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

Bought the car...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by markrj, Dec 23, 2014.

  1. markrj

    markrj Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2014
    17
    1
    0
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hey guys, I posted a thread about buying a used 2005 prius with 130,000 miles. I bought it! I had a good hybrid mechanic review the car thoroughly and seemed okay.

    HOWEVER, I am having an annoying issue with the driver side headlight. When I turn the headlights off and on, it flickers wildly and then turns off. It will not turn back on normally again until it sits for 5 minutes and i only turn the headlights on "on" and THEN turn on the car. It only happens when I am in the car with it on, and cycle the headlights off and on with the knob. If I turn off the entire car and turn it back on (with the headlight knob staying on "on" the entire time), it does NOT happen. So, if I have been keeping my headlights on and havent had any issues.

    Yeah, I bought new headlights (HID, D2R) and had a local mechanic install (All for 120$)...and it still happens. One of the most devastating things! Lol.

    I guess something in the headlight assembly is wrong? Is it bad to just ignore this issue until my headlight gives out completely, or is it just a weird quirk that will be fine as long as I dont turn off my headlights?? Thanks
     
    #1 markrj, Dec 23, 2014
  2. ePriusdotcom

    ePriusdotcom Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2014
    15
    4
    0
    Location:
    Walpole, Massachusetts
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Either you got a bad bulb or you may need to have your ballast replaced.
     
    #2 ePriusdotcom, Dec 27, 2014
  3. markrj

    markrj Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2014
    17
    1
    0
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    i think my ballast is bad then...any idea how much that costs to replace/how easy it is to do?
     
    #3 markrj, Dec 27, 2014
  4. ericbecky

    ericbecky Hybrid Battery Hero

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2004
    4,371
    3,222
    1
    Location:
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It's a pain to do. But doable if you have patience and are adventurous . Involves dissecting and reassembling the new replacement ballast.
    Ballast can be $100 to a few hundred dollars. Depends which one you choose.
    There are some good tutorials that I've turned up on Google in the past. Sorry I don't have a link handy right now.

    Edit. Here's a link.
    Toyota Prius: How to Replace the HID Ballast/Computer/ECU - PriusDIY.com
     
    #4 ericbecky, Dec 28, 2014
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)