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Interior LED lights too bright

Discussion in '5th Gen 4Runners (2010-2024)' started by SavannahG51, May 10, 2022.

  1. May 10, 2022 at 2:47 AM
    #1
    SavannahG51

    SavannahG51 [OP] New Member

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    Hello,
    I am trying to upgrade the interior lighting of the 2020 4Runner SR5 because I'm not a fan of the amber color. However the problem I keep running into is HOW BRIGHT all these LEDS are. My wife complains about how bright my LEDS are in the Tundra and constantly turns them off. Does anyone know of an LED that isn't so blinding? (White/daylight in color)
    Or maybe a mod/upgrade you can add a dimmer to adjust the brightness? Maybe wire it to the existing light adjusting wheel on the left side of the steering wheel?
    Here is an example of what I'm talking about. They're just WAY too bright... You're blinded by the light<

    https://www.amazon.com/SHENKENUO-TO...&sr=8-3#aw-udpv3-customer-reviews_feature_div

    (If you're going to mention the interior light adjusting wheel to dim the lights up/down... this doesn't affect any of the dome lights in the vehicle. Also there is no setting to adjust these on the screen/radio to dim either. So unfortunately that doesn't help.)
     
  2. May 10, 2022 at 3:49 AM
    #2
    canadian.bacon

    canadian.bacon H9 halogen is the best led bulb

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    You can never please them all. That’s definitely a first.
    Go back to stock and she’ll love the leds.
     
  3. May 10, 2022 at 4:26 AM
    #3
    PVT Pablo

    PVT Pablo

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    You could do amber LED's, or red? Unless it has to be white but less bright
     
  4. May 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM
    #4
    Burnt Taco

    Burnt Taco "Like that's just your opinion, man".

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    I installed the MESO dual color (white and red) map and dome LED lights in my rig and they are shockingly bright compared to OEM units. I'm still getting used to them. The red setting is less intense. Even in daylight they are quite bright.
    Had my truck at the dealership and the mechanic said "whoa dude, those are bright lights".
    WARNING ⚠️: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE LIGHTS!
    I can almost see through time now:)

    MESO does offer a dual brightness unit which may provide a solution.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2022
  5. May 10, 2022 at 5:51 AM
    #5
    Burnt Taco

    Burnt Taco "Like that's just your opinion, man".

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    My wife offered: "does she have a ball cap"?
     
    SavannahG51[OP] likes this.
  6. May 10, 2022 at 6:09 AM
    #6
    whippersnapper02

    whippersnapper02 New Member

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    Arclight offers a 2 mode light (red/white) and brightness control for the map lights. Meso offers a 2 mode light.
     
  7. May 10, 2022 at 6:11 AM
    #7
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    I dunno, it seems like the entire “interior LED industrial complex” is only there for people that are going for blinding amounts of interior light.

    Doesn’t make sense to have that much light inside the car at night. All that does is destroy your night-adjusted vision. Especially if a passenger lights one up momentarily while your driving.
     
  8. May 10, 2022 at 6:51 AM
    #8
    LuLu

    LuLu New Member

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    - Best to stick with stock lightening. - if too bright.

    I upgraded mines to all leds. Easy on the eyes when using the laptop in the truck.
     
  9. May 10, 2022 at 12:24 PM
    #9
    EvilHardee

    EvilHardee New Member

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    I'm the opposite. I have the 'LED interior package' in my '22 and I am really not a fan of the cool white look.

    I replaced them with Diode Dynamics 'warm white' LEDs (the lower lumens version for the map lights) for all of the lights except the rear door.

    Then I put an amber piece of Lamin-x on the tiny little 'room light' too!

    [​IMG]
     
    greycoast4 and nimby like this.
  10. May 10, 2022 at 12:29 PM
    #10
    Altitude4x4

    Altitude4x4 New Member

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    "Then don't drive it honey" A well lit cab is paramount for me personally.
     
