Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums banner
Cancel
Create thread New Garage Forums

TYC Aftermarket OEM Replacement instead of Genuine Honda LEDs?

Jump to Latest
7.6K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  RoadToRidge  
#1 · (Edited)
I'm OCD and want the actual RTL-E LED lights. I generally don't like aftermarket bulbs, hiding ballasts, etc.

I want to put in the Genuine Honda lights, but they are ~$1350 for a pair which is quite high.

A supplier called TYC manufactures an OEM DOT certified replacement LED housing for the RTL-E for about $700 for a pair. It is listed as a valid replacement by partslink which is what all body shops use etc. It is LED with LED DRL for RTL-E and Black Edition.

Here is an example:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-Headli...-Honda-Pilot-2017-Ridgeline/282605776285?hash=item41cc9ded9d:g:xTwAAOSwoRBadqsV

Has anyone used an OEM aftermarket LED replacement headlight instead of the Genuine Honda headlights?
 
#3 ·
I don't have the LED drl's but I don't really care since I can't see them when I'm driving, the high beam on low voltage works just fine. I swapped to high beam blue/white bulbs for $20. For the low beams I did the xenon depot phillips HID and they're even brighter and throw light much further than OEM or any aftermarket LED options. I've been side by side my HID vs a black edition LED and it was a no contest.

Paying $1500-$1800 for OEM LED's is not worth the expense for most people.


I've had TYC brand aftermarket alteeza taillights in the past on a Civic and the quality was just about on par with OEM- much nicer than all the other typical aftermarket options that always let water and condensation in.
 
#7 ·
There was a guy on the Accord forum (DIY car modz) that tests all the LED bulbs and really, they are not better than a halogen bulb. I wouldn't expect much improvement. There are all types of cooling designs as well. Unfortunately, there is no easy, cheap plug and play solution from what I can tell. HID's are the next best bet but require the ballasts and on the Accord forum have sometimes caused electrical issues but seem to be the best priced solution for light output and are easy to reverse. As far as the 2020 is concerned, be wary, not all LED's are equal. The current E/BE use projector LED's while I suspect the 2020's will get reflector LED's which will most likely be a poorer performer.

hygieneboy said:
https://hardtopguy.com/store/2017-ridgeline-headlamp-upgrade.html ( for OEM LED lights+ harness to make it work on lower trims)


Honda Ridgeline Forward Lighting | Ridgeline HID and LED headlights and fog lights | Ridgeline lighting upgrades (XD is one of the best quality aftermarket bulb supply companies)


The picture I attached is my HID on an unlit road
Click to expand...
How have they held up, any issues?
 
#5 · (Edited)

Attachments

D
#6 · (Edited)
Just so you know, I don't like you.

I was planning to just get some LED bulbs for my RT. Fairly inexpensive, easy to install. But then you go and post this picture, several times, and now I really want the HIDs.

Also, from the pics of LEDs vs the factory halogens, they don't look like they improve visibility or put out more light, they just change the color of the light. The HIDs on the other hand, are a step up for sure.

EDIT to add - what color/bulbs did you get?

EDIT EDIT - nevermind, reading their lighting guide they say the 4300k has the most light output. Decision made! Gonna wait another paycheck or two before buying them though haha.
 
#10 ·
Thanks @hygieneboy - How long have you had the Xtreme H11 HID kit installed? I feel like it's been a while now.

A few things to consider about HID vs LED:

- HID will be the brightest (depending on what kelvin and kit you go with ).

- Some LED kits will be brighter then the OE halogen, which could be bright enough for some people. Many LED kits in the market are NOT brighter then the OE halogen bulb (regardless of the inflated lumens claimed by the seller). I personally run our h11 LED kit on my Toyota. It's not brighter then HID, but bright enough for my needs. Lux test showing the difference between halogen and LED:

2018 4Runner Pro LED Upgrade | 4runner LED headlight testing

- LEDs do not put out a lot of forward heat, as by design, the goal is to get the heat away from the LED diodes - If you get a lot of snow, you will get snow build up overtop of your headlights on long drives

Steve
 
#11 ·
A bit over 2yrs without issues. I often feel like I have the best headlight output on the road without blinding other drivers. I haven't had anyone flash me or turn up their rearview mirror.

I did tidy up my ballast mount location about 6months ago. I drilled out the single side mount hole in the ballast slightly and 10mm bolted them solid atop the fenders using existing unused threaded holes. The pictures show my location. I simply just zip tied any remaining loose wires.
 

Attachments

N
#13 · (Edited)
RoadToRidge said:
A supplier called TYC manufactures an OEM DOT certified replacement LED housing for the RTL-E for about $700 for a pair. It is listed as a valid replacement by partslink which is what all body shops use etc. It is LED with LED DRL for RTL-E and Black Edition.

Here is an example:

Headlights Assembly w/DRL Pair Set for 2016-2019 Honda Pilot 2017-2019 Ridgeline | eBay

Has anyone used an OEM aftermarket LED replacement headlight instead of the Genuine Honda headlights?
Click to expand...
I have the same question. Apparently, the answer was "no" in 2018. Did you go with the TYCs, RoadToRidge and were you satisfied? Has anybody else tried them? I see Rock Auto sells the TYCs now with CAPA certification (whatever that is) and without certification for about $30/pair less.
 
Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums
posts
1.4M
members
98K
Since
2004
Honda Ridgeline Owners Club, forum community to discuss reviews, accessories, performance, care, mods, and more.
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Second Generation Ridgeline (2G 2017+) 1G Problems & Issues General Honda Ridgeline Discussions Shoppin' and Test Drivin' 2G Problems, Fixes & TSB's