H11 to H9 headlight mod

[G.I.G.]

As many of you know, the H11 bulbs leave a little to be desired when it comes to light output on the '06 and up 4th gens, especially for a projector style lens. I wanted a way to increase light output without the hassle or expense of going to HID's.

I did some research and found a good thread on how to convert an H9 bulb and socket to fit into our headlights without having to make any modifications to the headlight housing or wiring harness. The H9 is 65watts (vs. 55watts with the H11) and draws only a nominal amount of additional power. I found some good info on the RX8 forum on how to convert an H9 bulb to fit into an H11 headlight housing and wiring harness. The pictures on the RX8 forum are better than mine, so below is the link.

DIY: Converting an H9 bulb to fit H11 fog light socket. - RX8Club.com

I had the PIAA "Extreme White" H11's in there before but they were only marginally better than the stock H11's and not worth the price IMO. I just bought a regular set of Sylvania H9's which are much brighter and whiter than the H11's

First, you have to trim the metal tab furthest away from the socket in order for it to fit into the headlight housing. The other two can be left as is. You can see in the picture below (H11 on the right, H9 on the left what I am talking about. I used diagonal cutters so it took a little bit of work to get 2 or 3 mm of material off of the left side of the tab on the H9's. Tin snips probably would have been a better tool for the job if you have them.

Next, you have to break off and trim down the plastic tab in the socket so it will fit into the wiring harness. You can see in the picture below there are two tabs in the H9 (left) and only one in the H11 (right). The tab closest to the bulb on the H9 needs to be removed. I used some needle nose pliers to break it off, then trimmed it so it was flush with a razor.

 

[G.I.G.]

I have to say that I am very pleased with the results. For about $35 and a half hour of my time, I was able to get a significant improvement to my low beams without having to go to HID's. The light output is definitely brighter. The best way I can describe it, is that it is like having your high beams on but with the projector cutting the light off, you won't blind other drivers. I have had these installed for over a week and no one has flashed their lights at me. If you have your headlights properly aimed, you should not have any issues with the H9's.

Below is a picture with the newly installed H9 on my driver's side, and the PIAA H11 on the passenger side. Keep in mind, the angle I took this picture at with my 4Runner on my sloped driveway is below the projector cutoff, so it wouldn't be this bright to other drivers. I just took the picture this way so everyone could see the difference. I was standing directly between the two lights looking at the car level.

Below is a picture I took of the two different lights against my garage. Again, the newly installed H9 is on the driver's side and the PIAA H11 is on the passenger side. You can definitely see the difference.

 

[olsen_karl]

I just did this conversion to H9 bulbs this weekend too -- haven't driven in the dark yet though...

I used a Dremel tool with a small metal grinding bit to remove the plastic tab from the H9 bulb sockets. I didn't trim the metal tab on the H9 bulb flange at all; it fit in the 4Runner headlight fine without trimming.

 

[G.I.G.]

I didn't trim the metal tab on the H9 bulb flange at all; it fit in the 4Runner headlight fine without trimming.

Good to know. I just followed the mod on the RX8 forum, but apparently our headlight housings have enough clearance to accommodate the different shaped H9 socket.

 

[Jyn]

Thanks for the write up. Coming from a retrofit on my old car, I was excited when I saw the 4Runner had projector headlights stock, but was quickly disappointed in the light output. I was considering HIDs, but this cheaper alternative seems to work for me. Great research and pics :bravo:

 

[Speedy Gomez]

H11 to H9 Headlight Mod

I want to do this H11 to H9 headlight mod but I am afraid the wiring harnes will melt.

 

[blizzardwhite]

I want to do this H11 to H9 headlight mod but I am afraid the wiring harnes will melt.

highly unlikely that your harness will melt before blowing the fuse.
besides the difference between the H11 and H9 is about .9 amp.

 

[SI2IS2T4R]

Good to know...

I purchased some PIAA H11's as well. Sure, I was "happier" than the stocks as the bulbs were indeed brighter and whiter. However, I was looking to go as white as possible, near blue, WITHOUT doing HIDs. While I was happy with the PIAAs, I was disappointed I didn't get the exact look or results as they display on their websites. Your simple write-up has convinced me to do this mod when the PIAA's run their course. Thanks for putting in the time!

