1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Strange headlight problem - 2010 Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by phoenixgreg, Feb 5, 2016.

  1. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2010
    1,157
    288
    66
    Location:
    Phoenix
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    My friend, who has a 2010 Prius, was just in a fender-bender accident which destroyed the driver's side headlight assembly. No one was hurt, but after cleaning out all of the broken plastic, his driver's side headlight bulbs will not light up. Both bulbs, now exposed, are fine with the filaments intact. I put a multi-meter on the contacts after removing the bulb and I am not getting the expected 12 volts with the headlights on. Is there some kind of safety fuse or breaker for the driver's side headlights? The passenger's side headlights are fine. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
     
    #1 phoenixgreg, Feb 5, 2016
  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,848
    3,102
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Try testing the bulb contacts for continuity/impedance, or use your multimeter leads (disconnected from meter) as test leads from the battery to the bulb leads to see if both bulbs are really OK.

    Might be a fuse has blown. If a fuse has blown, then the collision has probably damaged the wiring harness for the driver's headlight, causing a dead short that blew the fuse.

    Yes, there are specific fuses for the driver's side lowbeam and highbeam light circuits in the engine fuse box.
     
    #2 xliderider, Feb 5, 2016
  3. phoenixgreg

    phoenixgreg Senior member

    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2010
    1,157
    288
    66
    Location:
    Phoenix
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Thanks xliderider, you helped me find it. The bulb I was looking at was the high beam, which was OK, when I switched it on. The low beam light bulb (painted tip) was shot. Now I will help my friend by getting a new low beam bulb and jury-rigging the lens assembly (or what's left of it) so he can drive at night legaly until his car goes in for repairs.
     
    #3 phoenixgreg, Feb 6, 2016
    xliderider likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)