12-26-2017, 09:20 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Kentucky
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Real Name: Robert');DROP TABLE Students;
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Senior Member
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Projector mod long-term reliability
I'm back in eastern NC for the holidays and that means driving down rural two lanes after dark. No street lights or other traffic to illuminate the road and it's making the 4Runner's abysmal lighting painfully obvious.
I've been wanting to do a projector mod but I've seen a few members here allude to the fact that projectors don't last but a year or two before they need to be replaced. Is that typically the case? Is there a way to get more life out of them?
I've been driving around with my high beamz on so I can see more than 10ft in front of me and so far no one has flashed their headlights at me. I don't think they even know my high beams are on. #heresyoursign
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2001 SR5 - Like OEM, only worse (gears, e-locker, armor)
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12-26-2017, 09:57 AM
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#2
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Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Minnesota
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Real Name: Andy ಠ_ಠ
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Senior Member
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as long as you use a decent quality setup? Morimoto?
if a setup burns out or fails after just 1 year it's because it sucked in the first place IMO. I have an older HID setup that has lasted 7 years so...
do a good job, fuse protect things, quality wiring, protected and secured... you know do it right and it should last just fine. even top quality stuff will stop working if you do a crap job and let the wires get tangled up in the fan or hang down by the exhaust manifold.
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12-26-2017, 11:32 AM
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#3
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Elite Member
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: San Diego
Age: 41
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Elite Member
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Buy decent parts! The Retrofit Source stuff usually comes with at least two year warranty.
I've never seen a projector just break, they are very durable.
Installing halos can make the kit a lot less reliable in long term. It's like a Lego set, the more complex the build the more pieces that can fall apart over time.
A simple projector retrofit is extremely reliable.
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Last edited by BrianSD_42; 12-26-2017 at 11:55 AM.
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12-26-2017, 11:40 AM
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#4
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Florida
Age: 26
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Real Name: Matt
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@ BrianSD_42
hit it on the head
If you opt for some $30 projectors on Amazon you probably will be replacing them within a year.
We've put together a great DIY kit that comes with quality Morimoto parts and an amazing warranty. 5 years on the 35w projector kit and 3 years on the 55w kit. Anything breaks during that time frame and a brand new part gets sent out to you at no cost.
Here is a link to the DIY kit: https://www.srqfabrications.com/diy-kits
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12-26-2017, 01:02 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Kentucky
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Real Name: Robert');DROP TABLE Students;
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianSD_42
Buy decent parts! The Retrofit Source stuff usually comes with at least two year warranty.
I've never seen a projector just break, they are very durable.
Installing halos can make the kit a lot less reliable in long term. It's like a Lego set, the more complex the build the more pieces that can fall apart over time.
A simple projector retrofit is extremely reliable.
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That's good to hear. I don't want halos or weird colors - I'd like it to be as OEM-looking as it can be.
@ SRQ-Runner
I'll have to check that out when I can get to a computer. My phone won't load some of the images on that page.
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2001 SR5 - Like OEM, only worse (gears, e-locker, armor)
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12-26-2017, 02:18 PM
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#6
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I used DDM and they are holding up well, even with the halos 
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12-26-2017, 03:20 PM
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#7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thezentree
I've been driving around with my high beamz on so I can see more than 10ft in front of me and so far no one has flashed their headlights at me. I don't think they even know my high beams are on. #heresyoursign
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Happy Holidays!
Have you aligned your headlights? Sounds like yours are pointed too far down. Low beams pointed right in front of the bumper so you can't see with them and highs are low enough not to annoy anyone.
I have been playing with this lately myself. Adjust them up so the lows are useable but you are not getting flashed by others. Then by default the highs should be golden.
Give it a try, it has made a huge difference in the driveability of several of my cars in the past and it's free! My corolla when I got it a year ago was so far down as to be dangerous at night. Now after adjustment I consider the lighting to be very good.
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Last edited by Kanoe; 12-26-2017 at 03:28 PM.
Reason: added info
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12-26-2017, 07:39 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: PNW
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I'm setting up to do a retrofit as well and wondered the same thing. I know a couple people who have done it successfully in different rigs and theirs have lasted so I'm keeping my hopes up!
I'm also wondering if anyone has had any strange "side effects" from a projector retrofit? - Will my headlights still turn off automatically? Will the bright indicator still work? Etc. If anyone has any experience or knows about that it would be awesome to hear!
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12-26-2017, 09:12 PM
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#9
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I've always wondered about the same thing OP. I wonder more about how vibrations effect the electronics, as well as the physical aspects of it, like the projectors becoming loose after taking a beating on backcountry roads. The simplicity of Halogen bulbs is hard to beat, but the performance is lacking.
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2008 Toyota 4Runner Limited 4x4 - Salsa Red, DD, Mostly Stock
2001 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4 - Not Stock, Lifted, Armored, 300k+ Miles
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12-26-2017, 09:39 PM
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#10
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Real Name: Leon
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Just to add to the chorus, I've had Morimoto H1's from TRS in my Chrysler Town & Country (please, no jokes  ), for over 7 years with not a hint of an issue.
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1997 4Runner Limited 4WD E-Locker ~200k | Falken Wildpeak A/T3W 265/75/16 | Pro Comp 69 16x8 | OME 2906 | B&M 70264
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12-26-2017, 09:41 PM
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#11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Unner
I've always wondered about the same thing OP. I wonder more about how vibrations effect the electronics, as well as the physical aspects of it, like the projectors becoming loose after taking a beating on backcountry roads. The simplicity of Halogen bulbs is hard to beat, but the performance is lacking.
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If you buy quality and install it correctly and plan on longevity in the process, projectors won't be a problem.
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'06 4Runner SR5 V8 2WD -- Flowmaster 50 Delta Series w/ resonator delete | 265/70R17 Toyo Open Country A/T | Pro Comp Series 5044 | Black headlights
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12-27-2017, 02:56 AM
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#12
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Member
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Calgary
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I've been running the original set
@ rickashay
built for his Duster for probably 5 years now. No issues at all (except for the first year where I somehow missed that they had a highbeam plug)
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