2009 Prius Headlight Bulbs

HID lights are those bright ones you see in the luxury cars.

 

Easiest way to tell is to look at the lamp from the front. If there is a rod along the side of the tube, it's a HID. See attached photo. I replaced mine at around 60,000 and 120,000 miles. Luscious Garage website has a good video of how to change. I ordered mine online. Just suggest you get a name brand like Phillips or Osram. The blinking off is typical of an HID going bad. It won't get better and cycling the power to get them to come back on will make them worse.

 

2009 non-touring packages 1/2/3 had halogens (bulb 9003/hb2).

2009 non-touring packages 4/5/6 and all touring had HID's.

 

I suggest spending a few minutes reading the thread below. It covers a lot of the issues.

Not all HID Bulbs are created equal | Page 2 | PriusChat

 

Uh, no!

 

Usually if you have fog lights, you have HID lamps. I know this is the case for 2008, but not sure about other model years.

 

I agree they are bright and very white, however to say "in luxury cars" really does not apply. HID headlights can often be found on inexpensive compacts as an option. It is a common item in todays market.

 

Based on my personal knowledge, I would guess you have the HID type bulbs. Halogen type bulbs usually do not come back on when you turn them off and on like you are doing. Usually once they go out they are done, and need to be replaced. However the HID bulbs will do what you are describing.

I can't tell much by your pics. A close examination of the bulb should reveal which one you truly have.

 

If you end up having the halogens its most likely the connector on the back of the bulb is melted based on your last post. Both sides were melted on my 07 as I usually drive with the headlights on as drl's. It was a real pain to replace those connectors too.

I bought the Phillips bulbs at Autozone and they have lasted about 6 months but will not be surprised if they fail soon. They are really bright but short lived. The factory bulbs last for years but are much more expensive than anything you will find at an autoparts store.

 

This winking out of the lamp is typical for an HID lamp going bad and it only makes both lamps get worse. HID recommends 2 minutes off time before turning back on or you shorten the life of the lamp. There is a good set of pictures already for the procedure at the link below so I won't recreate them, but some questionable advice.
Toyota Prius: How to Replace the Headlight Bulbs (HID and Halogen) - PriusDIY.com
One thing I disagree with is buying the cheap ebay lamp. He says his expensive Phillips lamp died, but no indication how many hours were on it. There is a thread on this site Not all HID Bulbs are created equal | PriusChat that has a lot of good info and with some manual dexterity and hand strength you can replace both lamps in probably less than an hour, not counting study time. Remember the lamp ECU can generate around 2000 volts, hence High Intensity Discharge, reassemble before turning power on and NEVER turn on power when a lamp is out of the socket to check the other.