2013-2015 headlamp replacement - HID low beam

[2014 LEX 570 GA]

When I replaced my HIDs this last weekend I had trouble figuring out how to release the spring because I couldn’t really see what it looked like in there. All I could do is feel around so I used my new DJI Action 2 to cast video to my phone. I couldn’t get my head in there but the camera is small. Here’s a pic of what it looks like. After seeing that, it was easy for me to understand how to release the spring.

View attachment 3254747

Just squeeze the two tops of that silver wire that each almost form a square and then it swings down and you can pull the bulb out.

I couldn’t really see in there either and made the idiot mistake of unscrewing the brace that holds that wire on and then it fell into the bottom of the headlight housing - never to be seen again. Thankfully I found a replacement on eBay.

 

[reddog90]

@kcjaz are you pleased with your bulb choices?

Has anyone done 55w HIDs in the lows?

Are HID for the low projectors and better halogen bulbs for the high reflectors still the way to go? LED technology seems to have improved a lot since this thread was started and there are lots of tests on youtube showing some LED bulb kits working very well in reflectors now.

 

[kcjaz]

@kcjaz are you pleased with your bulb choices?

I haven’t had a chance to go out at night on roads w/o other traffic for a good test. My old HIDs flickered so that part is better now. I will say that so far in night driving in heavy traffic, I haven’t had an “OMG these are awesome moment”. It’s just hard to tell with all the other vehicle lights. I’ll get a good test Friday when we go to the Lake.

 

[pvchaitanya]

When I replaced my HIDs this last weekend I had trouble figuring out how to release the spring because I couldn’t really see what it looked like in there. All I could do is feel around so I used my new DJI Action 2 to cast video to my phone. I couldn’t get my head in there but the camera is small. Here’s a pic of what it looks like. After seeing that, it was easy for me to understand how to release the spring.

View attachment 3254747

these phillip and other hid lights burn off quickly and you will end up changing them atleast once a year.

 

[kcjaz]

these phillip and other hid lights burn off quickly and you will end up changing them atleast once a year.

Well that will make me sad given their cost. I guess I’ll find out.

 

[bloc]

you will end up changing them atleast once a year.

Mine have two years and 30k miles on them, with plenty of night driving. Zero signs they'll burn out soon.

 

[pvchaitanya]

we may be talking about a completely different product line then,
I used both Phillip CrystalVision and CrystalVision Ultra. They are OEM, legal and very bright white light.
Love them but they burn up in a year, also similar reviews from others on amazon. May be the model you are using is different than these crystalvision.

 

[bloc]

we may be talking about a completely different product line then,
I used both Phillip CrystalVision and CrystalVision Ultra. They are OEM, legal and very bright white light.
Love them but they burn up in a year, also similar reviews from others on amazon. May be the model you are using is different than these crystalvision.

We were mostly talking about the Philips x-tremevision 2 HID bulb

 

[bloc]

Has anyone done 55w HIDs in the lows?

Are HID for the low projectors and better halogen bulbs for the high reflectors still the way to go? LED technology seems to have improved a lot since this thread was started and there are lots of tests on youtube showing some LED bulb kits working very well in reflectors now.

Forgot to address this post.

Even the above mentioned bulbs are 35W. Going to 55 would be a huge jump and not something I’d be comfortable subjecting the ballast/igniters/wiring to, personally.

LEDs have improved but they still aren’t putting the emitting element in the exact same location, freely suspended, as the filament in a halogen bulb. Until they do that the beam pattern just won’t be as good as it’s supposed to be. This may still be good enough for some people, but with great options like HIR out there I don’t see the point.

 

[MondayTX]

I just finished this job, here are steps as I remember. I only did passenger side for now. This took me about an hour this first time, could probably do it in 15 mins next time. When I have to do the drivers side I will probably remove the battery to have extra room.

1. Turn the cap counter clockwise 1/4 to 1/2 turn until you can remove it
2. Disconnect the wire connector from the cap
3. Turn ballast to disconnect it from the bulb, in pic below you can see how the bulb seats in
4. Pinch the clip tops together while move towards rear of truck, these are hinged and keep the bulb in place
5. Pull the bulb out
6. Put the new bulb in, on mine the filament pointed down to seat correctly
7. Reinstall bulb retention clips by pinching and putting back in the up position
8. Attach ballast to bulb with a clockwise turn to seat the pegs
9. Reinstall cap with clockwise turn
10. Reattach wire connector

OEM (I think) bulb:

Ballast with new Phillips bulb attached:

Ballast installed:

 

[chapba]

I replaced mine with some cheapo Amazon HIDs and they work great for the past year so far. @MondayTX how much do the Phillips run?

