LED 4Runner Headlights (High/ Low) – Xenon Depot

LED 4Runner Headlights (High and Low Beams) From Xenon Depot

After installing a previous set of high beams and low beams, and not be satisfied enough, we decided to go another direction. And, we are incredibly happy that we did. The other 4Runner LED headlights did work, just not to the standard and quality we were hoping for.

We all know that our 4Runner halogen headlights are not that great, low beams especially. So, we wanted to find a set of lights that would solve the headache of every driving a rig that we love so much. Naturally, we headed to the biggest eCommerce website in the world and grabbed a set.

The Back-Story on another set of LED Headlights

We bought a pair of lights from Amazon with something like 1000 reviews at 4.5 stars. So, you would think that these would be badass. Again, they did work, but they just didn’t “wow” me as I mentioned in that blog post. The high beams 9005, and low beams H11, together were around $80, so they were pretty affordable.

After installing the headlights, we ran into a few problems. And, I only understand these problems now, after installing the new Xtreme LED Pros from Xenon Depot.

On the initial install of the high beams and low beams from Amazon, we didn’t really have anything to compare them to, but there were some problems looking back.

Problems with the Other LED Headlights

Plastic Tabs Broke off upon installing

While we’re installing the other LED headlights, they had these plastic tabs that seemed to be a bit large for the space they were supposed to fit into. This caused about 30 minutes of headaches, raw finger-tips, and eventually breaking off one of the tabs.

Upon initial removal of the other LED headlights, they had wiggled loose out of the housing and were basically hanging there by a thread. This could have been seriously bad. I am not exactly the automotive lighting expert, but that doesn’t seem safe.

Low Beam and High Beam Issue

While running the low beam headlights, we would switch the high beam headlights on and then boom, the low beams would automatically shut off. This is not normal on your stock 4Runner halogen headlights.

Your stock 4Runner halogen headlights allow you to run your high beams and low beams at the same time. These aftermarket high beams and low beams did not. This was kind of red flag looking back on it. The high beams were incredibly bright, and I was pretty impressed by the high beam output, but the issue with high beams and low beams at the same time is a little strange.

Beam Pattern was Incorrect

The beam pattern was incorrect, meaning it did not match the factory halogen beam pattern. Now, that might be ok for some people out there ballin’ on a light budget but it didn’t work for us. Our beam pattern on the low beams (H11) was pretty bad, and yes we installed them correctly.

While driving, it didn’t make sense to me. I know that the driver is supposed to slightly higher than the passenger side, but the pattern was not straight at all and the driver side was much higher than the passenger side. Also, there seemed to be massive light flare and it was incredibly scattered.

The light was all over the road and not in a good way. I was not impressed by the low beams AT ALL.

Low Beams were not “Brighter” than Halogens

What irritated me most about the low beam headlights from Amazon was the actual light output. Now, I know these are not going to compare to an HID Headlights, but I did want something bright. The stock halogen headlights (rated at 12oo lumens) were brighter than the LEDs (rated at 7,200 lumens). Head over to the page and scroll to the very bottom, you will see the LED Low Beam Vs. Stock Halogens.

This was one of the most irritating things after seeing the before and after pictures back to back. But, they were a different color (whiter with more of blue tint) compared to the stock halogen headlights, which was a plus.

Xenon Depot Xtreme LED Pros

Wow. I am really glad that we did install the other brand of headlights just to see what the difference really was. The differences are actually everywhere, not just in the four problem sections above. These bulbs were hands down 10 times better than the brand from Amazon.

I can literally find 10 reasons why they were better. You don’t have to dig too deep in the 4Runner forums to understand why so many owners know, love and trust the Xenon Depot brand.

Core Features of the Xenon Depot Headlights:

Price:

• High Beam (9005)
• Low Beam (H11)
• Yellow Fog Light Bulb Front (H16/H11)

Features:

• ~1750 lumens stable per bulb
• 6 Philips LumiLEDS ZES emitters per bulb
• Clockable Design for optimal beam patterns
• Aluminum alloy leaf passive heatsink – perfect for tight spaces!
• Ice white 5500k color temperature
• Voltage: DC12V-24V
• Lifespan: 50,000 hours
• Direct replacement for the OEM halogen bulb
• Grommet for sealing the headlamp housings if needed
• 2 year warranty
• Sold in pairs

Why Xenon Depot LED Headlights lights are better:

1. Shipping
2. Customer Service
3. Construction
4. Installation Instructions
5. Fanless Design
6. Light Output
7. Light Color
8. Beam Pattern
9. Functionality
10. Technology

Shipping/ Packaging

To start, we had incredibly fast shipping (through a company called ShipNerd). It was comparable to two-day shipping. Something we have all been very accustomed to. The packaging was something like an Apple box. Xenon Depot’s shipping and packaging were both incredibly clean and professional.

