Lexus HID Headlight Bulb Change

Most mechanics will suggest removing the negative battery terminal and wait for any residual power to lessen before changing the bulbs (personally I wait for about 30 minutes). For most driver's side applications, you don't have to remove the battery if you proceed as follows.

The metal-power cap that fits over your HID bulb is designed to simply twist off first. Carefully place this aside.

Now, reach in and unhook the clips that are holding the HID bulb in place. Unfortunately, you cannot easily see into the HID socket like your video depicts and it's very difficult to see what you're doing when your fingers get in the way of your line of sight. I highly recommend you invest in a small rectangular LED lighted extension mirror or HID headlamp from Amazon. Many are available on the Internet, but you can also pick one up at Lowe's if you need one right away ("Lighted Rectangular Inspection Mirror, Model #80560),

Back to the project: Okay, you twisted the metal-power cap off your HID bulb. With your lighted mirror or light you now can easily see the clips holding your bulb in place. Simply push and move the clips to the top left and right side of the bulb -- thus freeing the bulb to slide out. Carefully remove the bulb. By removing the metal power cap off first, you will have ample room behind the HID socket area to place your hand and fingers in the needed position. I suggest you place your used bulb in a safe place and keep it as an emergency spare.

The next step is the installation. Make sure your hands are clean or wear thin gloves to protect the bulb from any oil from your fingers. As most of you probably know, if you accidentally touch the bulb itself, very carefully wipe the bulb with some rubbing alcohol to remove any oil.

When your replace the bulb in the socket, ensure the open rectangular notch is facing 12 o'clock high -- as you slide the bulb into the socket, use your mirror to make sure the bulb notch is aligned with the corresponding square peg inside the socket. Move the bulb back and forth just so slightly -- it's easy to feel if the bulb is properly sitting in the correct position.

Once installed, use your mirror again to clip the bulb in place. The clips fit into a small opening on top and behind the bulb. Once in place, the clips securely hold the bulb in the socket. This step is a little tricky, so don't become frustrated....just take your time.

Once you can see the clips are in the right place and the bulb is securely installed, place the metal-power cap over the bulb and twist on -- about a 1/4 of a turn. If you look on the metal cap itself, it will show you the proper direction. Replace the negative terminal temporarily on your battery and test your light. If it lights up, turn off your switch, again remove your battery terminal, and finally replace the large dust cover back on your light socket. Repeat the same steps for your passenger side. After the install, replace the battery terminal. When you restart your engine, don't be surprised if you have to try twice to start the engine. This is normal and nothing is wrong. Remember, you'll have to reset your radio pre-sets and reset your dash clock when you're all done. Congratulations! You now have two new brighter HID bulbs! And you saved a bunch for not going to the dealer!

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...problem-3.html

the dreyfuss instructions along w a pic of the clip at post 38

 

SIMPLE CHEAP DIAGNOSTIC: If one of your HID headlights is intermittent, to figure out whether it's the ballast or the bulb, you should swap the bulbs left & right. If the problem moves with the bulb, bad bulb. If the problem does *not* move, bad ballast (or wiring).
ALSO: To keep the car looking right, you want to replace both bulbs, otherwise you're likely to have one bulb significantly brighter than the other, and/or of different color.