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Gen3 Headlight bulb Recall

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Dr_DLH, Nov 26, 2018.

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  1. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    Does anyone know what the dealer does for the recall for the bulb to premature go out?

    Now that they did the fix a few months ago my passenger side HL low beam went out. There is no power to the plug. I started to unwind the electrical tape and the power came back on. So I plugged the light back in and it lasted a split second and now it won’t come back on at all. I wanted to see if anyone knows what they did as it looks like they spliced in power from another source and need to know if I can undo it.

    Don’t want to take it back to the dealer as the warranty just expired a couple months ago.
     
    #1 Dr_DLH, Nov 26, 2018
  2. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    All they were supposed to do was increase the resistance across the wiring as the hybrid system introduces more voltage than what a typical system does;).

    Pictures help(y).
     
    #2 Raytheeagle, Nov 26, 2018
  3. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    I wish I had pictures of what it looked like before. It’s the passenger side and hard to get to
     
    #3 Dr_DLH, Nov 26, 2018
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2018
  4. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    See attached
     

    Attached Files:

    #4 Dr_DLH, Nov 26, 2018
  5. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    Don’t think that purple wire was there before and don’t know where it goes to.
     
    #5 Dr_DLH, Nov 26, 2018
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Yes, they do this. They take one of these (on each side of the car) and splice its bare end to the purple wire feeding the headlight. The other end (with a terminal already attached) becomes the new terminal in the socket for the bulb.

    [​IMG]

    It's just a long extra length of wire looped around inside about half a meter of plastic loom. The extra length is enough to shave half a volt or so off the voltage arriving at the headlight bulb, probably extending the bulb life by 80% or more.

    [​IMG]

    The purple wire is the original that was there before. The newly added loop is white/black. The new loop is also copper. Purple wire is Toyota code for an aluminum wire, which means the crimp connection they create there is an aluminum-to-copper joint. Those have to be made very carefully, using exactly the right Al-to-Cu crimp sleeve and tool for crimping, otherwise it becomes a reliability and possible fire hazard. The tech may have been in too much of a hurry installing this one.

    I would go back; they should have done it right, and I think they should have their most senior electrical tech promptly cut out that crimp and re-do it, using the specified crimp sleeve, heat shrink, and crimping tool.

    -Chap
     
    #6 ChapmanF, Nov 27, 2018
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  7. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    Thank you for the excellent details and info. That was exactly what I needed. I will definitely take it back and tell them to fix it.
     
    #7 Dr_DLH, Nov 27, 2018
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  8. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Always interesting how they find the least expensive fix... I remember when they had the recall on Gen2 steering rack... Every mechanic that looked at my car said only fix is replacing the whole rack. Then the recall came out and they found a way to put a bolt in the steering column where it connected to the greater rack and the problem was solved. To this day, Gen2 steering racks come off wrecked Prius right away as a top seller, when all it takes is adding a bolt.
     
    #8 PriusCamper, Nov 27, 2018
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  9. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    I called the dealer this morning and told them what I have mentioned above. I got in my car this morning and guess what? It’s working.. so I called the dealer back and they said to bring it in so they can replace the connector they have spliced in. Hopefully that resolves it.
     
    #9 Dr_DLH, Nov 27, 2018
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  10. Dr_DLH

    Dr_DLH Member

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    If course as usual, the dealer called me to say they couldn’t produce the issue. They said they butt connector is working as it should and has power on both sides. There has got to be something that shuts down the headlight power if that is not it..
     
    #10 Dr_DLH, Nov 27, 2018
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    does prius have more headlight issues than any other car ever produced?
     
    #11 bisco, Nov 27, 2018
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Capture some video of yourself wiggling the harness near where you wiggled it and the light came back in #1?

    I think I remember a light bulb one time that had really burned out—the filament had separated somewhere—but was intermittent for a while, would bounce around and make contact. But I'm sort of not sure I'm not imagining remembering that.

    -Chap
     
    #12 ChapmanF, Nov 27, 2018
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