2012 Prius mdl 2. I notice my left low beam had gone out. I went to get a replacement bulb. The first one seemed dim, so I got a brighter one. that wasn't much better. I figure I would go to the dealer and get one of theirs. I put it in and brighter, but it cast no real beam. I pointed the car at a flat wall, and the right side is normal, the left side is not correct and I noticed there is a small beam pointed to the left. The small bit of light that does go forward does cast a faint rectangular image on the wall and it does match where it should line up similar to the right side. I cant think what has caused the beam to be all messed up. No damage or stuff like that. Just baffling.
if your car is still under 3yr/36k warranty, you should let the dealer get you a free bulb and make sure it's aligned properly.
Sounds like you don't have the bulb seated properly in the housing. It's pretty tight in there, especially on the passenger side. I've had the bulbs installed at a slight angle because one or more of the locking tabs didn't go all the way in, so the bulb wasn't sitting in all the way and straight. If the bulbs aren't straight, the focus will be terrible. The square patterns above the cutoff you are describing is normal, and is commonly referred to as squirrel finders. They are small cutouts in the cutoff shields in the projector that allow light to shine high to illuminate overhead signs. SCH-I535
I've had the same problem with alignment. -Especially on the passenger side. I believe that the proper bulb orientation is with the connector pointing downwards. It is possible to insert it incorrectly, and it will make the light quality horrible. Sounds basic - but make sure you're turning it the proper way, too. (I think I also made a mistake there, too).
I recheck the alignment of the bulb, after several attempts I seem to have gotten it correct and straight. Before there was very little beam heat coming out as to the right side. Now the bean is brighter and the beam heat is hot.
Forgot to mention, when installing headlight bulbs, never touch the glass bulb surface. The oils from your skin will create a hot spot on the bulb which will cause early bulb failure. Always handle the bulbs by holding the base. Also avoid scratching the bulb surface against the opening in the back of the headlight housing when installing the bulb. If you touched the bulbs, you can take them out and wipe them gently with a soft cloth or tissue moistened with rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol to remove any oils and grime off the bulbs. Then reinstall.
