I can't even really get my fingers back there to turn it. And hell no.
2013-2015 headlamp replacement - HID low beam
- Thread starter waydownsouth
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I feel your pain about the tightness of that area.
You're gonna have to figure out how you can try to get that aluminum piece loose a little bit and get it moving.
I hate someone might have put some sort of sealant/etc on there and it's causing you problems. The only thing that might benefit you the most is doing what the other poster said- take the front end apart so you have greater access to it.
not super related but this is the closest search result I could find - does anyone have any pointers on how to best tap into “parkers” as part of arb solis light install. I know I need to piggyback onto higbeam connector which got me here and helped me learn the LED headlights have different rear housing & delete of headlight bulb connection as discussed. Thanks
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Just replaced both low beams yesterday in my 13 LX. Did the passenger side first but didn’t read far enough into this thread to see how the spring worked and unscrewed the bottom of the spring where it hinges from, eventually figured it out and put it back properly. Installed the new bulb and everything without a problem.
On the driver side before I removed the battery I hooked up the terminals to a jumpstarter battery pack thing (this seems to have worked and I had zero issues with memory or anything).
However I noticed the retaining spring on the driver side just seemed to not hold the bulb in very well, secure enough to where it won’t fall out or anything, but definitely has some wobble and play in it. I haven’t tested driving with them yet, but I definitely had flickering over bumps with the old ones. Part of me thinks perhaps it’s this play due to the bad spring causing it?
Anyone have a part number for the little spring retainer clip?
On the driver side before I removed the battery I hooked up the terminals to a jumpstarter battery pack thing (this seems to have worked and I had zero issues with memory or anything).
However I noticed the retaining spring on the driver side just seemed to not hold the bulb in very well, secure enough to where it won’t fall out or anything, but definitely has some wobble and play in it. I haven’t tested driving with them yet, but I definitely had flickering over bumps with the old ones. Part of me thinks perhaps it’s this play due to the bad spring causing it?
Anyone have a part number for the little spring retainer clip?
reddog90
SILVER Star
Headlight jiggle
My headlights (both sides) jiggle going over bumps or bad pavement. It’s not the housing, it may be the projector inside the housing. Not sure. I’m driving at night more these days, and it’s driving me crazy. Does anyone else have this problem? Or more importantly, know how to fix it?
forum.ih8mud.com
I just replaced both housings with new OEM (retainer clip is part of this assembly) and all bulbs and immediately noticed jiggle. This thread makes me believe my old setup was just so hazy and dim that I couldn't see the jiggle.
Interesting, it’s weird that the passenger side seems totally secure with no play though. The retaining spring is noticeable tighter and takes more force to secure or unsecured it. Where the driver side you barely have to pinch with any force to secure/unsecure it.Headlight jiggle
My headlights (both sides) jiggle going over bumps or bad pavement. It’s not the housing, it may be the projector inside the housing. Not sure. I’m driving at night more these days, and it’s driving me crazy. Does anyone else have this problem? Or more importantly, know how to fix it?
I just replaced both housings with new OEM (retainer clip is part of this assembly) and all bulbs and immediately noticed jiggle. This thread makes me believe my old setup was just so hazy and dim that I couldn't see the jiggle.
I guess it’s just really hit or miss even with new springs. I also have no idea if this play due to the spring is even related to the jiggle when going over bumps, it sounds like it may not even be.
bloc
SILVER Star
Both my original and Genuine Toyota replacement headlights jiggle over bumps on my 13 cruiser. I think it's just a poor design, or they actually intended it for some reason.. maybe to preserve bulb life over rough terrain..
Letting this ride makes my OCD squirm, but I've (slowly) learned to live with it.
Letting this ride makes my OCD squirm, but I've (slowly) learned to live with it.
gaijin
GOLD Star
That is exactly my experience with my 2013 LC200 - and my OCD doesn't like it, either; but I like your suggestion that it is a clever Toyota engineer's idea to preserve bulb life. Brilliant!
I DID IT! It was a pain in the ass to figure how the bulb went back in and getting the clip to match.
Did you ever do this? I am contemplating an LED high beam upgrade and the DD stuff looks great.
I did do it all. Happy with it. The DD blinker module did fizzle out after a couple years but they replaced free of charge.
The low beams are good although I wish I went with different temp (too blue in my opinion) and the high beams are powerful but take some patience to get them aimed properly (you have to turn them so they aim the correct way through some trial and error).
bloc
SILVER Star
I would add.. when I replaced my original lamps with Genuine Toyota parts the relationship between the low and high beam was all wrong. This is determined by a small gear-drive adapter that is screwed to the back of the housing, so if you adjust the low beams it relays the change to the highs as well.
I can’t recall whether they were too low or too high but they were way off and by different amounts on each side, though in the same direction.
This was also the case for my friend’s LX that he put a new lamp assembly on.
All that to say you may need to remove the gear adapter to get things dialed in, then bolt it back on to make future adjustments easier.
I can’t recall whether they were too low or too high but they were way off and by different amounts on each side, though in the same direction.
This was also the case for my friend’s LX that he put a new lamp assembly on.
All that to say you may need to remove the gear adapter to get things dialed in, then bolt it back on to make future adjustments easier.
Good intel, thank you. I assume you mean turning the LED's so they face a certain way?
bloc
SILVER Star
Pictures will do a better job here.
This is the right headlamp on my 2013 cruiser. I've put a long philips screwdriver into the adjustment spot for the low beams. The white/pinkish mechanism has three gears in it. When you adjust the low beam it relays the same rotation to the long screw for the high beam, the gray rod pointing forward.
On both of my new factory headlamps, and my friend's LX, the relationship between the low and high beams via this gearbox was incorrect. I had to set the low beams where I wanted them at the appropriate dash dial adjustment, remove the gearbox, set the high beam appropriately, then reinstall the gearbox. Now any movement to the low beam screw also adjusts the high beam the same amount.
Edit to say, this is for up/down adjustment only. Left/right doesn't have a gearbox so those adjustments are independent. In my case L/R only needed minor tweaking.
Same with gear box removed
Gear box
This is all pretty easy on the passenger side, but on the drivers side the battery is in the way of the gearbox screws.. I was able to loosen the battery tie-down and use a tool I have to make it all work. I'll show that tool in the next post. (limit on attached pics)
Driver's side, battery in the way
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bloc
SILVER Star
The tool I mentioned has come in very handy over the years. I got it at home depot via the Husky brand. It has a 1/4" and 5/16" female hex ratcheting ends.. the smaller is perfect for putting a driver bit into and having a short distance from the screw head to the height of the tool. Also the other 5/16" end has come in useful when toyota put an 8mm bolt in close proximity to something.. like the high beam adjuster on the driver's side headlamp.
You can even insert 1/4" bits through the other way to have the bent handle point back in the direction of the screw.. a few times this was a huge time-saver.
You can even insert 1/4" bits through the other way to have the bent handle point back in the direction of the screw.. a few times this was a huge time-saver.
Yes
Hi! How did you ever get the power connector out? I'm having this problem right now and I'm afraid I'll damage it if I force it.
Hi! It's ok if you spin the connector first? Will confirm with you before spinning it.
