Amazing 1st Gen Headlamp Upgrade

I had LED bulbs. These resisters that are listed in the thread.

$23 Xprite H4/9003 LED Canbus Decoder Anti Ficker Harness Error Free Resistor Capacitor for LED Headlight Bulbs, Pack of 2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SGCHF5B

I'll check Rockauto, thanks.

 

Oh ok, so you just had LED H4 bulbs but not the mini projectors? Got it.

 

gotta test on the neighbors garage.

 

UPDATE: Did this install yesterday and I'm happy to report that everything worked WITHOUT having to get the extra resistors!

 

No fair!

That said I got my resistors today, installed one in the passenger side and fogs and high beams both work as intended.

Wish I had taken this picture with the prior bulbs, and will take it again after I get the new housing with lenses you can actually see through.

 

Drove my work truck (2001 Silverado) for the first time after dark since upgrading my Tundras headlights. Wow. Might as well have had two flashlights strapped to the hood. And I remember replacing those bulbs (with direct stock replacements) a couple years ago.

 

For my 2005 Tundra, the fog lights are shared with similar years of the Ford F150s and 2nd Gen Tundras ( not sure if this includes 2.5 gen Tundras). I saw a deal for an open box set of Diode Dynamics SS3 amber SAE fog lights with the Toyota brackets that I am going to install shortly. Before getting these, I was considering adding mini projectors to the fog lights too. I may still try this out of curiosity and for comparison

 

Long ish term failure- Original purchase date 6/23.

I have one bulb with extremely low output. Will probably wind up ordering another set because I don’t want to buy a retrofit right now.

 

I think you'll find it's burnt. @RUSTYNUTS went through it and started a thread on the topic here: https://www.tundras.com/threads/colight-mini-projector-lifespan.132133/

Check the pics in reply 26 to see the low-output on one side. He got 2-3 years out of his. I kicked him some spares at-cost because the bulbs were difficult to find and he needed to get up and going.

As for what you'll find, which is this below - that spot essentially on the other side of the LED chip ultimately fries - here's a pic of RN's bulbs, and here's an example from scAmazon's site, I've seen similar on here and on the FB groups.

He also complained about low output on one bulb and that's how/when he found it. Clearly the design is flawed, and we're all guinea pigs. It's pretty obvious what's happening here... just not sure what causes it. Is it from running with high beams on, maybe having all three cells lit is too hot?

Or will this eventually happen to everyone with regular usage?

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Meh I wasn’t expecting much out of them for how cheap these were. I’m half tempted to try a cheap Amazon bi LED retrofit for 30 bucks more since I have another set of housings. I’m just going to nickel and dime myself into real retrofits. Lol

 

coincidentally, I've just noticed that one headlight is looking a bit dim this past weekend. Typically, I replace bulbs in pairs, but when I got that pair from you @shifty`, for whatever reason, I only replaced the failing one. Kept the other for a backup, which is coming in clutch right now.
Really like the output and clean cutoff of these bulbs but their lifespan is disappointing.
To be fair; I do drive it just about every night, so they likely get used more than average, yet rarely with the brights on.

Just pull the trigger.

Couple years ago, I went hunting for the brightest headlights I could put in stock housings. I went thru a couple sets of LED's, a couple sets of HID's, 4-5 sets of high dollar halogens, a pair of mini projectors and a pair of new housings. I don't even know what I spent, but I'd guess around $500 or so? Now I'm stuck with housings that can only be used with one type of bulb that apparently lasts about as long as a pair of socks

Don't do that

 

Do the trucks with drl's run the mini projectors full time? Aside from the trucks with the tearduct lights?

 

I was contemplating ordering a backup pair of co-lights . . . guess i will now.

 

Mine do. It's virtually impossible to get my headlights to turn off.

I mean, to be fair, you can still retrofit to HID or a "proper" projector with those housings, just gotta bake 'em open to seed the internals.

