Zereldo

Hello, I have a 2010 Lexus ES 350 with factory halogen bulbs. I did some research and found that the halogen are h11 type bulb and the factory HID are D4S bulb. I understand the 5th gen Lexus ES 350 came with 3 different types of headlight options.
1) Halogen h11
2) HID D4S
3) HID with swivel function

I also understand that I can't simply order OEM D4S bulbs from Toyota/Lexus and install them in my current housing.

So my questions are:

- Should I buy a pair of OEM headlights with the HID from ebay? Will they be plug and play?
- Should I buy aftermarket h11 HID bulbs insteal and install them? I believe they require a conversion kit and will not simply plug into existing bulb housing (Correct me if I'm wrong)
- If I were to get my hands on a pair of OEM headlights witht he svivel function, would that be plug and play or will I need additional wiring to make them work

Thanks for taking the time to read the post, all recommendations and responses regarding the HID upgrade are appreciated!

Cheers!

danielnas

In your case I would buy LEDs with drivers instead of HID for less than 100 bucks and the brightness is as good as hids. HID headlight housings with swiel motors are being controlled by a computer which your car may not have it. Also there's a sensor for swivel motors that is installed on the stabilizer link in the back and underneath the car. If you even get these parts and somehow make it work it will cost you more than 1.5k. I know that because the computer alone is 800 bucks and the sensor is 250.

Zereldo

Noted. Swivel headlight conversion is definitely not worth the effort and money then. I was curious since I saw a listing for a pair on ebay. My last 3 vehicles had that function and I didn't notice the benifit.

As for the HID conversion. I've done some research and found that LEDs arent ideal for headlight housing not designed to have LEDs. Thats especially the case when installed in a projector lens. My XJ (2019 MY) has 8 individual LED bulbs within the housing, and many modern vehicles with LED have several bulbs for a wide area of coverage. My XF (2015 MY) had a bi-xenon projector HIDs and I wanted to install LEDs in them but all the professional I consulted with advised against it for the reason mentioned above.

Have you installed LEDs in your ES in a vehicle that originally came with HIDs or halogen?

Thanks a bunch for your response, I will look into LEDs (I prefer them), but my main reason behind upgrading the light is for the purpose of better vision during night driving as opposed to it being a cosmetic upgrade. And so if HIDs will be more beneficial, I would go that route.

Also, if you have any recommendations for LED or HID that would be very helpful.

Cheers!

danielnas

I have swivel headlights with HIDs in my Lexus and it gives you the feel of a true luxury car but not a big deal if you don't have it. I also replaced my parking, mirror and fog lights with white bright LEDs which makes it super nice and bright. You can use LEDs in your halogen housings but you need to make sure the LED light pattern is similar to your halogen bulbs. Since halogen lights emit light in all directions it's better to look for LEDs that do the same thing. Buy something that has more than two surface of leds and emits light from multiple angles.

jkayca

Yes! Bulb selection is really important. You don't want the light to scatter. That will just blind other drivers.

To be honest, I've stayed away from conversion kits for this reason. If you think your head lights are dim make sure the lens covers are clear. Toyotas and Lexus's have poor quality lenses that pit easily and yellow over time.

Zereldo

Noted. I need to do more research on which HID or LED bulb will be best suited for the ES's headlight housing. Thank you for the input and late response!

I've been meaning to change the pubble light bulbs to LED (Light inside the side view mirror that projects on the floor). I had both sideview mirror housing replaced as they were damaged. The driver side is supposedly OEM; whereas, the passanger side is not. I've noticed the anti glare feature does not work on the passanger side as a result of that. I know for a fact that my car came equipped with auto dimming and heated side view mirrors. Would you know if changing the mirror (passanger side) with an OEM auto dimming example would work in an aftermarket housing? Also, how did you get into the side-view mirror housing? I've seen several videos of owners uncliping the mirror out with their hands. I'm afraid I will break the mirro that way and rather go through the door pannel.

Zereldo

Agreed on the headlight plastic cover/lense. I polished it not too long ago, they looks crystal clear with a hint of yellow hue. I'm going to assume thats due to aging in the plastic, not something I can remove by polishing or wet sanding.