2011 Prius Headlight Issues - Customer Support Program Notification

my low beam went out on my 2012.

 

Thanks for posting, FF.

 

Which trim/levels had the halogen headlamps?? .......

 

Got that.notice in November. No bulbs have failed in the 43k miles I've owned my 2011.

 

My drivers-side low beam bulb failed November 4, 2018. First and only failure since I purchased the car used. I replaced both bulbs with Philips H11 X-tremeVision bulbs. Philips bulbs are OEM, but this model is tweaked a bit for brightness. Nice improvement in road illumination. Then I think in December I get the Customer Support Program Notification. So, first week in January I schedule my 160,000 service and mention the bulb failure and the notice I received. Service writer looks it up and we discuss options. I don't think a headlight bulb burning out at 150K+ and almost 8 years of service would be "too soon". But I did say I was interested in the replacement wiring harness which is supposed to lower the voltage to the bulbs below the ~14V they are currently seeing. I hope I don't lose too much brightness because of this. We will see.

 

Sorta related but not terribly on topic. Replaced driver's side headlight bulb. Gotta say I was dreading it after the NASA like effort it took changing bulbs in the gen 2 over this '10, gen 3.

Really easy. Didn't need a vid, manual and Empire State litigator to translate instructions.

 

Replace bulbs in pairs, not just the one that fails. Keep the old bulb for a backup.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

I must humbly beg to differ, Xlid. Though I most always buy 2 of such. Probably my penchant to not waste anything. As easy as this was to change. Easy roadside repair if needed.

But again, don't mean to be contrary, just my approach.
Ya know, cheap. LoL.

 

Bulbs dim over time, replacing them in pairs will give you two bright bulbs.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Think most folks would agree with you and follow your advice, Xlide.

 

Thank You.......

 

My drivers-side low beam bulb failed November 4, 2018.

Whoops, you all know what I meant.

 

On the way to work last night my passenger side low beam failed. That is a little over 3 months of service since I replaced both bulbs 11/04/17. A couple weeks ago I installed a smart car USB charger in the 12V auxiliary socket (refuse to call it a cigarette lighter socket) which provides two USB outlets and displays the battery voltage in whole and tenths of a volt. This might not be the voltage that the headlights are seeing, or maybe it is. It's pretty hot, displaying between 14.6 and 14.8 volts while driving. This got me to thinking. My 12V aux battery is still original, probably going on 8 years. I might pull the battery this weekend and find the date stamp. I periodically use a battery conditioner which might be extending the life of this battery, but sooner or later it will fail to hold a charge. I figure this might be happening now, hence the higher voltage I am seeing which might be causing or adding to early headlight failure. I probably don't notice the telltale sign of lower MPG since I spend all my driving time at interstate speeds. I know there is this Customer Support Notification Program concerning headlight failure, and I have the replacement wiring harness on order with my dealer, but now I'm wondering if a replacement battery might be a good idea too. I watch the voltage display when starting and there is a quick drop to 11.9V as it is making READY. Thoughts?

 

I'm scheduled for the headlight wiring harness replacement this Saturday. Service writer says it's a 5 hour job. Sounds like they will have to remove the front bumper. I'm still wondering about what I discussed ^above^ concerning DC-DC inverter voltage level that may be higher than normal in an attempt to charge a near-depleted 12V battery, and in turn affecting the health and longevity of headlight bulbs. And who knows what else. Can anyone comment on a typical running voltage that they have seen? I am observing a consistent level between 14.6 and 14.8 volts, which I think is a little "hot".

 

And so, wiring harness and low beam bulb replaced on both sides at my dealer. It was a six hour job. Lights are working fine. In a related matter, something I had discussed above, I had my 12V on my conditioner this morning and the retention test came up red. My 8 year old OEM battery was ready to retire. With all the options available, and considered, it is really hard to get a better deal than the Toyota Truestart battery. Seven year warranty (2 years direct replacement, 5 years pro-rated). Replacement took about 20 minutes. Done deal, and reliability restored.

 

If your brave enough, put a multimeter to the low beam harness and measure the voltage. Since 14v was blowing out bulbs, they probably lowered the voltage down.

Just carious to what voltage the recall has it now.

 

I was wondering that too. Not an easy task though. Tight quarters on both sides and the measurement would have to be made across the terminals with the bulb plugged in. Waterproof plug if I remember correctly. I'll see what I can do. My monitoring of running voltage hasn't changed with the replacement of the 12V battery, so my suspicion of higher voltage being produced to "charge" a failing battery doesn't seem to hold water.