100,000 miles, recently replaced headlights now occasionally switch off

About two months ago, one of our two headlights was out. I came to Prius Chat -- of course -- to find out if I had to buy the super expensive ones from the dealer. Everyone seemed to agree that the best bet was to buy them from Amazon. We did. The dealer charged to install them and it was quite a task, things had to be removed and I didn't watch, so i can't be all that specific. At first he thought he could just stick them right in, but then quickly realized it was the kind that are a real pain to replace.
So fairly soon after this job was done, my husband -- who is the 99.9 percent of the time driver -- noticed that they both just went off. He drives a windey mountain road in the dark, so this is not okay. However, by merely switching them off and then back on again, the problem went away. I worry that this could get worse. Last night, I was driving the car in the night and had been on the road for at least 20 minutes or so, when they went off. I turned them off and back on, and all was well. I'm considering keeping his car here tomorrow and taking it to the dreaded dealer. However, I never do anything that treacherous without writing to my Prius Chat Heroes. So, what's up with this?

 

Yes, I'm sure. The bulb was out, as in NOT WORKING. I bought new ones from Amazon. They put the new ones into the car. They both WORKED. Most of the time they work. Sometimes -- about 4 or 5 times in about six weeks of driving, they BOTH go off. Turning them off and back on again restores the lights to the working state.

 

I would like to clarify my question even more. I searched for others with this problem, and I don't see that what they are experiencing is exactly like our situation. One light goes out. Both lights are replaced with new bulbs. Both work almost all the time. Occasionally, BOTH lights go off. Turning off the switch and turning it back on again works. This started happening after they replaced the bulbs. We think something else is suspect, not the bulbs, since they both work and come back on again when we turn them off and back on. I have looked at the class action suit and see that it vaguely relates, but seems to be more related to flickering lights, one light flickering not both, and certainly not both lights rarely going completely off all at once.

 

The issue is that there is no dimness, no loss of light until BOTH lights suddenly go off. Then they BOTH go back on again once we turn them off and back on. It does not take many times of turning them off and back on to make them come back on. Its just one turn to off and then a turn to ON.

 

Philips D4R Xenon HID Headlight Bulb, Pack of 1

by Philips

 

Philips D4R Xenon HID Headlight Bulb, Pack of 1 : Amazon.com : Automotive

 

says it was directly from amazon

 

yes, we do too, but how would you handle this tomorrow? Would you say that to the dealer? Is there potential treachery I should be warned about?

 

I just have the impression, based on what I have picked up over the years as to the expensive nature of these HID bulbs and associated components, that the dealership will know no bounds when being told that the lights shut off spontaneously. I thought that perhaps someone would have suggestions as to price that I might be expected to pay and about what measures might be considered to be beyond the scope of all reason. I have had great difficulty with my dealership over the years -- though of late they do seem better -- and I want to get this taken care of successfully and without having to head into the multiples of thousands.

 

But when its completely dark on a winding road and BOTH lights go off in an instant, with no warning, it is frightening. Obviously, we have to fix the problem. Unfortunately,we have no idea what the problem might be. We will check out the ballast as suggested above.

 

No, its really not the bulb. It is the new, working bulbs, that now suddenly go off and only back on when one turns them off and back on. The old bulb just burned out. It never went off and then back on again. This is a post-bulb change problem, not a pre-bulb change problem.

 

Its difficult to go to these other places, but I if today's experience turns rotten, from now on I will.
At this point, I have left the car for
1. 125 Dollar diagnosis
2. 2 new Toyota approved bulbs, if dx suggests I need them. Ha, what are the chances there?
3. Installation of bulbs.

My problem with all this, aside from the fact that I don't believe its the bulbs, is that I will likely leave 650 dollars poorer and with the same problem.

Maybe I will call things off after the diagnosis.