Hello all!

I have been on clublexus for a little while now and I have a question that I would like to see if anyone have tried and can shed light on what I need...

I drive a 14' F-Sport in Canada. As some of you know, the F-Sport here only came with a Xenon headlamp (the LED headlamp was not available until this year). I am currently looking into upgrading my headlamp to the LED one. I have been to the local Lexus dealership parts department and they told me it is not advised and should not be done.

My question is, can this be done? I know the US F-Sport did come with LED headlamps in 2014 so I cannot see how that is not possible. And if it is doable, other than the headlamp and the control module, is there anything else I would need to switch?

Thanks in advance!

 

Apparently the HID's are brighter than the LEDS..

 

Not sure about this but I find the illumination in the road is more even for the LED that comes with 3IS. Also if you don't upgrade the stock HID, the light looks yellow (at least for the 2014 IS that I had before that has the HID)


And to the OP: it is possible but basically you have to change a lot of modules which is costly

Here is some reference

http://ls-japan.com/

On the left hand side menu, choose "IS250/IS350/IS300h", "F-Sport"

Then Look for the 3 parts that have "LEXUS IS300h LEDヘッドライト"

It will cost you 187800 yens for the computer, cords, etc (the description seems to suggest the back covers are included) and 121000 yens for the lens just for one side.

This company only ships locally in Japan and you have to contact them by email. If you know someone in Japan, then it is possibly the lowest cost as they charge lower than what North American dealerships would have charged you.

 

I love the LED headlights in my 2016... I just see people all over the place here saying the HID's are brighter...

 

Straight plug and play from all the wire diagrams and repair docs I've read. (Official Lexus Documents)

Looking into doing this swap myself.

 

I had both HID on my old IS and LED on the current IS, and I agree the LEDs are not as bright. If the color of the light bothers you, I suggest getting some quality 5000k or 6000k HID bulbs.

 

I was thinking of sourcing a USDM headlamp housing, so I am hoping it will be slightly cheaper.

So do you know if a control module is needed to be swapped as well? I read online and the control module for the LED version seems to have a different part #. Are you able to confirm this from your Official Lexus Document? Other than that I assumed it was a plug and play as well.


I actually upgraded the HID bulbs to 6000k already. I just like the look of having 2 projectors and wanting to see if it is a crazy idea.

Thanks for everyones input so far!

 

You CANNOT use the HID module with the LED headlamps. You will have to purchase 4 LED Modules.

Other than that the headlights are plug and play.

 

I recently traded my 2014 IS350 F-Sport in for a 2016 IS350 F-Sport so I have a direct reference point to compare. IMHO the LED headlamps are not a significant upgrade. They may appear to be brighter due to the whiter colour temperature. I've noticed they are more effective when it's damp out (snow or rain) but the Xenon HIDs have a much wider lighting area (with no need for adaptive swiveling bulbs). Also, they deleted the headlamp washing system (which I guess many people didn't care for). Lexus really should have adopted a multiple LED bulb approach (6+) like in most of their other models. I have feeling they will make that change in the next refresh.

 

For reference, I asked the dealer parts department how much the OEM part is, and they said it's $1700 per headlight (Canadian).

 

For that price, it'd be cheaper to trade in your 2014 and get a new 2016 MY.

 

Thanks for that! At least now I know what parts I need and can start looking around and seeing where I can source LED headlamps and 4 LED modules


Was there a particular reason why you traded in your 14' for a 16'? I got a feeling they are going to adopt the LED bulb thing in MY17' IS's

Thanks, that'll be a good reference point for me. And it's so hard with our CDN dollar being so weak....

 

I love my HIDs, LEDs put out less lumen than the HID systems, only way it would be considered an upgrade is if lexus decide to use multiple leds in the headlight like the new RX,NX and canadian RC variants, otherwise it would just be a waste of money. I'm sure they're going to incorporate the multiple led system in the mid-cycle refresh tho, if that happens, i'll definitely make the switch.

 

It's pricey and it may not be plug and play. if you're looking for color change, probably best to change out bulbs. currently they should be 4300k, you can get 5000k or 6000k to get a whiter light

 

I went in to get a new set of tires on my 2014, but instead of paying $1200 - 1500 for a new set I paid just over $2,000 for a brand new 2016 MY with a nicer colour (Lexus premium paint - USB 2.0) along with ventilated seats and rain-sensing wipers. On top of that my payments went down $20/month. With sedan sales lagging due to NX and RX sales, now is a great time to upgrade.

In 2018 MY, I think they will change the front fascia to adopt multi-LED bulb lighting that will be similar to the RC, NX or RX.