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2010 Prius LED Headlight swap.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by ScarGo, Feb 6, 2009.

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  1. ScarGo

    ScarGo Common Sense Conservative

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    I know people in the past have swapped out regular headlights in their car for HID kits.

    With the new LED style headlights, it should be much easier just to swap out the halogen style and put in the LED version. No high voltage ballast required.

    In fact, as a side note, I bet there will be aftermarket solutions for many high volume cars. The cost of LED s should l keep going down.
     
    #1 ScarGo, Feb 6, 2009
  2. HelpSaveMotherEarth

    HelpSaveMotherEarth New Member

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    have you found any aftermarket kits..if so please let me know...thank you
     
    #2 HelpSaveMotherEarth, Jul 27, 2009
  3. TKY

    TKY Member

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    ScarGo (Is this Escargot?) Are you suggesting, or asking, about purchasing GIII Prius V replacement LED headlights from Toyota and installing them in a GIII Prius II, III, or IV with no other alterations being required? --TK
     
    #3 TKY, Jul 27, 2009
  4. eglmainz

    eglmainz New Member

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    If you are referring to simply swapping bulbs, this does not seem possible. The entire headlight is different, with three focus sections instead of two.

    I would imagine that unless you wanted to do some significant modifications, you would need to swap out the entire assembly. Additionally, since these are 'auto-leveling, I read something on the blog that it is levels based on the height of the rear bumper. Does the mean that there is a sensor in the rear somewhere?
     
    #4 eglmainz, Jul 27, 2009
  5. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Yup, there's a sensor in the rear of the car for the auto leveling system. It's been discussed before that it is probably not an easy thing to do. For now it seems if you want the LED headlights, you'll just have to spree for the Prius V...
     
    #5 Paradox, Jul 27, 2009
  6. nola_Prius

    nola_Prius New Member

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    Auto leveling, auto shmeveling...
    I'm sure there are LED kits out there to be installed, right?
    It's not like you'd HAVE to replace the whole housing and everything... right?

    Just install a nice HID kit...I've heard that the LED lights are kinda weak in comparison anyway...
     
    #6 nola_Prius, Jul 27, 2009
  7. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    If by weak you mean less lumens than hid's or halogens, then yes. That is why there are 2 focused beams and one flood light, totaling 3 LED's in each headlight cluster. They seem plenty bright to me, better than my dads Prius III's halogens IMO.

    As for LED kits, I haven't seen any available. In other vehicles, upgrade to LED headlights is a very expensive package. Toyota's other vehicle to have them, rather a Lexus, is a vehicle that starts at what, $80,000?

    So yeah, you'd have to replace the housing since more beams are required then the 1 in a halogen equipped cluster and then there are the heat sink requirements since these type LED's generate very high heat...
     
    #7 Paradox, Jul 27, 2009
  8. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    I've been driving cars with HIDs for 10+ years, which is one reason I went with the Prius V w/ LED headlights. I haven't noticed any difference in brightness vs. HIDs.
     
    #8 stream, Jul 27, 2009
  9. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    I don't notice any difference in brightness; however, do you notice any difference in the cut off where the beam pattern ends at the top? I have HIDs in the Lexus and the cut off at the top is extremely sharp and abrupt. Not so with the LEDs in the V. I wonder whether or not this is a characteristic of HIDs vs. LEDs?
     
    #9 32kcolors, Jul 27, 2009
  10. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I actually find the cutoff on my LED's quite sharp. The cutoff line is even sharper than the HID's which were in my 2006...
     
    #10 Paradox, Jul 27, 2009
  11. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    The reason most HIDs have a sharp cut off at the top is the bi-xenon technology (which I believe Lexus uses--not sure about the Gen II Prius). Low and high beams use the same lamps, with a shutter (or shade) moving up for high beams and down for low beams. The shutter creates the sharp cut off.
     
    #11 stream, Jul 27, 2009
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    But most HIDs aren't bi-xenon, just low beam. TSX, ES, G35, Mazda3 for example have low beam only.

    Oddly enough, except for the Gen 2 Prius, cars with bi-xenon still have a halogen high beam lamp. Any reason why?
     
    #12 Tideland Prius, Jul 28, 2009
  13. nola_Prius

    nola_Prius New Member

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    How much of the cutoff's sharpness has to do with the actual projection-style lens itself?Probably a lot... right?
     
    #13 nola_Prius, Jul 28, 2009
  14. stream

    stream Senior Member

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    It's for flash-to-pass. Xenons take too long to warm up to be useful for flash-to-pass when the headlights aren't already on.
     
    #14 stream, Jul 28, 2009
  15. accordingly

    accordingly Member

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    Makes sense to me, but the high beams on the 2010 Prius V are still halogen instead of LED.
     
    #15 accordingly, Jul 28, 2009
  16. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    D'oh!! You're right. That and you would never use the xenons for flashing cause that'll just shorten their lifespan.
     
    #16 Tideland Prius, Jul 28, 2009
  17. 32kcolors

    32kcolors Senior Member

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    Nobody knows the answer yet?

    I wonder if it has to do with the height of the vehicle and driver's perspective. The cutoff can only go so high so as to avoid blinding bystanders and other cars and this is more noticeable while sitting in a SUV but not so noticeable when sitting much lower in a Prius?
     
    #17 32kcolors, Jul 29, 2009
  18. 1SMUGLEX

    1SMUGLEX I love the smug!

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    I know the LED Headlights in the LS 600h L are 6k EACH from the dealer.
     
    #18 1SMUGLEX, Jul 29, 2009
  19. healthylaugh

    healthylaugh boughtalottatoyotas

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    Replace 2010 pkg. II, III or IV w/ LED headlights?

    Will the owners of 2010 Prius w/ Pkg. II, III, or IV be able to replace their headlights with more energy efficient LED headlamps?

    And if it cannot be done now, how about in the future?

    TIA
     
    #19 healthylaugh, Aug 5, 2009
  20. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    Re: Replace 2010 pkg. II, III or IV w/ LED headlights?

    This has been asked quite a few times now throughout the forums. Simple answer is no. You cannot just put LED 'bulbs' into the halogen housing and you can't just pop in LED headlight fixtures since they have an auto leveling sensor mounted in the rear which youd have to wire up etc. Also, I am sure to buy them separate, the LED fixtures are considerably expensive...

    2 old threads but some discussion:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/58170-2010-prius-led-headlight-swap.html

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/58648-hid-vs-led.html

    Also, a thread showing the difference between halogens and LED's:

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...en-vs-led-headlights-pictures.html#post921704
     
    #20 Paradox, Aug 5, 2009
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