G35 headlamp problem

[stevedavis]

The low beam on one of the headlamps (left one) on my 2005 G35 coupe stopped working. I am trying to decide if I have a reasonable chance of fixing this myself or should I take it to the dealer for repair. The HID D2R bulb requires a ballast and an igniter which may or may not be part of the ballast. I know how to replace the bulb, but I don't know if this will correct the problem of the low beam going out. Is there a chance that the bulb is okay but the ballast/igniter is the problem? I hate to spend $100 on a new bulb only to find out that it didn't need to be replaced. Has anyone out there had a similar problem and if so, what action would you recommend based on your experience? Would you try to fix it or would you take it to a dealer for repair?

[telcoman]

The low beam on one of the headlamps (left one) on my 2005 G35 coupe stopped working. I am trying to decide if I have a reasonable chance of fixing this myself or should I take it to the dealer for repair. The HID D2R bulb requires a ballast and an igniter which may or may not be part of the ballast. I know how to replace the bulb, but I don't know if this will correct the problem of the low beam going out. Is there a chance that the bulb is okay but the ballast/igniter is the problem? I hate to spend $100 on a new bulb only to find out that it didn't need to be replaced. Has anyone out there had a similar problem and if so, what action would you recommend based on your experience? Would you try to fix it or would you take it to a dealer for repair?

Welcome to NICO

I would take it to the dealer!
Perhaps they can do it in 1/2 hour for labor + the bulb

There was another recent post where the wrong bulb was purchased.
You need a FSM and the proper equipment to obtain a proper diagnosis as to whether it is a bulb or ballast.
It is no longer as simple as it used to be with replacing a sealed beam headlight that costs three dollars.

Good luck

Telcoman

[tollboothwilley]

As mentioned it is much more common to have a bulb burn out than to have an issue with the ballast. Just go replace both headlights. While you're at is bump it from 4300K to 6000K and you'll have a more true white.

[stevedavis]

I successfully replaced the low beam head lamp. The hardest part was gaining access to work on it. Using a jack stand for safety, I pulled off the wheel. Then I removed the screws and fasteners from the wheel well cover. When I pushed the cover aside, this exposed the headlight assembly. After that it was easy. I loosened the back cover of the low beam light (by turning it counter clock wise I think). When the cover comes off, you can see the electrical connection to the halogen bulb. Pulling straight back removes the connection and exposes the base of the bulb which is held in place by a thin wire clip. It's attached at the top and fastened on each side at the bottom. Loosen the clip at the bottom, swing the clip up and the bulb comes out easily. In my case, the bulb had burned out and was broken. Taking care to touch only the base of the new bulb, I inserted it into the holder and aligned the base with the slot. Then I put everything back together. Everything is working fine now. It's nice to have both head lamps working again.

The replacement bulb was the same as the original halogen bulb - 2DR HID. It cost $90 at O'Reily's Auto Parts.

There's a small bulb just outside the low beam light (upper one) and it had burned out too. I replaced it with a 168 LL bulb that cost $2.50.

[stevedavis]

Correction on the small bulb that was burned out. It's outside the high beam light which is the one on top. The low beam light is the headlight on the bottom.