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Being unimpressed with the performance of the Lexus factory bi-LED high beams, I was thinking of adding a pair of Morimoto 4 Banger HXB combo white pods to give a boost to the high beams effectiveness. Since I have had very good experiences with Morimoto lighting products in previous vehicles(Prius, Civic), and my recent addition of the Morimoto 4 Banger NCS wide yellow fog lights to my UX, I began to play around with a few mock ups in Photoshop, to get an idea of what another pair of lights mounted into the grill would look like. After a dozen or so mock ups, I've narrowed it down to my 5 favorite choices. I had to take into account the sensors already mounted in the grill..
1) Single row, even spacing
2) Diagonal, roughly equal offset
3) Diagonal, narrow spacing
4) Single row, uneven spacing
5) Diagonal offset, wider spacing
Since these are only going to be "ON", when the high beams are "ON", the slightly higher locations might be more viable.
Kind of like 4 or 5. How many can you pack onto the grill :-)
In Photoshop, I don't see many limitations as to how many...
In reality, at $500 a pair, not many...
#1 and #4 would be the easiest to mount. It would only take a pair of additional drilled holes in the custom bracket, fabricated for the first two, and some more creative redneck engineering to cut out another pair of openings in the grill. #5 would take a second bracket being fabricated...
More plastichrome located hiding inside my UX. The door lock ***** are plastichome plated. I tried unscrewing them to no avail. Couldn't be that easy...
I guess I have another stainless, plastichrome, shiny stuff deletion project before I'm done....
Last edited by sfprankstr; Oct 29, 2022 at 03:13 PM.
I already have a fix for that one. One of the very first things I did to my UX was take the stolen borrowed black anodized, aluminum valve stem caps from my Prius.
I too want a solution for my ES for fogs. And i've been brainstorming in my head how I can do it but due to the design of the ES front bumper, there's no place to mount them. and no aftermarket bezels i can hack/modify to install quality lights in. but i never thought about incorporating them into the grill. I'd be curious to see what solutions you come up with. Not SUPER elegant but if done right, it can work i think. i'd want something small but effective.
surprised (but also not surprised) the factory triple beams aren't cutting it on the UX. (Edit: oh you do have bi-led single beam)
the single BI-LED are quite meh on my ES. i'm used to power-modding lights on all my cars. I had some wicked/vicious light setups before. So having the best and most expensive car i've ever had only to have meh lights is disappointing!
I too want a solution for my ES for fogs. And i've been brainstorming in my head how I can do it but due to the design of the ES front bumper, there's no place to mount them. and no aftermarket bezels i can hack/modify to install quality lights in. but i never thought about incorporating them into the grill. I'd be curious to see what solutions you come up with. Not SUPER elegant but if done right, it can work i think. i'd want something small but effective.
surprised (but also not surprised) the factory triple beams aren't cutting it on the UX. (Edit: oh you do have bi-led single beam)
the single BI-LED are quite meh on my ES. i'm used to power-modding lights on all my cars. I had some wicked/vicious light setups before. So having the best and most expensive car i've ever had only to have meh lights is disappointing!
My last Prius had quite the light setup. 35w Moromoto HID low beams, VLEDS Micro Extreme LED high beams, and Morimoto XB LED fog lights. This turned night into day with everything lit. Getting the UX's bi-LED's was a quite the disappointment in the lights category...
See post #188:
So far, I've had brackets fabricated at a local shop(Extreme Soundz & Lightz, in San Jose, CA) for the flush mounted fog lights(Moromoto NCS Wide Yellow Surface Mount LED's) into the grill. The fog lights are wired to go on/off with the low beams automatic setting. These lights made a very noticeable difference in the amount of light thrown down the road. The front of the vehicle has a fully lit arc, from both edges of the road, up to the factory projector's cutoff, with a noticeable yellow tint.
Next up, I'm ordering a set of Morimoto 4 Banger HXB White Combo Surface Mount LED's to use as high beam driving lights, wired to switch on/off with the high beams. This will easily make up for the deficiencies in the factory Lexus bi-LED's high beams. The tough decision comes in where I'm going to mount the driving lights into the grill. In a straight row with the fog lights. all I will have to do is drill a pair of holes into the bracket and some creative rotary tool work into the plastic grill. Personally, I would like them mounted slightly higher in the grill. But this higher location will require another pair of brackets to be fabricated entirely...
