'14 Scion iQ Headlight Upgrade

[jzchen]

I used a Dremel heavy duty cutting disk on medium-low speed and made several cuts to the harness plug until the unmodified H9 could fit all the way in. No knife needed, just Dremel, inset bulb, test fitment and repeat a few times. Literally took me 30s-1m per side (I did the h11 fogs also to store 2x spare H9s).

Thank you! Very helpful. I have cutting disks from my son's projects in the past so I think I have everything I need now to finish the job.

 

[jzchen]

Hella has an H9 2.0 bulb. Looks like a very slightly blue coating. They claim it is brighter than their standard version.

(Looks like it's on sale at Tire Rack for $29).

Are they worth the money???

 

[64.5vette]

Hella has an H9 2.0 bulb. Looks like a very slightly blue coating. They claim it is brighter than their standard version.

(Looks like it's on sale at Tire Rack for $29).

Are they worth the money???

Probably not, IIRC hella doesn't make their own bulbs. Stick with Philips standards or similar.

 

[-Virgil-]

Hella has an H9 2.0 bulb.

Not an upgrade. Not even a very good non-upgrade replacement for a dead H9.

They claim it is brighter than their standard version.

It's not, and "Hella" bulbs are not very good quality (not made by Hella, either).

Are they worth the money???

Definitely not.

 

[jzchen]

Thank you guys!

I've already referred a fellow iQ owner to this thread as the person asked about possibly using LEDs in the low beams. I politely noted that one would most likely get an error, bad performance, and best try an H9 if one wants a serious upgrade.

Take care.

 

[Dancam]

Thank you both. (I'm afraid even though my phablet has a 6.1" screen, it doesn't show all responses unless I try scrolling down)! I got a CarFax that was clean, but I didn't/haven't checked the AutoCheck. I did find a front end damage receipt from a collision center. I wonder if they properly aimed the lights after the work. Seems like passenger side is set a little lower than driver side looking at the reflection on a wall...

It was really strange. I felt it was dim, but I could see fine. I attribute it to not having bright foreground lighting and my pupils not constricting. My wife's BMW has HIDs which make the night kind of like day in comparison...

I will definitely research getting a proper aim in my area, and if I find a place with a proper machine, I will come back to note where it is.

All depends if it was a good repair shop or not. I have worked in a few. Usually if one side was hit you would just install whatever new headlamp the insurance company was paying for and then match the aim to the side that wasnt hit. That doesnt help if the aim of the unhit side was already off and it may not get your left and right aim.
Also many shops keep buckets of used bulbs to pop in. If a car comes in with a broken housing but the bulb is still good you save the bulb for another car.
So new bulbs and a good aim should help you lots

 

[jzchen]

Thank you Dancam for that insider information! I might as well look to buy the H9 bulbs very soon.

In this case the right side/impacted side is aimed lower than the non-impacted side. I have the Toyota instructions on how to aim them, now I've got to find a very large piece of paper. (Instructions note a large space with a large piece of paper and writing instrument.)

 

[-Virgil-]

No, what you need to find is a shop that owns and correctly uses an optical headlamp aiming machine. Methods that involve shining the lights on a wall (or on a piece of paper) are much, much, much less accurate.

 

[jzchen]

Hi Virgil,

I do remember that advice from before. I do respect that opinion completely.

But, I'm afraid subscribing to techinfo.toyota.com, which is the official Toyota techincal site, brings up aiming instructions which include nothing with regards to an aiming device. (There is no specs, not even a mention of that option). It only includes specifics as to flat surface x amount of feet from a wall, 90 degrees to the wall surface, and marking all these different points on to a large sheet of paper.

Will the shop with an aiming device have specs for any lamp that comes in? (Sorry if I'm naive with regards to this situation.)

 

[Alaric Darconville]

No, what you need to find is a shop that owns and correctly uses an optical headlamp aiming machine. Methods that involve shining the lights on a wall (or on a piece of paper) are much, much, much less accurate.

I do respect that opinion completely.

It's objective fact. Using a headlamp aiming machine is far more accurate than using a wall.

Will the shop with an aiming device have specs for any lamp that comes in? (Sorry if I'm naive with regards to this situation.)

They don't really need them. Proper aim of a DOT-spec VO, VOR, or VOL headlamp is the same no matter what the make and model of the car is.
And while those types are all visually-aimable, the precision afforded by using the machine is much higher than with the wall method.

 

[-Virgil-]

I do respect that opinion completely.

LOL!

I'm afraid subscribing to techinfo.toyota.com, which is the official Toyota techincal site, brings up aiming instructions which include nothing with regards to an aiming device.

OK. So...what?

Will the shop with an aiming device have specs for any lamp that comes in?

Read the lens markings; they'll either say "VOL" or "VOR", and that's all the machine operator needs. If you want to double-check, read those instructions you found and see if they reference off the cutoff on the right side of each low beam pattern (VOR) or on the left side of each low beam pattern (VOL).

