3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Only if the headlamp has an integrated bulb shield. H9s are intended tk be a high beam bulb, so they don't have a top cap of opaque material, so putting them in reflector lamps that don't have an integrated bulb shield will cause excessive glare for oncoming traffic, as there's nothing blocking the light coming directly forward and slightly up/forward from the exposed filament.

 

Ohh okay, I have to look into that. Otherwise, the H11 Tungsrams would still be best if H9s wont workout?

 

I think the tungsrams are hard to come by at the moment. Not sure what the next best/available bulb is off the top of my head.

 

i am so tired of driving past so many obnoxious LED headlights that are misaligned, and seen some really dangerous situations caused... i am ready to just get the brightest, bluest replacements and aim them right at oncoming traffic

 

I think this one was mentioned. I just got a note that price on them dropped.

$52 OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER® 200 H11 DUOBOX, Duo Box

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8J2WD9Y

 

Those are definitely high in the running. And, more importantly, available.

 

serenity now

 

I’m was about to purchase the Phillips h9 but kind of want something on the whiter side. I’ve been skimming thru this thread and got more confused the more I read. What’s the recommendation for something whiter than the Phillips ? I clicked on the Amazon links on the first page but links are outdated or not found.

 

This:

$52 OSRAM NIGHT BREAKER® 200 H11 DUOBOX, Duo Box

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8J2WD9Y, 3600K color temp.
https://www.osram.com/ecat/NIGHT BREAKER 200-Halogen headlight lamps-Car lighting-Automotive/com/en/GPS01_3495633/ZMP_4063504/

It has blue color filters on the edges, giving it a whiter hue.

BUT, since it is an overdiven H11, it will not last as long as Phillips H9 in the H11 socket.

 

Has anybody noticed that the price for OEM led has stabilized around $1500 these days? You used to be able to find sales around $1200, but I haven’t been able to lately.

I finally convinced myself to buy in… regretting not doing so earlier.

 

Wait for Easter sales. BAM wholesale has them for $1430.20 for a pair. Sparks for $1427, price may drop next week.

 

CB any update yet? basically waiting on your review to pull the trigger

 

If I recall the Hella H9 2.0 High performance are slightly whiter at the cost of less output. Theres a link at the bottom of the thread.

 

How often are you guys replacing your Phillips H9 bulbs? I’ve had mine in maybe close to a year and wonder if I should swap ‘em. I know they don’t have a very long life expectancy

 

How often do you use your lowbeams? If it's a lot, 9-12 months is a good time to change them. Bonus for doing this: two functioning spares to jeep handy in case you lose one randomly.

 

Wiper insets and halogen bulbs, swap every year. No good reason not to.

 

Morimoto 2stroke 4.0



The Morimoto 2stroke 3.0s were to date the best attempted LED replication of an H11 halogen bulb. The 4.0 claims higher performing specs, with a smaller more accurate cross section to continue driving closer toward replicating a halogen.

An OEM standard H11 halogen.


The Morimoto 2stroke 3.0s


The Morimoto 2stroke 4.0s


The Morimoto 2stroke 4.0s are a substantial improvement in cross section thickness over the 3.0s, though still not equivalent to a standard halogen bulb and further still from a performance halogen bulb. However this is the best LED cross section seen thus far on the market and the closest LED product to replicating a halogen bulb thus far. Remarkably impressive to get so much tech in such a slim package. I'll copy/paste some Morimoto info on how that was done.

Info from Morimoto on the new ultra-thin PCB.


The 4.0s use the same type of closed cooling system loop found in the 3.0s by only utilizing the sealed air within the assembly. This is cleaver as it draws cooling air directly over the PCB providing maximum effectiveness and keeps the cooling system free from contaminates that are found from road grime and dirt inside the engine bay. While heat to the assembly is advertised as a benefit for cold weather, testing has shown the effects are negligible and will not make a difference in snow accumulation.



Power draw is where the 4.0s differed from any other PnP LED I've tested.

Power draw at startup
4.0 left vs 3.0 right


3.0s have higher power draw at startup.

Powerdraw after 15 minutes of runtime.
4.0 left vs 3.0 right


While the 3.0s heat soak and reduce power like every other LED tested, the 4.0s actually substantially increase power and output as they heat up. Meaning the 4.0s will increase in output over warmup where as all other LEDs tend to decrease output over warmup.

Morimoto specs the 4.0s at 18-22.5w, seems like a pretty broad range for a product power spec. My measurements of 1.64A at 13.8w stable comes in at 22.6w. Solid delivery on the high end of the power spec.

Morimoto 3.0 left vs 4.0 right


The patterns are not as similar as one would expect.

