Led bulb install

Good morning everyone,
I've got a 2013 Tacoma TRD Sport and just recently installed new led headlight/fog light bulbs in it and now I can't tell a difference in the low and hi beams. They are installed correctly ( tabs oriented in same way as the old halogen bulbs) but I just can't tell the difference in them. What could I be doing wrong. Thank y'all for any and all help

 

When I installed LED bulbs I noticed the same not much difference between high and low but I have a first gen. I went back to halogen bulbs.

 

LED bulbs don't work worth a hoot in those housings as they are not designed for it.

Your solution is here.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

In the meantime see if you can return those LEDs

 

Factory housing?

 

For starters you put LED in halogen housing. Congratulations you officially blinding the shit out of oncoming traffic.

 

Must not have blinded the shit out of anyone cause I passed 2 on coming sheriff patrol cars and they didn't turn around and pull me over for it...I asked for advice not smart ass comments

 

I would bet since the housings are made for halogen bulbs, you're not getting the proper light pattern thus they don't look much different. Alot of foreground light.

 

You want help. Read this if you want better lighting.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-ultimate-headlight-upgrade-h4-not-led-or-hid.398066/

And to clarify my comment LED bulbs and halogen housing are not compatible. No matter what the LED manufacturer says they cannot make LED emit the same as halogen bulb.

Just because you didn’t get pulled over, doesn’t mean you were not blinding them. Swap vehicles with a buddy and try passing each other at night.

 

https://www.vleds.com/h4-micro-evolution-install-guide are the pair I bought on sale for replacements when the originals burn out. https://www.vleds.com/aiming-headlights and other instruction on this page: https://www.vleds.com/guides I hope this helps, as I enjoying voting for the kind of life I'd like to see with every dollar I spend (and I like the northern part of this continent). Call them in Bellingham, WA 9-4 PST
1-844-640-3813 I'm hoping to drive out that way next summer after I retire from 2 school years as part-time night custodian (pays for Tacoma gear...even before the 26% raise last summer.)

 

You asked for advice, you got advice. Ditch the LED bulbs unless you are willing to do the entire thing correctly. You ARE blinding oncoming drivers no matter what you think.

 

The factory housings are built to reflect light down the road in a certain way. The cutoff line, high beam angle, etc is engineered to work with a halogen bulb. The exact position of the source of light (the glowing bulb filament) is very important in relation to the reflective "mirrors" inside the housing.

When you change to LED bulbs, the source of light (the diode) is now in a different spot. The light reflects differently down the road. No more crisp cutoff line, light scattered up into the trees.

Just because the light in front of the vehicle appears brighter doesn't mean it's actually shining down the road in a useful manner.

The ultimate headlight thread linked above is worth a read.

 

First of all let me say I'm sorry for popping off about the smart ass comments.. y'all are correct...I did ask for advice.. I didn't know that the headlight housings were not compatible with led bulbs. Thanks to all that commented and sorry for being a jerkwad

 

Could also do the H11 to H9 upgrade if you want a cheap lighting upgrade but still using halogens in a stock housing. I did it on my F150 and the H9 bulbs were like $10 a piece at Menards. They require a little work and don't last as long though
https://youtu.be/BFp-d-ZDC0E?si=IZe8ZyX2Y1NAipjm

 

Appreciate it

 

Hey, welcome to TW! I was just writing about this on another thread, and quoting the same guy referencing the same topic: The thread referenced by @Clearwater Bill is where it's at!!! And also by @ace96

Seriously, if there were a better option at even 10x the price, I would run that. But there isn't, so I run halogen bulbs in OEM-style reflector housings, and my headlights absolutely kick ass, without blinding other drivers. Even if you don't care about blinding other drivers, these are still the absolute best headlights you can run. (They just happen to not blind other drivers!)

Sorry you wasted money on LEDs, many of us made the same mistake. Hopefully you can return them, but if not, I would recommend throwing them in the garbage. Call it a learning experience.

Hope this doesn't come across as a smart ass comment, I mean it genuinely.

It's kind of crazy thinking that more-modern technology can't do any better than this horse-and-carriage bullshit that came with our trucks. But it's factually true! If your headlights aren't bright enough, replace your bulbs and housings, and follow other suggestions on the above-referenced thread. This is the cheapest, easiest, safest, and by far the most effective way to improve your headlights.

 

Nah...no worries..just hate wasting money after reading and seeing people say upgrade to LEDs...didn't know that the housing was not compatible to use them ..lesson learned..ordered some Osram night breaker halogens for it..again Ty to all those who commented and sorry for being a jerkwad

 

The H9 upgrade does not work on second generation Tacomas. Wrong bulb.

 

Different plug style?

 

Completely different bub.