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  11. May 10, 2022 at 3:22 PM
    #11
    nimby

    nimby in the drink

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    I'm glad you posted this.

    I never understood the interior LED swap and thought I was the only one since so many people seem to be doing it.

    I'm perfectly happy with the warm, dull glow of interior halogens, thank you.:hattip:
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2022
    Slopemaster and SavannahG51[OP] like this.
  12. May 10, 2022 at 3:29 PM
    #12
    Mikemd

    Mikemd New Member

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    I went with the Diode Dynamics 4Runner Interior Lighting Kit (2003-2022). Seems to be middle ground on brightness.
     
  13. May 10, 2022 at 3:42 PM
    #13
    Kyblack76

    Kyblack76 New Member

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    To bright. Never in my life heard that. She drive around with them on or something.?
     
  14. May 10, 2022 at 3:45 PM
    #14
    Kyblack76

    Kyblack76 New Member

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    Well, you dont typically drive around with them on full time, but for looking for stuff, ya know, in the dark, they help, then, you turn them off. Seems pretty simple to me. Guess everyone is different, as 99.99999% of the people that complain say they are not bright enough. Weird huh.?
     
  15. May 10, 2022 at 4:13 PM
    #15
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    Are the stock lights even halogens? I thought they were still Edison’s finest- plain incandescents.

    The lumen wars in the LED lighting market aren’t taking into account the application. Even license plate lights are advertised with “brightest on earth” marketing. I saw a car with these license plate lights. It stood out a half mile away, looked ridiculous (actually, from a distance behind, it was even difficult to tell it was a car due to the crazy shadows it cast), and it was distractingly bright if you were close.

    However, I could appreciate interior lighting upgrades on two conditions.

    -The lights have to be dimmable. I avoid bright interior lights at night (even passengers turning on the stock lights while driving is a big no-no for me). If I pull over briefly and need a light, I dont want to get blasted, just faint light is what I want. But I would appreciate brightness when Im not in “driving mode” and lose something inside the black hole of an interior. I was almost thinking of ordering light-gray weathertechs, just to make it easier seeing where I put stuff if I’m setting up camp at night.

    -Any interior led lights has to be guaranteed to fail “open”. I can never recall needing to replace an incandescent interior light in 30 years of driving. And if they would fail, they would fail as an open circuit. A burnt out bulb always means it’s an open circuit. On the other hand, Ive read reports on this forum of at least one door LED light failing as a short circuit…. Some LED lights might be properly designed and have protections against internal shorts, but Im not sure how you could tell. As for the actual vehicle lighting circuits themselves, everyone assumes they are fused, but they aren’t. At least some go directly to the body control module computer. If the led light shorts out, then your BCM and possibly the wiring itself will burn out, along with all sorts of other things controlled by the BCM. Even if your car doesnt burn down, the BCM is not cheap to replace.

    Too much expensive potential trouble even if I saw a benefit.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2022
  16. May 10, 2022 at 4:22 PM
    #16
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    This probably means that the 1 percent of vehicle owners that decide to swap interior lights to LED do so primarily for raw light output. So in a certain sense, it’s not that weird.

    The 99 percent of folks that keep stock lighting probably didnt have a problem with the stock light output. But they might wish for upgrade options like red/white switchable, or dimmable lights.
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2022
    nimby likes this.
  17. May 10, 2022 at 4:23 PM
    #17
    SavannahG51

    SavannahG51 [OP] New Member

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    For those who "Dont understand how they're too bright" I'll set the scene the way my wife tells it... imagine recently getting lasik eye surgery, you just got off work from a 13 hour shift at the hospital, its pitch black outside when you're walking WAYYY out to the back of the lot where your vehicle is parked, your pupils are dilated to the MAX, then you finally make it to the car, half asleep, exhausted, open the car door, THEN THE HEAVEN OPEN UP SHINING UPON YOU THE HOLY BRIGHTIST LIGHTS YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO LAY EYES ON. NEVER HAS WHITE EVER BEEN SO PURE. NEVER SO BRIGHT... then she fumbles around for the OFF switch cursing... Lol
     
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  18. May 10, 2022 at 4:29 PM
    #18
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    :laugh::laugh::laugh:
     
  19. May 10, 2022 at 4:47 PM
    #19
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    Interesting…looks like they made some improvements since I last looked at these. The map lights are switchable to red, and they havea dimmer, but it looks like something you set at a particular setting and leave it. So not dimmable on the fly….

