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Advanced LED Headlamps

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by reddavid, Jan 8, 2015.

  1. reddavid

    reddavid Junior Member

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    2012 PIP Advanced...after 2 yrs, the left front headlight is out (low beam). (coincidentally after the 10,000 mi checkup at the dealer?!) "These are LED lights...and cannot be replaced." (says the dealer, who probably doesn't see many PIP's in PA.) Get to go back for a third trip to have the whole headlight assembly replaced. yay for 3 yr/36000 warranty.

    true/false - the led headlamps are not serviceable?
     
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    *Moved to Gen 3 Care/Maintenance/Troubleshooting*. Hopefully it'll get more hits there since the LED headlights were also offered on the regular Gen 3.
     
  3. se-riously

    se-riously Active Member

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    False. Everything is serviceable. This issue is whether or not it's worth it. Since it's under warranty, the dealer is simply going to remove and replace the entire assembly. Now could the dealer disassemble the headlight, identify a specific defective part, and then order that specific part? Of course they could. But why would you if you could just replace the whole thing on someone else's dime (Toyota's, not the dealer's)?

    FYI, the LED headlamps are on all Prius 5's since 2010.
     
    Burna J likes this.
  4. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    Was there any warning lights on the dash or both of the projects on the one side just went dark?
    The Toyota prescribed procedure is R&R. So they are correct.
    I hope the other one's lens is in good shape, and not cloudy. Otherwise a new assembly will stick out like a sore thumb.
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Just to be clear, the 2010-2011 assembly is different from the 2012-2015 ones. The 2010 had 3 sets of LEDs per side (two projectors and one flood lamp), the 2012+ have just the two projectors, no more floodlamp (and they also add the cool LED front-facing parking/marker lights)
     
  6. reddavid

    reddavid Junior Member

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    No warning prior. Plenty of warning (yellow triangle, message on dash - check headlight system...) after it broke. (coincidentally after a dealer service, which seemed to reset my stats, etc....hmm.)

    No problem with clouding of the lens...it's only 2 yrs old. The new and old match well.

    For anyone keeping score:

    LED Headlamp Assembly: $644
    Ballast: $247
    Labor: ?

    All went to Toyota Warranty.

    Anyone know how to adjust the beam angle, seems a bit low (and dealer is far away...ugh.)

    Edit: And the adjustment (up/down) is done by turning the white plastic thingy in the back of the assembly with metal teeth on the outside with an 8mm wrench. Counter Clockwise up, Clockwise down. yay me. found by 'search' on PriusChat!
     
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Wow, they've really come down in price! The LED headlamp assembly on the LS600h L back in 2006 was astronomical in cost..
     
  8. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    LED price has come down dramatically. You can get 800 lm LED bulbs from Home Depot for less than $10 now. The rest, optics, housing, are not all that different from HID or halogen...
     
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  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Yup! Just bought a set of LEDs for the kitchen recessed lights!
     
  10. Jonny Zero

    Jonny Zero Giggidy

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    I have switched the frequent on/off, and all night lights to LEDs, while exhausting the CFL's in the other fixtures. Love that they are instant on to full brightness, not "blooming" to full brightness over 45 seconds like the CFLs.(y)
     
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  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Agree. Those CFLs take forever. Still have incandescent flood lamps for the living room (just 4) but like you, the frequently used fixtures are all LEDs.
     
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  12. Ken Blake

    Ken Blake Active Member

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    Not at the dealership level. Toyota lists certain items in the catalog as an assembly, and does not provide individual part numbers for the component pieces. If I don't have a 10 (or 12) digit Toyota/Lexus part number, I can't order the part and must order the larger assembly.

    Gen 2 Prii had LED assemblies in the tail lamps. I wasn't able to order those individually, I had to order the entire tail lamp. This is true whether a repair is customer pay, OR warranty. We don't make the catalog, we have to use the tools that are provided to us.
     
  13. se-riously

    se-riously Active Member

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    I agree wholeheartedly with your point that you can only order what you can order, and in some instances, that's the entire assembly.

    My point is that it's easier for the dealership to replace the entire assembly and components, rather than troubleshoot which specific item(s) of the headlamp are still satisfactory. For example, is the $250 (list) headlight control module going to be tested and re-used, or is simply a new one going to be ordered along with the new headlight assembly? The average DIY'er might consider trying to save $250 and transplant the module to the known working headlight to see if the part is still good.
     
  14. Ken Blake

    Ken Blake Active Member

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    If it's a separate part, the dealership is required to troubleshoot the system, and replace the minimum necessary. E.g. they can't replace an HID headlamp assembly with a bad ballast, if the ballast is available separately. The starter contacts went out on my Supra. I had the option to either replace the starter motor, or just the contacts. They recommended replacing the contacts, because the motors almost never failed. Common practice is also to replace the power antenna mast, rather than the whole power antenna.
     
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Close to a grand, just for parts? Ouch, we have the LED headlights, joy...

    Only mention I could find in Owner's Manual. Pretty low key:

    Capture.JPG
     
    #15 Mendel Leisk, Jan 16, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2015
  16. prinut

    prinut Pri Nut

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    I have a P5 with the LEDs. I sure hope I don't have to do a replacement anytime soon.
    That cost will totally negate the mpg benefits I'm accumulating BIG TIME!
     
  17. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Much cheaper than when they first debut on the LS600h L in North America.