Heretics Amber Fog Lights & Fog Pocket Kit for the 5th Gen 4Runner: Full Step by Step Installation Guide & Review
My 2021 4runner came with LED fog lights from the factory, and I’ve been pretty happy with them so far. It didn’t take long to slap on some LaminX film to achieve that aftermarket look, but I still wanted more.
After looking at the typical brands like the Baja Design Squadrons and the popular Diode Dynamics SS3s, I came across the Heretics amber fog lights. These caught my attention because not only were they a deeper amber color than the others, but also had the insane light output to compete with the big names.
Who Is Heretics?
Heretics is run by a small team out of Utah and makes all of its products in-house. Not only do they source the best of the best parts, but their attention to detail in quality control is second to none. They produce aftermarket vehicle lighting for just about any application you can think of, with insane light output.
Find It Online:
- Heretics Fog Light Kit: Check Price
Heretic Fog Lights
The Amber Lens Fog Light Kit
This Heretics fog light kit is available with mounting brackets for tons of vehicles, but we’ll be taking a look at the one compatible with:
- 4runners (’10-’22)
- Tacomas (’12-’21)
- Tundras (’14-’21)
- Rav4 (’19+)
The fog light housing itself is made from a single block of 6061 billet aluminum with integrated cooling fins. What this translates to is the reduced chance of damage from the elements and superior cooling (heat is the enemy of LEDs).
Heretics refers to the actual lighting unit as the Quattro, which is made of top-quality electronic components. It puts out 2904 lumens at 24watts with a power draw of only 2 amps and is IP68 waterproof rated. The entire unit weighs a mere 0.6lbs.
Perhaps one of the best features is that these are made in the U.S.A. and carry a lifetime warranty, the perfect duo!
What’s In The Box?
The Heretics fog light kit comes with:
- Pair of Quattro lights
- Mounting brackets & screws
- Wire harness adapters
- Zip ties & adhesive spacers
- Sticker (arguably, the most important part!)
How Do They Compare To OEM LED Fog Lights?
I have no complaints about the output of the factory LED lights. With the yellow LaminX film, they provided an excellent color temperature for driving in poor weather. Although they are definitely much brighter than the factory halogen bulbs in previous years of the 4runner, they are still no match for a solid set of aftermarket lights.
The factory LEDs have a very distinct cutoff, similar to that of the factory LED low beams that I have. This means that when in use, I can definitely distinguish where my fog lights cut off and where the low beams take over.
The Heretics fog lights have a flood/spot combo pattern, which means they throw light both wide and far, as indicated by the crown shape.
For reference, your headlights should be throwing more of a spot pattern (narrower & further) and fog lights more of a flood pattern (wider & shorter).
When I turn the Heretics on in combination with my headlights, the two now blend together for extra visibility further down the road.
Light output-wise, the Heretics win hands down over the OEM LEDs. They are easily at least 2, if not 3x brighter than even my factory LEDs, which are no slouch. Plus, the deep amber color just looks so good!
One caveat is that nowhere on Heretic’s website do they state that these fog lights are SAE/DOT compliant. Given their light output and throw pattern, I would be hard-pressed to believe that to be the case. So, if driving with your fog lights on all of the time are a must, you would likely be better off with a fog light kit that is SAE/DOT compliant.
Installation
Tools Needed:
- Philips head screwdriver
- Scissors
- 11mm socket or wrench
- 10mm socket or wrench (optional)
Before you get started…
You can use either a Philips head screwdriver or a 10mm socket to remove the screw holding the fender liner in place. Check out this fog light install post for a reference.
Step 1. Unplug Factory Wire Harness
The wire harness unplugs by depressing the retention clip at the top of it.
Step 2. Remove Mounting Screws
There are 2 Philips head screws on the outward-facing sides of the housing (both driver and passenger).
Step 3. Assemble Heretics Fog Light Kit
Drop the supplied carriage bolt through the light bracket and install the also supplied washer and nylon nut with an 11mm wrench or socket.
Do not tighten the nylon nut all the way just yet. You can also connect the supplied wire harness adapter to the Heretics light at this point.
Step 4. Attach Adhesive Spacers
Cut 1/2″x1/2″ pieces of the supplied adhesive spacers and attach them to the forward-facing side of the bracket arms that are open-ended.
Step 5. Remove Passenger Side Fog Light Cover
There is a large plastic cover over the passenger side fog light, held in by two retention tabs that are fairly difficult to release. This cover can’t be used with the new, larger fog lights so I just ripped it out.
Step 6. Install Heretics Fog Lights
Alight the two tabs that you put the adhesive spacing on with the two slots in the fog light shroud of the bumper.
Step 7. Reinstall Mounting Screws & Wire Harness
Reinstall the two screws removed in step 3 and plug in the wire harness.
Last couple steps:
- Ensure Fitment & Tighten Assembly Screw: Once you are happy with how the fog light sits in the bumper, tighten the nylon locking nut on the fog light bracket.
- Replace Fender Liner: Reinstall the fender liner, and you’re done!
Final Thoughts
Wow, I am stoked with how these turned out! I really like the uniqueness of the deep amber color, and the light output is crazy. The fact that these are probably not SAE/DOT compliant doesn’t bother me too much, as I only use my foglights on the trails anyways. Out there is where the flood/spot combo light pattern really shines (pun intended).
These are an awesome improvement over my factory LEDs, so I can only imagine how they compare to lesser halogen bulbs. If you’re in the market for some quality, aftermarket lights, check out Heretics over at YotaMafia.com!
Why would you want to install lights in the fog light pocket that you can’t legally run on roads? I don’t get the point of that when there are better, legal options. The DD SS3 Pros are $50 cheaper and will undoubtedly perform significantly better when you actually need fog lights. Waste of money
You do realize that thousands of guys run the baja squardons pros and even sports because they are bright, and that’s all people care about… quality + output. Some guys like myself live in the mountains where we don’t see cars on the road for miles and when we do, we kill our squadron pros. My house is 50 miles outside of town and I live by my Squadrons. Whether I am on or off-road, I use my lights responsibly, though. Because you run the diode lights doesn’t make you any more special or “right” it just means that’s what you chose to run for your application. There is literally zero point in challenging someone else’s choice for parts they chose to run. Baja and Heretic make a really high quality product. Potentially even better than the diodes, which if were being honest, are knock offs of the baja squadrons anyway.
Plenty of people run different lights for different reasons. Fortunately, you’re free to run whichever you’d like to best suit your own use case.