MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

Hello,

I will soon be selling my GS and have a 2013 Toyota Rav4 Limited on order. After owning a modded car for the last 5 years, I am very excited about the general simplicity of the Rav4 and have no plan for big modifications. One thing I would like to change is the lighting, since I am used to the OEM HID and yellow fogs on my GS, which in my experience, have provided great visibility.

OEM specs for the Rav4:
DRL/High Beam: 9005, wattage unknown
Low Beam: 9005, 35 watt
Fog Light: H11, 19 watt

I drive a good bit of driving at night and also have a mountain home where it snows, and the OEM 4300k HID and yellow fogs on the GS have always provided wonderful visibility. It is my goal to try and replicate this setup on the Rav4 but I am having a hard time finding out what lights will be best for my needs.

DRL/High Beam: I ordered Osram Nightbreakers and am not too concerned with this.

Low Beam: This is where things get a little confusing. I have gone back and forth between 4300k and 5000k HID and it seems that 4300k provides the best visibility and light output. Therefore, my plan was to go with a 4300k. From a standpoint of simplicity, I am a little worried about dealing with aftermarket wiring, fuses and such.

I started looking around at some higher performance halogen bulbs and came across the PIAA XTreme White Plus bulbs and they seem to have much higher ratings than the Sylvania Silverstars or any other similar bulb. My problem is that these are offered in 55 watts and the OEM bulbs are 35w. Do I need to be concerned with using bulbs that are 20w brighter?

In terms of light output, I assume that HID will be better, but should I just go with something like the PIAA XTreme White Plus for plug-n-play simplicity?

Fog Lights: This has been one of the most frustrating aspects of the light search. As noted above, Toyota's OEM bulbs are 19w and I can barely find anything that is even 35w. Most fog light bulbs that I have found are 55w, but at more than 2x the wattage of the OEM bulb, that has me concerned.

There are exactly zero white 3000k/2500k halogen bulbs that are less than 55w, and that is what I really wanted as those bulbs do the best job of reducing any glare produced by 4300k/5000k HIDs.

Once it looked like that was a dead end, I started looking at other options that were lower wattage and found a few LED bulbs, but most of them have a temperature of at least 5000k so that would not match the 4300k HID low beams. I also read that LEDs have a nearly useless light output.


So, what I would appreciate some advice on are the following questions, keeping in mind that my goals are great visibility and durability.:

- Do I need to be concerned with the "extra" wiring and electrical components used to install a 4300k HID kit? I am not particularly savvy under the hood, especially with electronics. I see that some folks who have installed HIDs on the new Rav4 have to get into drilling through a housing in the headlight and I really do not want to do this myself, so I would consult the help of a professional here.
- With the OEM low beams having an output of 35w, what wattage can I safely use, if I decide to go with a halogen bulb? I am concerned because most of the bulbs I have found, including the PIAAs above, are 55w.
- With the OEM fog lights having an output of 19w, what wattage can I safely use? I am concerned because most of the bulbs I have found are 55w and the LED bulbs will not match 4300k HID.

Again, my goal is to closely replicate the setup on my GS which is OEM 4300k HID and yellow fogs.

Thanks so much in advance for the help.
Michael

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

I know that Toyota tends to standardize things like bulbs across several models, and I stumbled upon this thread where someone with a Tacoma put the 55w PIAA bulbs in both the headlights and foglights.

This piqued my interest so I called Carson Toyota and asked them what they show for bulb wattages in the 2013 Rav4's low beam and fog light bulbs, as well as the 2012 Tacoma. For the Rav4, their system showed a 51w low beam and a 55w fog light. For the Tacoma, it showed a 55w low beam and the same 55w fog light as the Rav4. I then called two local Atlanta-area Toyota dealers and got two different answers:

One told me that the Rav4 had a 55w low beam head light bulb and a 55w fog light bulb, and the other told me that the Rav4 shows a 35w low beam bulb and a 19w fog light bulb, as above.

So far, I have gotten different answers from every dealership...what gives? A 19w fog light bulb seems horribly dim by industry standards.