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Upgrading from halogen to LED headlight?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by gazelle, Jun 14, 2009.

  1. gazelle

    gazelle New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Does anyone know how hard it is to go from the stock 2010 prius II/III/IV halogen headlight to the 2010 prius V LED headlight?

    Is is a simple bulb change, order the part from the parts department, and plug it in?

    Or is it more complex than that?
     
    #1 gazelle, Jun 14, 2009
  2. shawnb2

    shawnb2 Active Member

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    Location:
    Thousand Oaks, CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    From what I've seen and read which is why I changed from a IV to a V is because things like this are not an easy plug and play setup. The LED headlights are much more complex than the regular halogens being that they have the auto levelers and such. I really wanted the solar package and just figured I'd switch out the headlights, get a different set of wheels and buy the foglights from the dealer and install them myself only to find out that it wasn't going to be so easy. It's costing me more money and a sunroof in the long run but overall I think I'm going to be quite happy with my V w/AT. Should be here in the next day or two. Can't wait and good luck figuring out what you're going to do.
     
    #2 shawnb2, Jun 14, 2009
  3. brad_rules_man

    brad_rules_man Hybrid electric revolutionizer

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    It is virtually impossible to do in an easy and proper way. I would say that there is a VERY sharp and definite cut off in the Halogens. You might get away having an HID conversion installed, if you can tap into the headlight's wires and not blow a fuse. (I say this because, otherwise you use a relay which taps directly into the battery... which is in the trunk.) However, I highly discourage this, because the projector lenses weren't designed for that intensity and can blind oncoming drivers. My advice is go for the package V. It will also compensate for loads in the back seats/cargo area.
     
    #3 brad_rules_man, Jun 14, 2009
  4. HTMLSpinnr

    HTMLSpinnr Super Moderator
    Staff Member

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    One could attempt LED headlights w/ a fixed level height, but I'd say it's asking for trouble. The LED's when properly done have an additional ECU,corresponding tie-ins with other ECUs, and wiring that simply isn't present on a non-LED equipped car. That being said, if I can find a pair from a wrecked Prius on the cheap, I may check into the fixed level version. I do miss auto-leveling lights as the halogens are set a tad low for my taste compared to the Gen II HID's.
     
    #4 HTMLSpinnr, Jun 14, 2009
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