Useable Highbeam light output? (2020+ High + Low beam LED 4Runners )

I was just wondering if there's a way to get a proper / useable high beam output for 2020+ Limited & Pro 4Runners?

Thinking if there's a way to use the DRL location for a proper highbeam upgrade? May be add separate 9005 wire harness and add a relay with a switch on dash? So I can run a good LED bulb for a proper high beam light output? (I'm thinking GTR Ultra 2 LEDs. I love them from my TRD ORP)

Ideas please?



Why I'm thinking to change it?
I feel like pre-2020 4Runner with stock halogen high beam is much brighter than this LED high beam. I personally think the LED high beam lacks in useable light output.

Why I don't want to change to an after market headlight housing?
I like the stock look and to me spending $1000 ish for a headlight housing is not worth. I would use it for auxiliary lighting.

How about adding a stealth Lightbar?
I looked at DRZ Offroad hidden light bar and I love the looks. Also seem to have a better light output than Diode dynamics dual SS6 or Headlight Revolution Vision X XPL. But It require to drill holes and remove the center bumper support bracket (near the hood latch). Any requires drilling and cutting is a no no for me.

 

I installed the Brite Box on my 4Runner last week which allows me to run the low beams, high beams, and fog lights all at the same time. That pretty much solved my problem.

 

That's the pretty good system I should check.
I also want something that throws light at distance.

 

Weird. I'm pretty sure my low beams and fogs stay on when I hit the brights. Was this something that got changed for 2020?

FWIW, I am running Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited bulbs in my high beans and pretty satisfied. When I'm really in the boonies, I sometimes use the bumper light bar as my high beams.

 

When you hit brights the fogs will turn off as stock. On Tacoma's there's a relay mod you can keep the fogs on with brights. For 4runners it's quite a process and that brightbox seems to be a solution for that.

I really wish on 2020+ Pro and Limited I can use Nightbreaker or something good. Sadly they they seem to use the same low beam bulb as high beam. I don't know how exactly they work but I guess they have an additional light chip for highbeam or some mechanical thing to release the cutoff line. It's really BAD even facing a wall. I was pretty disappointed driving on a rural road.

I wish I could use the bulb in the reflector as highbeam. Just like other trims or all of pre 2020 4runners. Right now that bulb is only used as DRL. To me personally that's pretty dumb and a big waste of that reflector.

If I could find a high beam wire I could easily tap that and add a highbeam bulb in that and probably use the current drl wire for some kind of "raptor light" or something for drls.

 

Really disappointed in the OEM led situation from the reviews I’m seeing here on the forum. Seems they just kinda tossed in a mediocre solution that might initially seem like an upgrade for the last two years of the 5th gen run.

The one thing that’s always bothered me about factory led’s is you just don’t have any other options if they suck. You’re kinda stuck with them.

 

OP does your daytime running light bulb remain lit when you have high beams on? What is the bulb size? (9005? H11?)

 

I just double checked (even though I have pics on post #1), Nope, daytime running light bulb turns off when headlights are on.

I did not remove the bulb and compare, but I think its a 9005 bulb just as other trims.

 

Interesting. I wonder if the reflector is the same as in other previous housings. It’d be cool if it was as simple as an inline resistor or something to get you 65 watts like previous years.

 

Visually it looks same as pre-2020 4Runner headlight housing.

 

Gotta be potential there for an upgrade. But I’m an idiot when it comes to electrical.

 

So far I found few things;

1. DRL on 2020 + TRD Pro (I bet its same for Limited) is same 9005 as other models (including pre 2020)


2. When one of the DRL Bulb is removed the other DRL stopped works. (I guess the wiring is in series). I might have to use something else to power DRL option (I'm thinking of grill mounted raptor lights or something like that.)

3. I found an old HID wiring controller which I would use for DRL to High beam conversion.


This would be a slow project and I would share my finding and progress as I get time.

 

I do like that upper grill kit and wish it had that DRL option like Vision-X ones have. So I could add an additional high beam bulb + 2 upper grill lights bars with DRL function.

 

Low beam projector is changed from halogen to support new LED and no more I see opening for low beams. And that same projector is used as low beam and high beam for TRD Pro and Limited 2020+.
So now that bulb in the reflector is just used as DRL (not functioning as highbeam). So my plan is to utilize that reflector for an additional highbeam and find some other option for DRLs.

 

The reflector looks same as 2014-2019s and the DRL bulb is same 9005 used in 2014-2019 high beams.

 

Did anyone ever make progress on this DRL “upgrade”?

 

There’s a few other threads out there diving into the same thing. Couple of notes:
1. The reflector has changed so it is not legally a high beam reflector anymore. Probably zero people will notice/care so not really a huge deal.
2. Fuses for the high beams are unchanged (both 10A for earlier models and later models)
3. 9005 extensions can be had on Amazon for less than $10

You could tap the high beam wire that goes into the combined high/low beam plug and just run it over to the DRL. Find a new ground for each and should be good to go. I am sure someone will correct me if that’s a bad idea, but I don’t see why it would be since the fuses are the same and therefore the wire gauge should be the same. The shutter on the combined projector probably doesn’t even draw 1A. I would not upgrade the bulb at all with that setup though.

 

On my 2023 both the low and high beams are LED and are in one single module. The old high beam location is now exclusively for the DRL. If you want more light, buy the 2023 LED module from Toyota and replace your low beam LED module with it. The 2023 LED high beams are VERY bright.

 

Here's what i have done.

1) Changed the DRL reflector to 2nd highbeam using a separate switch.
(What about DRL? Using raptor style 2 grill lights)
https://youtu.be/vesGHtosIHk

2) Added 2 Diode dynamic 6 in light bars to the top grill to work on the same 2nd highbeam switch.
https://youtu.be/NZTH8pdBtVU

3) (need to post a video) Added 2 spot lights to work with the same switch.

 

Off road use ?

 

Those aren’t new. They are the same as the previous years with LED high and low. The older 9005 halogen dedicated high beam is brighter than the high beam from the combo low/high

 

I almost thought 2023 bi-leds are better than 2021 bi-leds. So they are the same? I was about to ask someone in my CO group if I could come to do a quick video of 2023 bi-led highbeam vs 2021 bi-led highbeam.

 

There’s already been three versions of the 2014+ headlights. They aren’t going to redesign the already great LED projector in an aging platform