I'm branbd new to Club Lexus and have used it alot to get informtation. I now have a problem that I hope to get help on.

I just bought a 2004 RX330 from a used car dealership I have since found was "non-respectable". I found the drivers side headlight had moister inside and asked the he replace it. He did with a used unit. I later found that the HID leadlight in teh repalced assembly was not functioning properlty it was "flickering". The passenger side worked fine.

I replaced the bulb with a OSRAM Xenon D2R. No difference - still "flickering". So obvioulsy the bulb was good. I have now noticed that the high beam is not working on the same side. Any thoughts? Was the Headlight installed incorrectly by the "crooked" dealer or something else.

Levi

 

Welcome to CL and the lighting forum.

First off I sorry to hear about your lighting woes. I also wanted to let you know that it is physically impossible to replace a D2S bulb with a D2R bulb like you said. So I believe you have a D2S bulb.

The answer to your problem is within your ballast, not your bulb. You will need to replace the ballast with a working unit, and that will solve your HID issues.

I hope this helps!

 

it might be a bad ballast.....

Try to bring it back to them!

 

yeah this sounds like your ballast...I'd be hard pressed to find a problematic bulb that flickers.

does the bulb have a different color to it?

 

Thanks for the quick feedback. I did install a D2R bulb... is that not correct? It looks very similar to the bulb I took out.

I'm going to try to see if a can clean up the contact in the current ballast. The headlight had some moisture in it when I got it home and I cleared it using a blow dryer, so I'm thinking there may be some corrostion on the contact. If this doesn't work I'll buy a ballast.

Levi

 

Tried to clean contacts - no improvement. How difficult is it to replace ballast? Any instructions.... I'm far from a mechanic, is this something I can do or take to a shop?

 

2004 RX have projectors so I'm betting that you will need D2S bulbs...d2Rs are for reflector housings

 

You guys were right, I checked the original, removed bulb and it is a D2S. The website I bought from sent me the wrong bulb! Just as info - it did fit, just didn't work. I'm returning the D2R and getting a D2S - hopefully that solves it.

 

Replaced with the correct bulb - still flickers, kind of like a flourescent bulb trying to fire up. We checked voltage to the light housing - checked good. We then pulled the connector to the bulb to do the same and when we turned on the light switch - a noticable continous spark was evident within the connector. So it is getting power to the connector... still think it's athe ballast that needs to be replaced or something else?

 

I would replace the ballast, and go from there, as you can always sell it if you don't need it. Good luck!

 

The replacement ballast fixed the problem. Not easy to get to it... removing the bumper and heel well covers, etc. The old ballast was very corroded, apparently from the moisture build up I noticed when I bought the RX330.