 

[MondayTX]

I replaced mine with some cheapo Amazon HIDs and they work great for the past year so far. @MondayTX how much do the Phillips run?

$50 on Amazon.

Philips D4S Standard Authentic... Amazon product ASIN B00480J4I2

 

[trailbreaker9413]

Toyota HID uses Toshiba bulbs in 43000K temperature. You can get them here.
Toshiba D4S Xenon HID Bulbs 4300K 35W for Lexus and Toyota (Pack of 2) Amazon product ASIN B004CP40LE
LED will be more “white” in color. If considering I would look at Hikari’s 1200lmn Philips LED bulbs.
HIKARI LED Headlight Bulbs Conversion Kit -H11 (H8,H9),Philips Lumileds 12000lm 6K Cool White,2 Yr Warranty Amazon product ASIN B077BT6M6Z
It is likely just a bulb and not ballast that is needed, swap as described above to trouble shoot. I would suggest replacing in pairs.

My opinion, if you have HID, stay with HID.

Upon purchasing my new-to-me 2013 J200, I noticed that the driver's side low beam was flickering*. To resolve the flicker, I ordered OEM HID bulbs from my local dealer (~$375 for 2). However, while looking at installation procedures here on MUD, I stumbled across the above and decided to use the link to order the Toshiba D4S Xenons mentioned (~$100 for 2) for a savings of about $275. Since I had both the Toyota-packaged and amazon bulbs on hand, I figure I should post a picture to compare for those wondering if the Toshibas are in fact OEM.

The Toyota part on the left and Amazon part is on the right. Aside from what I assume to be the production lot numbers (2G27 vs. 2J16, respectively), the bulbs appear to be identical in shape, color, and markings (though I'm no optics expert and am new to HIDs). The markings on the Osram bulbs I pulled out was much different, though the bulb shapes and colors were indistinguishable. I was very careful not to touch the bulb glass while handling, as residual finger oils can superheat and shatter the bulb glass once heated by the active bulb.

I was able to replace both driver and passenger lights** using the helpful advice found in this thread. A couple of notes on my replacement experience.

1. I have little wrenching background and was nervous working around the 30k volts of the HID system. The owner's manual insists that HID replacement be done only by a Toyota technician for that reason. That said, I personally found it totally possible to do this replacement on my own but recommend anyone attempting have a very healthy respect for the electric system involved. I disconnected my battery*** just prior to the replacement to be on the safe side (and pulled it to get access to the driver's light). I did not engage my low beams for ~12 hours before this replacement in hopes that it would drain any capacitors (unsure if those are even in play here). I disconnected the HID housing backing plates from power before unscrewing them (even though the battery was no longer connected). Not sure how necessary all that is, but I felt compelled to reduce risk anywhere I could.
2. The screw that holds the wire clips for the HID bulbs in place needs only to be barely loosened so that the wire clip can pivot around the screw into the down position. Once the screw is barely loosened, pinch the clip, pull it out of the track on each side above the bulb, and gently swing down. Keep a steady grip on the clip in case you loosened the screw too much; you do not want to drop the clip into the headlight housing. I initially loosened the screw enough to pull the whole clip out. This was unnecessary, and furthermore very risky. Be careful not to drop ANYTHING into the headlight housing, or you will need to remove the housing to fish it out (not easy and likely requires realignment). I pulled the battery out*** to enhance access, thereby reducing drop risk (and any electrical shock risk) while working in the lamp.

The lights I pulled out were Osrams. The replacement Toshibas where literally a night and day difference (excuse the metaphor). I was not impressed by HID bulbs while driving at first, which I can't really blame on Osram if the bulbs where past their useful life. But with the Toshibas in, I can see what the hype was all about over HIDs. I've been driving with the Toshibas now for a couple weeks without issue. Time will tell if they hold up to OEM standards, but I have no reason to doubt it at this point.

