LED fog lights

Hello all. I’m new here. But am having a serious issue. I purchased my 2018 SR5 Tundra last March. Soon after that I wanted LED head lights and fog lights since all my other vehicles have had them. I guess I got use to actual light, so the stock bulbs were not cutting it. So I called my dealership and spoke to a parts person. He told me that Toyota did not offer LED and to get aftermarket, which I did. I purchased the lights and installed last July. Last Wednesday, 9 months later, I noticed my fog lights were out. So I checked, and the fuse was blown. I replaced fuse and it blew immediately. Even without keys in ignition, or lights on. I took to dealership this past Saturday for normal maintenance and to check out the fog lights. Of course they blamed the aftermarket lights. And of course they did not have Toyota fog lights in stock. So I was asked to see if I have originals, which I did, and bring truck up during the week for a more qualified tech to see. I found the original lights and figure I would reinstall them to hope it was as simple as that. Well after installing original lights, I installed a fuse. It did not blow. That was good so I left alone. Took wife’s car grocery shopping, and when we came back home. I noticed fog lights were on. So I checked. Everything was off at switch. The only way to get turned off was to pull fuse. So I had to take back to dealer.
Here’s where the BS starts. They called me and said I needed a new wiring harness and some wires replaced. They said that wires at fuse box, which is beside the engine, had melted. They also said since there was also a thermo problem, that is why they said the harness needs to be replace. Of course all the blame was the LED lights. They claim that LED lights run hot. That’s why the wires 3 feet away, beside the hot engine, melted. Not melted at the plugs or any where around the lights. But melted the wires at the fuse box. Because of this, warranty will not cover the $3,000 harness, which from what I can tell there is no proof anything is wrong, or will it cover any wiring issues. I called 2 different LED manufacturers. And they both said that LED lights use less power, draws less amps, and operate cooler then halogen.
So I am hoping someone here has had a similar issue, or is smarter then anyone at the dealership. I picked my truck up yesterday, and ironically my service rep was not there. So I spoke to 2 other people there, and they both said that diagnosis did not sound right. I have reached out to Toyota, and hoping they will call. Sorry for long post, but wanted to give as much info as I can. I had LED headlights and fog lights in my Challenger, F150, my wife’s highlander and her Tahoe over the last 5 years and have never had an issue.

 

so from my lil bit of knowledge i've learned....some LED's will run warmer. I've had some I installed on my wife's acura tl foglights and they came with a cooling fan attached to them that would run while on...which kept it cool. I've heard of some that will say they can get pretty hot. More of the main unit, and not the actual diodes(not 100% sure on that). LED lights do some crazy things tho. Sometimes they can interfere with garage door openers, remote starts, or other things requiring a signal. Crazy! $3000 harness sounds pretty steep, but maybe I don't know any better. There are LED lights offered for the tundras, but they are the whole LED headlight assembly off the TRD PRO's and all. Housing is made for the LED's to shine properly since putting LED's in a halogen housing isn't the right way to do it(although i know this, i did put LED fogs/headlights/and switchbacks in recently lol). the fuse blowing...i have heard of that happening multiple times as well after installing LED lights from dome lights to headlights. not sure what brand/kind you went with, but that may have something to do with it. sometimes certain kinds can do some screwy stuff. as for the harness being melted, i believe i've heard of that happening before because things are running warmer/hotter and that ends up being the weakest point of melting and shorts things out. I'm not expert at all on this, but have just read on things like this happening before with people. I do get the warranty not covering it(although i'm not a huge fan of it) since an unapproved aftermarket item was put in place of an OEM piece....it sucks....but i get it. Sorry to hear man and sorry for my long winded/potentially helpless reply. ;-)

 

LED lights use less power = less heat - not hotter wire.

1st thoughts: New LED Fog(s) failed/shorted and blew the fuse. The fuse if using spec'd amp for circuit should protect the wire / harness. If fuse size is increased then damaged could be done to wiring / harness.

Did you see the damaged wire or harness?

 

I sell electrical supplies, including lighting for a living, and have done so for over twenty years.

