The ultimate headlight upgrade H4 (not LED or HID)

Ground vs conventional switching refers to what the switch contacts are connecting. Is the bulb powered all the time and needs a ground to light up? Or is the bulb grounded and needs a 12v source to power up?

 

Ahh Haa! I got you now. I saw where a fellow posted earlier that he had an 06 DCSB like mine and his was conventional, would I be safe to believe that mine is the same or should I have it checked out? Is there a way for me to check it out and tell the difference? Thanks for the help!

 

A good rule of thumb is to never assume your truck will be the same as any other. Too many models, too many options. If you have a multimeter, the test takes all of 20 seconds. Spend ALL that time so you eliminate the risk of having to return the wrong harness, wait for shipping, order the new harness, etc.

I urge you to re-read the first post completely and thoroughly. It has all the answers for you along with available headlight/bulb options and steps for the switch test.

 

If you do not have daytime running lights that use the headlights (not the amber indicators) then you are likely conventional switched. I posted how to test with a multimeter to double check in the original post. You can pick up a cheap multimeter at Harbor Freight for less than $5.

 

I have a brand new multi still in the package. My truck does not have DRL's. I will go to the thread and reread it anyways just to be sure of what I'm doing. Thanks

 

Those bulbs are OEM, correct?

I'm just curious if anyone's sourced a decent non-OEM headlight assembly that has similar performance.
I've seen the "OEM equivalent" assemblies from RockAuto that are significantly lower price (50%) but I'm skeptical about the quality of the reflector housing and seals on them.

Just wondering if buying new factory parts is justifiable by the cost. And no, I don't want any funky looking depo or whatever lights, just something with either the black headlight mod inner housing or the "smoked" lense look (without jeopardizing the light output).

 

The closest you will get to "OEM equivalent" is CAPA certified. They will only come in designs that are identical to stock. I would not trust the quality of a light assembly that is advertised as "OEM equivalent" unless it is CAPA.

 

I get the concern around doing the ground vs. conventional switching test correctly because done incorrectly, you wouldn't read any volts and might think the truck is conventionally switched. I performed the test on my 06 Tacoma double cab by following the instructions on the first page of this post. I had a hard time getting my multimeter lead into the headlight switch though. I have an old analog multimeter and the lead was too thick for the plug. I was concerned that if it wasn't in the switch deep enough, it wouldn't read any volts and I would think the truck was conventionally switched when it might not be. To get around this, I turned the headlight on and then plugged just enough of the switch into the headlight until the light came on, leaving some of the headlight plug exposed. With the headlight lit, I did the test by touching the exposed headlight plug prong to make sure current was going through it during the test.

 

I went to powerbulbs.comans aw there are 2 versions of the Osram. The laser and the unlimited laser. Same specs but different price.
Also, has anyone ordered from them? And how long does shipping take?

 

The Nightbreakers laser is +130, the Nightbreakers unlimited is +110. Note that both those are stock wattage bulbs and not are the high wattage Osram "hyper" or "super bright" bulbs covered in the thread. There is the link to buy the Osram Super Bright from Powerbulbs in the original post.

I've ordered from powerbulbs and received my order in about a week, and I'm further away on the west coast.

 

I wanted an improvement without having to replace the wiring harness. Thank you for all your write ups!

 

Was just making sure that was understood. Nightbreakers are a great choice for stock wattage. And you're welcome.

 

Somehow missed this quote a while back.

The replacement headlamps are Toyota factory.

 

Headlight report from my Ouray trip a couple weeks ago.

Drove up from Vegas late afternoon. Started on the i70 east right around sun down. Once it got dark enough for headlights, i'll tell you what... These lights are bomb.com. Imagine your headlights shining directly at the ground in front of you. Now add another set that looks forward. Thats how bright these are. Drove probably 3 hours through a pitch black night. I was hitting the ground about 50ft out so light was not going out very far but it was bright nonetheless.

On the second night, my friend had an incident and needed to be rushed to the ER an hour away. My truck was already deployed in camp mode so we took his 07 (mine is 08 so same headlight housings). Lets just say i wish i had my headlights. I couldnt see anything. All the traffic prevented me from turning his LED's on so i was struggling. Literally a night and day difference. He and my other friend are now looking into doing this upgrade. When we were driving the first night, I was following this buddy and he noted that he kept seeing his truck shadow from my headlights being so bright.

Thanks again for putting in the time and risking the money for this DIY upgrade. It's worth every penny.

 

Is there a schematic and parts list to build the harness yourself ? $130 is kinda expensive when its just somes wires and a couple relays

 

Headlight Services sells a DIY kit for conventionally switched trucks:
http://www.headlightservices.com/Wiring.html

 

Gotcha. Thanks !

 

I ordered a $30 H4 relay harness kit from ebay and the 90/100w bulbs from powerbulbs, everything works perfect, I ran the 90/100 w/o the harness for a few days (i live a life of danger) and luckily it didn't pop any fuses or melt any wires. Very happy with the light output, you can actually tell they are on now lol.

 

Stupid ass question......uhh whats the difference ? Ive been in the car scene for quite a long time and never heard of this conventional switched and not till now

 

Check out the original post in the section "Determining your electrical ground system." In a brief explanation, Toyota used to make its trucks complete the electrical circuit by completing the ground vs completing the positive. When dealing with the headlight relays, they need to be wired differently depending on how the circuit is completed.