    The OP might be a little hesitant with the “extreme” in the product name. Also, Icarus getting killed by the sun might make it a hard sell:laugh:
     
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  20. May 10, 2022 at 5:30 PM
    #20
    Captain Spalding

    Captain Spalding . . .

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  21. May 10, 2022 at 5:44 PM
    #21
    Saker

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  22. May 10, 2022 at 5:53 PM
    #22
    rangers1976

    rangers1976 New Member

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    I got the meso dual color maps and dome lights. I run them in the red setting but stadium lighting is just a quick toggle away if I need it. One thing I really like about the red is the bugs stay the f*ck out of my truck if the doors or hatch are open for a extended time.
     
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  23. May 10, 2022 at 8:38 PM
    #23
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    I never even considered this!

    Henceforth, I shall toss LEDs into a lake. If they float, I’ll know they are spawn of Satan! They shall then be destroyed by mallet, forthwith.

    If they sink, I’ll know they are not corrupt and harbor no evil spirits. Thusly, they will be deemed perfectly safe to use.
     
  24. May 11, 2022 at 5:50 AM
    #24
    Burnt Taco

    Burnt Taco "Like that's just your opinion, man".

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    Due to my younger years I didn't understand why one would want to enhance the plate lights. I was a nare do well.
    I find that the MESO dual red or white LEDs are useful. The white setting allows me to see everything including the foot wells, the red setting doesn't mess with night vision.

    They did sink so I know I'm safe. I check all my electronics this way because I know that all electronics are of the devil. My wife sunk. I still miss her...
     
  25. May 11, 2022 at 11:14 AM
    #25
    Spare Parts

    Spare Parts New Member

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    so the electronics are worth diving to get, but the wife, not so much...
     
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  26. May 11, 2022 at 11:24 AM
    #26
    Burnt Taco

    Burnt Taco "Like that's just your opinion, man".

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    I figured after all the electronics ceased working and all the expense of replacement I'd just leave well enough alone... AND just be alone.
    Probably best...
    :)
     
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  27. May 11, 2022 at 11:26 AM
    #27
    Burnt Taco

    Burnt Taco "Like that's just your opinion, man".

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    OK busted. I'm not only a nare do well I'm also a compulsive liar....I don't even own a 4R
     
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  28. May 11, 2022 at 2:42 PM
    #28
    Spare Parts

    Spare Parts New Member

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    That’s why you didn’t dive in for the wife. I don’t blame you now.
     
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  29. May 11, 2022 at 4:11 PM
    #29
    McSpazatron

    McSpazatron New Member

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    I hadn’t even considered diving in to get virtuous LED lights…Frankly, it sounds kinda dangerous. My plan was to mourn the loss of a good LED light, be thankful I avoided devil-tech, and call it good.


    So how bright is the red mode? Is it reasonable, or overly bright?

    I understand Meso are hand crafted, ginger-rubbed, artisinal electronics. How long is the wait?

    And are they waterproof? If so, to what depth?

    I don’t believe it. Momma didnt raise no fool to be believing whatever a compulsive liar says.
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2022
  30. May 11, 2022 at 4:29 PM
    #30
    Sea Salt

    Sea Salt New Member

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    I replaced all interior/exterior lighting with LED’s on my 2016 Limited and couldn’t be happier. The puddle lights in the mirror cast a nice glow when approaching the vehicle. I like the white light and also picked a lower Lumen bulbs.

    77FB06FE-7E88-48D2-9FCD-64C926D0696C.jpg
     

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