Is350 Hid Headlights

[CJAY]

Hello friends,

Question. HID lights: I've recently been experiencing some difficulties with my headlights. once in a while, night time, either one of the headlights, left of right, would all of a sudden turn off. but after pulling to the side of the road and turning the lights from auto to off, both headlight turns back on. is that weird or is it just my headlight are going out.

keep in mind that my is350 is a 07 and she's got around 55K in her. so is this about the time to change the bulb? is it an electrical or bulb issue? if its the bulb, wouldn't it just turn off completely and never turn back on? these things are quite expensive, they are quoting me $420 for everything, bulbs and labor. any ideas?

thanks

cj

[cduluk]

Did Lexus diagnose the problem? It's either the bulb or the ballast... or a more complicated computer issue. I doubt it's a bulb issue since you state they switch back and forth...

[CJAY]

Did Lexus diagnose the problem? It's either the bulb or the ballast... or a more complicated computer issue. I doubt it's a bulb issue since you state they switch back and forth...

yeah Lexus "diagnosed" the issue. but I also felt like the dude was bull*BLEEP*ting his way out of the problem. he just kept contradicting himself. I didn't want to waste my time. I don't think it's he bulb either. could it be the sensor? guys, any help?

[DMatlock]

Did Lexus diagnose the problem? It's either the bulb or the ballast... or a more complicated computer issue. I doubt it's a bulb issue since you state they switch back and forth...

yeah Lexus "diagnosed" the issue. but I also felt like the dude was bull*BLEEP*ting his way out of the problem. he just kept contradicting himself. I didn't want to waste my time. I don't think it's he bulb either. could it be the sensor? guys, any help?

My 2008 IS350 is doing the same thing with the left headlight only. It will work for five minutes or so and then go out. Then it might work for 30 minutes and go out. My car only has 60,000 miles and is rarely driven at night. So dont understand a HID light going out so soon and then working and not working. No way I am going to pay dealer cost, $240 for one light when you can get after market of $100 for two lights and the ballasts.

[DMatlock]

I might add that Toyota was having HID light problems with their 07 and early 08 cars. As the lights were defective and had alot of cars with the same issues. I am thinking its the same issue.

[CJAY]

So, I called to my warranty people and they said it's not covered if it's the bulb but if it's something else, ae. socket or electrical wiring, then it should be covered. my argument is why would the HID bulb go out so early? i thought they're suppose to last atleast up to 100K? you guys have any input on this?

[CJAY]

Just want to give you guys an update, so here we go.

After Lexus told me that it's definitely my bulb that needs to be replaced, so i did and that what i did this past weekend. I got a brand new pair of HID Xenon bulbs and replaced both sides. Last night i drove my car for the first time at night on my way home from work and came to find out that it was doing it again. the driver's side light was out and it was the same issue, exactly the same.

so seriously, any help? ideas? on whats going on with my headlights? this is pretty crazy. i hope theres a fix to this, i dont feel like getting stopped by cops for this.

thanks

[cduluk]

Just want to give you guys an update, so here we go.

After Lexus told me that it's definitely my bulb that needs to be replaced, so i did and that what i did this past weekend. I got a brand new pair of HID Xenon bulbs and replaced both sides. Last night i drove my car for the first time at night on my way home from work and came to find out that it was doing it again. the driver's side light was out and it was the same issue, exactly the same.

so seriously, any help? ideas? on whats going on with my headlights? this is pretty crazy. i hope theres a fix to this, i dont feel like getting stopped by cops for this.

thanks

Well, it's either the ballasts or a computer issue. The ballasts in the IS are made by DENSO, the same company who makes the ballasts for ALL the Lexus vehicles, going as far back as 1998 for the LS. I've very, VERY rarely heard of these ballasts going out on any other Lexus' and personally i think they're the best out there.

I find it odd that there are so many reports of 07+ IS headlights having this issue considering they use the same ballasts as every other Lexus. This leads me to believe that there is an issue within the car itself, maybe before the voltage even reaches the ballasts. But i'm not sure what that might be...

I would take it to the dealer... They're the only ones that i'm aware of that can figure out what the issue is. Plus, this issue is VERY common among the 07+ IS's so i'm pretty sure Lexus knows exactly what's wrong.

It "could" be the ballasts that are going out, but it doesn't seem logical and doesn't explain the "switching" of ON and OFF between the left and right headlight. To me it sounds like an ECU problem...

[IS Bearcat]

Has anyone had any luck with a diagnoses of this problem? My 06 IS250 is experiencing the same issues. One headlight will go out after several minutes of driving. The next time I start the car, both headlights will work again. The problem seems to alternate between both headlights. Last weekend, both headlights went out!!! The next day....both were back on. My dealer told me I probably needed new headlights since there computers couldn't find a problem. I was skeptical then and am even more so after reading this forum.

[DMatlock]

Has anyone had any luck with a diagnoses of this problem? My 06 IS250 is experiencing the same issues. One headlight will go out after several minutes of driving. The next time I start the car, both headlights will work again. The problem seems to alternate between both headlights. Last weekend, both headlights went out!!! The next day....both were back on. My dealer told me I probably needed new headlights since there computers couldn't find a problem. I was skeptical then and am even more so after reading this forum.

Well I think I finally got my problem fixed. I went through four after market ballists. This was over a two month time period and they all went out over different intervels. Luckily the company was warranting them although not to happily. We finally decided that the factory HID bulb was shortening out the ballist. So we went with a fifth ballist and new after market HID bulbs and its been two months and no more problems. Nothing else was changed other than the ballist and bulbs.

I paid a total of $200 for the one ballist and $170 for the two new HID bulbs. This included installation. Lots of hassle but saved money over dealer costs.

[SDLEDS]

Sounds like it could have been a bad connection as well to the ballast. You should have had them check that the ground wire was good and not corroded while they were in there as well.

[simplyadditions]

Hey guys, I found a solution to this exact problem. Turns out that all Lexus cars and trucks experience intermittent problems with their HID headlights. For me my passenger headlight went out after the car warmed up. It would always turn back on, if I toggled the headlight switch from auto to off, and back to auto or just on.

I made a DIY Tutorial on how to fix the problem B) by simply swapping out the D4S HID headlight bulbs. It sounds easy, but Lexus didn't make it too easy. That's why I recorded a video of the entire process on my YouTube channel.

Check it out:

[Whisperss]

Hey eeryone. I know it had been a LONG time I have been on here. But my 06 IS350 is doing the same thing. I turn the light switch off and back on, things are good to go. I will have to try replacing the bulbs out for a different brand in hopes this fixes the issue.

[Cristy Netchaeff]

I was having the same problem with my 07 IS350. I had two options...ballast or headlight. After discussing this with my mechanic we came to the conclusion it was my headlight needing to be replaced. My mechanic promised me it was the headlight and it was. He replaced it and have had no problem since. Her said the headlights are kind of like a lighter. When you turn the switch off and on its ignighting the light to come back on.

Cristy

[reyoasian]

If you have factory xenon headligyts, it's most likely the ballasts. Denso ballast are known to fail. The Phillips bulbs, on the other hand, will last forever.