Choosing lamps for side lights - ZR expertise

The W5W light bulb is a kind of “little man” in art. A kind of Charlie Chaplin - seemingly invisible, but at the same time necessary. If there are no such light bulbs, there will be no “big city lights.” And they burn out quite often: any electrician-serviceman always has a supply of them on hand. The once again dead dimensions of the editorial Largus served as the reason for our test.

There is a wide variety of such light sources on sale: from classic incandescent lamps to LEDs. But we didn’t buy everything indiscriminately and limited ourselves to well-known brands, which are most often found in spare parts stores. The company added one LED to seven incandescent lamps. Theoretically, it should have turned out to be the most reliable.

Many or few?

These are light bulbs from the Largus editorial office. It was they who prompted us to organize a show of W5W products.

These are light bulbs from the Largus editorial office. It was they who prompted us to organize a show of W5W products.

How long should such lamps last? According to manufacturers, 400–500 hours. However, such information is usually provided only to customers when delivering the original equipment, and therefore in our case it is useful only for broadening one’s horizons.

For information

The light from a white lamp (more than 5000K) has more aesthetic value than practical value. In conditions of fog and high humidity, visibility will remain limited and the effectiveness of such lighting is minimal. Consider this factor when purchasing.

A luminaire with a higher brightness lasts less than its counterparts with a standard coefficient. If you need additional light, be prepared for a small resource.

Xenon lamps are officially prohibited for installation on the Toyota Corolla 150, as well as on other modifications. Instead, LED analogues are being actively installed. Of course, they are incomparable to halogen ones, but they illuminate the road well with low beam.

Popular manufacturers of diode lamps for Toyota Corolla: KOITO, GE, MTF, NARVA, OSRAM, PHILIPS, VALEO, DiaLUCH. The cost of the original diode ranges from 7,000 rubles, while Chinese alternative optics offer a cheaper option, costing 1,500-2,000 rubles.

Unkillable

It was hard to believe that the lamps would burn out at rated voltage - this did not happen. But when the voltage reached 24 V, and all the lights continued to blink, it aroused genuine confidence.

The first loss occurred at a voltage of 25 V. The most expensive lamp burned out - Osram Cool Blue, which provides brighter light with a “xenon effect”. The well-known principle was once again confirmed: any increase in parameters compared to the standard results in a decrease in service life.

Four hours passed. Voltage 26.5 V. The bouquet of light bulbs dimmed again: the Philips WhiteVision burned out. Again, as expected: “difficult” lamps a priori cannot be as durable as “long-lasting” ones.

Four more hours. Voltage 27 V. Another “beautiful” one goes out - this time Bosch Xenon Blue. After another hour, Osram Original dies.

Time passes: we give 28 V... The remaining light bulbs continue to blink quietly in the set mode. Once again we take a voltmeter, then another - no, the scale of the power source does not lie.

The clock is ticking. Voltage 29 V! Four lamps are still working. And we look with sadness at our power supply, which does not produce more than 30 V. Is it really “not enough”?

29.5 V! The first loss among the “long-players”: Philips Extra Lifetime went out. After another hour, the ordinary Narva goes out.

29.8 V! The last incandescent lamp burns out - Osram Ultra Life. Well, what we really have before us is Ultra Life, that is, “super life”.

30.0 V... Our source cannot produce more. We failed to burn out the rootless LED. Well, let the champion live!

Tests completed. The last incandescent lamp has just burned out, and only the LED continues to glow.

Tests completed. The last incandescent lamp has just burned out, and only the LED continues to glow.

The main conclusion: there is no point in chasing all sorts of “xenon effects” - it is better to prefer an increased resource.

Car lamps for Toyota

Toyota cars use standard lighting technology:

• headlights combining low and high beam lamps, parking signals and front direction indicators;
• front fog elements mounted in the bumper;
• turn direction repeaters located in the front fenders or rear-view mirror housings;
• rear combination lamps containing turn indicators, brake lights, side and fog lights, and a reverse indicator;
• license plate lighting elements;
• additional brake signal;
• illumination lamps for the instrument cluster and control buttons in the cabin;
• ceiling light installed in the driver and passengers cabin.

The lamps are connected to the on-board network with a voltage of 12 V (DC) using plastic connectors with spring contacts. The lampshades are equipped with plastic reflectors and transparent diffusers that form a directed beam of light.

The power circuits are equipped with fuses that trip in the event of a short circuit or overload. Lighting devices are turned on by separate buttons, some lamps have parallel switching (for example, the instrument panel lighting works in conjunction with external side lighting).

Front fog lights

Some cars have fog lights installed in the front bumper.