 

[jzchen]

I have looked before and am afraid I did not see the markings (before). I just went out with a flashlight and finally found the markings "VOL" and "VOR" as well as "Koito", "H11", and "HB3" I believe. (I'm afraid I did not pay careful attention beyond finding "VOR" and "VOL"). I'm going to try to properly attach the instructions, as I'm afraid I don't understand the numbers:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwE2Zweth7cuRTlubTRwQk1CNUk

I'm sorry if I've been an issue before. I did try to read the FMVSS and I guess if legal wording were straight forward, lawyers wouldn't have jobs.

Thank you for taking time to respond. I do appreciate all the time ANYONE takes to respond and knowledge you all share. (I understand your time here is voluntary...)

 

[-Virgil-]

You should not have found "VOL" and "VOR", it's either/or. Those instructions you found are almost completely useless. They say "The low beam cutoff line should be within 101 mm (3.98 in.) above or below the H line". That's a low-fidelity copy and misapplication of old, uselessly lax, SAE vehicle inspection guideline language, and does not provide instructions for correctly aiming lamps, just for rejecting vehicles with headlamps that are so grossly out of aim that they're on the front bumper or up in the treetops. 4" below H is dangerously low aim; 4" above is dangerously high. Also, these instructions talk about horizontal aim, which is silly because horizontal aimability is not permitted with visual/optical aim headlamps in the US unless they are equipped with an on-board mechanical aim calibration device ("VHAD").

Figure out what markings are actually on the lens, find a shop with an aiming machine, and get it done that way.

 

[jzchen]

Yes, I'm sorry I wasn't clear, VOL was on the left lamp, and VOR was on the right lamp. I didn't mean to specify both were on both lamps. Sloppy use of the wording on my part.

I am not sure if I will be successful in finding a lamp aiming device near me. (I have a feeling some shops may say they have one, and falsely so). I will try to look up what they look like and ask to see it just in case....

Thank you.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

Yes, I'm sorry I wasn't clear, VOL was on the left lamp, and VOR was on the right lamp. I didn't mean to specify both were on both lamps. Sloppy use of the wording on my part.

And sloppy selection of parts by the repairer. That'd drive me bonkers knowing there were two different lamp types on the car. Are you sure the new replacement lamp is OEM? I don't see a compelling reason for Koito (or subsidiary NAL) to have produced a VOL and a VOR lamp for the same model year or even model generation. It's possible the mismatched lamp is a Stanley, but I think it was the Koito family primarily for the Scion iQ. (If that replacement lamp says TYC, DEPO, or Kotto (yes, there's a "Kotto" which is just as legitimate as Sorny, Magnetbox, and Panaphonic) then it's a headlamp-shaped toy and it's not safe to drive with.)

I am not sure if I will be successful in finding a lamp aiming device near me. (I have a feeling some shops may say they have one, and falsely so). I will try to look up what they look like and ask to see it just in case....

Definitely ask to see it. If enough places lie, you could make a nice YouTube video about "those shady mechanics".

 

[Dancam]

No, what you need to find is a shop that owns and correctly uses an optical headlamp aiming machine. Methods that involve shining the lights on a wall (or on a piece of paper) are much, much, much less accurate.

Stress placed on 'and correctly uses'. I worked in a shop that had them but no one knew how to use them. I was told to aim headlights with them once and couldnt figure them out right away (i was 17), no one else really knew when i asked them so i aimed the lights against a wall. They never got touched again as long as i worked there.
Your best bet is probably a dealership with you specifically requesting that they use those. (As much as i hate telling someone to go to a dealership...)

 

[jzchen]

It is my fault! I just went out to check (again) in the bright daylight:. Both lamps are "VOR".

(I'm afraid I think I need to go see a doctor about my head. Boy, all those burgers I loved eating must be catching up with me...)

I am truly sorry for the confusion!!!

Dancam. I posted the Toyota instructions from the site Toyota dealership service departments use. I would be surprised if any dealership has an aiming device if the "official" instructions note to use a giant piece of paper. (But maybe I should just call and ask anyways. Wouldn't hurt if they just said "no".)

Does ANYONE around know of a good aiming place in Southern California???

Thanks again for being patient with me. (And so sorry!!!)

 

[Alaric Darconville]

It is my fault! I just went out to check (again) in the bright daylight:. Both lamps are "VOR".

That's better.

I posted the Toyota instructions from the site Toyota dealership service departments use. I would be surprised if any dealership has an aiming device if the "official" instructions note to use a giant piece of paper.

Janzen Toyota out my way used to have a headlamp aimer, but when they moved from 6th & Main out to wayyy out on highway 51, they didn't take it with them for some reason (woulda been nice if they gave it to me, but hopefully it still ended up in someone's garage instead of the scrap pile).

Legend has it that VW dealerships are required to have them. Not sure if that's true or not, but start with them.

 

[jzchen]

I was going to post the recommendation of a modified H9 bulb to someone looking to find a replacement, who lives in Australia. Then I thought better confirm here first, is H9 upgrade also valid for the RHD iQ, in particular the Aussie market?

(If you happen to know a reasonable priced option for people there that would be great. That was the more specific question. I was thinking of referencing www.powerbulbs.co.uk).

Thanks!

 

[jzchen]

Looks like the person already purchased a replacement bulb. Thanks though...