Consolidated Lighting Info Thread

[KP Texan]

Hmm, I've never considered an H8 bulb as a replacement for my h16 fogs. I agree that that stock fogs are incredibly weak... especially now that I've replaced my low beams with the xtreme HID kit. The fogs just get washed out and don't do much.

I haven't been a fan of a lot of the LED options either. The light output is horrible unless you change the lens/housing too.

Anyway, I might run by Autozone on my way home and pick up a set to see if they're any better. Worst case, if they don't fit, I could just return them.

I'll post some pictures if I happen to get to it tonight.

That would be awesome man!! Here are the photos of both I found:

H16 (19W, 500 Lumens):

H8 (35W, 804 Lumens):

Also, I'm thinking beam pattern, etc. should be fine since filament placement seems to be pretty much identical. Here's something I put together after scaling both images to be the same:

 

[Spudgey]

That would be awesome man!! Here are the photos of both I found:

That's great info!

So I checked out Wally world and Autozone but neither of them carried the H8 bulb.

So I'll be heading out for vacation on friday and will be gone for a while, so even if I order a set I won't be able to play with them for a bit.

Hopefully in the meantime someone can order a pair and give them a shot!

If not, I'll have a pair waiting when I get back!

 

[philsey]

Lightwerkz projector comparo

Projector Comparison | Lightwerkz Gallery

 

[KP Texan]

That's great info!

So I checked out Wally world and Autozone but neither of them carried the H8 bulb.

So I'll be heading out for vacation on friday and will be gone for a while, so even if I order a set I won't be able to play with them for a bit.

Hopefully in the meantime someone can order a pair and give them a shot!

If not, I'll have a pair waiting when I get back!

Did you ever get a chance to try this out?

I've found several mentions of people swapping out the H8 foglight bulb in Acura, Hyundai, BMW, Audi for the H11 bulb. Since I know people have swapped the H11 bulb into our H16 foglight, I'm thinking the H8 could be modified to fit. Cheapest I've found is Philips from Amazon at $8.68/ea, so I may just give it a shot.

I think the H8 would be a good match for several reasons. Seems that the stock 18W is a bit weak for foglights, but I think 35W would be a good sweet spot to actually be effective while at the same time not overheating wiring or housing. If you increase your foglight output too much (as in H11 or HID retrofit), you end up with too much foreground light which also reduces your distance vision from your low beams. Here's a good Daniel Stern article on it:

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html

 

[KP Texan]

Did you ever get a chance to try this out?

I've found several mentions of people swapping out the H8 foglight bulb in Acura, Hyundai, BMW, Audi for the H11 bulb. Since I know people have swapped the H11 bulb into our H16 foglight, I'm thinking the H8 could be modified to fit. Cheapest I've found is Philips from Amazon at $8.68/ea, so I may just give it a shot.

I think the H8 would be a good match for several reasons. Seems that the stock 18W is a bit weak for foglights, but I think 35W would be a good sweet spot to actually be effective while at the same time not overheating wiring or housing. If you increase your foglight output too much (as in H11 or HID retrofit), you end up with too much foreground light which also reduces your distance vision from your low beams. Here's a good Daniel Stern article on it:

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html

Ok, I just bought one H8 bulb to experiment with and it's actually quite easy to get it work in place of the H16 bulb (I can post pics if anyone is curious). The connector is identical and requires no modification, while there is one mounting tab that needs to be slightly modified. I checked critical dimensions of the base and gasket with a set of calipers, and the bulb snaps in well just like the H16.

All of the above being said, the heat difference still worries me. I ran the foglights for about 10 minutes and the H16 housing lens was at about 145F, while the H8 housing lens was around 185F. Not sure that I expected much different with such an increase in output, but it was certainly enough of a differential to scare me into going back to the stock H16. That temp may be completely acceptable for the housing though, since I know plenty of similar fogs with plastic lens run H8s. Has anyone who ran H11s in these housings checked temps with an IR thermometer? I can imagine they're quite high, which is why a few have experienced damage from it.

I'm sort of frustrated that Toyota decided to use such weak bulbs in the foglight housings, but perhaps they were doing us a favor in reducing foreground light? I do know the 4Runner is one of many Toyota's running these H16s for fogs.

 

[Spudgey]

I haven't had a chance to do much tinkering at all lately. That said, I went ahead and ordered these (Link) from amazon. A set of 2 for 13 bucks is a bet I'm willing to take. They're Sylvania bulbs but should fair pretty well compared to the Philips.

No prime shipping so I probably won't have them till next week. When I do get them I'll take some pictures comparing the h8 bulb to the stock fog bulb.

 

[KP Texan]

I haven't had a chance to do much tinkering at all lately. That said, I went ahead and ordered these (Link) from amazon. A set of 2 for 13 bucks is a bet I'm willing to take. They're Sylvania bulbs but should fair pretty well compared to the Philips.

