The XenonDepot LED H11 replacement for the 3rd Gen Toyota Tacoma is a great upgrade.
One of the first modifications I did with my truck was to replace the OEM Halogen bulbs that come stock with the Tacoma. The initial light output from the factory is dismal at best, it did the job, but I knew there was something better out there!
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Budget Vs. Premium
I went the cheaper route and ordered some from Amazon in the $35-$65 dollar price range the first time I decided to upgrade my low-beams.
The aftermarket Amazon LEDs were fine but they didn’t make the road any more visible than my stock bulbs. The lights were a little bit brighter but the actual reach (lux) of the light was very short.
Lux VS Lumens is a whole other topic that you may want to research before buying aftermarket lights. After having good luck with my XenonDepot XTR Reverse Lights, I decided to pull the trigger on these XenonDepot LED Pros to replace my low beams. After driving around at night for the first couple of days and bringing it out on the highway, the difference was extremely noticeable.
HID or LED?
There are currently three main technologies in the vehicle lighting world:
- HID (High-Intensity Discharge)
- LED (Light Emitting Diode)
- Halogen
Halogen type bulbs have been around since the modern car was invented then followed by HID, then most recently LED lights. HIDs were the popular choice when they first came onto the scene, but with the recent developments in technology and improvements to LED products, LEDs have become the front runner in vehicle lighting.
LED Advantage
Energy Efficient
- LED lights are more energy-efficient than their halogen and HID counterparts. They have greater light output but draws fewer amps from your electrical system.
Instant Light
- Unlike HIDs, which take a second to warm up, LEDs turn on right away. If you have a current changer in your vehicle some vehicles are even able to dim the brightness of the LED, for instance, if you were stuck in traffic.
Reduced Glare
- Unlike HIDs, LEDs are a bright concentrated light source, so you do not have to worry about distracting glare with oncoming traffic.
Reduced Heat Output
- LEDs also stay much cooler than Halogen and HID.
Increased LifespanÂ
- The longevity of LED lights greatly surpass both Halogen and HID. Some manufacturers have stated up to 50,000-hour life span on their LED lights.
Why Xenon Depot?
I firmly believe that Xenon Depot along with a few other companies (Headlight Revolution, Morimoto, Etc.) make the absolute highest quality headlight bulbs in the industry. As soon as you take it out of the box, you can tell that this is an excellent product. It’s about twice the price of the median Amazon LED light, but well worth the money.
These lights have the best output, concentration, and color gradient compared to Amazon or eBay alternatives.
Find It Online
Let’s get these bad boys installed.
Step 1. Access Headlights
It is not necessary to remove the grill from the Tacoma, but it does give you more working room around both the headlight housings. The grill on the Tacoma is only held in place with two screws and two clips. It is very easy to remove.
Use a Phillips screwdriver head to remove both screws. Then, if you have an automotive clip remover, use that to remove the clips on both sides. If you do not have one, a screwdriver can work just as well to pop them off.
Step 2. Remove Headlight Bulb
Let’s start with the driver’s side headlight.
Due to the battery, access to the driver’s side bulb is slightly more difficult. You will still be able to access the bulb, but if you want to remove your battery, it can make the job a bit easier. The headlight bulb is the second from the right if you are looking from the car from the front. Reach behind and twist left to remove the light from the housing. Be sure the low beam connector/harness is unlocked from the headlight before removing.
As you can see from the photo above, my old Amazon LED light is being compared to the old XenonDepot. The Amazon LED has one Cree chip on each side while the XenonDepot has 3.
Step 3. Connect Harness
The LED Pro Low Beams come with a harness to connect to the OEM H11 plug; you’ll want to connect this harness to that plug.
Follow the steps below to connect the XenonDepot provided Harness.
Connect 2-Prong Male + Female Ends
Connect the two-prong male and female ends.
Note: The polarities may be reversed so double-check both sides so that the positive and negatives are lined up correctly.
Connect Smaller 4-Prong Connections
Now connect the smaller 4 prong connections and screw on the weather seal cap.
Reconnect OEM H11 Plug To Xenon Depot Plug
You will end up with the harness and a Xenon Depot low beam that looks like this. Now all that is left to do is to reconnect the OEM H11 plug to the provided Xenon Depot One.
Step 4. Connect Harness
Step 5. Test New Bulbs
Turn on your lights to make sure the LED bulbs work.
If they don’t turn on the first time, the polarity on the connectors may be reversed; check the assembly again and the light turn should turn on if it didn’t the first time.
Step 6. Fan Heatsink
Fan out the heatsink when you put the low beam back in the headlight housing.
Make sure that the adjustable heat sink is not touching any wires. It’s not a huge deal if it does, but better to have it free of anything, you don’t want the heatsink to wear through the protective covering and expose a live wire.
Step 7. Tuck Wires
I used zip ties to tuck the harness and the wires away in the space between the main engine bay and the fenders. The above image is of the passenger side.
Step 8. Install New Bulb
Just as you removed your factory bulb, simply reinstall the new XB LED back into place, and you’re done.
First Impressions
As soon as I put these in the truck I could immediately see a big difference. The light output is super concentrated and the light is very bright. The actual distance (lux) the beam threw was extremely far.
The light output of XenonDepot is amazing! They put out bright white light, unlike other competitors which are closer to the blue portion of the Kelvin scale. The distribution pattern of the lights will depend on the type of lens/headlight you’re running.
Final Thoughts
I would recommend these lights to anyone looking for a lighting upgrade. They are great out on the trail and for daily driven trucks. They will give you greater visibility on the road and you can see cars and/or obstacles much sooner. Kudos to XenonDepot for putting out another quality product!
