Not all HID Bulbs are created equal

Great article. Thanks.

To the forum of prius owners: I got the right OEM replacement bulb that looks exactly like the original OEM from the same manufacturer, but when I try and install it I can't seem to figure out what orientation to use. There are the notches that are supposed to line everything up, but for the life of me doing very small rotations and pushing in, they all seem to bind and rock. No orientation I try seems satisfyingly "correct". I just picked an orientation and put it together, but the bulb is able to move around a bit in the socket even with the wire retainer in place. The wire retainer itself was binding in its socket and got a bit bent too as I tried to get it free so it could swivel again in its socket. The light works, but the bulb seems to be able to touch the reflector cone when it vibrates because it isn't being held perfectly still and perfectly centered in the assembly.

Any ideas? I can't find a close up picture of the socket on the web so I don't know what orientation I'm shooting for with the bulb notches. Did you get a pleasing "snap in" feel with the notches providing alignment?

 

i just bought some phillips bulbs from Amazon as the seller and they showed up in a plastic bags. and when i changed them both of my old bulbs i took out looked just like the ones in the first post picture with the brown part on the outside of the bulb . The ones i recieved has a green part on the outside. I think what bothers me mostly is the fact they were in plastic bags. any one else have this when they buy from Amazon as a direct seller

 

i'm going to, thanks

 

@2k1Toaster ,

Thanks for this extremely helpful and informative post(s)! My 2006 lights decided to start acting up after the recall (of course) and Toyota doesn't want to replace them gratis as my recall notice never showed up (long, boring story). I'd like to try to swap them out myself, but my dealer was warning me against it as they said it was difficult to do. My left light is cutting out more and more and I don't want to risk damaging the wiring, but with the shorter days I have to drive at night and I find myself continuously turning the lights off/on to keep them both on.

Now that I know what bulbs to use thanks to you, could you recommend an installation guide here or elsewhere to see if I should attempt this myself?

Edit: tagged Toaster (thanks @Tideland Prius !)

 

I don't think non-moderators can tag people @2k1Toaster.

edit: Woah! It got enabled. I tried it long ago and was denied.

 

…nice post, and I'll just add that in the event of accidental contact of your fingers with the glass part of the bulb, any fingerprints may be easily removed using rubbing alcohol (ethanol/isopropyl-alcohol/alcohol-wipes), always recommended when handling any halogen lamp bulb. hope this helps - Wil

 

@2k1Toaster,

Got both bulbs swapped out. It was a learning experience to say the least. After checking out a bunch of videos that I could find online I went out and bought two Philips 42406 bulbs from Pep Boys (more like Rape Boys). $100/bulb made my spit thick.

Tried the quick way and since I couldn't get the leverage to get the back cover off, I went with popping each side of the bumper and pulling out the light. After seeing some videos of people putting the light into the end cap and loading the whole thing in at once was pretty stupid. I wish I had found a resource that I found later, sooner. That showed just putting the bulb in, setting the spring clips and ending with the end cap. The problem in the first one was that either I did it or it was like this, but the external part of the electrode casing has a crack in it. I swallowed hard and completed the install and everything worked ok. I just don't know if that damage will shorten the life of the bulb.

Of course as I did each side, when I put everything back together and tested the headlight--the parking light bulb would go out. A couple of taps on the driver's side and it came back on. The passenger side didn't. I wound up picking up a two pack of bulbs at the parts store for about $5. Without taking anything apart again I was able to squeeze my hand in to swap out that bulb and while it was harder to get the bulb back in, it did the trick.

 

I spent a lot of time trying to get my 2011 projector lights to work at night, I purchased several different sets if bulbs and nothing seems to be brighter than the stock oem bulbs. I had the HID with the separate ballasts installed and for the life of me they didn't work that well. For some reason I hated the projector lights until I read a thread on here about modifying a OSRAM H9 bulb to fit the H11 socket. I purchased a set and modified the bulb to fit, man, I can see again at night!! Those worked perfect and better than the oem ones and all the xenon and HID bulbs I purchased in the past. Don't get me wrong, the xenon and HID work awesome in my 2005 Prius but the projector housing it didn't.

 

I really appreciate the well explained time you spent to made the post, but I just want to share my HiD bulb that I bought since 2008 on my bnew that time hinda civic 2 door and they are still on my civic and still working fine, back then I think I bought it around $75 with the ballas included, I check from the same seller I bought it they are now very cheap, IMO I dont think they differ that much unless you have the expensive one aide by side because my cousin acura tl which is originally come with HID has almost the same output side by side but mine is alittle cooler slightly bluish his is slightly yellowish but from the beginning that I installed mine on my civic I already have the issue that sometimes I need to turn off and on to fire the left side headlight and on my cousins acura tl it is always both on, so what I did was a place a relay and it that fixed the issue. So if now you ask me should I buy the $300 vs $15, I would say $15 all day because I can buy 20pcs ebay bulb vs 1pc. just saying.

 

Unfortunately after 7 years the is no issues.

 

I also got some from xenon corp, the official reseller is at amazon. Before I spend half an hour to an hour installing these bulbs can I get a confirmation that they are legitimate Phillips bulbs ? They seem to be alright, but the box is different than I expected based on the Philips authenticity website. Thanks @2k1Toaster !
There isn't a QR code on the box, and the box references the "included instructions," but inside the box, there's nothing but the bulb. What's going on??

Counterfeit Philips Xenon HID Bulbs and Lights | Consumer Alert
Welcome to Philips product authenticity
!

 

Hi Toaster, thanks for the reply, Here is my macro attempt at capturing the salts. It looks like tannish brown condensate in the salt chamber. The electrode leaving the glass looks like pictures you posted , but it's maybe not totally straight? the spot welds on the bottom look good in my book.

There's a slight zigzaggin on the bottom electrode in the glass, but I can't quite capture that.

Why did I receive a box without the COA sticker, and without something protecting the bulb inside its box (it was shipped loose inside the inch by inch by 3 inch box, without something to hold it immobile, like they do in CFL or LED lightbulb boxes.)?