No prime shipping so I probably won't have them till next week. When I do get them I'll take some pictures comparing the h8 bulb to the stock fog bulb.

Like I mentioned in my last post, they will work just fine with a little modification. A couple photos:

H16 on Left and H8 on Right

H16 on Left and H8 on Right

Modified H8

 

[Randyman...]

2010-2013 DRL Lens Replacement

I assume the "Consolidated Lighting Info Thread" is a good place for this T4R lighting question :

For 2010-2013 DRL lenses (not bulbs, but the clear plastic lens covers themselves) - how difficult are they to replace?

Both of mine are cracked (rocks and crap on the freeway), and the passenger side just got a nice 1/2" hole last week (lord knows what I hit on the freeway, but it bounced off my lower bumper, obliquely smacked the DRL and shot off like a cue ball!). That DRL/Blinker stopped working today - assuming as a result of water infiltration into the housing...

I have a pair of DRL lenses and fog bezels on the way - just curious how much of a PITA they are to swap out. Rifling through all 8 pages of "Daytime" search results in the 5th gen section (and poking on Google) didn't yield any pertinent info I could find...

Thanks!

 

[Randyman...]

2010-2013 DRL Lens Replacement

Results: Replacing the DRL housings wasn't too bad. Initially went through the wheel-well liner. 1 screw holds the Fog Housing and Fog Trim Ring from behind, then two screws and two clips hold the DRL from behind (it's a composite housing/lens). One of those screws was harder to get to - just removed the bottom plastic skid molding and the smaller plastic air damn to access them from the bottom. Also used the Fog light's hole for additional access to that little booger. I'm a little scratched up, but that's all

In addition to restoring DRL/Blinker operation, the new lenses looks so much better compared to the cracked/pitted stock lenses with 150K Miles on them! Also buffed the headlights and fogs with Meguiar's headlight restoration kit and swapped in all new bulbs (H11 Fog; H9 Low; 9011 High).

Toodles!

 

[perryi2]

Thanks

Awesome Info, I'm new to owning a 4runner and just been trolling the feeds now I'm a member lol..I just picked up a 2018 4runner and just like you said wanted to start with lighting and the million dollar question...hid or led??

 

[XenonDepot]

Awesome Info, I'm new to owning a 4runner and just been trolling the feeds now I'm a member lol..I just picked up a 2018 4runner and just like you said wanted to start with lighting and the million dollar question...hid or led??

Welcome to the forums and hope you are enjoying your 4Runner! What year is your 4Runner and do you have projector headlights on it? The reason I ask is it would make it easier to make a recommendation.

Danny

 

[Luciow]

Welcome to the forums and hope you are enjoying your 4Runner! What year is your 4Runner and do you have projector headlights on it? The reason I ask is it would make it easier to make a recommendation.

Danny

not the same guy but he has a 2018 and Myself have a 2017 and looking for the same answer.

From what ive been looking into i think it basically goes like this : HID for low beams if you have the newer projectors and LEDs for the High-beams due to warm-up time and if properly adjusted then no issues right? please correct me if im wrong and thanks in advance for any extra advice

 

[Angelo]

just like you said wanted to start with lighting and the million dollar question...hid or led??

not the same guy but he has a 2018 and Myself have a 2017 and looking for the same answer... then no issues right?

If you both want my honest advice I say start with the incandescent swap for both low AND high beams and see what you think. These swaps are detailed and linked in the Exterior Lighting section on the first page. Both swaps will net you real improvements over stock at a very low cost, easy install (no cutting your rear headlight seals for the HIDs, etc), be essentially undetectable as a "mod" to johnny law, and perhaps most importantly be a minimum of annoyance to oncoming drivers.

The projectors in the 5th Gens are NOT made for HIDs and do not control the lighting well enough above the cutoff to keep it out of people's eyes on the road. The high beams spot in the 5th Gens run as the DRLs also and will run full strength high beam brightness with a flicker when the DRLs are active. Strictly speaking there's very little "adjustment" necessary with high beams other than making sure they are somewhat pointed at the road since there is no cutoff as a projector would have.

If you're needing to throw massive amounts of light downrange you should consider a light bar that will be functional when necessary but not make your headlights into a danger to others (not to mention illegal, strictly speaking).

HIDs, LEDs, and other very bright lighting upgrades are a really hotly debated topic all over automobile message boards. These are my findings from experimenting myself (read: spending money) and driving another car towards my Runner to see what the other driver was experiencing from me on the road at night. YMMV. Good luck.

 

[XenonDepot]

not the same guy but he has a 2018 and Myself have a 2017 and looking for the same answer.

