texadelphia
New member
Just an update. Finally got my Susquehanna Motorsports harness and the Hella 100/80 bulbs installed tonight. Big difference over the stock bulbs.
Drop-in headlight upgrade?
- Thread starter texadelphia
- Start date
blairracd
New member
How are these bulbs today? I’ve checked these out previously, but Amazon has so many bad reviews that it’s scary.
I want to replace my headlights, but don’t want to add extra wiring/etc.
Pyral
Member
Assuming your referring to the Philips 9003 X-tremeVision, you should be fine with the stock wiring.
You usually upgrade the wiring when you increase the bulb wattage, and when you increase the wattage then the bulbs are no longer DOT compliant. Philips say that they are DOT compliant so they should work with the stock wiring.
From my experience the only thing that makes an actual difference is bulb wattage and headlight aim. Since bulbs are legally limited to a certain wattage, the decent ones should all perform about the same. A more powerful bulb is brighter, but 130 watt bulbs aren't legal for road use.
A supposedly brighter bulb wont cancel out poor aim and dirty reflectors.
I installed the oem style fog lights for 1998 4runners. Rather than buying the Hella 450 fog lens I got the 450 driving lights which are better for supplemental lighting. I've been using them as auxiliary high beams and they work very well while looking understated and stock. Good mod if you live in the countryside
Brian.
Member
You missed 1 thing ~ power TO the bulb. A 60/55 bulb will be noticeably brighter with 14vdc than with 13vdc. This is the main reason headlight wiring upgrades exist, to get better power to the bulbs (less drop from small wires, long runs and being routed through switches). I'm failing to find the reference material, but something nagging the back of my brain says that going from 12.7vdc to 14.3vdc was a 50% increase in light from the same bulb/reflector (pulling on info from more than 20 years ago).
And beware running over-watt bulbs in plastic reflectors (ours), stupidly simple to melt the housing.
blairracd
New member
I always wonder about this, because newer cars’ headlights are clearly SO much brighter than ours. My dad’s 2016 Prius’ low beams are brighter than my brights….etc etc etc.
I disagree!
My 2000 Land Cruiser got 65W low beams with brand new OEM headlights and it is brighter than any other vehicle I own including 21 Taco LED. LC light illuminates so good I see the road very clearly and no one in front of me flashes. it is probably the design goes into LCs.
I bought OEM (99+) toyota lights for the 97 4Runner. It is bright but compared to the TYC set I bought at the beginning of this year is quite close.
About wires. I am yet to find corroded wires in a toyota wire harness (unless exposed to weather). All other wires specially the Chinese or even Hyundai, I find the wires are getting rusted even it is covered with the insulator.
My 2000 Land Cruiser got 65W low beams with brand new OEM headlights and it is brighter than any other vehicle I own including 21 Taco LED. LC light illuminates so good I see the road very clearly and no one in front of me flashes. it is probably the design goes into LCs.
I bought OEM (99+) toyota lights for the 97 4Runner. It is bright but compared to the TYC set I bought at the beginning of this year is quite close.
About wires. I am yet to find corroded wires in a toyota wire harness (unless exposed to weather). All other wires specially the Chinese or even Hyundai, I find the wires are getting rusted even it is covered with the insulator.
NordicSteel88
New member
I used Auxito LED drop ins on my 5th gen. Replaced fogs, and ,low beam only. The Auxito bulb chip mimicks the factory halogen filiment placement. Work perfectly in my opinion. No glare. 40 bucks a pair.
Glare caps in a '99 and newer
I just upgraded my daughter's '97 to a '99+ headlamp assembly. I bought the used headlamps from a U Pull n Pay and noticed that the glare caps are missing so I transferred the old glare caps from the '97 to the '99. Having never done this before, I was wondering why did someone remove the glare caps from '99 at the junk yard w/o taking the actual headlamp assemblies? Second question is can the glare caps be swapped or did the design of the glare caps change in the '99 and newer 3rd gens? I'm assuming running w/o glare caps would simply blind oncoming traffic
I took my daughter's '97 down the street at dark and noticed how shitty her lights are and I'm thinking the glare caps aren't correct for the model year or maybe I installed them 180deg off.
