Headlight Burned Out?

The driver’s side headlight stopped working. Oddly, for a brief time it worked sometimes but not others.

Without stopping to think, I ordered new headlight bulbs.

Once they arrived, I removed the driver’s side wheelwell and reached in to change the bulb.

[caption id=“attachment_19298” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“reaching in through the wheelwell”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_19299” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“I disconnected the battery before starting this.”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_19300” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“Behind the warning panel: The plug with the NASA-looking cable is connected to the now-infamous ballast”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_19301” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“Ballast unplugged, you can see the back of the HID bulb”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_19302” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“Uh … this bulb doesn’t really look burned out”][/caption]

[caption id=“attachment_19303” align=“alignnone” width=“224” caption=“Bulb removed”][/caption]

After putting in the new bulb, the headlight still didn’t work!

I put the old headlight back in and ordered a new ballast. The service manual calls it the “Discharge headlight control module”. I think it produces the 25,000 volts needed by the High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulb.

Taking the wheelwell out is a major pain; mainly because the plastic fasteners used are easily broken. I think I broke 3 or 4 of them.

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