So, first of all, LED lamps DO NOT run hot. Pretty much the coolest running lamp you can get. It’s funny they told you that, though. Your stock ones were halogen, which are damned near the hottest lamp you can get in any application.

So, that answer is BS, but, something did cause an issue. What brand fogs did you use? Someone else here may have experience with them. LED lighting is much easier on any electrical system than halogen, incandescent, fluorescent, etc. The actual lamps won’t cause this problem. Something else did. I agree with them that your aftermarket fogs caused something to go wrong, but they’re full of shit with what they say about LED. (Maybe there’s a small chance it was a manufacturing defect in the LED, but nothing in my experience says they could do what you described.)

Going forward - Lots of guys here have installed aftermarket led lights, myself included. I haven’t seen anyone else have this issue, so once again, let us know what brand they were.

On the harness, check with a member here @iHacker . He makes harnesses for a lot of us, and his quality is at least as good as OEM, if not better. I imagine he can find a solution much cheaper than 3k.

 

I have LED retros with the LED strip in my 2017 plus LED bulbs in the factory fog light housings and all is fine and dandy. Only problems I have had are related to connections due to the light gauge wire running the DRLs and turn signals.

 

Thanks fir all the input. The brand was from headlightexperts.com. I agree with some of you about installing the aftermarket LED. But also am very frustrated that I was told by a parts person at the dealership to get aftermarket lights. The LED lights have been installed for 9 months with no problem. Truck was serviced 3 times by that dealership. Nothing was ever said about the lights. Also, They never said that the wiring harness was bad. They just said it should be replaced because of a “possible” thermostat problem. The melted wires are supposedly by the fuse box. I was not shown. Truck runs fine. Everything is working other then the fog lights.
LED fog lights and headlights have been out for years. Most manufacturers are putting them in as standard. Hell, there are LED driving lights in my Tundra. If Toyota wants to claim this as an issue, then they should have LED upgrades available. Not have their parts people tell their customers to get aftermarket lights, then claim they cause an issue.

 

Sorry. Not thermostat problem. They said thermo problem. Got to love auto correct.

 

So here is the update. I spoke to a case manager for Toyota. He basically told me what the dealership told me. Too screw off. I was very surprised that he did not mention to go to another dealership, since they are independently owned, for a second opinion. So I took it to an auto electrical shop. They told me, and also showed a pic, that apparently when the truck was built, that the fog lamp wire going to fuse box was wrapped around the ABS pump wire going to fuse box. Apparently they have been rubbing together and finally damaged the casing/insulation which exposed bare wire. He said there is absolutely no melted wires or is there any damage to wiring harness. He also said that without a doubt this is a warranty issue. So not only did the service tech lie about burnt wires, the case Manager for Toyota dripped the ball. So I’m out $700 and not sure what I want to do next. So there it is. All that money for a supposed investment in one of the best auto manufacturers, to be lied to and told to screw off over something that was a manufacturer defect.

 

Did it get fixed? If not You should show them the findings. If the they cannot show you melted wire or harness, they should consider the findings.

It sucks that you are having to deal with this.

 

Yes I just got it fixed. It cost $400 fir them to dig into the fuse box. I did not feel comfortable the fact they found bare wires and it was $300 more to fix. So I just had it fixed. They did document the fact that there was no evidence of damage from the LED lights.

 

I would be letting the Dealership and Toyota of the repair, that was misdiagnosed. Bite your tongue, present the evidence and you may get reimbursed, a long shot but persistence will be the key.

Good Luck!

 

Sorry to hear about your issues.

Welcome from NY.

 

I have reached out to the Service Advisor and kept it kind of cool about the facts. I am giving him a day or 2 to respond. I am not the type to want anything for free. But what I would like is at least 1/2 reimbursement and do a competent tech there to look over everything to ensure the repairs are up to their standards.
And of course an apology from some head honchos.

 

"went to the Dealer" thats the problem.

 

And yet another story of shit & deceit finds its way to the mile high pile of dealership crap. Gonna need an elevator soon.