HID project retrofit is becoming more popular and especially since the black head light mod (BHLM) is also another popular DIY project, it’s a no brainer to upgrade your projectors while you’re in there. In this guide I will walk through the steps to do a Toyota Tacoma HID Projector Retrofit and BHLM using Morimoto D2S 4.0 projectors from Lightwerkz.
I’m not going to walk through the steps to open up the headlights, but just a heads up that this DIY can be very difficult for first-timers as it requires you to open up the headlights which are sealed with very tricky permaseal. Everything in this DIY is after-the-fact you opened the headlights.
What is a HID/projector retrofit?
OEM 16+ Tacoma project on left; Morimoto D2s 4.0 on rightIf you look at the headlight beam on the newer cars, you’ll notice a sharp cutoff line where the light ends opposed to the older halogen style headlights where it emits lights 180° all around. The new cars with the cutoff on the headlight is running a “projector” style headlamp. It’s already a better option than any halogen style headlight, however it can be improved significantly. During a projector retrofit, the headlamp replaces the OEM projector with another OEM or aftermarket one.
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Parts Purchased for HID Retrofit
So let’s get to it starting with the parts needed for this DIY. I didn’t list the paint to spray the headlight if you are doing the BHLM, but here is the hardware for the projector retrofit DIY itself.
Quantity | Part | Cost | Link |
---|---|---|---|
1 | D2S: Morimoto Elite HID System w/ H11 Harness | $160.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/d2s-morimoto-elite-hid-system.html |
1 | Bi-Xenon Morimoto Mini D2S 4.0 | $90.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/bi-xenon-morimoto-mini-d2s-4-0-projectors.html |
1 | 2016+ Tacoma to D2S 4.0/G5-R Brackets | $70.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/components/retrofit-brackets/toyota/toyota-tacoma-d2s-bracket.html |
1 | D2S: Morimoto XB HID | $50.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/components/hid-bulbs/d-series/morimoto-xb35-d2s-bulbs.html |
2 | High Beam Splitters H11 Male > H11/9006 Female | $5.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/components/high-beam-splitters-248.html |
1 | 2016-2018 Toyota Tacoma Switchback DRL LED Boards (optional) | $140.00 | https://www.lightwerkz.net/index.php/led-lighting/2016-2017-tacoma-switchback-board.html |
1.Remove projector
1.1 After you open up the headlights you will have access to the projector housing, turn signal reflector and high beam reflector. Unscrew the 2 Phillips head on the high beam reflector and one Phillips head on the projector housing.
1.2 On the backside of the headlight housing there is a small 10mm hex head nut which is used to adjust the cutoff line up and down. Unscrew this 10mm nut completely so the adjuster is completely detached.
1.3 Next there are 2 black pop clamps with 2 small tabs on each side. Press both sides to release each clamp. Now your projector housing can come out.
1.4 Remove the 4 Phillips head screws on the back of the project housing to remove the OEM projector. There is a set of 4 identical Phillips head on the projector itself so don’t get confused. Unscrew the 2 upper-most and 2 very bottom. You can now remove the OEM projector.
2. Trim OEM housing
2.1 Next step is probably the most difficult part. The Morimoto D2S 4.0 (and most other aftermarket projectors) requires more clearance to make room for the bi-xenon switch that is located at the bottom of the projector therefore we need to trim a small amount on the housing. I outlined what I needed to cut.
2.2 Using a rotary tool carefully cut off and trim the piece. Test fit the new projector to see if it clears. If not, trim the points in contact.
3. Install bracket and new projector
3.1 Install the projector bracket with the original hardware and insert hardware for the new projector. I forget exactly which hardware I bought, but I got some extra bolts, nuts and washers.
3.2 I also added a few washer on the top 2 mounts to even out the projector. Without the washers the projector tilts down.
3.4 Tighten the projector with 4 nuts.
4.5 The new projector should be sitting flush without any contact on the housing. Now you are ready to drop it back in the headlight housing!
5. Optional: Switchback DRL LED Boards
The Toyota Tacoma Switchback DRL LED Boards are optional, but I highly recommend it. The LED module switches to amber from white when the blinker activates. It’s super easy to install as well.
6. Optional: Black head light mod (BHLM)
Another cross over work is to do the BHLM for the TRD Pro look.