karlzli

The passenger side HID bulb of my 2005 RX330 need to be replaced, Can someone tell me how to? Also there is condenced water in the assembly. I am going to replace it later. Can someone tell me where are other schews beside two on the top? Many Thanks.

karlzli

ppatel821

My 2007 RX350 does not have the HID assembly, it has the halogen set up. However, i just installed an HID Conversion Kit and i had to replace the bulbs. i simply looked it up in the Lexus Owner's Manual. really simple...

veleno

iTrader: (3)

Yes, instructions are in the manual IF the car doesn't come with HID. If it does, then they don't tell you how to do it.

Does your car come with HID? I'm sure you can just look behind the headlamp housing right behind the low beam area to get an idea of how you're suppose to replace the bulb, really quite simple.

lexus114

Wow,I`m surprised you need a bulb already.Those HID bulbs usually go for an average of 7 years.They dont use an element,its gas in their.

BAD954BOI

iTrader: (5)

@ppatal
Does your hid kit light up the high beams also?

RX330inFL

Note that their post is nearly three years old and ppatal has not posted anything in the last two years.

BAD954BOI

iTrader: (5)

Lol.. Damn I didn't even look that hard just searched and commented oh we'll I guess it's time to just make it happen
-free bump

andygramm

Hi

Can someone point to me to any links with pictures of removing the bulb? Does the Molex plug pull out directly or to I have to depress the sides to make it come out? I don't want to use force and be wrong.

Update: I got the gray circular disk off from behind the bulb. Since I can't see very well, do I reach in and pull whatever is behind the disk in the headlight assembly straight out?

I was thought for sure someone would have included pictures and some step by step instructions for changing the low beam HID bulb. I have just missed it in my searches on here?

Thanks for the help!

carlosusa

HID bulb of my 2005 RX330 how to replace it......

neelnaik

For all the folks wanting to replace their OEM (factory) HID bulbs, here is a link to DIY on the 2nd gen GS forum of this site. The procedure is almost exactly the same. The difference is that the gray cover on the 2nd gen RX looks a bit different. Also, if you would like, once you pull the gray cover off, you do not need to pull the metal cover off. Simply just twist the wire (metal cover and all) off the bulb.

Note: It is very helpful to have small hands. I would start with the driver's side (if replacing both) as there is more room to get your hands in there. I also suggest using a small mirror to see what you are trying to do once you get the gray cover off.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...placement.html


Also, don't buy your HID bulb from the dealer (goes without saying). The bulbs that are in there from the factory are Phillips 85122+ bulbs (at least for 04-06 model years). You can get these bulbs here.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...roducts_id=148

If you are looking for something better, I suggest checking out the Osram Silverstar D2S (SVS) bulbs. They offer even more light output than the Phillips bulbs do, at the same color temp.

UPDATE 4/1/14: I believe that the Osram Silverstar (SVS) bulbs have been discontinued. It looks like they have been replaced by the Osram Xenarc 66240 Nightbreakers. They are the same color temp (4300K) as the Phillips 85122+ and the old Silverstars were.

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/com...l#.UzpOWvl7uSo

If you want a pure white light (no blue, no yellow), I recommend the Osram Cool Blue Intense D2S (CBI) bulbs. Same light output of the SVS bulbs, but at 5000K color temp. I personally prefer pure white light, and thus these are the bulbs I have in mine (I will post pictures upon request).

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/pro...ducts_id=10591

Each bulb does have its pro's and con's though (I might just create a new thread about this if you want to know more; please post or PM asking for more info about bulb options).


The Retrofit Source is an Atlanta based and they have great customer service. It's one of the few places you can pick up the phone and talk to someone who actually is knowledge about automotive lighting. I am sure other CL members will agree with me on this.

For more on HIDs in general, if anyone is interested, check out hid planet.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/forum.php

Lastly, if you are still having trouble changing out your HID bulbs, let me know. Feel free to PM me. Sometimes it's easier to clear up problems over the phone.

If there is enough demand, I might just do a DIY for the RX.

Good luck!


EDIT 2/27/14: After much research and experimentation, the RX seems to have an step cutoff. The cutoff for the left headlight will be more blue/purpleish, with a couple of squirrel spotters to light up the signs. The right end of the cutoff will taper up slightly. The cutoff for the right headlight will not have the blue/purple cutoff (as much), and instead will have a "step up" in the beam (from left to right), so you can see a little farther down. Depending on the bulbs you use, you may or may not have as much of the blue/purple in the cutoff as I do. I am using Osram Cool Blue Intense D2S bulbs.


Attachment: The right side is also intentionally raised a little higher than the left for the purpose of the picture. The blue/purplish effect is much easier to see in reality, but it proved to be difficult to capture on camera. The car is parked about 10 feet from the wall shown, the picture was taken at about 5 feet from the wall.

itsallbs

First of all thanks! Replacing the driver's side headlight was a breeze and this is coming from someone who has never done so in the past.

The only difference I noticed in experience was after removing the presumably molex plug I didn't feel any kind of retaining clips so I was a bit worried about that. Aside from that I felt my way around to make sure the bulb was in place and just reconnected the molex plug and tightened the circular gray disk. The bulb that died read "HNG 1011" can anyone confirm what type of bulb that was? In addition, I replaced the bulb with the philips 85122 however when examining the actual bulb it was the 85122+ which I understand has a different color temperature so now my bulbs are mismatched which isn't a huge deal but still.....