The LED lights were packaged super tight and everything was tailored to its exact location in the box. Also, the shipping was padded all the way around.

Customer Service

During the process of the install, we did have a few questions and Steve was there for us the whole time. If you have any questions about your install on this product, hopefully, our step by step installation guide will answer all of them.

But, if not, you will be able to actually speak to a human at Xenon Depot. Unlike major Amazon import brands who hide behind third-party email redirects.

Construction

The design of the Xenon Depot Xtremes look and feel like an Apple product. The aluminum design feels incredibly quality in your hand. The other LED lights looked good, but the Xenon Depot Xtremes make the other lights look and feel pretty weak.

Also, the  Xenon Depot Xtremes didn’t cut up our hands like the others did. A lot of thought went into the design and construction of these LEDs.

Installation Instructions

While the other LED instructions were ok, the Xenon Depot Xtremes had instructions with high-quality vector graphics that were just easier to read. These instructions actually give you a good idea of the step by step. The other LED lights were very vague and lacked crucial steps in understanding the install process.

Fanless LED Lights

The problem with our 4Runner and probably other cars is the tight space we have to work with. The beauty of these lights is the fanless design. On the end of most LED headlights, you have this massive bulb on the back. This bulky bulb gets in the way of twisting on the actual bulb. Because space is tight and the bulb gets in the way, you will have a hard time twisting your bulb into place.

The benefits of a fanless design are that you have no moving parts that can fail and no loud buzzing sounds from the fan. Xenon Depot Xtremes feature an all-new patented aluminum alloy leaf passive heat sink to dissipate heat. No fans or bulky heatsinks that get in the way.

With the Xenon Depot Xtremes, the install was like butter. They twisted right in on both sides. With the other bulbs, this cut our hands and was incredibly frustrating.

Light Output

The actual light output is better. Imagine that. On the Xenon Depot Xtremes, the light output is much better than the stock halogen headlights. The light is brighter, covers more distance and just makes driving your 4Runner at night relaxing.

The 9005 and the H11 Xtreme Pro bulbs are rated at an honest 1750 lumens and stable. These bulbs were measured after the bulbs had been operating continuously for an hour at 60°C / 140°F heat.

The bulbs boast a 5500K color temperature from the emitters, Xenon Depot is providing you with a true white light, not artificially jacking up the lumen rating with a bunch of useless deep-blue light that can only attract unwanted police attention, not help you see.

Light Color

5500K (Kelvin). Pure White and Beautiful. I am not just saying that. It is literally exactly what I was looking for in color. The other LED headlights were a bit higher (bluer), although you can get the other LED lights in whatever color you want. In any case, the 5500K lights are money! It all depends on what color you want to run with, in your 4Runner, but 5500K seems like a classy gentleman color to me.

Also, adding to the importance of light color on the Xenon Depot LEDs vs. the Amazon brand LEDs. The Xenon Depot LEDs perform much better as a bright white light as opposed to the bluer light output from the other brand in wet road conditions. Whiter light is better than bluer light for off-road use and wet road conditions.

Beam Pattern

Again, WOW. The beam pattern on the Xenon Depot Xtreme LED Pros was almost exactly the same as the stock halogen headlights on the 4Runner. We have two 4Runners and one of them currently has the stock halogen headlights. We put them both up to the garage at the same time and sure enough, they followed the exact same line! Incredibly impressive Xenon Depot!

Functionality

Here is where the  Xenon Depot Xtremes really set themselves apart from the competition. The functionality in the Xenon Depot LED bulb features the ability to dial the bulbs into whatever position you need to. When you install these bulbs into your housing (low Beam or High Beam), you have the option to adjust your dial 360 degrees.

Preferably, your bulbs should be pointing at 9:00 and 3:00, meaning they should be horizontal to the ground when mounted into your halogen housing. If your LED bulbs are facing more 12:00 and 6:00 in your housing, you may get hot spots when you are running your lights. Th beauty of these lights is that you can adjust this.

Technology

The diodes in the Xenon Depot Xtremes are designed to mimic the factory halogen light. These bulbs utilize high-grade Philips LumiLED diodes to ensure the best possible beam pattern and brightest possible light output. They also have a waterproof IP 65-68 certification.

These are the best headlights we have seen yet and you can double check this with hundreds of 4Runner owners in the forums. There is a reason why Xenon Depot is known for 4Runner headlights. They have a bad ass product, are well-trusted, and have satisfied hundreds of 4Runner owners across the USA and Canada.

Well done Xenon Depot. Cheers!