Sineo

Hello, new here! I'm loving my new (to me) HS, but I was hating the gross yellow DRLs and halogen headlights, so I picked up some HIDs and LEDs and did a little work tonight . I put in HIDs @ 5000k for the lows, LEDs for the DRLs/brights, LED tail light bulbs, and some yellow fog bulbs (even though I almost never use my fog lights, I like the look). Each replacement was easy and I only need any tools for the fogs (a 10mm socket); everything else can be done by hand. I've attached some pics. A couple notes: the 194 base LEDs I got for the license plate bulbs are too long for the socket depth and won't lock into place (sigh). I've got them held in place with electrical tape for now and you'd never know it wasn't OEM by looking from the outside, but I hate knowing that the inside is cruddy, so I'll be looking for some shorter replacements. I'm glad I did it because I observed that my right back up light (or is it a tail light?) appears to be out...or is this how it's supposed to be (German cars have the single read fog light - stupid. But maybe the Lexus has a similarly confounding feature?)? The LED bulbs I put in the DRLs/highs look great, but they flicker/shimmer ever so slightly as DRLs (double sigh) so I have a decoder kit on the way. The H11 HID kit was super easy to install...not much else to say about that.

I went ahead and ordered LED replacements for the some and map lights, too. It can seem like a small thing, but they really look nice and definitely do this pretty car more justice.

*my phone or the forum are both are only letting me attach a single photo tonight. I'll try to figure it out tomorrow so that I can upload the rest. The pic uploaded shows the LED DRLs.

Thank everyone, glad to be here

TheAirman

I like the look of the LED DRL, but I think you'll find that as a high beam, the LED's won't cut it. They don't have the power yet. The same goes for the back up bulbs. Most of the one that will do the job cost some money. Like these:
http://www.vleds.com/bulb-type/rever...79-1-pair.html

With the dome light, if you want some crazy brightness, try this one:
http://www.oznium.com/led-domelight

I don't understand though, how you installed LED tail light bulbs? I thought the tails were all LED. And how did you figure out the rear back up light was burnt out? Did you start it, put it in reverse and get out to walk behind it?

The HS has no rear fog, if that is what you were talking about. The two lower red lights below the tail light are just reflectors.

Good luck on your map LED upgrade. The unit is no fun to pull apart as the bulbs go in from behind. Don't try to pull the lenses out. That'll cost you some money to replace.

Search the forum. Lots of good info on lighting upgrades, and keep updates coming.

Sineo

The LEDs in the DRLs are terrible as brights, that's for sure. I knew that buying them, though. I live in urban Houston, so it was a conscious choice based on knowing how seldom I use my brights. I know it's the kind of thing you don't want have to need and not have, so I'll probably swap in a set of HIDs at some point. In the meantime, these are purdy .

Regarding the burnt out rear bulb, I wasn't sure what light it was, but I was thinking it shouldn't be a taillight since, yes, as you mentioned those are LED. In fact, it is a taillight that's out. I wasn't sure what I was looking at (I mentioned I wondered if it might have been a single rear fog like on my previous German cars), because it just seemed really unlikely that an LED would have burnt out on a 3 year old car. It did.

As for the LEDs I installed in the rear, I meant license plate bulbs. The combination of a little too much wine and posting on an iPhone made for a less than easy-to-read post...sorry, y'all .

I haven't decided how annoyed I am with one thing I've noticed about the HS so it's not worth it's own thread (yet), but have any of you noticed a chattery or clicky steering wheel clock? I have a hard time replicating it, but it happens at low speeds and seems to happen mostly when the car is cold (though I'm not sure why that would make a difference). It sounds/feels like the tape is off or something. I need to figure out how to replicate it so I can point it out to the dealer when I take it in to have the taillight bulbs replaced next week.

TheAirman

A burnt out LED tail light? That's got to be rare. And expensive. I hope it's covered under warranty.

Steering wheel clock. Do you mean the clock spring for the air bag and steering wheel radio controls and such? If that's the case, the mere mention of an air bag problem on a Toyota product might have them jumping.



Looks like it might be #84307 at about $650.00. Keep us posted on what they find.

Need4Speed

looks good

Sineo

My thoughts exactly which is why I was assuming it was something other than the LED tail. The car's still under the basic warranty and I purchased an extended one, so I should be good to go.

If the noise/clicking sensation is what I think it is, then yes, it's the part # you mention above. There's a tape inside that attaches to the wheel and which unravels and reravels as the wheel is turned. I need to do a little more research because I saw a bunch of forums talking about a similar clicking noise in older Lexus models with several possible causes. I had an Audi a few years back that made a similar noise and I guessed it was the clock, replaced it, and the problem was solved. Looking back, I can't believe I was brave enough to fool with the airbag (and as I recall, it took several tries to get the installation right). I'm definitely not that brave anymore.

I have an appointment on Saturday for the LED and to get a front license plate bracket. This car was a Florida lease return and they, apparently, don't require a front plate as they do here in Texas. I'm sad to be drilling my poor, pristine front bumper. But anyway, I'll post what service finds. I had the suspension recall done a few weeks ago...some "world class inspection" that doesn't observe a dead tail light >:|.

Sineo

And actually, wait...shouldn't there be a bulb out warning light on the dash notifying my of the dead tail LED? There isn't.

Sineo

What a feat of engineering - bulb's out and the entire assembly has to be replaced. Thank goodness for warranties, they quoted something like $400 if I'd had to pay out of pocket. But of course they don't have the part so that's one more Saturday morning lost :P