 

The housings I have are new and identical to the ones I have on the truck now. They started peeling so I don’t want to invest in retrofit stuff on a housing that won’t last. These housings were ceramic coated as well. So I’m just being cheap lol. So when the next iteration fails I’ll retrofit haha

 

Maybe it's why the new Y6 model has a fan. Dammed if you do...

 

Seems like a toss-up. You either get a hugely finned, oversized heatsink or a skimpy tiny little heatsink with a fan to pull air across it.

My employer the last couple decades manufactured tons of embedded devices. You'd be shocked at how much more effective a well-made heatsink can dissipate heat over a fan with a skimpy sink. And it's sobering to see the kind of meltdowns that can happen when a fan dies on a skimpy heatsink.

If the fan was actually pulling air across the LED chips, I'd probably be more favorable to it. But it's not. It's only there to help extract heat from the sink, by way of pulling cooler ambient air over it to absorb heat from the fins.

 

My cheap ass ordered another set of colights LOL

 

Haha, yes! Stay with us!

My housings and other bulbs are out for delivery. I should go ahead and pop out the fog housings and try to get them polished ahead of time, then reinstall with the new bulbs when everything is here.

 

Trust me the only reason this is even happening is because I don’t want to spend the money on retrofits. I’ve already decided that these are not for me, but new headlights aren’t high enough priority for me to pull the trigger.

 

Probably needs a final adjustment but got it below blatant blind level for a starting spot.

The Philips 9006 fog lights weren’t a great fit in the OE fog light housings but I added an additional/thicker o-ring and it made for a snugger fit.

Nice refresher for sure.

Before (note: this is the C6 still but in my aged crappy busted yellowed housing):


Now:

 

Are these a plug and play into the stock housing? After removing the reflector of course. Do they fit snug, or will I have to Dremel, or silicone them?

 

If you watch the video that's linked in the beginning, it'll show everything needed. Once the reflector is out, they fit in with no further mods.

 

Anyone know of any Black Headlight Housings for a 2006 SR5 DC that are CAPA Certified?
Any links would be fantastic.

 

I have installed 9006 LED Mini projectors in my foglight housings..... definite improved light throw with good cutoff. No drivers flashing me. These are essentially"driving lights" . I haven't taken good photos of the LEDs in use but it's definitely noticable. I got these off AliExpress for $20 for the pair.

They work so well that I haven't switched over to Diode Dynamics pro foglights yet

 

I imagine DRL function is just a setting you can change in techstream if you wanted to turn them off. I did it with an eBay techstream dongle and my laptop on a 2004 gx470 I used to have.

 

I noticed Auxbeam is selling mini projectors for our fog lights also: https://auxbeam.com/products/xd000238-1

And inexpensive plug-and-play inline resistors for the same and/or maybe headlight circuit?: https://auxbeam.com/products/9006-h...-canbus-load-resistor-conversion-kit-2pcs-set

I went with the Foxbeam kit myself: https://www.foxbeamlighting.com/products/ss3-led-fog-light-kit-for-2000-2007-toyota-tundra-sequoia

Which DD is also now selling, the kit is that good: https://www.diodedynamics.com/ss3-led-fog-light-kit-for-2000-2006-toyota-tundra-w-steel-bumper.html

But here's what those mini fog projectors look like:

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I’d like to double stack some 4pot pods in my fog light housing like I’ve seen someone else do on here. Maybe one amber fog and one white driving light.

 

Interesting . . . thanks for the share Shifty.
I may give those Auxbeams a try since my fogs look terrible now after my upgrades.
I wonder if i'd need the resistor for the fog circuit since I've already changed out the flasher relay to the DD model ?
Thanks again for the heads up . . . kind of what I was looking for minus the fans, but no biggie.

EDIT - Just ordered the Auxbeams & resistors. Will update here after install.

 

Quick question... What are you guys using to adjust the headlights? I can't seem to get my Philips down there in my 06 dc