* From what I understand, HIDs use an electric arc to produce light (not a glowing filament or diode). Flickering or intermittent engagement typically indicates that the arc in the bulb cannot be maintained and the bulb is at the end of its useful life (sometimes other electrical issues can cause this from what I've seen on MUD, but a majority of the time it's just a worn-out bulb).
** Replacing both driver and passenger low beam HIDs is recommended to ensure color temperature match, as HIDs color temperature will slightly change over time. Also, if one bulb is going, the other probably isn't that far behind; so, best to just get it taken care of while you're in there.
*** To disengage the alarm system prior to battery removal, my understanding is that you simply unlock the car prior to disconnecting the battery (for 2013 J200). I did so and had no alarm issues upon reconnecting the battery. YMMV. Upon battery reconnect, I think I lost seat presets (but only for a moment as I recall), and otherwise everything electronic worked as if the battery had never been disconnected. While searching MUD, I did find some other issues with battery disconnects, specifically sound system amp overload, but I was fortunate enough to avoid these issues.

 

[chapba]

Upon purchasing my new-to-me 2013 J200, I noticed that the driver's side low beam was flickering*. To resolve the flicker, I ordered OEM HID bulbs from my local dealer (~$375 for 2). However, while looking at installation procedures here on MUD, I stumbled across the above and decided to use the link to order the Toshiba D4S Xenons mentioned (~$100 for 2) for a savings of about $275. Since I had both the Toyota-packaged and amazon bulbs on hand, I figure I should post a picture to compare for those wondering if the Toshibas are in fact OEM.

View attachment 3311364


The Toyota part on the left and Amazon part is on the right. Aside from what I assume to be the production lot numbers (2G27 vs. 2J16, respectively), the bulbs appear to be identical in shape, color, and markings (though I'm no optics expert and am new to HIDs). The markings on the Osram bulbs I pulled out was much different, though the bulb shapes and colors were indistinguishable. I was very careful not to touch the bulb glass while handling, as residual finger oils can superheat and shatter the bulb glass once heated by the active bulb.

I was able to replace both driver and passenger lights** using the helpful advice found in this thread. A couple of notes on my replacement experience.

1. I have little wrenching background and was nervous working around the 30k volts of the HID system. The owner's manual insists that HID replacement be done only by a Toyota technician for that reason. That said, I personally found it totally possible to do this replacement on my own but recommend anyone attempting have a very healthy respect for the electric system involved. I disconnected my battery*** just prior to the replacement to be on the safe side (and pulled it to get access to the driver's light). I did not engage my low beams for ~12 hours before this replacement in hopes that it would drain any capacitors (unsure if those are even in play here). I disconnected the HID housing backing plates from power before unscrewing them (even though the battery was no longer connected). Not sure how necessary all that is, but I felt compelled to reduce risk anywhere I could.
2. The screw that holds the wire clips for the HID bulbs in place needs only to be barely loosened so that the wire clip can pivot around the screw into the down position. Once the screw is barely loosened, pinch the clip, pull it out of the track on each side above the bulb, and gently swing down. Keep a steady grip on the clip in case you loosened the screw too much; you do not want to drop the clip into the headlight housing. I initially loosened the screw enough to pull the whole clip out. This was unnecessary, and furthermore very risky. Be careful not to drop ANYTHING into the headlight housing, or you will need to remove the housing to fish it out (not easy and likely requires realignment). I pulled the battery out*** to enhance access, thereby reducing drop risk (and any electrical shock risk) while working in the lamp.

The lights I pulled out were Osrams. The replacement Toshibas where literally a night and day difference (excuse the metaphor). I was not impressed by HID bulbs while driving at first, which I can't really blame on Osram if the bulbs where past their useful life. But with the Toshibas in, I can see what the hype was all about over HIDs. I've been driving with the Toshibas now for a couple weeks without issue. Time will tell if they hold up to OEM standards, but I have no reason to doubt it at this point.

* From what I understand, HIDs use an electric arc to produce light (not a glowing filament or diode). Flickering or intermittent engagement typically indicates that the arc in the bulb cannot be maintained and the bulb is at the end of its useful life (sometimes other electrical issues can cause this from what I've seen on MUD, but a majority of the time it's just a worn-out bulb).
** Replacing both driver and passenger low beam HIDs is recommended to ensure color temperature match, as HIDs color temperature will slightly change over time. Also, if one bulb is going, the other probably isn't that far behind; so, best to just get it taken care of while you're in there.
*** To disengage the alarm system prior to battery removal, my understanding is that you simply unlock the car prior to disconnecting the battery (for 2013 J200). I did so and had no alarm issues upon reconnecting the battery. YMMV. Upon battery reconnect, I think I lost seat presets (but only for a moment as I recall), and otherwise everything electronic worked as if the battery had never been disconnected. While searching MUD, I did find some other issues with battery disconnects, specifically sound system amp overload, but I was fortunate enough to avoid these issues.

