Prius Gen II HID headlight Question

Philips D2R Xenon HID Headlight Bulb,Pack of 1 : Amazon.com : Automotive
Small hands are an asset

 

If its just the bulb, that's pretty easy......just follow the vid. If its the ballast, ull need to remove the bumper & headlight. If ur not sure which it is, swap the bulbs & see if the outage follows

 

Do a search on this forum about headlight issues. There are plenty of threads that discuss this. The bulbs can be bought on Amazon for 50 bucks each. Youtube has plenty of vids that will help. 100 bucks and about 30-60 minutes of your time should be all you need to change out both bulbs (which is recommended when the first one goes).

 

Hi all - I have a 2005 Prius, and the driver's side headlight has started to turn off occasionally while driving. I can turn off/on the lights, and it fixes the problem temporarily, but then the bulb will usually go out again after a few minutes.

So, I should install a new bulb, right? Might this be covered by some warranty or factory recall? (There are over 60k miles on the car.)

 

Yes to the first. No to the 2nd. See Toyota Prius Class Action Lawsuit | Toyota Headlight Lawsuit | Girard Gibbs LLP.

Toyota switched to D4R bulbs on the 06-09 Priuses from the more reliable D2R bulbs on the 04-05 Priuses. You really think an automaker is going to warranty bulbs for 7 or 8 years? When's the last time that's happened?

04-05 (NOT 06-09) Prius owners w/HIDs - how long did they last? | PriusChat shows how much longer the D2R bulb seemed to last.

 

Thanks Cwerdna. I recall seeing something about a factory recall, so I thought I'd ask.

I bought the car used two months ago with a shade under 60k miles. From that "how long did they last" thread, it seems like my 2005 is on the very fast side of an HID dying out.

My driver's side bulb (the bad one) throws a more bluish tinted light than the passenger side bulb. Is there an explanation/some significance to that bluish tint?

 

Also - and this may be a naive question - is there a less expensive (non-HID) option I could use, instead of the $50 Philips D2R bulb?

According to Amazon, the following fits a 2005 Prius:
Amazon.com: Philips 9003 VisionPlus Headlight Bulb, Pack of 2: Automotive

That's $17 for two bulbs. What am I missing?

 

I doubt those will work unless you retrofit your headlights or your Prius didn't come w/HIDs in the first place. HIDs are driven at high voltages and have a ballast vs. being driven at 12 volts. See Not all HID Bulbs are created equal | PriusChat.

Toyota used to charge $300 for a replacement D2R/D4R (now only $150, at last check). And, they used to unnecessarily replace the ballast (even more $) while also usually removing front bumper cover (yet more $).

 

Thanks again cwerdna.

Any thoughts on the difference in color temp between my two bulbs?

 

Personally, I'd only replace the bulb that's failing. I don't notice a color difference between my bulbs. I would try to buy bulbs w/the same color temp rating as your existing one.

 

You buy new bulbs (replace both at the same time) from here:

D2R: Morimoto 3Five (35w) - HID Bulbs from The Retrofit Source Inc

Ur car uses a very reliable ballest......the D2 Denso ballasts are considered 1 of the best in the market so I wouldn't change them yet till u get the bulbs replaced.

 

Hi again, so I tried to install the new bulb in my 2005 Prius.

It basically seems impossible. I couldn't get beyond step one in the video above (remove fusebox cover). I do have somewhat big hands, so that may be the problem, but it was impossible to even remove the electrical connector - I tried to pull it off with considerable force, but it wouldn't budge. The angle is so awkward and inaccessible. I also couldn't budge the circular plastic casing. Tried to unlock it (turning it TOWARD driver side door) but it wouldn't move a millimeter.

How the &*^* are people doing this? Am I doing something wrong?

 

The only other way would be to remove the bumper so u can remove ur headlights

 

I won't be able to remove the bumper myself.

Can anyone else advise on what I may be doing wrong?

 

Maybe some local member can help u out. Where are u located?

 

I'm in Los Angeles.

 

Where. I'll be in commerce tomorrow and could help u after work.