Amazing 1st Gen Headlamp Upgrade

They were definitely a smidge low in that picture.

While that method of using other vehicles will work to get the height right, it won't get the rotation right. Reply #61 of this thread (page 3) has a couple of videos on aiming. I did a basic variation on a wall to get there.

Rotation-wise, if you know this, ignore, but you want your cuttofs to be horizontally linear flowing into each other like _____/ ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯/¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ and not like stairs. This is the best pic I've got of mine after aiming and rotating roughly correctt; ass-end of the truck is down in this pic so the aim appears a few inches high here.

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I'll try to find a wall somewhere or something that I get 3ft in front of and close to 25ft back--have a couple places in mind give or take a foot or 2. And There is no horizontal adjuster on my year assembly, just the vertical slot for the philips head. Which means having to manually rotate the led itself by hand within the housing assembly? I saw others here have said colights are already pretty much centered

 

Honestly, I used my garage. It's almost exactly as deep as the truck is long. If you can get it at 3ft and 10ft, that's probably sufficient. I know the recommendation is up close in the 3-5ft range and far out 20-30ft range, but frankly ... that's "ideal" while "good enough" also works.

 

I'm an idiot, these are clearly the high beams that are on. Removing the passenger side resistor made the high beams stay on whether I switched the lights from highs to low. This picture shows the low beams on (really highs) with the fog lights on--switching to highs only shut the fogs off while the headlights remained the same. Putting the resistor back on and they worked properly again except that the passenger side light is still not putting out barely any light. Already contacted Colight but I'm considering more readily available mini projector options since the reflector is removed--don't feel like waiting days for the email exchanges w/COlight followed by waiting another week or 2 to get the replacements from China

 

Finding a flat surface to park on, and a flat surface to project the headlights on, was my biggest challenge. Finally noticed a large cargo trailer parked in the work parking lot and ran over there one night to get mine dialed in.

 

D'oh! Damn.

 

Lol yup. And I'm assuming, just throwing in this style won't work with the reflector removal mod done to the assemblies. i.e. led bulbs would just bounce everywhere as oppsed to actual mini projectors projecting.

$49 Termitor H4/9003/HB2 LED Bulbs Hi/Low Beam, 36000LM 900% Super Brighter, 1:1 Halogen Size, 6500K Cool White, 60000Hrs Long Service Life with Cooling Fan, Plug and Play, Pack of 2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKJ8BQ5J

 

TYC with ppf is best for longevity... late response lol but for anyone else wondering here u go. Amazon is nice because of return policy. I got a mirror instaid of a Tundra light so hastle free no questions asked

 

My colight replacement bulb finally come in today. Will wait until the sun goes down to get pictures of both Y16s working properly but will adjust them later.

For anyone planning on doing this upgrade, inspect both sides of the leds to make sure neither the highbeam or low beam are burnt out. See my photos of my passenger light led visibly burnt. Also a picture of the replacement new/good led for comparison.

 

These just arrived from summit, $35 each. Are these ok housings to install? Thanks

 

My really cheap Amazonian housings (non-Capa) lasted about 3 years before the fading and yellowing began. I polished and ceramic coated them and got another year out of them. They are yellowing again.

 

Eagle Eyes generally makes good stuff. DEPO, TYC, Eagle Eyes, and there's one other I always forget.

If it's genuinely made in Taiwan as the box says, and not mainland China, that's in your favor. Taiwanese stuff is, and always has been, good stuff. It's the mass-produced mainland China garbage that tends to fall apart quickly.

 

Thanks y’all, finally a win. So next questions are the pass headlight is missing the boot and the connector is a little toasty. Is this something still available, are there upgrades to the boot or connector. I’ve read this thread 3 times and I’m still confused as what is a good headlight replacement or upgrade. I’m looking for something that is a known quantity of either replace or upgrade, a lot of this thread seems like conjecture or is hard for me to understand, I’m not the brightest bulb. thank you

 

I think I’ve got some spare boots somewhere. I run the aftermarket upgrade harness to prevent plug burning like that and juice the lights up a bit more.

 

The headlights both work now. FYI. Thanks

 

May you elaborate as what is and where an upgraded harness may be found. I like Arkansas, but it’d be a drive. Thanks

 

Found it


The harness is available on Scamazon. Takes your factory light plug and adds a relay with dedicated power to the lights.

 

I’m

Cool. I’ll look for the harness. Should I replace that toasty plug? I’ll hit up Toyota for some boots or just search, thanks y’all

 

If you decide to run the harness you won't be using that plug for anything anymore most likely. You'll only be using the driver side plug to control the relay harness.

 

Melted headlight electrical plugs are a big reality in the vintage Porsche community especially since many installed 100W halogens. Pelican and or there’s sell ceramic connectors that will fit your terminals.

 

https://www.hipoparts.com/ceramic-f...ht-socket-kit-w-terminals-fits-7-round-lamps/