Lights keep going out

From your profile and problem description, I assume you have HID headlamps. What you describe is the failure mode for HIDs. With conventional headlamps, when one burns out it stays out. With HIDs, as they fail they get darker and turn off randomly. They will usually restart on the next activation.

You need to replace both of your HID bulbs (capsules). There are several threads here on how to replace them yourself.

Tom

 

DPI: I also have a 2005 Prius - just before Christmas the left front high beam went out. I of course, started to try to find a replacement. According to the Owner's manual, each filament in each headlight has its own fuse, so I checked the fuse first and it was OK. So, I called a couple of auto supply houses for a replacement bulb. I could either go with an HID for about $80 --yes -- 80 bucks OR go wiith a conventional halogen 65/55 watt for about $8. What do you think I went for?? Somebody needs to do some "fast talking" to convince me I NEED an $80 headlight bulb. The $8 bulb shines just great !

 

If you have factory HIDs on yours, in the past I'd point you to http://www.amazon.com/Philips-Xenon-Headlight-Bulb-Pack/dp/B00480J4KA. D2R should be correct for the 04-05 HID equipped Priuses.

Unfortunately, in light of http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...n/101472-not-all-hid-bulbs-created-equal.html, one can't be sure if the Philips HID bulbs that Amazon sells are genuine or not. I bought Philips D4R (bulbs for 06-09 HID equipped Priuses) from Amazon (shipped and sold by Amazon, not a 3rd party) last year and they looked genuine to me, but now I can't be 100% certain.

 

I bought D4R bulbs from Amazon and I'm almost certain that they are genuine. I bought "Philips" D4R bulbs from another place previously, and they most assuredly were counterfeit.

I'd be pretty confident that the bulbs purchased FROM Amazon are genuine. Bulbs purchased from someone else THROUGH Amazon can be fake though (in my experience).

 

Isn't there still a class action settlement regarding headlights that turn off sporatically? I'm going through this myself. I have taken my car to the dealer a couple of times naively saying my lights were intermittantly turning off. Their reply has been that they can't fix them until they stop working altogether. I've recently found out about this class action settlement which meant Toyota extented the warranty on HID headlights for 5 yrs and 50,000. I've found a number 800-331-4331 that says it's the Toyota Customer Experience Center. It ways that there'll info regarding the HID class action settlement released in Feb or March of, I assume, this year.

 

Toyota Prius HID Headlight Class Action Settlement - Consumer Class Action Attorneys - Girard Gibbs LLP and http://hidsettlement.com/. This doesn't cover the OP's 05 as the 04-05 had apparently more reliable D2R based systems than the D4R system on 06-09 Priuses. (See http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ius-owners-w-hids-how-long-did-they-last.html.)

The "turning off" is usually the bulb failing, possibly wiring and less likely the ballast.

I was a bit past the time and mileage limit so my dealer wouldn't help me but I replaced my failing bulb myself and submitted the paperwork anyway w/the cost of the 2 bulbs I bought from Amazon. Result so far at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...id-class-action-settlement-award-letters.html.

 

Here is the solution I fixed this problem in my wife Prius about a year and a half it still works.The problem was that one or both headlights would go out while driving.Cause the socket for the head light was burnt and this cause the connector to become loose and cause an intermitten connection thus shortening the life of the bulb causing it to go out. Here is the part number (auto zone ) Novita SC04 headlight socket.When replacing I recommend cutting one wire at time so you do not get confused. This part works for bought left and right side.