Drop-in headlight upgrade? - Page 11 - Toyota 4Runner Forum

texadelphia · 12-29-2020, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beklemmung

The only two parts you replaced are 81130-35320 and 81170-35300, correct?

Correct. Also needed to get 2 of the bulb retainer covers as the 97 version doesn't fit. Part number is 90075-65012.

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19963.4lsr5 · 01-01-2021, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm99

I just rebuilt mine in about an hour using new connectors, ring terminals, 14awg, weather proof shrink tubing and a bit of solder on every connection including 30amp to 87a power jumper wire, I left the 3 signal 20ga wires that plug into the headlight harness and go to the relays as my math says these should carry no load. I might add that the shrink tubing made all the h4 and relay connections solid unlike the wiggly ones that where there. Quicker to fix it than to write and read responses from the Amazon/seller.

With my harness I have 13.45v at the bulb while it’s on. I do not like the .4v voltage drop on the ground lugs to the negative post of the battery. I’m going to try grounding them better or run them strait to the battery.

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Malcolm99 · 01-01-2021, 07:05 PM

I did extend the H4 grounds to the 10mm bolt the battery ground uses, but I didnt check the voltage at the H4 plug, I assume it would be close to the voltage the battery sees and expect some drop in the voltage going through the 30A relays. I would suspect any voltage drop your seeing is due to any connections/contact points along the positive wire including relay and pin connections, as well as wire length and gauge creating some resistance/voltage drop

4x3Lander · 02-06-2021, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamefreakgc

I respectfully disagree. My headlights are amazing and I have halogens at a fraction of the price of retrofits (I'm guessing the OP needs to save his money for some repairs right now).

I've tried a few different combinations and this is what's worked out the best:

New TYC headlights - $80 on Rockauto.com. The old headlights, especially 96-98, lose their ability to reflect light on the road over time. New housings is literally like night and day. Just be sure to adjust the beams after you put them in.

Upgraded wiring harness & 100/80W bulbs - $30. Yes, 100/80W. If you change the wiring setup by adding a pre-made relay harness, it's no longer running the power wire from the headlight stalk in the interior all the way into the engine bay and to both headlights. That wire just become the power wire for the relay with then draws power straight from the battery. No more voltage drop. The harness allows you to safely run 100/80W Hella bulbs. Let's just say I can see everything now with 100W high beams.

Amazon.com: H4 LED Headlight Wiring Harness [Negative Switched Conversion] [Fused] H4 Head Light Relay Harness Kit for 9003 H6054 H5054 H6054LL 6014 6052 6053 Subaru Toyota Head Lights: Automotive

Amazon.com: HELLA (H4 100/80W) 12V Bulb: Automotive

So for $110, you can have fantastic headlights that work better than when the 4Runner was brand new.

@gamefreakgc I want to thank you for this. I bought the harness and the bulbs you recommended and did the swap out today. The 4Runner came with LEDs, but I got brighted often and high beams were way up high in the trees. Decided to buy a different set of LEDs since I didn’t know the history - same result (I’ll be selling them).

SO, tried your suggestion and am happy with the results. Especially since I am not really an electrical person, this was easy even for me. Thanks!

JZiggy · 02-06-2021, 11:25 PM

I had this upgrade for about a year and liked it vs factory for sure. I opted for BX Built LED retrofits and they are a huge upgrade but it was a significant project and I realize not everyone wants to go this kind of route.

One word of caution: when I took the Amazon harness off I found that the terminals in the fuse block had melted the plastic and had or were close to connecting, which would have bypassed the fuse (not good!) So I would suggest adding some insulation or perhaps finding a better fuse block.

3bears · 02-07-2021, 12:10 AM

so you guys running the 80/100w get flashed often ?

But the other day cleaning up my storage unit I found a older but new in box Hella 130/100 watt harness that I must have bought for another rig and forgot about it. Now thinking I might stick it in this 4runner with 80/100 bulbs.

after reading some of the above posts I will have to look close at the gauge wire used. It does have ceramic plugs for the bulbs and hella brand relays.

I can put on a light bar for the "high beams" but that does not help with the low beam

I dont have inspections up here, just dont want to piss off the state troopers.

JZiggy · 02-07-2021, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3bears

so you guys running the 80/100w get flashed often ?

But the other day cleaning up my storage unit I found a older but new in box Hella 130/100 watt harness that I must have bought for another rig and forgot about it. Now thinking I might stick it in this 4runner with 80/100 bulbs.

after reading some of the above posts I will have to look close at the gauge wire used. It does have ceramic plugs for the bulbs and hella brand relays.

I can put on a light bar for the "high beams" but that does not help with the low beam

I dont have inspections up here, just dont want to piss off the state troopers.

I never got flashed with the hella bulbs. Just check your aim after installing.

nissanh · 02-07-2021, 10:51 AM

I got a TYC to the driver side. As many here stated, the cover in front of the bulb is crooked, but a simple lift with the finger (must access from the bulb hole) fixed it. The light focuses to the road and is very bright with my 100/80 W Hella bulbs.

3bears · 02-07-2021, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nissanh

I got a TYC to the driver side. As many here stated, the cover in front of the bulb is crooked, but a simple lift with the finger (must access from the bulb hole) fixed it. The light focuses to the road and is very bright with my 100/80 W Hella bulbs.

mine has a TYC with bent reflector on driver side too. is bent down

pluton · 02-08-2021, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JZiggy

I never got flashed with the hella bulbs. Just check your aim after installing.

Method for headlight aiming:
Find a quiet street and park your car about 25 feet behind another parked car...a normal car, not a tiny sports car or big SUV. Doesn't matter if the road surface is curved or crowned, as long as your car and the parked car are square and in the same attitude with each other.
Adjust lights so that the top edge of your beams illuminate the rear of the car ahead, but without blasting into the rear view or side mirrors of the other car.
I like to spread the beams of the two headlights as wide as possible, but that's your preference.
Done.

texadelphia · 02-27-2021, 11:46 PM

Just an update. Finally got my Susquehanna Motorsports harness and the Hella 100/80 bulbs installed tonight. Big difference over the stock bulbs.

blairracd · 10-10-2021, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRG3K

I have the same. Those are good bulbs

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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 · 10-10-2021, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blairracd

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.

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. · 10-10-2021, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyral

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.

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 · 10-10-2021, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyral

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.

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.

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