It’s no secret that the factory lights on our 3rd Gen Tacomas are subpar. I love my truck and have few complaints, but the OEM lights that come with our rigs leave a lot to be desired.
LASFIT has taken advantage of this by offering a LED fog light bulb replacement. Each bulb produces 3000 lumens of light (6000 lumens for the pair) and has a stated lifespan of more than 30,000 hours. With just one set of these bulbs, you can switch back and forth between 6000K white light and 3000K yellow light while driving, hence the name “Switchback”.
In this post I’ll be going over how to install these aftermarket LED bulbs and my thoughts on how they perform. It’s a relatively quick and easy install so let’s get into it.
Find It Online
- LASFIT LED Switchback Fog Light Bulbs: Check Price
Table Of Contents
Installation
Step 1. Connect External Driver
Plug the end with the prongs into the receiver and then thread the cap over the connection.
Step 2. Release Harness
Pop the hood, locate the fog light and reach down through the gap near the headlights.
There is a small tab on the side where the wiring harness connects to the bulb. Push that tab firmly in and pull the wiring harness out of the bulb.
Step 3. Remove Bulb
Now that the wiring harness is removed, twist the bulb and pull it out of the socket.
When you twist it, you should be able to feel the tabs unlock.
Step 4. Plug In Harness
Grab your new LASFIT Switchback bulb and plug it into the wiring harness. Before moving on to the next step, check to make sure that the light is working.
Note: If you turn on your fog lights and the bulb isn’t illuminated, try unplugging the harness and flip the plug to the other side before reconnecting it. This worked for me when my driver’s side bulb did not initially turn on.
Step 5. Install Bulb
Install the new Switchback LED bulb into the socket by twisting it the opposite way you twisted the OEM bulb to remove it.
Step 6. Fasten External Driver
The LASFIT bulb comes with this external driver for better performance. The OEM bulb does not have this so you could either leave it hanging or fasten it somewhere.
To be safe, I zip-tied it to the nearest secure piece of metal. Repeat these steps on the other side and you are done.
OEM Output
LASFIT White Output
LASFIT Yellow Output
Final Thoughts
Considering the very easy, tool-less install and the high-quality build of these bulbs, my initial thoughts are very positive. The install took me about 20 minutes and might be one of the easiest product installations I’ve done on my Tacoma.
Light Output
As far as the quality of the light output, I have driven on dark country backroads, foggy coastal streets, and these lights are massively better than the stock fog lights provided by Toyota. When I have them on, I can see everything in front of me and off to the side much better.
As you can see in the comparison photos above, the color of the light output is much more white and crisp compared to the OEM bulbs when in the white mode. I have yet to test the amber mode in snowy or super dusty conditions where they would thrive, but on the streets, they also meet expectations.
Minor Inconvenience
The only issue that I have come across thus far has been when I flash my brights, the color changes. This makes sense considering that they switch colors by turning the fogs off and then back on again. But, I could see how this might be annoying if you want to keep using one color. However, these only switch like that when you flash your brights. In my experience, if you have your brights on for about 15 seconds and turn them off, they always return back to white.
Solid Upgrade Option
Overall, I would highly recommend these replacements for anyone who uses their fogs somewhat often and is let down by the performance of the stock Tacoma halogens. These lights retail for around $100 and I think this is a fair price for what you get, especially considering the added bonus of having 2 colors in one bulb.
