LED Replacements ?

[DonK]

I have a 2000 Tundra - headlights have always been poor, even when new. Wondered if it is possible to get LED replacements for the halogen bulbs in there at the moment ?

Seems to me that if I can get a $50 LED flashlight that is almost as bright as a headlight, then I should be able to do something about the headlights 🙂

Any ideas or opinions ?

 

[-Virgil-]

No. You can buy so-called "LED bulbs", but they are strictly toys. There is no way to have an LED retrofit bulb of the type you have in mind. The light output and distribution (filament orientation, size, shape, placement, etc.) are crucial to the headlamp's ability to produce a correctly focused beam, and an LED drop-in is conceptually impossible. Also keep in mind "HID kits" in halogen-bulb headlamps or fog/auxiliary lamps (any kit, any lamp, any vehicle no matter whether it's a car, truck, motorcycle, etc.) do not work safely or effectively, which is why they are illegal.

 

[DonK]

Thanks for the input

Looks like I'll need to wait until good LED lights are standard on vehicles, and buy a new truck 🙂

Seems like the auto manufacturers are dragging their feet somewhat eh

 

[Lightdoctor]

I have a 2000 Tundra - headlights have always been poor, even when new. Wondered if it is possible to get LED replacements for the halogen bulbs in there at the moment ?

Seems to me that if I can get a $50 LED flashlight that is almost as bright as a headlight, then I should be able to do something about the headlights 🙂

Any ideas or opinions ?

Headlightservices.com You can get a relayed headlight harness for Toyota vehicles and high quality H4 (9003) lamps. I personally have bought from them and found the product to be excellent. I'm using Osram Rallye Hyper 70/65 H4 lamps in my Toyota truck. I think they are great.

 

[DonK]

thanks Lightdoctor, what kimd of prices are we talking about ?

 

[Lightdoctor]

thanks Lightdoctor, what kimd of prices are we talking about ?

You're looking at about $140.00. The harness is around $90 (#12AWG), while the lamps (bulbs) are around $20 each.

BTW, auto manufacturers consider LED headlights a premium upgrade...so of course they are going to pork you for it.

 

[DonK]

Thanks, I think it will be worth it to have good lights for this winter - and subsequent ones. Truck is in v good condition, and under 100,000 miles, so lots of life left in it. I don't use it a lot now, but it is a useful workhorse. I need a new battery too - tired of the Wal-Mart junk, so I think I'll lash out and get a Die Hard Platinum from Sears. Last I looked these were $150 (2yrs ago) now they are well over $200. Inflation at 4% per year - ha

I long for the day when manufacturers view LED headlights as standard. Honda have used them in tail lights for many years.

Is it difficult to install that harness ?

 

[Lightdoctor]

Batteries have become expensive...big business thinks we have bottomless wallets...we don't.

Actually, be glad that you don't have LED headlights for now...they have a way of frosting over in winter driving due to lack of head being thrown forward...lots of heat being thrown out the back, but that will do you no good in a blizzard or less.

The harness is plug and play with simple instructions...the most "difficult" part is mounting the relays. Time spent can be up to an hour if you want it to look perfect. The harness is sold under the 4Runner heading.

 

[DonK]

thanks

 

[-Virgil-]

Actually, be glad that you don't have LED headlights for now...they have a way of frosting over in winter driving due to lack of head being thrown forward

Er…"citation needed", please. There's a great deal of time, attention, and effort paid to lens freeze/frost/thaw issues at the design stage of every legitimate LED headlamp presently on the road and in development; from what I have seen (and I have stood in some very unpleasantly cold lab and real-world conditions making such observations) the problem you describe does not actually exist. It sounds suspiciously like the spurious "issue" of LED traffic lights frosting up to a greater degree than incandescents.