Can someone please advise on how to remove the passenger side Lexus cover to access the bulb? I read somewhere about pushing down the retaining clips (which look like thumbtacks) but in my case nothing happened as opposed to the expected loosening of the clip.

Thanks in advance!

neelnaik

Welcome to Club Lexus itsallbs!

There are the metal retaining clips on both the driver and passenger side. I suggest opening up the driver's side again, and look into the socket with a small mirror. You will be able to see what I am talking about once you remove the molex plug. You want to make sure the clips are on securely, as it's possible that going over bumps can shake the bulb out of the socket, and it then becomes a PITA to fish the bulb out. To be safe, I would made sure the metal retaining clips are securely in place.

As far as bulbs go, I know for a fact that the 04 and 05 RXs came with 85122+s from the factory. I don't know about later model years, but I assume that they also came with the same bulbs.

For pics of the retaining clips, see the first link I posted in the post above. You also see how this clips hold the bulb in place, and how they remove from the pics.

The gray cover on the passenger side comes off in the same exact way as the driver side one does; it simply twists and unlocks. It may be a little tight though, if it has never been removed before, so don't be afraid to use a little bit of force to get the cover to twist. Also, compared to the driver's side, the passenger side has considerably less room for you to get your hand in there. You might need someone with small hands (e.g. wife, gf, female friend) to help you with it, if you have big hands like I do.

Note on HID bulbs: HID bulbs do change in color slightly over the life of the bulb. The Phillips 85122+ that came on the RX from the factory (at least MY 04 and 05) are actually pretty resistant to color shifting. However, if you change one of them out with a new one a few years down the line, it's likely that you will notice that the old bulb seems a bit bluer than the new one. This is to be expected, and is normal. The best way around having mismatched headlights because of this is to replace both bulbs together as a pair, eliminating the issue. If for some reason you don't want to replace both bulbs, don't be alarmed if you find the old bulb looks bluer (whiter perhaps).

itsallbs, if you find yourself struggling with replacing the bulb, feel free to reply to this thread or send me a PM (private message).

It seems that a lot of people are having a hard time with HID headlight replacement on the RX, so I will put making a DIY for it on my to-do list, and hopefully I find the time to do it soon.

itsallbs

I had another try at it and this time I made sure that the retaining clips were on, it may just be placebo but I feel like the lighting throw is much better now.

Back to the passenger side, the part im having difficulty removing is the actual lexus cover which blocks access to the headlight, possibly power steering fluid and intake etc.

neelnaik

itsallbs, it is likely that your light output is better now that the bulb is in place properly. Also, your bulbs will actually get brighter with the first 50 or so hours of use, as everything settles in.

I am sorry I didn't realize that you were having problems with the black plastic cover. Now that I reread your original post, you made it pretty clear that was the part you were having trouble with. The black plastic cover that you are referring to is actually pretty easy to remove. It is held in place by four clips, located at roughly the four corners of the piece. I suggest removing the clips one at a time, as they are very easy to lose. I also suggest starting with the two that are closest to the driver's side. To remove the clips, push down on the center of the clip, so the head of the clip is recessed. You will hear/feel it click. Then try pulling up on the clip. If it is difficult to pull out, which it usually is, simply grab the cover in a spot close to the clip and gently pull up. If you pull up with too much force, the clip will likely pop out and get lost in engine compartment. If you end up losing a clip, don't worry about it too much, as three of four clips is plenty to hold the cover in place. If you lose two or more, either do without the cover (it's just there to look nice, it doesn't actually do anything for you in first place), or go down to your local dealer and purchase a couple. They are expensive for being a tiny piece of plastic. Consider yourself warned lol.

To reinstall the clips once they have been removed, pull the two prongs (you will see what I mean when you get one out) apart with your fingers enough for it to clear the center and put a bit of downward pressure on it. Push the prongs down all the way. At this point, the center circular part of the clip should be raised. Without pressing down on the this part, insert the clip into the hole it needs to go into. Once you have it inserted into the hole, push down on the center, and it will go flush with the fins. You will feel/hear it click when it happens. When the center is flush with the fins, the clip is secure.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

itsallbs

Hi so my passenger side decided to fail on me hence my update.

I managed to remove the black plastic cover with sheer brute force and broke the clips in the process, should I keep the plastic cover on without the clips or will it make excessive noise while driving? The next time I hit the dealership I will ask for replacement clips as the aren't as everyone has described with a push-down and pop out function.

So I retained the aftermarket headlight bulb that I pulled last time to replace my driver's side and placed it in the passenger side for the time being. I'm in the process of ordering the 85122+ bulbs (Last time I actually bought it from pep boys in a rush and when I opened the boxed it was the 85122+(yellower) inside not the 85122 (bluer) but at least the old bulb I kept handy is working until the replacement arrives. So now I can at least match the colors when the new bulb arrives.

One last thing, even tho I replaced the driver's side a few months ago it was just as tough if not tougher on the passenger side. I vaguely recalled the process so it was somewhat easier but those darn bulb retainer clips, limited space and fumbling of the replacement bulb were all factors. A quick read-over of the entire process probably would have helped. I actually was only going to familiarize myself with the layout today and when the new bulb arrived repeat the process but I figured I would try the old bulb and so far so good.

That's all for now.