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Newly Installed HiD won’t Dim!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Walt153, Mar 25, 2013.

  1. Walt153

    Walt153 Junior Member

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    Howdy, Foax!

    Just replaced the HiD bulbs in our 2005 Prius for the first time. Unhappily, though both bulbs operate, the driver’s side bulb has no “low beam.” Could this be a defect in my installation? (Of course, I realize that I can resort to the old bulb-swapping routine, and I will do this if necessary, but given the effort required to perform that trick I thought it best to ask here first!)

    Thanx & best regards, Walt
     
    #1 Walt153, Mar 25, 2013
  2. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    The low beam/ high beam function is performed by a moving mirror inside the headlight assembly, and is not a function of the HID bulb itself. I would look for a plug or wires that were changed in the process of doing the bulb.
     
    #2 nh7o, Mar 25, 2013
  3. Walt153

    Walt153 Junior Member

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    Great idea, nh7o! (Sorry for the late response: I was sidelined by two funerals and a week-long illness; ain’t Life just full of little surprises?) I saw the “mirror” as I inserted and aligned the HiD bulb – it’s seems to be a paper-thin foil with a number of “fingers,” but the Bentley manual’s exploded drawing (p. 10-14) does not clearly identify this. Am I correct in assuming that the HiD Headlight Control Module (aka “ballast” and/or “mini-computer”) controls this mirror? If so, am I also correct in supposing that the only way to pursue this repair is by removing the entire headlight assembly?
     
    #3 Walt153, Apr 15, 2013
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