Hello All, I just recently had to switch out my headlights because my lowbeams went out on me. I bought a pair of silverstars, and after my mechanic installed em for me, this is the results Right side - Both high/low beam on my right side is SUPER white - Same Brightness for both high/low beam Left side - really dim and completely cuts out when i high beam. I have one of few hypothesis: 1. If high beam/lowbeam bulbs are different, he probably installed the silverstars both on one side 2. If they are the same bulb, i may have a defective bulb on the left side (or he didnt change it correctly?) 3. If they are the same bulb, there may be a wiring problem somewhere on my left (driver) side. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
The low/high beams are the same bulb. If you take the bulb out, you can see that there are two filaments. The second filament lights up when high beam is called. A shield also retracts to allow the light to point up and further down the road.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 16 2007, 10:37 PM) [snapback]513559[/snapback]</div> What would you suggest that I do next? Should I 1. Bring it back to mechanic to see if he can correct the problem? 2. Complain to Orsam and see if i can get another replacement silverstar bulb 3. Bring it to toyota and see if there's a wiring problem? Let me know. Thanks!
Bring it to the mechanic?? I mean he was the one who installed it so see what he says. Silverstars are pretty bright and white. It's possible that the left side has a loose connection.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 17 2007, 12:13 AM) [snapback]513568[/snapback]</div> It's also quite possible that the bulb is defective, and the two filaments are internally shorted.
Just to be clear, we're talking about halogen headlamps, not HID lamps. The HID headlamps are one bulb with no filament with a shutter that switches beam spread between high- and low-beam. The halogen has one bulb with two filaments and each filament provides the high- or low-beam light. I don't think there is a shutter on the halogen system. A quick way to tell if you have HID or halogen headlamps is to see if you have High-Voltage warning stickers on the black plastic shroud at the front of the engine compartment: HID are high-voltage, halogen are not.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill Merchant @ Sep 19 2007, 01:44 PM) [snapback]514951[/snapback]</div> You can do it even quicker without having to open the hood. If the car has fog lights, it has HID, at least in the North American market.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius @ Sep 19 2007, 02:02 PM) [snapback]514961[/snapback]</div> Correction. "at least in the US market"... In Canada, we get foglights but no HIDs
Welcome Gary, Your 2010 is a GenIII Prius and this is the GenII forum. I have never made that mistake. Dan
