3rd Gen HID vs LED vs Halogen H11 projector headlights

Okay thanks. Do you remember how much they were? They don’t do prices on their web site. Otherwise I guess I should call.

 

Price I don't have/didn't write down. I do recall NOT being shocked. Would like to say less than $10/bulb but that may be wishful thinking.

 

That sounds reasonable compared to Hamazon.

 

I read somewhere about a member asking if cutting the bulb was required?

Not sure if this has been posted but here’s a video showing you don’t have to trim the bulb.

 

Don’t know if anyone cares, but here’s what Morimoto XB headlights use as their projectors:


Left is low beam, right is high beam. They only do one or the other, no bi-LED projectors.

These are the lightest and cheapest feeling projectors I have ever held. Nowhere near the quality or complexity of the Koitos.

 

What are those from specifically? The Gen 2 XB Tacoma headlights are bi-LED.

 

Interesting. I would have assumed they would use a single reflectpr bowl design to minimize cost, and simply installed an appropriately designed cutoff shield to make the lowbeam. Would you mind taking some clear pictures, preferably from the same light and camera perspective (and Lock Your Camera Settings Please) with them pointed at a wall or garage door?

 

4Runner. You are correct that the Gen 2 has bi-LED. My wife has Gen 2 on her 4Runner. I picked up this Gen 1 today with the intention of pulling it apart to plan out a retrofit because she will not let me install the higher performing OEM LEDs that are sitting on the shelf in the garage. Once that’s done though, I will have some of Morimotos Gen 2 XB bi-LED projectors

 

I’ll try to do that this weekend. Used up all my garage time for the day today

 

You just need to send her away for a spa day. Those OEM LED 4runner lights are really nice. Did you get the halogen high beam hybrids?

 

Wish that would work I did not get the elusive 2021 only headlights unfortunately. I may have a problem though. I’ve scooped up too many of the OEM LEDs from FB marketplace when people sell them for $200 or less. I have the set on my ‘21, a set that is open and will probably have some SS3s mounted in them as high beams, and another set for her ‘17 that I am not allowed to install. And 2 sets of Morimotos now… and a drawer of other DD products… and a drawer of Rigid products… and a box of Koito bi-LEDs from before they were exclusive to Toyota

 

Are the 2021 LED/Halogen headlights hard to find? I guess I got lucky. I kept bumping into a guy with a 21 who installed the Morimoto XB headlamps, so I bought his stock headlamps.

 

Tried to get the best photos I could with out using iphones night mode.

Harnesses were donated from a buddy whom upgraded to LED headlamps.

Drove around the block and so far it is a very noticeable improvement. Highly recommended to those (like me) need better lighting til I can upgrade to OEM LED headlamps.

(no trimming involved w bulbs)

Edit: much thanks to crashnburn80 for all his work and contributions.

 

Wasn’t aware that blinding other drivers on the track was a permitted racing strategy.

 

Hi, I got a used morimoto hid kit 35W, what hid bulb should I buy to replace the old hid bulb? I cant find the old bulb anywhere that it comes with which is 4300k morimoto. Thanks in advance. @crashnburn80

 

I’m assuming you are referring to putting HID bulbs in the halogen assemblies. This is not an advisable practice as the halogen uplight allowance is going to create significant glare to oncoming drivers with an HID light source. The Philips H9 while not quiet as bright as HIDs is a better approach.

But to answer your question, it does not appear Morimoto sells 4300k HIDs anymore:
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h11b-xb-hid-B-H11?quantity=1

Although looking across the product line, Morimoto, Xenon Depo, GTR (all TRS/Wheel Pro companies) all list 4000k or 5000k. Looks like the 4300k XD rebased Philips were also discontinued. There are no legitimate H11 HIDs bulbs, because there are no H11 HID headlights, only halogen ones. So no major name brand lighting manufactures make an H11 HID. All the H11 HIDs from TRS are cheap Chinese made bulbs. It could be they just rounded the light kelvin colors to approximate values and 4300k is now 4000k. If you note in the original post XDs China copy of the Philips 4300k rebased bulb was 500k off spec coming in at 3800k. It might be easier to just round the light color temp specs than have precision manufacturing down to the 100k temp difference. Bulbs should be replaced in pairs, so I doubt you’d actually notice as new bulbs will be brighter.

That said I’d recommend taking the opportunity to swap to halogens rather than putting more money into illegal Chinese HIDs. Philips H9s are the best performing, but coming from HID the slightly whiter Hella Performance H9 2.0 may be a better route, as they are a bit whiter and only take a very minor intensity hit.

 

thank you!

 

A bit more on why not to install HID into Halogen http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

 

As of sometime this week, my second Hella H9 finally went out. The first went in the summer. These were purchased Oct. 22, 2021, installed when received. Is this the typical life space of these bulbs? I ordered more, hard to fuss as $26 for the pair. (Also, hope I am legal with RDLs, and fogs alone.)

 

Since H9s are a high-beam bulb, life expectancy will be less than the typical long-life H11 that comes from factory. And longevity will depend on how frequently you use your headlights. Still, the H9s are worthwhile given their low cost versus the Morimoto 2stroke.