low-beam bulb replacement dead-end

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OregonB

OregonB

Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Threads
57
Messages
327
Location
Portland, OR
05 LX470 w/pass side front headlamp burnt out. PO, 9+ yrs ago, (perhaps wanting something brighter/saving $) decided to splice-in a new bulb. Which worked. Everything else stayed original.
Problem is, this bulb is no longer available, tried everywhere to find. So I've got a spliced-in bulb connector that doesn't play with anything out there. Options as I see them are:
1) Find a compatible bulb, wired pigtail, & splice it in like now
2) Find a compatible bulb/doesn't have a pigtail, find the connector that matches & splice into that
3) Aftermarket headlight assy, Amazon. $250 (you've seen these - kinda looks a little janky looking and mixed reviews) https://www.amazon.com/AmeriLite-Chrome-Projector-Headlights-Bright/dp/B07V4TQXN9/?tag=ihco-20

Anybody run into this issue?

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That bulb looks like the previous owner did a HID retrofit. I haven't done one in a long time, but usually you don't have to cut any factory wiring to install those. Is there a ballast box wired in a little farther back? You may be able to find the name of the company that made the HID retrofit kit on the ballast box.

If you want to go back to stock, a new back cover for the headlight and wiring harness part number is 81125-6A080. Stock low beam bulb size is H1.
 
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Thank you.
I had *assumed* that the grey half-dome cover was OEM.
 
@OregonB did you ever find a solution here? I am dealing with the same situation. Prior owner installed an HID retrofit kit and my RH low beam bulb went out. I replaced the bulbs (LH & RH) and the RH low beam is still out, which leads me to believe bad ballast on RH side.

However, I purchased the OEM dust covers and tried an OEM bulb on the RH side, but that didn't turn on either. Can anyone tell me if both of the connectors (green and black) inside the OEM dust cover need to be plugged into something? I tried plugging the H1 halogen bulb into both (leaving one of them not connected to anything) but still no light turned on.

I'm going to test the OEM covers on the LH side - if the H1 halogen bulb with OEM dust cover does NOT work on the RH side, than I know I am just doing something wrong with the OEM bulb/housing, and the RH side just needs a new ballast for the HID low beam to work again.
 
It's going to depend on the aftermarket installation.
If it's morimoto ballasts, then there is an extension cable that runs from the drivers to passenger side for low beam.
I would swap the ballasts from side to side and see if the issue follows the ballast or the extension cable, easy test.

Not following you on the connections inside the dust cap, isn't it wired to the ballasts on each side?
 
JBerger said:
It's going to depend on the aftermarket installation.
If it's morimoto ballasts, then there is an extension cable that runs from the drivers to passenger side for low beam.
I would swap the ballasts from side to side and see if the issue follows the ballast or the extension cable, easy test.

Not following you on the connections inside the dust cap, isn't it wired to the ballasts on each side?
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Not Morimoto - some generic brand - 55W ballasts. There is no relay cable that runs from drivers to passengers. The HID bulbs just connect to the ballasts and the factory headlight wiring (male connector IIRC). Great call on switching the ballasts, that's an easy test.

I bought OEM dust caps to see about just going back to the OEM halogen H1 bulbs, but that didn't work on the RH side. Could see why that would be confusing.
 
I have not made any progress, yet. Looking closer I saw that one of my low/headlamp assemblies has condensation inside the lens (pic, below). So - leakage, which may = replacing the entire lamp assembly - probably both, since having only one side looking new might look a little weird. Really don't want to do those Amazon replacement kits, but an OEM-type replacement runs about $900 for both sides and then I'm back to the original halogen bulbs. Feel free to talk me into either option :)

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OregonB said:
I have not made any progress, yet. Looking closer I saw that one of my low/headlamp assemblies has condensation inside the lens (pic, below). So - leakage, which may = replacing the entire lamp assembly - probably both, since having only one side looking new might look a little weird. Really don't want to do those Amazon replacement kits, but an OEM-type replacement runs about $900 for both sides and then I'm back to the original halogen bulbs. Feel free to talk me into either option :)

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Click to expand...

Wait until there is a sale and get either plastic or glass oem for half price… or buy pre retrofitted housing s from vendors mentioned here on the forum.

For the original caps, one wire plugs into the bulb and one into the bulb surround in the housing, less than an inch away..
 
Haydog & others -
I am going to go back to original. Do not use this rig that much, and just spent $5k on tie-rods/ball joints/shocks/etc/whole front end (220k miles)....not critical to me to have the brightest lights possible (until it is, and then it is too late, ha). I'll try to buff out the lens weathering. Again.
Ordered some good oem-style halogens from David the light guy (Keito?) + Ebay replacement housings w/the integral-pigtail. Will cut out the string of ballasts. Solder up and shrink a clean connection. (I realized the lens condensation was caused by a loose boot on the janky drill-thru of the dust caps to put in the aftermarket lights, so that should be fixed).
I am confused - the split pigtails that come integral to the OEM dust caps...1 goes to the bulb, but where does the other go?

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OregonB said:
Haydog & others -
I am going to go back to original. Do not use this rig that much, and just spent $5k on tie-rods/ball joints/shocks/etc/whole front end (220k miles)....not critical to me to have the brightest lights possible (until it is, and then it is too late, ha). I'll try to buff out the lens weathering. Again.
Ordered some good oem-style halogens from David the light guy (Keito?) + Ebay replacement housings w/the integral-pigtail. Will cut out the string of ballasts. Solder up and shrink a clean connection. (I realized the lens condensation was caused by a loose boot on the janky drill-thru of the dust caps to put in the aftermarket lights, so that should be fixed).
I am confused - the split pigtails that come integral to the OEM dust caps...1 goes to the bulb, but where does the other go?

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Click to expand...
I'm going back to OEM as well. One of the connectors goes to the bulb, the other goes to this protruding piece of the housing (circled in red). Thanks to @baltistyle for clarifying this.

Not sure if green or black connector within the OEM dust cover goes to the bulb versus protruding bulb surround piece. I'm going to complete the OEM swap tonight and will report back with my findings, unless anyone knows off the top of their head.

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Best of luck. My parts come in in a few days, I should get after it shortly...report back.
 
Well I’m officially stumped. I replace both headlights with the OEM set up, and the LH is still the only one that powers on. I have already replaced the fuses, so I know that’s not the issue.

I wonder if the aftermarket HID setup that the PO installed fried the OEM connector? Not sure what could have happened to the wiring to cause it to not work all of the sudden. It’s a California garaged LX with 70K miles… All the rubber and plastic bits throughout the engine bay look brand new.

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dang!
I hate it when that happens. I guess you could try replacing the connector :(
I'm lousy with continuity testers...but faulty headlight relay, maybe?
 
For what its' worth, I learned the black wire is to the bulb, green wire is the ground...but you probably knew that already.
I learned: other way around! Green is to H1 pos, black is to ground.
 
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Swap worked great, both sides now working. Satisfying to snip out and scrap the junk ballasts and wiring on each side. The new halogens are't the strongest beams, but work fine (high beams are still the aftermarket LEDs the PO had installed, they work). For $100 in parts & about one hour - most of it splicing the new wires back together - this was one of my cheaper repairs. My only misstep was, when using a heat gun to shrink over the splices, I was unaware the LX battery tray was also plastic (makes sense, no corrosion). It now has a small "custom" wave in it. Oops.
 
I highly recommend LASFIT LEDs. OEM replacements and fit without modifying anything. I have them in all my Land Cruisers.
 
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