Install LED headlamps on 2015 Prius 2

As many of you know, LED headlamps are available on Prius, but only on the upper trim levels. Since all the Prius models come with projector beam low beams, LED's are a natural upgrade.

Our other car is a 2014 Corolla LE Plus with LED Lamps; I've become spoiled by the clean, white light that actually works. I thought about doing HID, but since LED's are "the next thing" in lighting, HID is "old technology". I went looking for some guidance and found none on LED's. Time to blaze a new trail in lighting improvements. I chose the LMZ LED headlamps from VLEDS. The bulbs are large overall, creating some installation issues that aren't addressed when installing HID bulbs.


Tools/Materials needed:
10mm socket with extensions up to 6"
double sided foam mounting tape. (3M moulding tape is grey with red backing)
flat blade screwdriver
cross-tip (Phillips) screwdriver.

Space is plenty tight on both left and right side to change the normal size low beam bulb, and impossible with these unless you're willing to do a bit of extra work. I recommend starting on the right side, since it's more involved. Ready, set, wrench!

Start by removing the two bolts that secure the main coolant reservoir. These take a 10mm socket. Lift the reservoir and turn it90 degrees clockwise so that will sit on top of the airbox intake tubes.

Remove the panel that sits atop the radiator support by removing the three clips with a screwdriver.

These are "push-push" clips, where you press the center and it releases.
Set the panel aside and begin removing the clips across the front of the bumper top. These require you to slip a screwdriver under the center portion and gently lift. There are about 6 plus two machine screws that come out with a 10mm socket.

Go to the passenger front wheel well and remove the 10 mm self tapping screw and the plastic clip that looks like a slot head screw. Remove the clip by turning 90 degrees counter clockwise and pulling it out.
Reach under the edge of the bumper and remove the 10mm silver colored bolt and the plastic clip that secure the lower portion of the plastic fender liner.

The corner of the bumper is secured by a plastic fitting that doubles as the "nut" for the self tapping screw you removed. Pull the bumper corner away from the snap fittings and the wheel well liner to expose the lower outside support for the headlamp.
There are two screws you can easily reach. Remove the one that is furthest forward using a 10mm socket.

Next remove the two 10mm self-tapping screws that secure the headlamp to the fender and radiator support. Lift the tabs on the headlamp over the retaining buttons and work the headlamp forward to release the lamp from the slide clips. This requires strength and patience; some wiggling and choice words may be involved.

Once you get the headlamp free, turn it face down into the loosened bumper so you can make the bulb changeover. The kit includes the two bulbs, two collars for the H-11 install fitting, and a digital module.

Install the collar on the bulb so the largest tab is pointing straight up and the LED's are aligned vertically. Tighten the set screw with the allen wrench provided and install the bulb in the headlamp socket. It locks in when you turn it clockwise from 10 o'clock to 12 o'clock.
If you are doing other upgrades such as installing SilverStar high beams (9005) or changing the park and/or side marker lamp to LED, this is the time to do it. It's also a great time to make the change over on your turn signals since they are right there.

I mounted the digital modules to the inside of the front fenders behind the black insulation panel that covers the gap back to the hood hinges. There is a clip that holds the panel; using a flat tip screwdriver release the clip from the backside - accessible when the headlamp is out. Apply two strips of the moulding mount tape to the backside of the module.
Select routing for the wires; it is easiest to route them to the outside of all the supports and make the connections. Carefully reinstall the headlamp and work the wiring along between the headlamp and the fender support. Now, remove the backing film from the moulding tape and press the module in place. Turn the headlamps on and see the difference between LED and regular halogen H-11 bulbs.

Lather, Rinse,Repeat for the driver's side. Remove the top of the fuse box before mounting the module. This creates space to remove the insulation panel and install the module to the inside of the fender.

To reinstall the "push-push" plastic fasteners, press down on the lower portion so the button pops up.

Simply reinsert the fastener in the hole and push the center down until it's flush.

Enjoy your new-found night vision!

 

Here are pics of the lighting upgrades. Since the headlamps are projector, there isn't much change of pattern going from H-11's to LED's.


The bulbs can be oriented either vertically, or horizontally. Right now they are vertical with the LED's shining to each side in the housing. I will try horizontal to see if I can get rid of the hotspots down low and the dark bars.

 

Update on the lights. I thought the pattern was strange, too so I went back over my work. Surprise! When I put the collars on the bulbs, I simply slid them on until they stopped. Tonight I compared the LED position with the filament position on the original bulbs. The LED's were much further back, and there was this nice, fine threading on the collars and the bulbs. I threaded the collars all the way down on the bulbs and reinstalled. I also changed the orientation of the LED's from vertical to horizontal.


While the hot spots are gone and the pattern doesn't curve up at the edges, there are some bars and a bit of stray light at the top. More adjustments to come later in the week. I'll go back to vertical and do some in and out adjustment.

 

Don't tell the wife! She swerves to hit squirrels!

 

As of tonight, I've had the headlamps out of the car three separate times. I think I could match the flat rate for this job. As you saw last night, I made some adjustments to the lights to bring he focal point as close as possible to the OEM H-11's. Tonight I made sure the bulbs were screwed into the collars as far as they would go and adjusted the orientation back to vertical. The pattern is as good as I'm going to get it for now; I'd like to raise it a bit - maybe with the adjusters to get the hot spots up the road a few feet further.


LED's horizontal; shining up and down in the lamp chamber. This is what I had after my first adjustment yesterday, for those of you who wanted a "dark" pic of the light pattern.



LED's reoriented vertically- shining to the sides of the lamp chamber. This seems to raise the entire beam pattern and evens it out - bars and shadows almost totally gone.



Roughly how I see the road with the LED lowbeams. The only way I can see to improve the view is to find a set of LED headlamps from a wrecked Gen III Prius.

 

Sometimes ya gotta admit that the factory does it better. I went back to OEM style bulbs, with the Silverstar Ultra halogens. No matter what I tried, the road went black about 60 feet ahead of the car. Before I reverted to the filament/bulb I'd spoken with the folks at VLED's; they were quite helpful, and suggested making adjustments in 1/2 turn increments, but considering that each adjustment involved removing and reinstalling the passenger side headlamp (see the first post), I finally said "Enough!". The adjustments at the far end, with the LED's further back in the housing moved the lit patch of road up a little, but left me with a dark patch between 5 & 10 feet. At this point, I may start scouring junkyards for Prius four's and 5's with factory LED headlamps. I'm sure they don't connect the same way as the halogens, either...