Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Headlamp Repair on RX 400h


My passenger side headlamp has been out on my 2008 Lexus RX400h. Its been like that for a few months now. I was pulled over by the Pflugerville Police and they gave me a warning. I guess it is illegal to drive without a headlamp in Texas.

The headlamp also had allot of condensation inside. The water seem to clear up during the winter months. I took the RX400h to the Lexus dealer and they said that the entire assembly, ballast and bulb would need to be replaced. Total cost $1900! The cost break down was $1000 for the headlamp assembly $500 for the ballast, $200 for the bulb and $200 for labor.

I called Lexus Customer Care telling them that it seem widely expensive for one headlamp. They agreed to help by taking 10% off. I did have to wait 2 days for there answer. I decided not to get the work done at the Dealership. 

I purchased a ballast on Ebay for $127. I sealed the edges with some clear silicone sealant for $5. I went to my neighbor mechanic and had them removed the bumper and replaced the ballast. Everything worked fine. I think the original bulb worked fine too, but we replaced it with the $12 bulb I got on Amazon. The labor was $200 for 2 hours of work! The mechanic said there was allot of corrosion around the ballast, probably due to water damage, so hopefully my sealant will help water proof the ballast for a few years.



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