 

[RallyBud]

Is this mod beneficial for an '04 4Runner? My low beams seem a bit lackluster.

 

[Asmara]

Is this mod beneficial for an '04 4Runner? My low beams seem a bit lackluster.

For an '04 check out the HIR bulb (note not HID) install. Cheap easy and amazing light output with no additional wattage.

 

[gshadow325]

highly unlikely that your harness will melt before blowing the fuse.
besides the difference between the H11 and H9 is about .9 amp.

Yes it will eventually melt the plug. I see it all the time with H11 connectors. Got a 08 Volvo s80 in last week just for this problem. Volvo quoted $688 for new headlamp. I did the repair for $45. Guess who was happy that day

 

[G.I.G.]

No issues so far....

Regarding the plug melting, I have been running the H9's for over 2 years now and have not had any issues. Not sure if that is a common occurrence or a fluke, but I definitely don't have any regrets and I think it is worth the relatively low risk IMO.

 

[kevinpt]

Regarding the plug melting, I have been running the H9's for over 2 years now and have not had any issues. Not sure if that is a common occurrence or a fluke, but I definitely don't have any regrets and I think it is worth the relatively low risk IMO.

i just did the 9005 swap in my fogs today and was tempted to post on this thread to see if i should do both or not. i ended up getting the cheap 9005's that are only 60w but thats fine it should still be better then stock. so with 9005's DRL always on snf h9 would that be a bit much or should i go for the swap?

 

[adam_4runner]

Apologies for resurrecting this old, but great, thread...

I wanted more light out my 08 4th gen headlights and found this thread. I ordered, modified, and installed the h9 bulbs and was very happy with them. They were almost like my previous high beams (except aimed lower/not in other drivers' eyes)!

A few weeks later the driver side headlight kept going on and off. When I'd wiggle the wires under the hood it would light back up. After another week of this, I took the bulb out and sure enough, the bulb and socket were melted.

I love the H9 upgrade, but now I need to replace my headlight socket. Any ideas where I could get new headlight sockets? I see that I can get high temp wiring 'extensions' which look like they'd plug into the existing headlight sockets, but I'll need to replace the sockets before using those.

Thanks for all your thoughts and experience.

 

[medicalrunner]

I have an 06 SR5 V6 and did this mod about 1 week ago, so far it has worked well. I used a small drill bit to drill out that little piece of plastic. Like others have said its a tighter fit but I did not have to trim any metal. I will keep an eye on the wiring harness and update if something happens.

 

[williamteichroeb]

I have an 06 SR5 V6 and did this mod about 1 week ago, so far it has worked well. I used a small drill bit to drill out that little piece of plastic. Like others have said its a tighter fit but I did not have to trim any metal. I will keep an eye on the wiring harness and update if something happens.

any updates? Thinking about pulling the trigger on this?

 

[williamteichroeb]

Regarding the plug melting, I have been running the H9's for over 2 years now and have not had any issues. Not sure if that is a common occurrence or a fluke, but I definitely don't have any regrets and I think it is worth the relatively low risk IMO.

Hey! I was debating for a long time whether I should go the HID route or H9 conversion and wanted to see if you have had any issues with your wiring harness and plug melting? Ready to pull the trigger on this mod just wanted to get a bit more feedback from people first

TIA

William

 

[MedicBob]

William I did this on mine and my wife's 4Runner. Works well and is certainly brighter.

 

[chaz]

this was one of my steps for upgrades & its very good but nowhere near as good as hids. i cant ever see my going back.

 

[CrimsonCountry]

this was one of my steps for upgrades & its very good but nowhere near as good as hids. i cant ever see my going back.

This^ I did this just as Chaz said, on my way to stepping up to retrofitting HIDs, and can't see any reason to go back. The H9s were noticeably brighter but it wasn't a "wow, so much better" difference. It is a super simple mod and my wiring harness held up fine to the H9s as long as I had them. I did end up getting a wire extension though just in case it did it up melting the connectors (again, which it didn't).