Anyway, I need to resolve this as winter is here and she is driving on rural roads and the last thing she needs to hit is a deer or a dog after she leaves work.
Thanks for our inputs.
I just upgraded my daughter's '97 to a '99+ headlamp assembly. I bought the used headlamps from a U Pull n Pay and noticed that the glare caps are missing so I transferred the old glare caps from the '97 to the '99. Having never done this before, I was wondering why did someone remove the glare caps from '99 at the junk yard w/o taking the actual headlamp assemblies? Second question is can the glare caps be swapped or did the design of the glare caps change in the '99 and newer 3rd gens? I'm assuming running w/o glare caps would simply blind oncoming traffic
I took my daughter's '97 down the street at dark and noticed how shitty her lights are and I'm thinking the glare caps aren't correct for the model year or maybe I installed them 180deg off.
Anyway, I need to resolve this as winter is here and she is driving on rural roads and the last thing she needs to hit is a deer or a dog after she leaves work.
Thanks for our inputs.
Too Stroked
Member
Technically, it only partially mimicks the factory halogen filament position. It does not provide the 360 degree "orb of light" that the halogen filament does. The light emitting diode chips are "side firing" and miss half the reflector bowl (top and bottom) in a halogen housing. Don't fall for the marketing BS.
RandyBobandy
New member
Pretty sure the design changed and you need the ones from a 99+, I’m sure you could get a set cheap from someone who has done a projector retrofit. Just be aware you need the oem ones as the ones from tyc headlights that are popular to use in retrofits are defective
pluton
Senior Member
My observations:
New, clean 99+ headlights aren't much---if any---brighter than new, clean 96-98 headlights. I have both. First I installed new 96-98 headlights, then installed new 99+ headlights in the same '97 4Runner.
The problem is that original used headlamp assemblies are dim because the reflector and front glass have been coated with dust and airborne deposits for ≈20 years, and cannot practically be cleaned.
Best fix is NEW assemblies---OEM or aftermarket--- that are clean.
Some claim to have fixed theirs by prying the lens off, and installing new reflectors and reusing the rest of the assembly, but it's a lot more labor that way
I just bought new complete assemblies and the headlights are..well...like new.
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Well said: I felt the same way after installing OEM brand New 99+ (multi point reflector) headlights into my 97 4runner which originally came non-clear front glass. I have a collection of headlights now!
"New, clean 99+ headlights aren't much---if any---brighter than new, clean 96-98 headlights. I have both. First I installed new 96-98 headlights, then installed new 99+ headlights in the same '97 4Runner.
The problem is that original used headlamp assemblies are dim because the reflector and front glass have been coated with dust and airborne deposits for ≈20 years, and cannot practically be cleaned.
Best fix is NEW assemblies---OEM or aftermarket--- that are clean.
Some claim to have fixed theirs by prying the lens off, and installing new reflectors and reusing the rest of the assembly, but it's a lot more labor that way
I just bought new complete assemblies and the headlights are..well...like new"
"New, clean 99+ headlights aren't much---if any---brighter than new, clean 96-98 headlights. I have both. First I installed new 96-98 headlights, then installed new 99+ headlights in the same '97 4Runner.
The problem is that original used headlamp assemblies are dim because the reflector and front glass have been coated with dust and airborne deposits for ≈20 years, and cannot practically be cleaned.
Best fix is NEW assemblies---OEM or aftermarket--- that are clean.
Some claim to have fixed theirs by prying the lens off, and installing new reflectors and reusing the rest of the assembly, but it's a lot more labor that way
I just bought new complete assemblies and the headlights are..well...like new"
pluton
Senior Member
Sequence of events:
2013: Bought '97 4Runner.
2019: Lived with dim old lights until backing frame broke on one side.
