Real experience with LX headlight upgrades?

[DenverLX]

I have been growing tired of my 99' LX470's lack of headlight power. I came on the forums to look up what headlight bulb to use and ended up spending hours reading about HID's, HIR's, LED's, ext. I have looked up the HID kits and how to install them and I have read all the threads over at ClubLexus too and I'm pretty damn sure that I am now way more confused than when I started!

So what I want to know is what is the best, easiest, and most reliable solution?

Option a.) Just buy some high quality aftermarket bulbs (I'm thinking about the PIAA Xtreme White)
This would be the easiest solution, but would I regret not doing the HID upgrade?

Option b.) HID Kit, I have looked at the Xenon Depot kit and Retrofit Source. I'm concerned about the life expectancy of the ballast and the "pain in the ass" factor. I'm not afraid to do the project but I would be pissed if I spend the cash and the time and the lights go out in a year or two. And I'm not sure what kit would be the best and if it is really worth swapping the lens or projector like some of y'all have done.

Option c.) Don't worry about it and stop buying upgrades and spending money on a 17 year old truck. Although my LX is still pretty awesome

I know there are a ton of threads on lights, but give me your real honest opinion on what is worth it and what is not. Thanks

 

[Nolan Sylvester]

I got the hid depot kit for Christmas and am very pleased so far!


Sent from my iPhone

2005 Lexus LX470

 

[NJNeal]

So you just installed the kit from hid depot without any modification to lens and you're happy? I was thinking of that until I read the need to swap lenses for clear ones...sounded like a PITA.

 

[Aaron04]

Osram night breakers have kept me from upgrading further. They work awesome! High and low beams.

 

[Nolan Sylvester]

Osram night breakers have kept me from upgrading further. They work awesome! High and low beams.

Anyone else running these. Would like to do something in my dtl's and my fogs. Curious how they will match up


Sent from my iPhone

2005 Lexus LX470

 

[ponytl]

I went the cheap $35 kit off ebay HID went with the 6000 color not too blue not too yellow... been running these in my LC and my LX for about 3 months and zero issues... it's a 30 minute install... i changed out all the other bulbs to LED (again cheap ebay bulbs) even down to the running board light strips and under lights on the LX... like them all so far...

 

[DirtDawg]

If you upgrade the bulbs to HID's and do a clear lens swap your projector's will be brighter than most modern headlights! Heres a link explaining the process: LX470 Projector - TSX-R Lens Swap

 

[PigNib]

Anyone else running these. Would like to do something in my dtl's and my fogs. Curious how they will match up


Sent from my iPhone

2005 Lexus LX470

I also installed the OSRAM Nightbreaker Unlimited bulbs after being disappointed with the stock headlights.
I upgraded to a 2001 LX470 from a 2008 Audi A6 w/ stock HIDs about six months prior and really missed the HIDs.
After reading all about the PITA factors and mixed reviews from people trying to retrofit I decided to give the OSRAMs a try first.
I couldn't find them on Amazon at the time and ordered some sent from Powerbulbs.
I received and installed the following on 05/14/14:
Parcel 1 OSRAM Night Breaker Unlimited H1 1 $24.87 USD each
Parcel 1 OSRAM Night Breaker Unlimited HB3 1 $42.70 USD each
Parcel 1 OSRAM Night Breaker Unlimited H3 1 $34.85 USD each

Note that each of the above contain a pair of bulbs
All of the lights are a noticeable upgrade, zero modifications required.
I've had no problems with any of them and I have never considered HIDs again.

I'm sure that HIDs would bring something to the table these cannot and I don't want to overhype them but if you are looking for the less expensive easy street this may be worth considering.

Along this line I also purchased some white T10/149 LED bulbs (Amazon part B00JRE38EA) for markers, license plate, etc. and they look great!
I can not vouch for these longevity or compatibility with vehicles that require the resistors or whatever...

 

[PigNib]

I went the cheap $35 kit off ebay HID went with the 6000 color not too blue not too yellow... been running these in my LC and my LX for about 3 months and zero issues... it's a 30 minute install... i changed out all the other bulbs to LED (again cheap ebay bulbs) even down to the running board light strips and under lights on the LX... like them all so far...

What did you use for the running board lights?

 

[volkan]

I have used osram nightbreaker xenon lights in my bmw 7 series. The car has OEM xenon lights are much superior to original xenons. Especially in fog, snow and rain they are unbeatible. Not one single driver warned me about my lights in two years.
Two days ago I upgraded the halogen lights in my LC 2004 to halogen nightbreakers. The difference was less noticible but still superior than already good LC lights. The halogen lights are less focused compared to xenons. Halogens also do not have a clear cutoff point. These make you have less vision compared to xenons

The key factor in osram nightbreaker lights is the light kelvin. 4300 kelvin seems to be closest to sunshine with the lowest distortion of light. Distortion increases as you reach 6000 ish kelvins which is more blue. You see less, other people are disturbed more because of glare of your lights. Be sure they will curse you.

If you are in serious driving situations like I have been, go for nightbreakers with 4300 kelvin. You may first try halogens if not satisfied may update to xenon nightbreakers.