Great info! I was worried about the electrical aspect as well and the ignition sequence did have a hiccup when firing up after the first install and scared the crap outta me!! I'm thinking my starter was the culprit as other members have noted starts to go downhill around the 120K mark but may have been tied to the amp overload you mentioned. You got any of those thread links about the amp overload so i can look into that as well @trailbreaker9413 ? Thanks!

 

[bloc]

Great info! I was worried about the electrical aspect as well and the ignition sequence did have a hiccup when firing up after the first install and scared the crap outta me!! I'm thinking my starter was the culprit as other members have noted starts to go downhill around the 120K mark but may have been tied to the amp overload you mentioned. You got any of those thread links about the amp overload so i can look into that as well @trailbreaker9413 ? Thanks!

One start/stall is actually totally normal after a battery disconnect. IIRC if you hook the battery up then wait for a long period before starting it may not occur, but what happened to you is not indicative of starter failure.

Plus when our starters go it typically won't even crank.. start/stall is not the usual failure mode.

 

[chapba]

One start/stall is actually totally normal after a battery disconnect. IIRC if you hook the battery up then wait for a long period before starting it may not occur, but what happened to you is not indicative of starter failure.

Plus when our starters go it typically won't even crank.. start/stall is not the usual failure mode.

Ah ok great to know!! Never had HIDs before so I was in the same boat as trailbreaker with the hesitation but glad to know the hiccup is common. Lol this damn website is always causing me great joys and deep pains for finding awesome stuff and then finding another problem to look out for down the road!! Accumulator globes, radiator, starter, amp overload and so much more fun to look towards to!! Love the rig, just have a love/hate relationship finding all the highs/lows
@bloc any symptoms to look out for on the starter besides just not firing? I just hit the 120k mark with a trip to disneyland last week...

 

[bloc]

@bloc any symptoms to look out for on the starter besides just not firing? I just hit the 120k mark with a trip to disneyland last week...

For most it just refuses to start one day. No crank, just a click. This is because what actually fails usually is the contacts in the solenoid that actually switch 12v power to the starter motor. The click is the solenoid activating but it doesn’t complete the circuit adequately so the starter never fires.

Older Toyotas would have the same failure mode but with a physical key you can keep trying over and over and maybe get it to fire. With push to start the control logic prevents this.

I’d just weigh out your likelihood of being somewhere a starter going out could be dangerous or particularly inconvenient. If you go out to the back country frequently, for instance. Otherwise if you are likely to pay a shop/dealer to do the job you may end up getting another 80k out of it.. hard to say.

Most of us doing it preventatively do the work ourselves so it’s not like we are shelling out a thousand bucks for PM.

 

[wanta1VD]

So I go to replace my low beams because the driver’s side flickers consistently. Decide to start on passenger side first cause it’s more accessible. Tried to twist the backing plate off and it won’t budge. Notice there’s electrical tape all around the seam, so I take it off and see this goop dried between the backing plate and the headlight assembly. That’s not supposed to be there right? All of the service on this truck was done at Lexus of New Orleans, surely a dealership wouldn’t have done this? Am I screwed? Will I need a new headlamp assembly?

 

[bloc]

View attachment 3369597
So I go to replace my low beams because the driver’s side flickers consistently. Decide to start on passenger side first cause it’s more accessible. Tried to twist the backing plate off and it won’t budge. Notice there’s electrical tape all around the seam, so I take it off and see this goop dried between the backing plate and the headlight assembly. That’s not supposed to be there right? All of the service on this truck was done at Lexus of New Orleans, surely a dealership wouldn’t have done this? Am I screwed? Will I need a new headlamp assembly?

Definitely not supposed to be there. And I'm sorry to say, that will probably be nearly impossible to deal with while mounted on the truck. I'd pull the bumper skin and light and attack it from all sides.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Did you use that tab to help "turn" the aluminum plate counter-clockwise?

Wait, before we go any further, are you a Bama fan?