From what ive been looking into i think it basically goes like this : HID for low beams if you have the newer projectors and LEDs for the High-beams due to warm-up time and if properly adjusted then no issues right? please correct me if im wrong and thanks in advance for any extra advice

You are on the right track! You could also go with LED for the low beams if you didn't want the brightest light. Check out these two great reviews we have for the 4Runner one with HID and one with LED installed:

HID Low beams:
H11 HID Headlight | 2016 Toyota 4Runner HID

LED Low and High beams:
2017 Toyota 4Runner LED Kit review | 2017 Toyota 4Runner LED kit Install Guide

Danny

 

[Whttxtrail]

Low beam/ fogs

Awesome Info, I'm new to owning a 4runner and just been trolling the feeds now I'm a member lol..I just picked up a 2018 4runner and just like you said wanted to start with lighting and the million dollar question...hid or led??

I am also new the forum but have lurked around for a few years now. Welcome to the most addicting place to pack your brain with 4 runner goodness. I installed the XDepot low beam hid in 5k along with the utilton led fog lights. All I can say is they are amazing. No pics ( didn’t want to beat a dead horse). My high beams are next ( maybe the led pro). I highly recommend XD just as many others on the forum.

 

[XenonDepot]

I am also new the forum but have lurked around for a few years now. Welcome to the most addicting place to pack your brain with 4 runner goodness. I installed the XDepot low beam hid in 5k along with the utilton led fog lights. All I can say is they are amazing. No pics ( didn’t want to beat a dead horse). My high beams are next ( maybe the led pro). I highly recommend XD just as many others on the forum.

Welcome to the forums and thanks for taking the time to post some great feedback

Let us know if you have any questions about the Xtreme LED Pro kit for your high beams.

Danny

 

[FLY_FISHING]

Welcome to the forums and hope you are enjoying your 4Runner! What year is your 4Runner and do you have projector headlights on it? The reason I ask is it would make it easier to make a recommendation.

Danny

2018 TRD Off Road, looking to upgrade the low and high beams and not sure I want to go HID. What LED's would best suit it?

 

[suzukipro]

Curious if anyone has done the Aiden james DRL kit? Do the HB's continue to light up along with the Aiden james DRL's when the DRL/Side marker lights are turned on?
I have the Aiden James switchback kit on order (about 90 days of waiting so far) and thought if the HB's only turn on as brights then it would be worth getting LED's to replace the halogen bulbs for the DRL/HB's.

Appreciate the help if anyone has info on this, I couldn't find specifics on their site.

 

[Arishtat]

Curious if anyone has done the Aiden james DRL kit? Do the HB's continue to light up along with the Aiden james DRL's when the DRL/Side marker lights are turned on?

I have the Aiden James switchback kit on order (about 90 days of waiting so far) and thought if the HB's only turn on as brights then it would be worth getting LED's to replace the halogen bulbs for the DRL/HB's.



Appreciate the help if anyone has info on this, I couldn't find specifics on their site.

No the Aiden James kit does not affect the operation of the high beam lights. The installation instructions make that quite clear. It is wired directly to an ignition switched fuse in the engine bay and you have the option to tie it into the turn signals.

Auer Automotive offers a complete conversion kit which replaces the OEM fog lamps with two element LEDs and a replacement DRL / high beam control module. This is the cleanest option for converting your high beams to LED or HID and retaining full DRL functionality, but it is also $399 list price.

http://auerautomotive.com/led-drl-led-fog-light-2in1/4runner-led-drl-led-fog-light-2in1-kit/

Until the Auer kit comes down in price or someone else offers a similar kit for sub-$300 I’m sticking to ignoring the existence of the DRL and marker light positions on my light switch.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[suzukipro]

No the Aiden James kit does not affect the operation of the high beam lights. The installation instructions make that quite clear. It is wired directly to an ignition switched fuse in the engine bay and you have the option to tie it into the turn signals.

Auer Automotive offers a complete conversion kit which replaces the OEM fog lamps with two element LEDs and a replacement DRL / high beam control module. This is the cleanest option for converting your high beams to LED or HID and retaining full DRL functionality, but it is also $399 list price.

Toyota 4Runner 2 In 1 LED Upgrade Kit - LED Daytime Running Lights W/ Integrated LED Fog Lights

Until the Auer kit comes down in price or someone else offers a similar kit for sub-$300 I’m sticking to ignoring the existence of the DRL and marker light positions on my light switch.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank You for the info, I think I'll look at changing to the LED for HB's and eliminate the DRL feature on the stalk (or quit using it). The aiden james DRL appears to go on with the ignition, I had hoped it would work with the DRL switch on the stalk, but it is apparently wired differently.

I'm no wiring expert,but maybe I'll be able to incorporate the Aiden James kit to be activated with the stalk switch while eliminating the HB light from being used as a DRL. This would allow me to use LEDs in the HB's and also control the Aiden James DRLs (if they ever arrive) via the stalk switch.