The type of parts depends on the model and year of manufacture:

1. Before 2003, Avensis assemblies were equipped with 55-watt products with an H7 base. On second generation cars, HB4 format parts began to be used (until April 2006). Later, the plant switched to H11 lamps (power 55 W).
2. On the Camry in the XV30 body, elements of the HB4 standard are installed; on the XV40 and XV50 models, halogen-type units with an H11 base (power 55 W) began to be used.
3. On Corolla E120 and E150 vehicles, the front fog lights use H11 lamps (55 W power).

Front turn signals

Types of lamps used to indicate the direction of movement:

1. The Toyota Corolla E120 used PY21W products with orange bulbs. Starting with the E150 model, parts of the WY21W standard appeared, differing in the configuration of the base.
2. Avensis sedans assembled before April 2006 have PY21W parts installed. Subsequent machines began to use lamps with WY21W sockets, which had improved characteristics.
3. Until June 2004, Camry XV30 passenger cars used elements designed for the W21-W standard plug. Later, the plant switched to parts in the WY21W format (used on cars with bodies up to XV70).

Side turn signals

Types of light sources in turn signals:

1. On the Toyota Corolla E120, products with a W5-W socket rated at 5 W were used. On the E150 modification, the indicators moved into the headlight housings, which led to the use of parts with a WY5W base (with an orange bulb). On the E180 body (produced since 2013), the plant switched to WY5W elements. The glass is painted orange.
2. Early Avensis models had W5-W lamps in the side repeaters. In the early 2010s. WY5W format parts began to be installed.
3. On Camry sedans in the XV30 body, W5-W products were used, on cars of the XV40 series - non-removable lampshades (under catalog number 81730-30131). On the XV50, the lamp has moved to the rear view mirror housing. During repairs, the lampshade is replaced (original part number – 81730-52100).

Reverse

To illuminate the space behind the car when maneuvering, the following lamps are used:

1. On Corolla generations E120 and E150, a 21-watt lamp with a W21-W base, equipped with a transparent bulb, was installed. Starting with the E180 model, the W16W product was used with a power reduced to 16 W.
2. Camrys with XV30, XV40 and XV50 bodies were equipped with a W16W lamp equipped with a transparent glass bulb.
3. On Avensis produced before April 2015, the manufacturer used P21W products. Subsequently, lanterns designed for W16W format elements began to be installed.

Brake lights and side lights

In rear lighting technology, the following lamps are used to indicate braking and indicate the extreme points of the body:

1. On Corolla E120 and E150 - W21/5W, equipped with 2 tungsten filaments. When you press the brake pedal, the 21-watt section is turned on, and when the side lights are activated, a 5-watt coil operates. The E180 body uses a W21-W lamp with a single filament of 21 W. The side lighting is provided by LED strip.
2. On Camry cars produced before the end of August 2014, a double lamp of the W21/5W format was used, on cars of subsequent series - LED backlighting.
3. The Avensis uses a separate P21W element to indicate braking. The side lighting is provided by a W5-W lamp.

All Toyota cars have an additional brake light located on the surface of the rear window.

A printed circuit board with LEDs is installed inside the lampshade. If one of the lamps fails, it is necessary to install a new lamp (if some of the diodes fail, the remaining elements continue to work with unchanged brightness).

The Camry XV30 uses a W16W incandescent lamp instead of diodes.

Tail lights

The stern marker lights turn on simultaneously with the front lamps. Light sources are combined into common circuits along the sides of the car. Each line is equipped with an individual fuse. When the side lighting is turned on, the illumination of the instrument cluster and control buttons in the cabin begins to work.

On some cars, the lighting turns on automatically when the engine starts.

After stopping the engine, the lamps work for 10-20 seconds (the “polite” backlight function).

Front side lights

To indicate the dimensions of the car body in conditions of poor visibility, incandescent lamps with a bulb filled with an inert gas are used. Since the 2010s. Instead of light sources with a tungsten spiral, an LED strip was used (daytime running lights). The new design has increased brightness and increased service life, but if the diodes burn out, a new headlight must be installed. Some owners disassemble the flashlight and resolder the bulbs, but subsequently have problems with the seal of the housing.

Low beam

The head lighting fixtures are equipped with:

1. On Avensis cars - halogen low beam lamps of H7 format, having a length from the base plate to the tip of the bulb no more than 44 mm. Some cars used xenon light sources of the D2S and D4S models (before modernization and after restyling). The products are not interchangeable and differ in starting current and operating voltage. There is no mercury vapor in the D4S flask, which leads to a decrease in service life by 15-20%.
2. On Corolla sedans of the E120 modification - H7 lamps, on the E150 - halogen HB4 or xenon D4R (information on acceptable types is indicated on the headlight housing and in the accompanying factory documentation), on E180 cars - only halogen light sources of the H11 standard.
3. On Camry XV30 cars, the head optics have H11 low beam lamps with a bulb filled with inert gas (xenon lamps are not provided by the factory). On the XV40, H11 parts were used in the basic equipment; on expensive modifications, there are headlights with xenon elements equipped with a D4S socket (similar products are also used on cars in the XV50 body).

