost new frame, so the investment might be worth it.

 

How difficult is it to swap in a new set of OEMs?

 

$3.80 for a pair of Hellas with 50% more output!

$13 HELLA H4P50TB +50 Performance Bulb, 12V, 60/55W, 2 Count (Pack of 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078SKFMVL?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

 

Halogen bulbs will have significant performance degradation with no change in the glass appearance. See my post #2693 covering performance degradation. I have personally recorded over 30% performance loss from new to EOL on bulbs.

I agree that total replacement with new OEM units is always a good route, I'm not dissuading that option. You'd need to replace the bulbs anyway, what I was pointing out is that it may be worth replacing the bulbs first (since you need to do it anyway) with a good bulb, and then seeing if you still felt you still needed to replace the headlight assemblies.

Hella bulbs are not made by Hella. They are outsourced. Standard Hella bulbs are typically poor performing, claiming 50% better than poor is still poor. They will surely be better than some 13 year old halogens, but not compete with any of the name brand bulb manufactures like Osram, Philips and Tungsram. I already gave you data backed bulb recommendations on what will perform best in your assembly, which is the Philips Racing Vision +200s. There seems to be an odd disconnect of willing to spend top dollar on OEM assemblies but then save ~$30 running poor quality bulbs instead of the best performing ones.

 

Smoked headlights look great. Guess I’ll be spending money soon.

 

Careful, this link takes me to H7 bulbs! At least for my 2011 that’s a no-go. You likely need H4.

 

Amazon links can change for bulbs with multiple bulb types based on availability, but yes those are definitely incorrect. 9003/H4 is required for 2nd Gen.

 

I've had good luck with Sullivan Bros in Kingston MA but I go and pick up, not sure re shipping but for the parts they're my go-to.

Nope, those will drop in.

If the cracks are through, then yes re not salvageable. And most definitely worth the investment, my 2010 has 136K and a newer frame..and I wouldn't hesitate to spend that money you mentioned on it. Wait on bulbs until you're pulling the housings out anyway.

 

I usually buy standard bulbs, thinking there is no such thing as a free lunch. More brightness comes with shorter lifetime. I just couldn’t resist the bargain price of these +50% Hellas. Sure enough, they are rated for only 250 hours whereas standard bulbs are rated for more than twice that. Do you know the lifetime rating for the Philips Racing Vision bulbs? Amazon doesn’t show the back of the box, which is lame.

 

Yes, higher performance bulbs do tend to have shorter lifespans for halogens. The Philips Racing Vision +200 have a 400 hour life span, which is double that of the previous gen Philips Racing Vision +150s at nearly the identical performance level, being the highest in an H4 reflector assembly. For the +200s it is clear Philips worked on advancing the lifespan and maintaining the performance of their highest performance bulb. They can call it a +200 even though the performance remained unchanged vs the +150 by adjusting the +200 comparison baseline point down. All covered in detail in the 2nd Gen Racing Vision review post #3169, which includes back of the box pictures.

 

I would recommend to stay away from the Ebay/Amazon housings. They look good but do not reflect the light evenly, the throw is spotty in some areas. I guess for $60 I get what I paid for.

 

Update: I looked at the lights in the daylight and while there some small cracks from old age most of the light loss seemed to be from the discoloration of the outside surface. So I took the polishing tool with some random boat cleaner I had kicking around, and went to town on the lights. I know this won’t last but it only took 15 minutes total including tool cleanup so I think I’ll safe $430 for now and go with this. Should I put wax or a clear coat on this to protect it?

The passenger side polished, the driver’s side not yet:

Before:

After:

 

Looks much better. You need to apply a clear coat that protects against UV, or use a UV stabilizing coating that can be applied as a maintenance item like a wax. The reason they don't last is sanding the outer layer removes the UV protective coat which rapidly accelerates UV breakdown. Putting another protective UV coating back on will prevent that. If the paint does not protect against UV, the applied coatings last typically 6 months to a year before wearing off, so you just need to remember to reapply, no different than waxing the truck.