Hey guys, I posted a thread about buying a used 2005 prius with 130,000 miles. I bought it! I had a good hybrid mechanic review the car thoroughly and seemed okay. HOWEVER, I am having an annoying issue with the driver side headlight. When I turn the headlights off and on, it flickers wildly and then turns off. It will not turn back on normally again until it sits for 5 minutes and i only turn the headlights on "on" and THEN turn on the car. It only happens when I am in the car with it on, and cycle the headlights off and on with the knob. If I turn off the entire car and turn it back on (with the headlight knob staying on "on" the entire time), it does NOT happen. So, if I have been keeping my headlights on and havent had any issues. Yeah, I bought new headlights (HID, D2R) and had a local mechanic install (All for 120$)...and it still happens. One of the most devastating things! Lol. I guess something in the headlight assembly is wrong? Is it bad to just ignore this issue until my headlight gives out completely, or is it just a weird quirk that will be fine as long as I dont turn off my headlights?? Thanks
It's a pain to do. But doable if you have patience and are adventurous . Involves dissecting and reassembling the new replacement ballast. Ballast can be $100 to a few hundred dollars. Depends which one you choose. There are some good tutorials that I've turned up on Google in the past. Sorry I don't have a link handy right now. Edit. Here's a link. Toyota Prius: How to Replace the HID Ballast/Computer/ECU - PriusDIY.com
