Headlight problems - go out and come back on?

From you package I assume you have HID headlamps; is this true? There have been several reports of flaky HID headlamps, where one or the other will randomly go out, or not start, but the next time will work fine.

Tom

 

There is only one bulb per side.. when you put the brights on, a metal refector physically moves to defect the light so its is no longer chopped off at the top... the HID lamp stays on the whole time...whether you have brights on or dim....

Have someone get in your car and flick from bright to dim while you stand outside and watch up close.

 

Take a look at this thread: http://priuschat.com/forums/care-maintenance-troubleshooting/34584-headlight-problem.html

Tom

 

well, 114 miles into tonights run,BOTH my headlights went out! Of course clicking off then on got em both burnin again! But Christ all mighty! My lights seem to go out on slower roads so maybe it has to do with cooling. Freeway speeds seldom cause the lights to go out but it does happen!!! Its getting worse but Im hitting em back ever time I really need em!

 

HID lamp unexpected shutdowns or failures to fire are signs of lamp or controller failure or both. Costly repairs are in your future, unfortunately.

You can get the HID bulbs for about $250 and replace them yourself. I'm not sure how hard it is to get to the controller.

 

YOu can get bulbs on ebay for around 80 bucks... I suspect its the bulbs.....

they are not all created equal....

 

No they aren't created equal. The bulbs I've checked, both Toyota part numbers and aftermarket, are in the $175-$350 range.

It could be that the D4S bulbs are particularly outrageous. Or, it could be that those $80 bulbs won't work. Or it could be that they'll work fine.

But, when there is a huge discrepancy in price between what reputable dealers are charging and what eBay sellers are charging, it indicates that there is something I don't understand or something wrong with the quality of the low priced items.

YMMV.

 

I don't believe the 2006 Prius used the D4S bulb, and the various HID bulb types are NOT interchangeable.

 

I've spent a fair amount of time on the HID forums and although quality sometimes bears weight, the markup is so horrendous in the HID market still that you could get better bulbs for cheaper.....

Reading this forum... it sounds like the bulbs that were tried off of ebay appear to still be working.

Usually HID bulbs last quite a while unless they are being overdriven.

I don't know if these are being overdriven or not in the prius, but I'm almost "guessing" they could be "underdriven".. since another blast of high current seems to get them going again when you turn them off and back on again, till they flake out again.

sometimes manufacturers "underdrive" thier bulbs in an attempt to get them to last longer.

 

You're right they are not interchangeable. I used the D4S example because it's what my 2008 uses and I am familiar with the pricing of that bulb.

 

Not sure, but I think the D4R is what the 06 is... can anyone confirm?

This would be a good link

 

D4R or D2R... can't remember which. There was a thread I posted to with the info a couple of months back, but I can't find it.

Found another source:
D2R for the 2004/5
D4R or D4S for the 2006/7/8

Websites vary in their info. From other sites: "The difference between D2R and D2S bulbs is the ceramic paint located on the quartz capsule of D2R bulbs. The ceramic paint makes the D2R bulb ideal for applications that use reflection technology instead of projection through a lens." Can't find agreement on whether a R or S bulb is used in the 2006/7/8, but I would guess the R/S issue parallels the D2 difference..

D2 bulbs have mercury in them. D4 bulbs are mercury-free and require different voltages.

 

I had this exact same symptoms on my '07. It spent a few days in the dealer. They swapped the bulbs side-to-side to isolate whether it was the bulb or the controller and waited to see which side went out. It turns out it was the bulb. They replaced under warranty.

 

YOur lucky... they tell me its a "wear" item.. my reply was... even though I only have 50K on my car and they are supposed to last 10 times longer than Halogen?.... LOL!... didn't seem to help....

I don't even run with lights during the day....

 

So anyway..... I have the 2006 HID and I'm wondering which bulbs to order?
I think it must be the R versions for reflective?

I've entertained the Idea of buying a 50W kit, but I don't know how much hassle the install would be.

I see no problem with the extra power when the leveling function works and you use common courtesy. The 35W are bright enough, you have to do that anyway.

When my right one went out and I got pulled over by a cop.. I wanted to tell him.. "whats the big deal?..... my one 35W HID is brighter than 2 Halogen anyday anyway?... but I didn't!"

I do like bright.... thats why I own a Barnburner handheld 75W HID.

I think a 50W set would be far less invasive than some of the extra running lights some of these guys use and fail to ever turn off for oncoming traffic.

 

I have this problem on my 2006 Prius - Package 6. There have been no modifications that I know of. The problem is with the left front headlight. I only use it at night, and it dims and often goes out completely after a few minutes of being on. When it's safe I flick the lights off and then back on, and it solves the problem but only for a short while. The first owner had the dealer replace the bulb but, clearly, there's still a problem. Any recall notices on this from Toyota? I've taken it to a garage but of course they can't replicate it. What components or controllers should I have them look at? Thanks.

 

My suspect is still bulbs.. I just think there is crappy QA on the manufacture of them.

I bought two sets of ebay bulbs... after a short time, one went bad.. so I simply put one of the original OEM bulbs in "that hadn't acted up yet in the same side that had just went out.... some odd 30k miles later everything is still fine....

That means that the same ballast wiring etc that was in place when the ebay bulb went out is still running the original OEM....
And the other side where the original OEM bulb went bad, is still running the ebay bulb I replaced it with.

That also means that they original OEM bulb that I put back in has about 80K miles of use and is still going strong.... go figure!

My bet is still on the bulbs being bad.