2021 TRD Pro Headlight Dark Spot on Low Beams

I agree. It is annoying at 1st but trust me with the proof in this link. read though post 1 as it compares many many bulbs / aftermarket headlights etc. I could not update post one (got banned as someone got offended from a mild joke) so post 60 shows the 21 oem led. they are the best out of the bunch
https://www.4runners.com/threads/headlight-comparison-stock-vs-others.11875/page-2#post-268366

 

With mine, I didn't notice the dark shadow (or the Bat signal as I call it...) until AFTER I changed the bulbs. I thought, at first, it was because I might have touched the bulb with my fingers, so I bout another new one, replaced and it was still there. A friend suggested that maybe a bolt or screw became loose somehow and the headlight is now not pointing in the correct position.

 

No, nothing you did caused the spot to appear. It's right there from the factory.

Personally - and speaking as one of the pickiest guys in the world on vehicle lighting - I don't see what the fuss is all about. I got used to the UFO in my lighting pattern after about a week and I hardly even notice it anymore. Add to that the fact that it does not negatively affect the light output in any way and what we have is a lot of wing flapping over nothing. Again, that's just my personal opinion.

 

Glad someone raised the Led Output Issues as well.

My 4R 2022 LED Low/High Beams are nowhere as bright as the aftermarket Auxito LED 9005 on my Highlander.

Does anyone how to adjust/increase the beam pattern/cutover .. especially to see road signs ahead?

 

I have the same problem with stock bi-LED on my 21'TRD Pro. High beam s^cks..!!! This is what I did to improve the lighting. (I'm not a professional, just sharing what I did for mine. Not expert advice.)

https://youtu.be/vesGHtosIHk

 

Highly Appreciated @kmeeg

Your setup has a very good output. Unfortunately... Cant replicate this. Not electrical inclined. Software Engineer.
Am looking for a simple way to increase the Beam cutoff pattern as first step.

Obviously the Bi-Led isnt functioning as a regular 9005 at all.

Street signs are not lighting up.

Not cool

 

Most people seem to be pretty happy with the light output and beam pattern of the OEM LED low beams (the weird notch in the pattern not withstanding). Im pretty happy with them as well, and honestly see very little room for improvement with regard to how evenly the light is distributed.

However, light boundary/cutoff at the top is soooo tightly defined and sharp, that anything beyond it is pitch black. It sounds like your complaint is basically the same one I have. There’s basically zero spillover that would help the eye pick up anything beyond the cutoff.

I think the best solution to this is simply to re-aim your headlights. It took me a few tries, but I basically raised the cutoff until I thought I liked it. Then I drove until somebody flashed me, then I lowered it a bit more. I basically raised the low beams until nobody flashed me anymore. That’s still a bit lower than I liked it on my first attempt, but I’m not out to blind other people lol. I also made sure that my light cutoff was below the shoulder level of any sedan stopped in front of me at an intersection.

Dont bother doing all those crazy light wall aiming procedures…that’s to establish the standardized set level toyota sends them out of the factory with. (The cutoff is so defined, that you’ll also be able to easily tell if one light is higher than the other). Just take a screwdriver with you, drive on a variety of roads, and stop and re-adjust aim when you think they are too high or you get flashed. You’ll have them adjusted as perfectly as possible within an hour. (If you ever drive with a heavy load a long distance, you’ll probably have to readjust them lower to account for any significant suspension sag).

Raising the cutoff in this way has the effect of reducing the light intensity of the lit area, since the light is covering more surface area. This helps the eye transition better between the lit and unlit areas.

While aiming of my low beams helped, I still wish they had a bitmore controlled spill beyond the cutoffs. They would be the perfect light otherwise.

 

Perfect. Will try the cutout readjustment this weekend on the community roads.
Counterclockwise raises the beam?

 

Here's a good article on how to adjust your low beams.

Essentially,

• Clockwise to lower (Turns the gear counterclockwise)
• Counterclockwise to raise (Turns the gear clockwise)

https://trail4runner.com/2018/02/03/aiming-headlights-lower-5th-gen-4runner/

 

What I find really odd is the complete range of headlights on Toyota vehicles. My wife rented a 2022 Siena Hybrid for our trip to Florida and I really thought our two Toyotas had descent headlights (2013 Avalon Limited w/ HID & 2021 ORP w/ LED). Driving that minivan at night showed me how crappy our headlights are...

Steve

 

In what ways did you think it was better?

 

The cutoff was almost gone on the the minvan, the cutoff on both the other cars is just horrible in comparison.

Steve

 

it’s funny, but in one of these threads, somebody mentioned that back in the early days of projector headlights, a sharp cutoff was the way of showing how “good” the lights were. Apprently “sharp cutoff” even made it to one of the Fast and Furious movies.

I suppose a sharp cutoff can showcase how much control a designer has over the light beam, but I wish they would have moved on from that and focus instead on controlling the light in such a way that works well with the human eye. When you have a brightly lit area next to shadows, the eye adjusts to bright, to the detriment what of dark areas/shadows.

 

The additional problem relates to the sharp cut off. Difficult to see Overhead motorway street sign in comparison to other vehicles with LEDS

 

I feel the EXACT same way. I tend to hyper focus and follow this spot around as it follows the road. Did you ever find a solution to this ?

 

this same exact thing is driving me nuts. I feel like i have to constantly keep my high beams on to eliminate this sharp line.


It feels like a blind half way down covering part of my vision

 

Yes. Exactly. I hate this. Did you ever find a solution? Or did you just have to get used to this ?

 

So you did adjust them ?? How did you do this ? I feel like mine are pointing at the ground.

 

I got used to it somehow. Turned on automatic high beam to compensate.
Dealerships and local inspection shops refused to re-aim higher.

 

Adjusting them is pretty easy, it’s covered a little bit earlier in the thread. It’s worth the trouble, which is not that much compared to the trouble it causes on unlit roads with high traffic. Middle of the winter is the worst time for me with these lights, as it’s already dark outside when everyone is getting out of work (constant state of being dazzled by everybody else’s factory LED lights, while being left in the dark with our “sharp cutoff” lights. Aiming them a bit better goes a long way.

 

You adjusted or dealer?

 

Ive read this whole thread and I get it that there’s a stupid black dot, it seems to also move around, what I don’t get is I’m sitting in the exact center of my car for this pic and both black dots are to the left side. This also occurs while driving. Did I miss something or is this not correct? Why is both to the left side, when I’m up close to my garage they are both on their respective sides it seems. Shit is driving me nuts and along with the terrible seats I want to get rid of this truck already. I also found what appears as two black specs in the left headlight that may be contributing but am unsure.

 

Same. 2022. Left side gets bigger the further away.