Like many others on here I switched my 04 headlights out for 06-09 headlights. As anyone who has done this knows the 03-05 has a small orange parking light in the headlight. You also realize that it does not fit into the 06-09 headlights. Then there is the added larger turn signal bulb that the 03-05 doesn't have.
The solution I have read on here was to buy a pair of small wiring harnesses to the tune of about $50 bucks. I wasn't about to do that. Because of that I've spent months trying to find a solution. Below is the cheap way to fix this.
The larger bulbs can be fixed by using an 1156 (single filament) or 1157 (dual filament) socket. You would use the 1157 if you want parking and turn signal lights. You'd use the 1156 if you want a DRL, white or orange. In this thread Troymclure found sockets at pepboys and riceandpho identified the socket numbers. I found some 1157 sockets on a late 90s Accord at the junkyard, I believe they were front turn signals. You can hook them up however you want, at this time I haven't wired them up as I have turn signals in the bumper.
The smaller sockets were a little more work to find. In the end I found that you can use the original sockets that went to the 03-06 parking lights. If you dont want to hack these up like me follow along. I didn't realize the sockets were the same until I got the ones from the junkyard home. I found sockets from the tail lights of an earlier 4Runner, I think 98. Also found one from a front parking light I think from a 2000.
Which ever you use you will need to modify them slightly. As you'll note the socket has four tabs that hold it in. I used silly putty to make an impression of the headlight opening since it's already in the vehicle.
What you need to do is trim the larger tabs to about the same size as the smaller ones. As shown from above you want the tabs to be opposite each other so I trimmed the area circled in red.
From the side I trimmed the larger tabs along the lines in red, first from top to bottom, then a bit of an angle. I used a utility knife, the plastic is easy to cut.
After all this I was unable to get the socket in the headlight. Turns the sockets I had, I think it was the 90 had a slimmer o-ring on it than the later model socket. The thicker one is pictured below. I took a utility knife and cut off about one half of the thickness from the top of the o-ring. Now it fit in the headlight fine. To connect it I just stripped a bit of insulation off the wires going to the original socket and soldered the wires from the new ones on. One nice thing about the sockets from the junkyard 4Runner is the wires are the same colors.
And, yes, it is possible to put these and the larger sockets in by hand, it isn't easy, but it can be done. You'll have to take out or move the battery for the driver side.
It's not the greatest write-up, but I wanted to share in case anyone else wants to know how this goes together.
The solution I have read on here was to buy a pair of small wiring harnesses to the tune of about $50 bucks. I wasn't about to do that. Because of that I've spent months trying to find a solution. Below is the cheap way to fix this.
The larger bulbs can be fixed by using an 1156 (single filament) or 1157 (dual filament) socket. You would use the 1157 if you want parking and turn signal lights. You'd use the 1156 if you want a DRL, white or orange. In this thread Troymclure found sockets at pepboys and riceandpho identified the socket numbers. I found some 1157 sockets on a late 90s Accord at the junkyard, I believe they were front turn signals. You can hook them up however you want, at this time I haven't wired them up as I have turn signals in the bumper.
The smaller sockets were a little more work to find. In the end I found that you can use the original sockets that went to the 03-06 parking lights. If you dont want to hack these up like me follow along. I didn't realize the sockets were the same until I got the ones from the junkyard home. I found sockets from the tail lights of an earlier 4Runner, I think 98. Also found one from a front parking light I think from a 2000.
Which ever you use you will need to modify them slightly. As you'll note the socket has four tabs that hold it in. I used silly putty to make an impression of the headlight opening since it's already in the vehicle.
What you need to do is trim the larger tabs to about the same size as the smaller ones. As shown from above you want the tabs to be opposite each other so I trimmed the area circled in red.
From the side I trimmed the larger tabs along the lines in red, first from top to bottom, then a bit of an angle. I used a utility knife, the plastic is easy to cut.
After all this I was unable to get the socket in the headlight. Turns the sockets I had, I think it was the 90 had a slimmer o-ring on it than the later model socket. The thicker one is pictured below. I took a utility knife and cut off about one half of the thickness from the top of the o-ring. Now it fit in the headlight fine. To connect it I just stripped a bit of insulation off the wires going to the original socket and soldered the wires from the new ones on. One nice thing about the sockets from the junkyard 4Runner is the wires are the same colors.
And, yes, it is possible to put these and the larger sockets in by hand, it isn't easy, but it can be done. You'll have to take out or move the battery for the driver side.
It's not the greatest write-up, but I wanted to share in case anyone else wants to know how this goes together.
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