True Freeze (and others)....

I have been researching the HID issue for a bit and a "true" HID bulb requires a ballast and driver network to operate the bulb properly.

If you know someone with a PRIUS try this: put them side by side and then turn the PRIUS headlights on. You'll notice that there is a slight (very slight) delay before the "blink' on. This minor delay is the ballast building up the charge to fire the bulb. On the TCH: you should notice that the lights come on more smoothly - sort of like any other filament buld that goes from no glow, to full burn (its still a fast light, but there is a difference on the start).

If you replaced ONLY the bulb - you most likely got the many HID "look" bulbs out there which mimic HID colors but are not a true HID bulb.

May I ask, what did you pay and where did you get them?

Also, did you swap your HighBeams as well ? (I ask this because a second indicator is that HIDs do not work as DRLs as they require full power to operate and the DRL feature reduces the power to the existing 9005 bulbs used for HighBeams to get them to illuminate at a much lower output).

 

Follow up: Skywagon, are you in the USA ?

If not - maybe its a US/Canada thing ? I can't find anything that supports the TCH (at least my production timeline of 8/06) having the capability of "plug-n-play" HID.

Maybe you've stumbled onto something...?

 

Meercat writes:If not - maybe its a US/Canada thing ? I can't find anything that supports the TCH (at least my production timeline of 8/06) having the capability of "plug-n-play" HID.

Brian, I do not have HID's in my 07 TCH. i have put 3 sets of just the bulbs in 3 different Lexus models. The early Models I think 2004 and earlier did not have them as factory but my 2005 model has them from the factory. They may have come from the factory with the ballist you talk about because i just switched the bulbs which were around $60 per pair if I remember rite. They were twice as bright as the Halogen stock bulbs. Sorry for the confusion.

 

Thats right, if they had factory HID's then they MUST come with a Denso ballast. Otherwise, like ALL Camrys, US, Canadian, hell Mexican for that matter, do not, never have, come with ballasts where you just just plug in an HID bulb and have HID lights. If you want HIDs you need to buy a conversion kit which will come with ballasts, bulbs, and a wiring harness.

 

All - no doubt I'm lost again in my confusion. For some reason I read the post as an HID bulb getting plugged into the socket of a TCH and working away. My bad . . .

Besides, I thought I heard somewhere that if someone did retro thier lights to HID that any dealer could record that fact and possibly void any warranty. But then remember, that's me talking...

I see Sylvania has there ULTRA SilverStar line out. Didn't see an H11 though (unless its a 9004/6/? type of bulb). I dunno, I just want to see about getting a good white bright light on the road.

 

Yes, it appears it was the map light that was left on and it appears from what others are saying here that they are dumb lights...and so it the person who designed it! Whay have everything else shut off after 20 minutes and not that one? I'd like to know what their reasoning is.

If I remember when I go out later I will try the experiment and get back to you.

Thanks.

 

belbe — Here's more complete information. The circuit diagram shows (as you say) that: (a) only the dome light in the non-moonroof TCH's (and only when it's set to "Door" — if it's set to "On," it will run the 12-V battery flat!); and (b) only the front map lights in TCH's with moonroof, will shut off automatically after the time-out interval. For those of you with moonroofs, the rear map lights do not have this feature. For those of you (like me) without moonroofs, the map lights do not shut off automatically. None of the other lamps (front door courtesy lights, mirror vanity lights, luggage compartment light) shut off automatically.

Others — The high-beam headlights are pulsed on by a MOSFET electronic switch to achieve reduced brightness for their DRL function. Do not try to run HID lamps from this circuit — it will either burn it out, or else pulse your HIDs on many times a second and burn them out! The low-beam headlights are relay switched, and could be used to control a separate relay switch for HIDs, but HIDs may not provide the correct beam pattern in the TCH's optical system.

Stan

 

^he speaks truth

 

Are the headlights in the TCH different than those in the non-hybrid camry? As salesman told me they were different but I couldn't notice a difference...

 

Well, the actual headlights are the same, but the chrome surrounds on the hybrid have a blueish color, so they say....