2019:Bought/installed new OEM 96-98 headlights. Everyone says the 99+ units are better, but Toyota USA ran out a few years ago.
2019: New 96-98 units are brighter.
2020: Realize that Amayama sells the OEM 99+ units at reasonable price.
2020: Bought a pair and installed the 99+ units.
2020: The fresh, clean 99+ units are not substantially brighter...maybe not any brighter... than the fresh, clean 96-98 units.
So...now I have 99+ headlights installed, and a good, clean pair of 96-98 units as spares.
If I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't have bothered to get the 99+ units. The new, clean 96-98 units were fine.
Brian.
Member
To be fair, the main reason 99+ are recommended so heavily is that they have a glass front vs a plastic front. If you've dealt with plastic headlights, they suffer from road debris damage (being sanded with dust), hazing and yellowing. It can be fixed, sort of, but those fixes never last very long... a couple years at best. Glass doesn't have any of that issue.
19963.4lsr5
New member
pluton
Senior Member
This is correct. There may be aftermarket 'identical fit' units that use plastic.
Brian.
Member
The more you know.... I was under the impression that even the OEM's were plastic till 99. Guess that means I have an easy decision then as I was avoiding buying OEM 96~98 to replace my 99's that are falling apart inside, heard nothing good about the TYC and can't stomach the looks of the projector retrofits.
I like it when I'm wrong about something but that works out in my favor anyway.
I like it when I'm wrong about something but that works out in my favor anyway.
Romeo1
Member
I have a new set of glass 99’s for install, and can confirm that they are indeed glass.
I’ve been running sylvania silverstar ultras. Good light throw and the OE housing doesn’t create and dead zones or spots.
It’d sure be nice to have a complete OE level LED direct DOT rated replacement housing. A good one. Not some jankey chineseium pos….
Some projector retrofits looks amazing, and others look like total garbage. I know that HID isn’t for me. I have had family members and friends that have ran them and pick ups and they do seem to be quite a headache. Certainly not an install it and forget about it solution.
It would be nice to have a simple installation better lighting solution with form like a halogen. The halogens are kind of no drama, you just plug them in twist them in and saw the cap and that’s it. It’s easier said then done I guess.
I do know that all these new cars on the road have holy hell of bright glare though….. apparently that’s how you combat it, have equally brighter LEDs….
To anyone that reads this, good luck on finding an LED halogen replacement bulb that doesn’t suck. I’ll bet I’ve tried 7 or 8 different ones except the 200$+ headlight revolution options on my Ram. What a clownish joke and a waste of time. Light beam looked like a disco ball…..All sucked so horribly. And they created silly amounts of oncoming glare.
I probably have 200 hours tooling around with BS replacement leds. Haven’t found one that isn’t craptastic yet.
I’ve been running sylvania silverstar ultras. Good light throw and the OE housing doesn’t create and dead zones or spots.
It’d sure be nice to have a complete OE level LED direct DOT rated replacement housing. A good one. Not some jankey chineseium pos….
Some projector retrofits looks amazing, and others look like total garbage. I know that HID isn’t for me. I have had family members and friends that have ran them and pick ups and they do seem to be quite a headache. Certainly not an install it and forget about it solution.
It would be nice to have a simple installation better lighting solution with form like a halogen. The halogens are kind of no drama, you just plug them in twist them in and saw the cap and that’s it. It’s easier said then done I guess.
I do know that all these new cars on the road have holy hell of bright glare though….. apparently that’s how you combat it, have equally brighter LEDs….
To anyone that reads this, good luck on finding an LED halogen replacement bulb that doesn’t suck. I’ll bet I’ve tried 7 or 8 different ones except the 200$+ headlight revolution options on my Ram. What a clownish joke and a waste of time. Light beam looked like a disco ball…..All sucked so horribly. And they created silly amounts of oncoming glare.
I probably have 200 hours tooling around with BS replacement leds. Haven’t found one that isn’t craptastic yet.