High beam

To illuminate the road over a long distance, use:

1. On Avensis cars - high beam lamps of the H1 standard (regardless of the type of low beam lamps), emitting a standard yellowish light.
2. On Corolla sedans with an E120 body, high beam sources with HB3 sockets. Similar products have been preserved on cars with E150 and E180 bodies.
3. On Camry XV30, XV40 and XV50 high beams - HB3 format products. The use of gas-discharge lamps is not provided.

parking lights

To indicate the edges of the body in the front optics, use:

1. On the compact Corolla sedans E120 and E150, W5-W lamps are used to indicate dimensions; on the E180, there are LEDs on the front and rear (replacement of parts during operation is not provided).
2. Camry version XV30 has orange W5-W lamps. Similar parts were used on the XV40 and XV50 until the end of August 2014. Subsequently, the plant introduced LED elements (they do not require replacement throughout the entire life of the vehicle).
3. On the Avensis sedan from 1997 until the end of production - W5-W products equipped with an orange-coated bulb.

Interior lighting

There are lampshades installed inside the cabin, which are equipped with the following light sources:

1. To illuminate the interior of the Corolla E180 - a T10x31 finger lamp (located in the central lamp). On early E150s, SV8.5 products extended to 41 mm (8 W power) were used. Additional lamps (“navigation” or located under the folding sun visors) are equipped with 5-watt W5-W elements.
2. To illuminate the interior of the Camry XV30 and XV40 in the main lampshade - parts SV8.5-8. On the XV40 generation, the plant began to use W2x4.6d LED products with a power of 1.2 W in the glove box (in the reading lights, elements with a W5-W format filament were retained).
3. On the Avensis sedan - a lamp designed to use an SV8.5 finger lamp (with dimensions 11x41 mm). Some vehicles have additional lighting points equipped with W5-W products with tungsten filament.

Rear fog lights

To improve visibility in fog, a stern signal light is used, equipped with the following type of lamps:

1. In the Corolla E150 and E180 lampshades - W21-W parts with transparent glass (rated power 21 W).
2. On Avensis and Camry sedans, regardless of the year of manufacture, a rear fog lamp with a P21W format product (the lamp is located inside the general lamp, equipped with red glass and a reflector).

Rear turn signals

The rear combination lamps provide indicators for the vehicle's direction of travel:

1. On Corolla with E120 and E150 bodies, P21W parts with transparent bulbs are used in the rear lights to indicate the direction of rotation. With the release of the E180 series cars, WY21W elements with a power of 21 W began to be used. The glass body is covered with orange varnish.
2. Camry sedans of the XV30 generation are equipped with W16W lamps with flasks made of colorless glass. WY21W parts with increased brightness appeared on the XV40 and XV50 bodies.
3. All manufactured Avensis used the PY21W for steering direction indication.

Rear room lighting

On Corolla, Avensis and Camry cars, regardless of body modification, year of manufacture and market, a pair of transparent parts with a W5-W socket are used to illuminate the license plate. The location of the lamps depends on the configuration of the registration plate. The backlight turns on together with the side lights.

Replacing High/Low Beam

Carefully remove the plastic protection; it is secured with three clips. If necessary, press lightly in the center with your finger to facilitate disassembly. We unscrew the faulty lamp, replace it with a new one, check the integrity of the insulating layer and connectors. If damage is found, we replace it with new ones. If a control unit is pre-installed in the design, it is also subject to checking for integrity and quality of fastening.

Interior lighting

We carry out the replacement ourselves, the process is simple and intuitive. In case of difficulties, we involve workshop specialists.

Using a flat blade screwdriver, carefully remove the outer lamp cover. It fits perfectly into the headliner thanks to three fasteners. Careless actions or excessive force will damage the plastic, be careful. We remove the cover, remove two diodes, install new ones. Ready.

We carry out diagnostics of the cover, check the tightness of the fit and fastening.

Recommendations for the care and maintenance of power system elements

• carry out a technical inspection of the car, its components and assemblies strictly in accordance with the schedule in the operating instructions, in the service book;
• After turning on the ignition and starting the engine, be sure to inspect the instrument panel. On most modern cars, the on-board computer will promptly notify the driver of a malfunction in the lighting system of the technical installation.
• Always check the condition of the wiring and connectors after an accident, impact, collision, or long drive through puddles;
• identified fuse connectors must be immediately replaced with new ones;