Need help with better headlights for 2015 rav 4

[apollo18]

hey all i have a 2015 rav 4 xle and the normal halogen headlights suck. I can't see anything! However I tried to research but I get confused on what to run,
Sometimes you can buy the low beams, sometimes you can buy the high beams and sometimes its together. Also some people say dont use led, some people say use hid, some say dont use hid or led in the normal housing etc etc.

Can someone recommend me the best option for the most 'lighting' I can get out of the headlights? I drive on dark highways / roads with low lighting so having good lighting is a must but really stumped on what option to go with. I also get confused on wheather I upgrade which bulbs ? is it the lows, the highs?


thanks!

 

[CKN]

There is alot of controversy regarding the installation of LEDs in reflector housings designed for Halogen. It is sometimes even vehicle specific. I would suggest deep research including vehicle specific forums to see if you can do this without blinding drivers coming towards you.
And I have halogen in my F150 after getting rid of a vehicle that had LEDs. And yes we can agree the Halogens are terrible.

 

[Knerml12]

I highly recommend converting 9011 HIR1 bulbs to 9005.

Very easy to do. Instructions available online.

I see significant improvement in my Hyundai SFS high and low beams.

 

[CKN]

I highly recommend converting 9011 HIR1 bulbs to 9005.

Very easy to do. Instructions available online.

I see significant improvement in my Hyundai SFS high and low beams.

Some have converted to 9005 and said they have seen little difference. Again-I think it's vehicle specific.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I put a set of Nineo LED in my daughters '08 CRV. Recommendation from another forum. She has H4 in hers so does high and low. They twist in the mount to keep beam pattern correct. Line up against a wall and mark the halogen (if aimed correctly) then swap and do the LED's. From what I found, yours uses 9005 in the projector low and the reflector high. You can upgrade to HIR bulbs that are still halogen but much better. You can do HID but they need a bit of warm up time (like 10 seconds max) I use Morimoto kits from The Retrofit source. WHATEVER you do, make sure they are aimed correct. Old school Hella instructions- measure center of light at car where "cutoff" is (30 inches). Measure 25-30 feet out on a flat surface against a wall. mark a line 1-2" lower (29-28 inches) depending if mostly you by yourself or have others in car weighing down the back.. Adjust the lights to cutoff to line. Same scenario for fog lights or driving lights. driving lights should only work with high beams.

Downside to LED's is they don't generate much heat if snow/ice is an issue or concern. See last pictures of Accord with HID and Pilot with factory LED driven in heavy wet snow.

These are all cell phone on normal so whatever iphone 13 does. It makes the Halogens look more yellow than reality IMO.
If you want to see the difference of a reflector high beam in my '17 Accord of Nineo 9005 LED vs an HIR that was much better than normal 9005. Note the yellowed globe on the right and the crazy left. This was just high beam, no DRL, fogs/lows. The 9005 also twists to align.

Accord Projector lows with H11 HID's

CRV with Nineo LED compared to Sylvania Silverstar. low and high.

You can also get a set of Diode Dynamic SS3 Sport in an SAE approved yellow or white fog pattern and add them. This is the yellow on a dark night. zoomed out and slightly in. This is fog only, no lows.

 

[vavavroom]

Is this generation RAV 4 known for having poor headlight output? Are the headlights original equipment? Did you check if the lights are properly adjusted, if the lenses are clear, and if the reflectors have intact mirror coatings and are not fogged?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Oh and the $20 Harbor Freight "SPOT" pattern Road Shock LED cubes actually work pretty well if you want something wired in to add to your high beam. Are they the $200 Diode Dynamic driving pattern, no. Do they fill a lot, yes. Do NOT use in traffic or around others. High beam supplement only. Note the "bluish" LED spot on right side which was actually pretty white. This was my sons car set up for night time low speed rally (scavenger hunt version) looking for hidden signs on right side.
HID lows, DD SS3 sport fog, H1 SilverStar high and a Hella FF100 aimed between HF cube and headlights.
Looks ugly, quick easy for rally, worked well. I asked him if he wanted the 2 Hella's or 2 cubes. He said one of each after trying them on the dark roads. Different patterns and distance.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Like already said, use 9011 bulbs and trim one of the tabs off. The tab you trim off is the one that's much bigger on the 9011 than the 9005. It will be obvious when you have the bulbs side-by-side.

 

[brianl703]

I also get confused on wheather I upgrade which bulbs ? is it the lows, the highs?

I'd suggest "upgrading" the high beams, since that's what you're supposed to be using when driving outside of the city. Leave the low beams alone. That way, you can avoid blinding other drivers by switching to the low beams when there's oncoming traffic. "Upgrading" the low beams to turn them into high beams is...dumb.

 

[apollo18]

so low beam is what i normally use at night these days and high beam is what i just periodically use when i can't really see on the highway? is that how it works? and i assume lowbeam is not the same as DRL ?

 

[vavavroom]

Alrighty then.

