Fizzboy7

Noticed today my left front HID was casting a orange color on the wall in front of me. Got out and it was dim and a pinkish/orange color. Turned the lights off, then back on, and at first it looked normal, but within ten seconds, it dimmed again and turned to the off colors. A few hours later, it cut out completely while I was driving. Started the car again, and it went back on, but cut out about ten minutes later. When it does stay on, it's still dim and orange/pink.
So what is going on with it? Not too familar with the internals of xenon headlights.

The other big quesiton I have is what the warranty covers. Oddly, there's no mention in the owner's manual about which specific parts are covered, beyond the wear and tear thing. I've had my front bumper repainted (removed), but the lights were never taken off the vehicle or touched. I'm still under my factory bumper to bumper warranty, the car only has 21k miles. So can I expect this to be covered?

Did some searches in here and didn't quite find a thread that matched my situation. Thanks for any replies.

Jzsicklexi

iTrader: (3)

Correct me if i'm wrong but i am pretty sure headlights would be a wear and tear thing, like brake pads etc. If the color is fading it's definitely the bulb and not a ballast issue.

Fizzboy7

In the related threads I found, some said it's covered, others said it was not. I'm going to dig into the Lexus.com website and see what might be buried there.

Fizzboy7

This is all I can find in my book and on Lexus's website:

Basic Warranty

The Basic Warranty coverage is for 48 months or 50,000 miles, whichever occurs first. Wheel alignment and balancing are covered for 12 months or 20,000 miles, whichever occurs first.

This warranty covers repairs and adjustments needed to correct defects in materials or workmanship of any part supplied by Lexus, except in the following situations:


Fire, accidents or theft.
Abuse or negligence.
Misuse—for example, racing or overloading.
Improper repairs.
Alteration or tampering.
Lack of or improper maintenance, including use of fluids other than those specified in the Warranty and Services Guide.
Airborne chemicals, tree sap, road debris (including stone chips), rail dust, salt, hail, floods, windstorms, lightning and other environmental conditions.
Water contamination.
Noise, vibration, cosmetic conditions and other deterioration caused by normal wear and tear.
Vehicles that have had their odometer tampered with so that actual vehicle mileage cannot be determined.
Any vehicle for which the original factory-assigned vehicle identification number can’t be determined.
Any vehicle that has been issued a “salvage” title or similar title under any state’s law. This also includes cars that have been declared a “total loss” or equivalent by a financial institution or insurer, such as by payment for a claim in lieu of repairs because the cost of repairs exceeded the cash value of the vehicle. This exclusion does not apply to the emission control warranties with later usage.
Incidental or consequential damage associated with vehicle failure. Such damages include but are not limited to inconvenience; the cost of transportation, telephone calls and lodging; the loss of personal or commercial property; and the loss of pay or revenue.
Normal maintenance services such as engine tune-ups; replacement of fluids and filters; lubrication; cleaning and polishing; replacement of spark plugs and fuses; and replacement of worn wiper blades, brake pads/linings and clutch linings.
Tires, which are covered by a separate warranty provided by the tire manufacturer.
The Lexus Personalized Settings (LPS) Program is a one-time, complimentary offer for new vehicles for the first 12 months from the date the vehicle is sold. HS, LS, ES and RX models with Navigation System allow the driver to change settings. Please see your Lexus dealer for more information.

kumquatism

iTrader: (10)

It sounds like it should be covered. OEM (at least, OSRAM and Philips do, I'm pretty sure) HID bulbs have an expected lifespan of 2-3 thousand hours, and it sounds like you haven't even come close to that number in terms of usage. And if it's the ballast that's bad, that definitely should be covered under warranty.

It doesn't hurt taking it in to a dealership to see what they say.

Sango

iTrader: (10)

Just curious, why was the front repainted?

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

I believe If your still under the factory bumper to bumper warranty, it's covered. But many times the problem will be that once you get the replacement the new bulb will be brighter than the old bulb or it will appear to be a different color (HID bulbs tend to shift color slightly with age) so it may be noticeably different than the older bulb. If i were you, i'd take this as the time to upgrade and just get a set of good quality bulbs, i'd recommend Garax 6000k. Under $100 and they look good

It does look like its just a dead bulb though, and not the ballast.

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

Just go with aftermarket bulbs from Garax or Xenondepot. If you want another set of philips, they have a 6000k ultinon series that is supposedly very good

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

If you got the cash the Philips Ultinon bulb's are awesome OEM quality bulbs.

calvin2376

iTrader: (2)

At only 20k miles, I wouldn't expect the HID bulbs to be dying. In general, bulbs of any type will not be covered by the factory warranty. However in this case, since it seems to have died extremely early, I would be willing to bet they'd cover a replacement for you. I'd recommend taking it into your dealer and talking to them. If they say it's not covered, explain that these bulbs are supposed to last much longer and that you feel it was a defective bulb and should be replaced. If they still say no, go to a different dealer. A dealer shouldn't hesitate to replace one HID bulb to keep your business.

GiantsFan

iTrader: (9)

Both my passenger and drivers HID bulb have randomly gone off (not at the same time) in the past month... But when I turn it off/on it comes back on and stays on... Hope it's not the ballast (I have 55k miles.)

I was also wondering if the bulbs would be covered under warranty... Gonna go to my dealer to have it checked out.

Fizzboy7

Rock on the freeway kicked up and dented/chipped the bumper.

Fizzboy7

Thanks for all the good info here. I'm about to talk to the dealer as the first step. I'm thinking it's something they'll likely work with me on due to the low miles. If not, I'll start considering the above Philips.

Sango

iTrader: (10)

I was going to say, if you wanted original and to keep away from the repaint stuff, get a new factory pre-painted bumper from Lexus Japan.

I agree, the dealership should try to help you. If else fails, go with Philips Ultinon 6000K. I have them on the 07 car. You can see how they look like on my thread here. It's not on my 11 car since I'm waiting for the Philips HID Conversion Kit (6000K) for the fogs before I put the 6000K Ultinon for the low beams in.

XenonDepot

iTrader: (11)

I have spoken to some customers that managed to get bulbs covered under warranty whereas others that have stated that they had to purchase replacements (not cheap). While we do not sell OEM 4300k bulbs we do sell Xtreme 5000k D4S HID bulbs. These bulbs maintain a lot of useable light output and offer a slightly "crisper" color output than stock.



ClubLexus members get a $20 discount per bulb by using coupon code CLgb08 upon checkout.

Steve