Headlights – PiP base preformance……..

Upon your recommendation, I ordered a set of the Morimoto's in good faith.

 

I installed a 5000k hid kit in mine. This is definitly related to the sharp cutoff. Above the cutoff is dark. Below is superb.

You may wanna aim ur lights up a lil or get a quality set of driving lights.

SCH-I545 ? 4

 

Jonny I appreciate the feedback but if I have to do all that, then that is not auto level. Our Lexus RX350 has "true" auto level, the Prius Plug in Advanced does not.

 

I don't understand what you 'have to do?' He just gave you an example of how to see the auto-level system work.

What do you consider 'true auto level' to be?

 

They definitely auto level. It's just the adjustment from the factory has them pointing down too low. Easy enough to fix and the difference is worth the effort.

 

That example is a bit ridiculous, I am not going to do that. If the Advanced had true Auto Level, I should be able to notice the Auto Level continuously like I do in the RX350. Both you and Jonny do not have the Advanced version so maybe that's why you "don't get it". Don't get me wrong, the LED's are very bright but they never auto level and pretty much point downwards. It's the same issue in the city or out in the country, bumps, hills, curves etc. I notice it and so do my passengers. In dark city spots I'm forced to use my high beams otherwise I am going into darkness, it's quite scary and a disappointment for a $40k car.

How are they "auto level" but "pointing down to low" ? That is not auto level. What is this easy fix that Toyota's Service department is not aware of because trust me I've mentioned it time after time?

 

I think you'll be very happy w/the 50 watt system. I did use the relay kit w/mine. I'm assuming you ordered that too?

 

Toyota decided where they wanted the lights to be aimed. The auto leveling ensures the lights point at that same point no matter what the load, given the load doesn't exceed maximums. Luckily, they included an adjustment so you can make changes. See here: Shaded lights are getting me down | PriusChat

 

My Five has the exact same setup as the PiPA. So I do get it.

The auto level in the Prii are meant to keep a fat backseat driver from blinding oncoming traffic. The next level up is the continuous dynamic auto leveling. I have seen them in BMWs. I do have concerns of how long they will last with the servo motor constantly working. Two different levels of "auto" leveling.

An mentioned, the best course of action is to dial up the base "home" level a little. The auto leveling will work from this new "home" location.

 

Sorry, it was not ridiculous, and I have owned other cars with auto-leveling lights, so I understand how they are supposed to work. To state it AGAIN, if you don't like the default level, adjust it!

 

Thanks for the info

Looks like I need to hire a fat backseat passenger, thanks for the info.

Maybe to you it wasn't but to me it was. It looks like the adjustment can be made but I hope it's easier done than said. Still too bad that I have to go through this just to be able to see at night. Thumbs down Toyota.

 

No, I will make my own.
I have enough spare parts and wires to tackle the job.
Have you fasten the ballast to any part of the chassis?

 

I got my H9 bulbs and installed them tonight. The 'modification' was a 15 second per bulb snip of an extra locating tab then they went right in. Initially it was obvious there was a lot more light, but the fundamental problem remained; the sharp cutoff was causing absolutely no light to get beyond what was safe at about 40mph. I adjusted each beam up slightly and I now have tons of light that I feel perfectly safe with at 60mph on our deer filled back roads.

I also, for the heck of it, ordered the 9011 HIR bulbs from Candlepower to replace the high beams (which are actually pretty good stock). These are a common direct replacement with similar trim modification for the 9005 bulb, and one I've done before. This will take the lighting from ~5900 total lumens to ~8900 lumens.

 

Any one flashed you yet?

 

Nope, and I'll keep a careful eye on it. It was a minor adjustment, and if I have any doubts, I'll do the proper adjustment with measurements against the wall. I've done it that way a number of times in the past and never had a car that had such a short reach with the low beams. I visually checked the glare from the front, and you have to be very low to the ground to be below the cut-off and get the glare. These appear to be adjusted very conservatively from the factory.

 

Xhenya, can you please post some pics? Thanks. I've done some tab modifications to H8 bulbs before to fit them into the H11 socket to go down in wattage. So it should be easy to modify the H9 bulbs. I use a rotary tool with a grinding head instead of tin snips.

I wonder which burns hotter in the OEM projectors, 65w H9 halogens, or 50/55w HIDs?

SCH-I535

 

No pics, sorry. This is a small step up in wattage so it's not considered problematic. Those warnings typically apply when people are talking of stepping up from say 65-100 watts.

 

That's because the designers probably had to run their plans through the legal department first. The result of that consultation is what we have here.