 

[AZjeff]

I did the 9005 to 9011 on a 2014 RAV4 we had and the difference was noticeable.

 

[brianl703]

so low beam is what i normally use at night these days and high beam is what i just periodically use when i can't really see on the highway? is that how it works? and i assume lowbeam is not the same as DRL ?

Use the low beam in city areas with streetlighting or when there's a lot of traffic around.

Use the high beam if you're the only car on a 2-lane road or rural interstate/highway with no streetlighting, or you are the lead car with cars behind you and no oncoming traffic, or if the car in front of you is so far ahead you can't see anything but their taillights.

Switch to low beam if there's oncoming traffic within 500 feet of you. Switch back to high beam when they pass.

 

[michael007]

I see Philips sells aftermarket LEDs in your 9005 (HB3) in Asia

In their video, they claim it doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic

$45USD with shipping from China:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001350562457.html

 

[Sequoiasoon]

My preference is HID lows with the projectors. 5000-5500k with a 55W ballast drops the color to about 4500 which is a more natural color like factory HID’s. That will improve your all the time driving as long as you aim them correctly.

The Nineo LED’s would be great for your high beams.

What I don’t like with all the bright white LED’s is I feel they reflect more from wet road surfaces. This includes the factory LED’s in my wife’s Pilot. It has LED projector lows and fogs. The color temperature from the HID’s for me is better. My kids and wife say the same and as you can see I have variety of lighting on the multiple vehicles. My Daughters CRV will probably get the H4 HID’s in place of the LED’s when I have time. I might just do one to let her decide. I have the whole kit already from my Sequoia.

 

[brianl703]

Thinking of converting your halogen headlamps to HID or LED?

Good HID and LED headlamps are terrific; they can offer excellent safety performance and driver comfort, but only if they're designed and built from the start as HID or LED headlamps. Installing an "HID kit" or "LED bulbs" in a halogen headlamp isn't an upgrade, it's a large and serious safety downgrade.

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

 

[brianl703]

My Daughters CRV will probably get the H4 HID’s in place of the LED’s when I have time. I might just do one to let her decide. I have the whole kit already from my Sequoia.

That will pass the NY safety inspection?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Do you mean for the 1 and 1 or HID's/LED's in general?

I have not had any issues with the HID's or LED's on inspection for the past 17 years. Prior to all the way back to the 80's I had no issues either with Hella H4 / H1 glass 4x6 and 5x7's with HO bulbs. I'm probably more critical on the aiming and function than most. I keep a long phillips in my car in case I need to aim down from having 4 people in the car, and have. From what I see on other vehicles on the road, I'm not sure what is checked for lighting for aiming. I don't even see LEO pull over the guys with the light bars on bumper and ditch lights on hood and they are serious glare versions. I get flashed more in my wife's Pilot with factory LED than in the Accord/Forte/CRV. I aimed hers down even as I could see on the road they were too high. Mine have all been inspected at regular car dealers and independent shops. They were going to fail me for window tint until I pointed the DMV tint exemption sticker on window.

Only failure I know of was one dealer on BIL car because the fog lights DIDN'T work. They were aftermarket but in factory spots and lenses broke/bulbs broke. They said "factory" lights had to work. He showed receipt showing amazon and it passed. My one shop reminded me that my tires were at 4/32" and wouldn't be good for winter then said wait you run full snows, nevermind. (It was a week before thanksgiving and 70 degrees)

I know they check brakes, tires, lights (brake/turn/license plate/headlights) to make sure they are working, I haven't seen any check aiming but I wouldn't have been worried if they did. They check horn, wipers, some do exhaust/cat physical. All get an OBD2 plug in check for emissions etc.

Most US headlights laws are so outdated last I checked. They listed stuff in very low candlepower from the 50-60's and then added the "glaring/dazzling" comments for LEO discretion. I got a ticket once in the 80's when I woke up a trooper sleeping on side of the road. after midnight, no moon, Adirondacks, no cars either way for over an hour. I had a 4 headlight Malibu- Hella H4 (90/100W) lows, H1 100W highs, Hella 181 fogs, Hella Rallye 1000 driving (relayed with high beams only). It was nice seeing dear from a LONG distance away. He wasn't happy. I fought the ticket and won by bringing the NYS DOT headlight law to court.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

That will pass the NY safety inspection?

Again if you look at beam pattern it's spot on. If you look at all the pictures you can see where I am aimed consistent across vehicles. When my daughter gets home next time I'll add the CRV with Morimoto XB fogs as a comparison. That will be a couple weeks though.

 

[brianl703]

Again if you look at beam pattern it's spot on. If you look at all the pictures you can see where I am aimed consistent across vehicles. When my daughter gets home next time I'll add the CRV with Morimoto XB fogs as a comparison. That will be a couple weeks though.

Not the question I asked. Will it pass NY safety inspection? Here in Virginia, any inspector that's on the ball will fail a vehicle for having HIDs or LEDs where a halogen bulb belongs. Rightly so.