2021 LED headlights in earlier 5th gens...

TBH, I don't drive 4R that much. I don't even have a chance to test drive it only to turn it on and see how it works. It's super cool how they look and bright. I plan just buy for off-road only but too busy truck still 55 miles on them for a whole month.
My windshield is tinted 80%. I think It may help glare and reflection.

I read your post I have 2 questions

1. Are they spot on the level?
I saw you adjust higher so the brightest does not reflect back to you. You did that because of the brightest problem but from the factory are they spot on?

2. ''Also on the 2020 models beware the tap they provide for the fuse box does not fit''. My fit ok, can you clarify what not fit? the INJ fuse?

Thanks

 

Led requires a driver. Similar to the HID lamps. Some have them built in, not sure about the 21 led in the 4r. It may be plug and play just know that Ford was not and required a hundred bucks driver and a 90 buck harness that a forum member built

 

With the light output of the alpharex it's a downgrade from even plug and play bulbs. Alpharex had a mid level headlight that has more useable light.
I've not seen the 21 led yet and assumed they are bad if he swapped to alpha and likes it

 

In the picture they are 100% accurate leveled at 25 ft. I use a laser level to verify the ground is even level. Most paved surface is pitched for drainage and will not give a true reading.
The inj fuse tap on the 20s did not fit, perhaps they changed it for 21. I had to buy a new module for my fuse box because I used a mini tap.

 

They aren’t bad, but not great either. Very hard cut off and mine came angled all the way down. Once adjusted they are “livable”. I wish they were completely LED including signals and DRLs.

The lights on my 911 are much, much better, but for now I can live with the OEMs in my TRD Pro. Still looking for a LED DRL though.

 

The new OEM LED headlights cost about $705 each.

https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-unit-assembly-headlamp-8114035620?c=az0x

https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota.com/oem-parts/toyota-unit-assembly-headlamp-8107035610?c=az0x

BTW, there’s a thread on the other forum discussing retrofitting these to earlier 5th Gens. Some folks who have 2021s report that the LED headlights are pretty good but each headlight has a strange dark spot (shadow) in the projected light which some find distracting.

 

The dark spot is pretty accurately in the place where you would be blinding oncoming traffic when going straight. Therefore it should be blindingly obvious why that's there ... ;-)

 

Other folks seem to think it’s a flaw. But it looks like a deliberate design feature. That would be very cool if that is Toyota’s solution to reducing glare to oncoming traffic.
At least until the NHTSA allows adaptive headlights on US vehicles.
Check out this story and play the demo video.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/nhtsa-still-hasn-t-ruled-on-adaptive-headlights/ar-BB1apcdX

 

The heck? For $1400 I'd prefer to buy better looking retrofit headlights from vendors.

 

Unless I find a used set; that maybe the only option!
Ryan

 

Are those the same folks who don't want a proper transmission? And indoor plumbing? ;-)

 

From what it sounds like, he swapped Alpharex headlights in before he even had a chance to drive it (55 miles).

The OEM lights perform better. I have not seen a single photo of the Alpharex headlights that showed good optics. They are terrible headlights.

 

All the reviewers and photo posters of all their nighttime headlight shots take photos with empty roads.
What I’d like to see is a car in the oncoming lane, maybe 100 yards away, it’s lights off, with a seated driver. That way the photo may show the degree of glare reaching the driver and how much it lights up that car’s interior.

Any chance you can stage something like this, to show if that blanked out area really works?

 

Right now I have no one really to stage with ... I was adjusting my headlights yesterday to the point where I personally think the height adjustment should have been when I picked the car up, but I have no idea whether that is "the correct" setting that Toyota is supposed to set these to, I also don't have a flat driveway or such to do it.

Now, that being said, I was test driving it in the neighborhood after changing the adjustment and I noticed that on parked cars the blanked out spots seem to be where the driver is given a certain leeway to lane width and such. It's really hard to stage anything absolutely realistic, but from my perspective, it seems fairly clear that these "cut outs" are for avoiding glare for oncoming traffic. That might or might not work depending on lane width though.

 

Aftermarket headlight units are usually crap

 

Yes this is usually true. Good quality 7 inch round headlights can be found pretty easily, but those only fit Jeeps or older cars with round headlights.

 

Right now, I have no good way of simulating this, especially not at 100 yards away. This is the view in our street here:


I have the lights set relatively high right now, the black car on the left is maybe 50 yards away, maybe a bit more, the windshield gets illumination from a street light above but not from my headlights. The headlight "cut out" seems to be set to work at longer range, it's not affecting this photo much, if at all.

 

Much appreciated! Are those still your stock headlights? Also, are your fogs on or off?
Thanks,
Ryan.

 

Fogs are off. These are stock headlights on a 2021 TRD Pro in low beam. High beam will reach the vehicles beyond the cross street, which is maybe 200m or so. Haven't paced it out.

 

That is much better output from the stock halogens! I really like the spread & color. Does the color match the LED fogs?
Thanks again,
Ryan

 

You are asking questions ... probably ... I haven't checked. Let me go outside again and freeze my arse off ... ;-)

Yes, I'd say color temperature of stock fog LEDs and stock low beams is about the same. At least looking at it, I don't see a difference on mine. And the after glow of them right now in my eyes indicates the same.

 

My deepest apologies and thanks to you kind sir!
Seriously thanks,
Ryan
*edit* you type well for being blinded! Lol

 

No worries, I'm kidding of course. It's cold and I'm a California softie these days ... 50F feels coooooold after a long, hot summer.

 

I figured. It is 38° here & raining. I half wish I were living in California! People have gone nuts!
We are finishing the warmest November in history and it is 38 now. Supposed to be 50° on turkey day and I will be behind my big green egg all day (football on my phone)!
Now to find OEM LED headlights that someone took out as $1,400 isn't happening!
Thanks as always!
Ryan.

 

I'm definitely keeping mine. Right now, I'm trying to figure out what I can do to replace all the other halogen (or whatever) bulbs cheap-ass Toyota has left in the current setup. Meaning, DRLs, signals, interior lights, etc.

Drives me nuts how frigging cheap this car is built.

 

Please keep me posted. Either DM or on this thread. If OEM LED headlights are teuly very good & available 2nd market @ a decent price I may be a buyer.
Most aftermarket lights have that inverted Nike symbol that I hate. I guess I could disconnect it...
Much thanks!
Ryan.

 

Thanks for that photo shoot. It looks like a good lighting setup for your 4R. Compared to my 2018 with the H9 mod you seem to get a wider spread to the extreme sides, almost like the fogs are on.

BTW, that scene looks a lot like a typical SJ street the night before garbage pickup.

PS: For super bright LED turn signal bulbs look into Lasfit.
https://www.lasfit.com/pages/produc...r_2020~zq_all-trims~dz_rear-turn-signal-light

 

It’s a Sunnyvale street before garbage pickup ...

 

thanks for the pix anyone find a work around for retro fitting these to model years before 2021

 

I haven't seen anyone (at this time) but if anyone has access to a wiring diagram would be the best chance of seeing what's needed. Hopefully its just a driver and a harness.