2014 Highlander HID conversion options

[i6pwr]

I'm looking to swap our OE lamps for the HID. I want to do this correctly and not create a blinding, scattered light.

The OE housing looks to have a projector lens, but not sure, can you direct swap the HID lamp/ballast or does it need a seperate housing?

Curious if anyone has done this while retaining the factory look.

Hopefully this isn't a vehicle where I need to remove the front bumper cover to remove the headlight housings..

All input appreciated.

 

[1 SX]

Are you from the future?!!!

I would skip the HID's and go with HIGH quality LED's. (EDIT) - H11 is your low beam type. 9005 is high beam and H16 (H11/H8) fog light bulb.

Joking aside and I'll probably catch a little flack for this one but installed some NON fan type H7 LED low beams in a projector housing on the Sonata. The results have been phenomenal. I "was" using SilverStar Ultra H7 low beams but was replacing them every couple months like clock work - after spending a couple hundred dollars on them, PLUS warrantee several Silverstar ultra lightbulbs over 1.5 years.... so I went to the highest quality LED I could find within reason.

The OEM cutoff line is not affected, nor glare/scattered light.. IF the LEDs affected the cut off plus scattered glare and light all over the place I would remove them - It's been two years and not a SINGLE flash from another car.

and get ready to remove the bumper as there are some 10MM bolts behind the bumper to secure the headlight assembly.


All the best!.

 

[i6pwr]

Are you from the future?!

Oh snap, just saw that. Mods, please change to 2014..lol.

Thanks, I do believe the stock housings have a flat cutoff, so hopefully that's the case, would be nice to just swap the lamps.

Thanks for the link.

 

[UG_Passat]

I'm looking to swap our OE lamps for the HID. I want to do this correctly and not create a blinding, scattered light.

The OE housing looks to have a projector lens, but not sure, can you direct swap the HID lamp/ballast or does it need a seperate housing?

Curious if anyone has done this while retaining the factory look.

Hopefully this isn't a vehicle where I need to remove the front bumper cover to remove the headlight housings..

All input appreciated.

You can swap in RX350 HID projectors for the halogens if you open up the housings

 

[bionictony]

I'm looking to swap our OE lamps for the HID. I want to do this correctly and not create a blinding, scattered light.

The OE housing looks to have a projector lens, but not sure, can you direct swap the HID lamp/ballast or does it need a seperate housing?

Curious if anyone has done this while retaining the factory look.

Hopefully this isn't a vehicle where I need to remove the front bumper cover to remove the headlight housings..

All input appreciated.

i got philips ultinon H11 leds from aliexpress for $45. a little brighter than HID. they are plug and play. because the housing is aluminum and round you have no grip. just use channel locks to lightly twist lock them in if you have no grip. i installed these in 2020 on my 13 venza and they're still good today. looks like you can convert your fog lights to lexus oem led fog lights also.

 

[The Critic]

Simply not possible if you are hoping to achieve OE level results. The housings used for halogen are different than HID's or LED's; no matter what you do, the performance will not be optimal.

 

[meep]

Agree with @The Critic if you want to do it “right.” The LED drop-ins might can maybe work, and thankfully several folks here have demonstrated a sharp cutoff, though we have seen on some that while the cutoff is sharp, there’s still light bleeding above the cutoff where there wasn’t light before. Probably more likely is the distribution from near to far will be a little wonky, which looks brighter but takes away distance vision. If you’re not afraid to be objective and take them back if not good enough, you can experiment. I bought LEDs, took pictures, set it on a table at night and walked around it, made my mind up and sent it back. I’ve also installed HID projectors into oem housings, with varying results. The safest mod you can do is to find an upgraded oem housing, if its available and doesn’t require crazy wiring. Experiment, be honest with what you are seeing and don’t sell out on it just because it feels good.

 

[nthach]

No LED drop-ins or HID “retrofit” kits. Crack them open, retrofit an OEM projector into them if they are currently projector type. The Retrofit Source has the goods. You’re missing the auto-leveling system Toyota uses on HIDs in any case.

Else, get new Toyota OE headlamp housings and good German bulbs(Vosla HIR2 retrofit or Osram NightBreakers).

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Check out DDM tuning. They actually have a store and have been around for years. Good quality and a warranty that means something. I have the HID kit in my wife's car and LEDs (plug and play) in my truck.

 

[i6pwr]

SilverStar Ultra H7 low beams but was replacing them every couple months like clock
work

I did the Silverstars a good while ago in a different vehicle, sounds like they haven't changed much.

You can swap in RX350 HID projectors for the halogens if you open up the housings

That's an interesting possibility, I wonder if the housing is a direct swap?

Simply not possible if you are hoping to achieve OE level results. The housings used for halogen are different than HID's or LED's; no matter what you do, the performance will not be optimal.

That's what I wasn't sure of, I definitely don't want to add glare to other drivers, and I didn't think about the self-leveling.

Else, get new Toyota OE headlamp housings and good German bulbs(Vosla HIR2 retrofit or Osram NightBreakers)

I will look into that, thanks.

Check out DDM tuning. They actually have a store and have been around for years. Good quality and a warranty that means something. I have the HID kit in my wife's car and LEDs (plug and play) in my truck.

Thanks, I'll check them out.


I appreciate the replies, I do want to keep everything OE in terms of the cutoff and especially not providing the ridiculous "HID in a halogen reflector" type glare as seen on many other vehicles...tons of light but not much on the road.

 

[thastinger]

I retrofitted HIDS with projectors and high beam shields into my 98 F150...was a pain. I put the fan type LEDs into another older vehicle of ours and that was a major upgrade in lighting without the massive pain of retrofitting HIDS with projectors...cost a lot less too.