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Headlights shorting out?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by chs0186, Oct 30, 2014.

  1. chs0186

    chs0186 New Member

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    Greetings fellow Prius owners.

    First time poster here with a question for the veterans. I have a 2007 Prius and my wife and I just hit 100,000 miles on the odometer and still runs like a dream.

    Now here's my question. My headlights both goes out whenever I go over a bump. And if I turn the headlights off then turn them on again, it works. I check the wiring to the headlights and it looks fine with no visible damage or rip in the wires. Does anybody have experience with this issue?

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Have you got HID headlamps?

    John (Britprius)
     
  3. chs0186

    chs0186 New Member

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    When I bought the Prius, it came with the blue headlight, which I'm guessing is HID.
     
  4. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    I think in the US if you have fog lights you have HID lamps. There have been many reports of bulb failure with HID's with similar symptoms as yours, but it is usually just one that goes out, and then relights after being turned off. I do not know what the details are but I believe Toyota in the US will replace the bulbs.
    The left and right headlamp circuits are separate as far as fuses are concerned, but they do share a common relay shown as DM or might be DIM relay in the fuse box. Swapping this for a similar relay in the box would rule it out. Circuit diagram below if it helps. I am sorry from this distance I cannot be of more help. Headlamps & Fog Lamps wo_DRL 2of2.jpg

    John (Britprius)
     
  5. chs0186

    chs0186 New Member

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    Wow, thank you very much for your in-depth help Britprius. I will take a look once I get home(still at work :D) and see if I need to take it into Toyota.

    Thank you again good sir.
     
  6. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    I should have welcomed you to PC forgetting my manners.
    There is another page to the circuit diagram, but I think the information or likely area of problem is on the page posted. If you need the other page let me know.
    Hopefully someone from the US will come along and fill in the gaps about the Toyota headlamp bulb failure procedure.

    John (Britprius)
     
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  7. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Yes, I was going to suggest checking the relay.
     
  8. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Swapping the DM/DIM relay with the FOG relay should transfer the problem to the fog lights if it is the relay that's at fault.

    John (Britprius)
     
  9. salguod

    salguod Member

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    When I bought our 2007 with 112K, both of our HID headlights were going off like that, although I never associated it with bumps in the road.

    I bought 2 bulbs from Amazon and replaced them myself. The dealer will tell you that the bumper has to be removed and want to charge you several hundred dollars to change them, but it doesn't. I found good instructions on Wikihow for changing them with the bumper on.

    Make sure you get the Phillips bulbs (DR4 I think? Search here or Amazon will know), reports here are that other brands aren't as good in our cars.