Volkan

 

[whitenoise]

I was similarly confused and dissappointed with my LX's headlights. A vehicle with a $65k price-tag ought to have way better lighting than this (Case-in-point: All BMWs newer than about 1998). So I installed a XenonDepot HID kit. Although I was impressed at the time, both with the performance and their customer service, I have since concluded that HIDs inside the stock headlight housings are illegal, sub-optimal, and unreliable all at the same time, especially if those attributes are important to you . I strongly suggest going over to the Automotive section at CandlePowerForums and reading as much as you can on the subject of upgrading lighting. I'm pretty sure there's people here that will disagree with me, and I have no axe to grind with them. But the fundamental conclusions that I made, which in hindsight should have been obvious, are:

1. You need different lighting for different types of driving. General guidelines I made for myself (YMMV): Normal highway, get the best bulbs you can for your stock low, fog and high beams. Get a set of two GOOD aux driving lights such as the Cibie H1 from Daniel Stern, or Hella 4000 and wire them to come on with your high-beam. Slow-speed trail driving, a reasonably sized LED light bar is the best bang-for-the-buck. Medium and high-speed offroad, get a set of two auxiliary HID lights with the longest throw distance that you can. If you expect to drive in foggy conditions, a set of Bosch Compact 100 fogs (hard to get) are the best choice.

2. Make sure your headlight lenses are in the best possible condition.

3. Excessive foreground lighting through HID in the stock projector housing is bad for distance vision.

4. Aux lighting must be installed at the appropriate height to have the desired effect. Aux lighting with a wide(Euro) beam pattern is best installed at the height of the stock headlights. Aux lighting with a very narrow and long throw is best installed as high as you can on the vehicle. Fogs, install as low as possible. Most LED light bars basically flood the hell out of your foreground so best to install those at a similar height as your stock headlights.

5. All of this amounts to nothing if your lighting isn't properly aimed. I'm still trying to find someone local that has a beam aiming machine. Otherwise, Daniel Stern's guidelines for the best you can hope for.

I have since removed the HID kit, installed Philips Xtreme Vision H1 +130% for low beams, Philips 9011 HIR2 for high beams. I'm very happy with the setup. I also bought but not yet installed a set of 2 Hella 4000 Euro for aux, and two cheapo LED pods (similar to Rigid D2) for trail driving.

 

[NJNeal]

whitenoise, how do you plan to mount the Hella 4000?
I agree with your conclusions 100% and have spent quite a bit of time at CandlePowerForums and Daniel Stern.

 

[whitenoise]

@NJNeal , its going to be a pain to mount them. But this is my plan for now.

 

[DenverLX]

I went with some Osram replacement bulbs. Its the cheap and easy route. If I'm not really happy then Ill consider an HID swap but I gotta stop pouring money into this truck bc I think Im upgrade to a 200 series next year.

 

[Aaron04]

I went with some Osram replacement bulbs. Its the cheap and easy route. If I'm not really happy then Ill consider an HID swap but I gotta stop pouring money into this truck bc I think Im upgrade to a 200 series next year.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It's nice to keep the stock water and dust resistance as well. I use PIAA 5000k fogs in addition to the Osrams for a little color for snow and other terrain, I think its a good combo.

 

[DirtDawg]

I personally have to disagree with the "no HIDs" because the stock projector wasn't meant for it. The main problem with fitting halogen lamps with HID bulbs is that the filament location is different, resulting in scattered and excessive light. The only safe way to run an HID is in a projector... Which is what our vehicle came stock with. A properly fitted HID bulb in our LX projectors, with the proper aiming, will be the brightest and cleanest solution all while keeping other driver's safety a concern.

 

[hankinid]

I personally have to disagree with the "no HIDs" because the stock projector wasn't meant for it. The main problem with fitting halogen lamps with HID bulbs is that the filament location is different, resulting in scattered and excessive light. The only safe way to run an HID is in a projector... Which is what our vehicle came stock with. A properly fitted HID bulb in our LX projectors, with the proper aiming, will be the brightest and cleanest solution all while keeping other driver's safety a concern.

QFT

And relative to what somebody posted above about "having to change the projectors"...it's nice if you can and does make an improvement in throw.

That said, my own experience tells me HID low's are still the best $$$ I've spent on the truck in the 7 years I've had her. 2 years ago, the H1's bit the dumpster and were replaced with HID bulbs from DDM Tuning. They're 5500K but running with 50 watt ballasts DDM told me they're closer to 6000K. They run off a relay harness near the battery and have had no problems. When I bought the LX, the oem headlights were the worst POS's I'd ever seen. With the HID's the high's were almost unnecessary.

9011's replaced the high's with improvement similar to the low's. I used Phillips, 65W, from the cheapest seller I could find on amazon.com.

Fogs were replaced with 3500K HID's, again from DDM. Where I drive we get real down-to-the-ground fog so I bought the yellowest lamps I could find.

hth and pm me if you need more.

Steve

 

[deanfun]

I've now gone through most of the LX rehab steps and am almost done the final one.

I came from an Audi A4 with some excellent Bi-xenons. To say the LX was a downgrade is an understatement. My BJ73 with Hella housings is better, as is my finance's '05 Echo with OSRAM's.

A year I installed an H1 kit from kbcarstuff using rebased phillips bulbs. The install for the kit was very straight forward, however the lighting performance was, to put it mildly, terrible. I credit this to the bulb spacing being incorrect on the rebased bulb and extremely scuffed 3M lens protectors.

I am in the middle of doing a projector upgrade to TSX projectors using TSX-R clear lenses from TRS. I'll update once complete but my early testing has me pumped. Light output is significantly improved and cutoff is razor sharp.

 

[Mitya]

Inserted some Bi-xenon hella 3R lenses with philips lamps in stock LX470 headlights.
This dramaticly changed the lights.

 

[TXLX100]

Does anyone know what makes the Orsam bulbs work better than stock? I changed to an upgraded Phillips bulb a while back and it seems slightly better. I don't know much about the engineering of headlamps and bulbs, so I have a hard time understanding how a simple bulb swap really improves, unless it's significantly brighter allowing to see further.