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Headlight assembly melted? Do I need to replace it altogether. Pics included

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by kimmy176, May 18, 2018.

  1. kimmy176

    kimmy176 Junior Member

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    So I tried to do my own headlight bulb replacement yesterday morning, and when I turned it on last night, it didn't look like it was sitting right, so used my fog lights in addition to the low beams. Today, I decided to check why and I haven't clipped it properly and last night's driving with the headlights appear to have melted the assembly.

    Am I going to have to replace the whole assembly?

    Also I'm in Sydney Australia so not so easy as acquiring a replacement on ebay...
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 kimmy176, May 18, 2018
  2. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    #2 jzchen, May 18, 2018
  3. Lucifer

    Lucifer Senior Member

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    Any body shop will give you a quote.
    Use a reputable shop
    A dealer might not be cheap
     
    #3 Lucifer, May 18, 2018
  4. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    That's not going to be an easy repair. When a bulb isn't seated correctly, it can transfer too much heat to the assembly resulting in a melt like this. Once the mounting plane is compromised, it is very difficult to get the next bulb to seat properly.

    It may still be possible to repair the existing one, but if that involves somebody else's labor then it is likely to be more expensive than getting a replacement assembly.
     
    #4 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, May 18, 2018
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  5. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Too late now, but always check your bulb installation immediately after you install the bulbs.

    Do you have any junk yards or auto salvage yards around you? If you can find a used headlight assembly, that would probably be the least expensive option for you.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #5 xliderider, May 18, 2018
    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller likes this.
  6. kimmy176

    kimmy176 Junior Member

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    Looks like this was a very expensive mistake. I'm going to have to drive around with my fog lights at night until I can source a headlight assembly.

    From the US an aftemarket one will be $225 AUD delivered or $285 locally.

    I've also messaged around some salvage places to see if they have any Pri with that part available.

    Do I need to do something with the harness (see pic) whilst I sort out getting the part? 20180519_112100.jpeg
     
    #6 kimmy176, May 18, 2018
  7. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Harness looks intact/not damaged to me. I searched and you drive on left side of road with steering wheel on right side? Might be better to buy from Japan.....
     
    #7 jzchen, May 18, 2018
  8. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Aftermarket usually frowned upon on the forum I linked. Can ask them why. Moderators are in the lighting industry....
     
    #8 jzchen, May 18, 2018
  9. kimmy176

    kimmy176 Junior Member

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    My question was more about whether I need to secure the harness because at the moment it's just hanging there.
     
    #9 kimmy176, May 19, 2018
  10. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    Might be a good idea to secure it to something that doesn't get hot and so that it doesn't contact a moving part. (Not familiar with what's around there). I usually wrap connectors with some plastic food wrap and a rubber band to keep dust/dirt out.
     
    #10 jzchen, May 19, 2018
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  11. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Harness looks fine.

    Agree that you probably do not want USA parts unless absolute last resort, they are all set up to cast beams low on the left and high on the right for right-hand traffic. You can partially correct with aim, but it won't be proper.
     
    #11 Leadfoot J. McCoalroller, May 19, 2018
  12. jzchen

    jzchen Newbie!

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    I have ordered an axle for a Toyota/Scion iQ from Amayama.com. Shipped from Japan to the USA. Might be a more reasonable priced option....
     
    #12 jzchen, May 26, 2019
  13. Savannah Brake

    Savannah Brake New Member

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    I’ve now done the exact same thing.

    What did you end up doing?
     
    #13 Savannah Brake, Jul 14, 2019
  14. tinykowski

    tinykowski New Member

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    @savannahbrake me too. The dealership just quoted me $600 to replace ONE assembly. I told them no... looking into buying part myself.
     
    #14 tinykowski, Jul 20, 2019
  15. icyrius

    icyrius Active Member

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    B636679D-85A0-465E-87C2-4512F18B810B.jpeg
    I had the exact same thing happen to me on the passenger side (American Prius version). Do I need to replace the entire headlight? Mine are already old and yellowed. I would hate to drive only with one of them looking new. Thanks for your help.
     
    #15 icyrius, Mar 20, 2021
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