Need some headlight help

First a couple of questions -

1. Are high beam and low beam bulbs the same ?

2. Are they color coded ? (seem to be on my Taco, light and dark blue)

3. What's the best way to remove the extra slot in a H 9 bulb so it fits in a H 11 socket ? I managed to do it but can't help but think there must be an easier way.

I just replaced my low beams with Philips H 9's. Package states neither high beam nor low beam. Decided to do the high beams also and found some labeled as high beam, some labeled as low beam and some labeled as neither (such as the Philips I bought).

So what's the straight skinny ?

TIA

 

Thanks.

The original OEM bulbs are color coded. Low beams are blue and high beams are dark blue. The high beam bulbs have a painted "cap" on top. Looks like it blocks the light from coming out the top of the bulb. Both bulbs are the same form factor and thus are interchangeable.

I'd prefer to go with LED's but read that they don't work well in a Halogen housing.

The OEM H11 bulbs are too dim to suit me. The H9 bulbs are brighter but not as bright as I was expecting. Maybe it's the yellow that makes them look dim.

 

You are 100% correct in that "drop in" LED's do not play well in housings designed for halogen / incandescent bulbs. The main issue is stray light / glare caused by differences in the shape and orientation of the light sources. Although drop in LEDs have gotten better over that last year or so, the glare issue remains. I just got back from a 3,600 mile cross country trip and had an idiot behind me in Iowa with a Dodge truck with drop in LEDs. To say that his low beams were blinding to oncoming drivers would be a major understatement. After about 5 miles, I slowed down enough to incent him to pass me. Then I let him have it with everything I have. He flashed his high beams on ahead of me to prove he was actually running his low beams. I let him have it again. (Does that make me a bad person?) Anyway, don't do it.

Remember this, "brighter" does no always mean "more usable light on the ground." And I'm assuming you want the latter. Does your truck have the factory fog lights? If so, there are several options out there to dramatically improve your foreground lighting without pissing everybody off.

 

Very informative information. Thanks

 

These threads might be of some help:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-led-sae-j583-fog-pod-fog-light-review.554813/

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/automotive-lighting-101.534393/

 

Ahh, I've experienced the exact thing but didn't know what it was. I don't have fog light at present but they are on my todo list. Just bought the complete stalk assembly off eBay that includes the intermittent wiper and the fog light switches. Just gotta sort the rest out.