Morimoto 3.0 left lamp


Morimoto 4.0 right lamp


Pattern abnormality on the 4.0s is much more apparent than the 3.0s. With pattern overlap running both lights it is less noticeable. The 3.0s provide better uplight than the 4.0s by a small margin.

Philips H9 right lamp


The halogen provides a fuller more uniform pattern than the PnP LEDs with better hot spot while also providing better uplight.

Distance test
Philips H9 vs 2stroke 4.0


2stroke 4.0 vs Philips H9


The Philips H9s are over 77% higher in output intensity than the Morimoto 2stroke 4.0s.

Stock Osram H11 bulbs vs Morimoto 2stroke 4.0


The 4.0s return nearly identical peak intensity numbers as the low performing stock bulbs, which the IIHS give the lowest possible safety rating of poor.

Compared to the 2stroke 3.0s?
3.0 left vs 4.0 right


The 3.0s come in at 40% higher peak intensity than the 4.0s, despite being less accurate. Wait, what?

The 3.0s do substantially better than the 4.0s, despite the 4.0s having better focus. How can't that be? Bear with me here. The 4.0s are the closest we've seen in replicating a halogen cross section making these the most accurate pnp LED bulbs on the market yet. However, focal hotspot projection in the highly precise Koito projector used by Toyota on the 3rd Gen Tacoma rely on illumination in the 6 and 12 o'clock positions for hot spot projection. Pnp LEDs are bi-directional emitters projecting to 3 and 9 o'clock, so they are not illumination the key parts of the projector for the hot spot distance projection. A halogen bulb is an omnidirectional lights source so it illuminates everything correctly and maximizes the hot spot distance projection as intended for a halogen light source, unlike the pnp LED.

But why did the 3.0s do so much better? Because they were a less accurate light source. Since the 3.0s were less accurate in representing a halogen bulb the light spilled into the other areas of the projector with less precise geometry, including the rear projector bowl improving peak intensity for distance projection. This would not be the case for all projectors or reflectors but in the case of Toyotas Koito 3rd Gen projectors there seems to be a sweet spot between pnp LED accuracy in replicating a halogen and actual evaluated performance with enough slop to make it work. This seems to demonstrate that with current designs halogens will always be superior in projectors like Toyota OEM Koito units.

Locking collar
The 4.0s feature a new tension spring to enable rotating the collar of the bulb to lock it an appropriate position. Generally speaking I am not a fan of these systems as they often allow more error than benefit but do allow for wider vehicle adaptation. The LED emitters should be placed at 3 and 9 o'clock in most vehicles. However, the execution of the new system is problematic. If the outer ring isn't significantly tightened before installation, you risk stripping the stepped tensioner so that it free spins in the housing and does not lock into place at all. Morimoto is supposedly already issuing a redesign on the tensioner/locking mechanism for this reason. My original units stripped out and would not lock into position.

Important: make sure to tighten/lock the collar with the included wrench before installing, even if it already appears tight to avoid stripping.



Having the locking collars fail was disappointing. Morimoto provided top notch service in overnighting new units immediately and this time I was sure to tighten the collar with the wrench before mounting, which seemed to resolve the mounting issue and had the bulbs lock in place correctly.

Noise
The 4.0s fans operate at higher frequency than the 3.0s. Unfortunately the 4.0s resonate in the 3rd Gen Tacoma assemblies, where the 3.0s did not. The fans themselves are quiet, it is only mounted in the assembly that noise is an issue. This may not be an issue in other assemblies. See video below demonstrating the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9QPqNQOrp8

Wanting to test audible qualities in a running 3rd Gen Tacoma, I put a call out to our local PNW section and @tonered volunteered his truck for testing. With the truck running the LEDs are easily audible within the cab with doors closed and windows up. Road noise and radio will likely help drown it out some, but it is definitely noticeably present.

Morimoto claims the 4.0 is best for a reflector housing where immediate back-shoot at 6 o'clock isn't as critical and that the Koito projector used in the Tacoma is particularly problematic for this product.

Despite this being the best optically designed LED on the market I've seen yet, I would not advise this for the 3rd Gen Tacoma, instead I will continue to recommend the Morimoto 2stroke 3.0 as the best PnP LED performer for the 3rd Gen platform, with the absolute best performance option being the Philips H9 bulb swap easily superseding the 3.0s.

Special thanks to @Dtax that initiated this review by sending the 4.0s my way, and Morimoto staff for being quick to respond to product issues and providing detailed product information.

 

Posted. Had some delays with weather coordinating with my schedule for the outdoor distance test.

 

Think 4.0s might be a good option in the high beam reflectors?