NEW 16-23 Morimoto XB Evo Headlights are here!

Correct. Which means that if you had factory drl, and do not have factory auto mode on stalk, then drl on stalk no longer works. Like me. This is my gripe. I'd have to put another switch to control the tap line if I want drl off while truck running. It could also be done with a relay, using the factory drl signal as the trigger but that just seems like it should have been thought of since they send multiple harnesses already to say it will work with all models. The fact is, you lose some factory control.

 

Yes you lose some factory (stalk) control of the DRL on some models.

 

Ya... and off isn't off. Just want people to know this cuz i didnt.. sucks going from the xb that worked like factory to the improved ones w less control..

 

Yes, turning the DRL off on the stalk does not turn the DRL off because it gets power via the fuse tap for the DRL, welcome sequence, and heater.

 

My DRL harness is on a relay since I've got grill lights, 4 SS3 pods, and 2 SSC2 pods backlight. So it's just using the DRL as a signal to kick on the relay since I've got so many backlights on that one circuit. After the first set of SS3s I added that relay. So I guess I should've prefaced that, since the heater is pulling from the fuse tap (just now learning this one).

I'll update my original explanation so everyone knows it's best to use a relay and not wire direct to the DRL wire, I'm just using it for signal. I've got a 30a relay and some 8 gauge wire direct to my battery so I'm good to go, but that heater circuit is likely not good for just the DRL wire.

 

Thanks for the responses.
Yes, some of the posts did seem like they were talking about bugs.
I appreciate the clarification.

 

I'll update my posts as well. I assumed it would be fine but yeah, draws a good amount of power, more than I thought. It's actually getting pretty cold here at nights so I'll see if I can get the heater to activate and test sustained amperage draw while it's running.

 

Low spot is FMVSS 108 LB2V low beam regulation defined control point, this is to prevent wet road surface reflection based glare and also to reduce vehicle pitch shift related direct glare probability. And what you are seeing is how exactly is designed for very strongly well intended reason.

Plz do not attempt adjust aiming other than VOR aiming protocol, there has nothing to do with this control point.
It is very important to follow correct aiming method. Essentially, both beam is straight forward axis, both beam cutoff height is 2" below lamp height at 25' ( if you won't have any load on bed or mostly driving without passenger on back seat, and fully stock height, you can aim at same height as lamp mount height) If you have fitted larger tires or lifted, 3" down at25' is required.


About "dip" low spot
There had been very frequent confusion about this type of advanced VOR cutoff style, but there is immense advantage over outdated classic step down cutoff( which many is accustomed to and calls outdated standard as "clean")


Perhaps, it is best to provide below visual to guide for those who aren't familiar with new type of cutoff.
Since there are large amount of information to explain, I have made detailed explanation available for community, please find PowerPoint presentation via below link
https://docs.google.com/presentatio...ouid=106785414004260995300&rtpof=true&sd=true

Lmk if there is any access issues.


For those who just want to grasp visual note, here is some key aspect visualized below (all in powerPoint)
Page 3 shows the exact reason why I adopted this type of cutoff style.



Also full anatomy of upper illumination is explained, all are fully intentional for deep consideration, respect to regulation compliance.




Once you review presentation, then you may have this questions.
Why some OE optics can get away without this pronounced dip? answer is simply due to OE optics are much lower intensity.
For example, OE LED reflector does NOT have as pronounced dip shading as XB Evo headlamp, but this is because OE LED reflector distance zone(near cutoff) center intensity is only about half of what XB Evo outputs.
In this case, as long as defined test points remain under 12000Cd limit, it can still pass as compliant beam design.
However, high potency headlamp that project much stronger beam, dip shading contrast naturally become higher, this is another reason many may notice more than some of other OE design.

 

Been my complaint as well throughout trying to figure out how to best go about using these.

I wish they kept them the same as the XB's as far as DRL's go, and required the heater to be tapped for functionality. I can go without the heater in NC, but I do like control over the DRL's.

Going to guess there will be a few returns of these lights.

Sounds like to get our functionality in an OEM state, we will need a DRL trigger harness, and a relay. Doesn't sound like Morimoto thought or cared much about this functionality, but maybe @TRSAndrew can chime in and see if anyone over there could put together some wiring to make this work as factory designed?

@Puppypunter has made a few custom harnesses for me over the years, maybe he has some interest putting together something for us?

 

I called Morimoto support last week and asked if I was able to turn off my DRL’s via stalk and if they are designed to stay on at all times. Guy on the phone said that’s how they were designed. Also he said that the US is the only country in the world that lets consumers have the option to turn off DRL’s. He said in other countries drivers don’t have that option. I thought that was pretty interesting.

It’s not a big issue for me, but it would be nice to have the option to have factory control of your DRL’s. Other than that, these lights are worth every penny. If you’re thinking about buying a set, don’t wait!

 

Same! I freakin love em. Can't wait till tomorrow to love them even more with the supercharged drivers.
On a side note, what would ya'll recommend for protecting the lenses on these? Plan to get the whole truck ceramic coated. But would ppf be any better or further help? Trying to protect this truck the best I can with our hell hole summer days in AZ. Lol. Uv damage is no joke with peak Temps getting to 120°..

 

I mean they're definitely bright and the overall appearance is very, very cool. The heater and supercharger feature is a huge bonus imo.

I agree that it's not right that one has to cobble a fuse tap and possibly a switch just to retain oem drl stalk controls when spending $1600+. I think the price of these new Morimoto XB's is high considering this hindrance. If Morimoto could go back to the drawing board and create a solution I think they'd have a solid upgrade product here.

Until a better solution arrives, I'm content with my oem pro led swap even if they do have some minor scratches. Dave's led conversion harness (FBC harness solutions) is a functional piece of plug and play artwork and I'm super glad I got one when I had the opportunity. That setup was about 100 for the harness and 1200-1400 for oem lights.

 

Gtechniq CSL or Gtechniq Exo V5

 

You can also see a similar dip coming from the passenger headlight as well. It's much more noticeable in your second photo.

 

Both sides will always have steps with projectors(or in this case, dips) and they'll be much more noticeable as they separate with near field objects. At distance/long range they converge and basically become one step/dip.

 

$1600+? They’re no more than the $1,500 Amber DRL headlights they replace, despite being packed with better performance and more features. Also, the Evo Hybrid model, which too performs better than the XBs, are $200 less than the previous White DRL model. Additionally, the $150 Supercharged drivers add 30-50% more performance for 10% of the Evo’s price tag.

 

The 4Runner Evos also use the same fuse tap design and have sold 1,200+ sets so far. A few returns will always happen, and are negligible compared to the overwhelming popularity.

This is how they were designed and we do not plan to circle back solely to make the DRL OFF stalk position change their function. These have been in process for well over two years now—this was not an oversight.

 

I don’t suggest PPF on these, just a good ceramic coating will be plenty. The anti-UV coating we use exceeds the factory Toyota benchmark on the stock lights.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, and that's good to hear! I feel this is the way to go too. Never looked into/used either as there wasn't any point with my old and (re)tired 1st gen that had basically zero clear coat left on the paint(which had a cheap spray over before I bought it) and neglect from myself just expedited it. Ha. But the headlight assemblies were cheap and easily replaced too if/when the need arised with retrofits.. This new to me low mileage '16 is from Wisconsin and was garaged so it's quite minty. Plan to keep it that way!

 

I only suggest no PPF because we haven’t tested it with the heaters, longevity, etc. They’re designed with the PC lens and coating to be OEM+, and I can’t say I’ve ever seen an OEM use PPF on headlights (aside from someone adding a full PPF wrap to a GT3 or something, which isn’t OEM).