My last Prius had quite the light setup. 35w Moromoto HID low beams, VLEDS Micro Extreme LED high beams, and Morimoto XB LED fog lights. This turned night into day with everything lit. Getting the UX's bi-LED's was a quite the disappointment in the lights category...
See post #188:
So far, I've had brackets fabricated at a local shop(Extreme Soundz & Lightz, in San Jose, CA) for the flush mounted fog lights(Moromoto NCS Wide Yellow Surface Mount LED's) into the grill. The fog lights are wired to go on/off with the low beams automatic setting. These lights made a very noticeable difference in the amount of light thrown down the road. The front of the vehicle has a fully lit arc, from both edges of the road, up to the factory projector's cutoff, with a noticeable yellow tint.
Next up, I'm ordering a set of Morimoto 4 Banger HXB White Combo Surface Mount LED's to use as high beam driving lights, wired to switch on/off with the high beams. This will easily make up for the deficiencies in the factory Lexus bi-LED's high beams. The tough decision comes in where I'm going to mount the driving lights into the grill. In a straight row with the fog lights. all I will have to do is drill a pair of holes into the bracket and some creative rotary tool work into the plastic grill. Personally, I would like them mounted slightly higher in the grill. But this higher location will require another pair of brackets to be fabricated entirely...
Can you post some pics of the bracket and overall setup, including how they mount?
My last Prius (and by extension both my CTs) had RX350 bi-xenons and Denso ballasts! I've looked around for an OE solution. Honda, Porsche, Acura for mini LED fog setups I can retro somehow. Everything has giant housings though, and probably for good reasons. Effective LEDs create heat.
Can you post some pics of the bracket and overall setup, including how they mount?
My last Prius (and by extension both my CTs) had RX350 bi-xenons and Denso ballasts! I've looked around for an OE solution. Honda, Porsche, Acura for mini LED fog setups I can retro somehow. Everything has giant housings though, and probably for good reasons. Effective LEDs create heat.
I didn't get any images when the work was being done. It's a wee bit tight getting a phone/camera into the grill area without removing some panels/bumper cover/grill, but I'll give it try later this afternoon. If I remember correctly, the upper radiator cover is held in place by plastic pop-in plugs. If so, I'll see if I can get a shot of the mounts from above. It may not be the best, but it should give you some ideas.
If I can't get a decent image today, I am ordering another set of the Morimoto LED pods for driving lights/high beam assistance. I'll make sure I get some images of the fabrication/mounting process, and the current fog light mounts, once the bumper cover/grill are removed to mount the next set of lights. I'm still not sure where the second set are getting mounted, in a parallel row across the bottom or just slightly higher, diagonally inset, from the first set.
I took a closer look at the fog light mounts and the brackets mount to the lower grill subframe. You can't see much from the front, even less from the top with the radiator cover removed, but you'll get an idea. It's a couple of simple U brackets.
Morimoto 4 Banger HXB combo/white surface mount LED pods ordered today... I'll get more images during the next installation, in a week or so...
More Photoshop fun and games created another possible location I'm considering, besides those posted in #193...
Last edited by sfprankstr; Oct 24, 2022 at 04:17 PM.
With Daylight Savings ending next weekend, my Lexus bi-LED high beam deficiency remedy arrived today... A set of Morimoto 4 Banger HXB combo/white LED light pods...
IMO, far too much time/money spent on the packaging... Some weird, goofy, multi layer 4x4 in the mountains cut out graphics when you open the box reveals a second lid...
After opening the second box top, you find a semi-rigid, cut out foam insert holding the lights.
Once out of the box, the heft/weight of the lights, reveals the construction is of a high quality. No plastic to be found anywhere. The entire back of the housing is an aluminum heatsink with a shielded/shrouded cable.
CAUTION: May be blindingly bright to oncoming traffic... My plan is to have these Morimoto LED's switch on, with high beams only. Unfortunately, I still haven't decided on the specific location as to where to mount them in the grill...
Last edited by sfprankstr; Oct 29, 2022 at 03:15 PM.
I'll get more images during the next installation, in a week or so... 
A set of Morimoto 4 Banger HXB combo/white LED light pods... 
Some weird, goofy, multi layer 4x4 in the mountains cut out graphics when you open the box reveals a second lid...
My plan is to have these Morimoto LED's switch on, with high beams only. Unfortunately, I still haven't decided on the specific location as to where to mount them in the grill... 
