CatCall

I've got a 2000 TL with a low beam that is almost pink colored when I see it reflecting off the garage wall. I was told last service at Acura dealer that it was the light that would have to be replaced. I looked into D2R HID bulbs and then called the dealer when I saw the manual say to take the car in due to the voltage concern. I was told over the phone that it might be the "ignitor". If it is the lights the cost will be around $340! ($250 just for the bulbs)

I have read the other posts but everyone seems to lose the light completely at times. No condensation problem either. Mine stay on, it's just that one is differently colored (dimmer).

What is the likely problem? Given the cost should I try and do it myself? What type of tool do I need to remove the screw everyone talks about?

Thanks for any help!

fsttyms1

Most likely the bulb. Changing it is easy, and i would replace both bulbs at the same time. I would contact Excelerate our vendor for bulbs and pricing. The tool is a security torx 20. It can be found in many parts stores

sojue

I didn\'t even use that tool to change mine.. I just used very small flat screw driver and just twisted it off.

Bob_F

I just replaced the bulbs in my 1999 TL. This is very much a "do-it-yourself" type of task as long as you're careful.

My old bulbs had dimmed substantially and they took on a light pinkish/purple tone. I'm guessing that these were still the original bulbs from when the car was new. The new bulbs appear to be much brighter but I haven't tried them at night yet.

HID headlights are something new for me and I didn't realize that they could dim over time. I'm used to halogens that just fail altogether without any middle ground.

As fsttyms1 wrote, the Torx T-20 screw is the tamper-proof type with the small cylindrical pin in the center of the star pattern. As a result, the basic T-20 Torx tool will not work. I couldn't find an inexpensive set at Sears so I bought a set of four tamper proof Torx screwdrivers from Wal-Mart for less than $8.

And there is not a lot of room to maneuver near the bulb assemblies. On the driver side there's a black plastic trim fitting and a vent piece that you'll need to pull out. There are two plastic fasteners on the top that you need to pull back to get the upper trim piece out. The small vent piece below the can just be pulled up and out.

On the passenger side, I unbolted the top of the windshield washer fluid reservoir assembly and slid the power steering fluid reservoir off its mount to make the access a bit easier. These steps may not be needed.

And don't touch the glass with your bare fingers as the oils can cause the bulbs to fail prematurely.

I disconnected my battery because of the potential shock hazards mentioned in the service manual. But others have reported that this step is not necessary. If you do disconnect the battery, make sure that you have the security codes for you radio and, if it applies, the navigation system.

Take your time so that you don't bang or damage the new bulbs.

Bob

CatCall

Thanks gang. I intend to buy some bulbs on-line today and will probably pick up the tool just to be safe.

Appreciate all the input. This site is great!

Bob_F

Glad to help.

Check out eBay also. I just bought a set of new Philips 4300K D2R bulbs for less than $70 shipped.

Bob

Mr Hyde

I used a small flathead screwdriver as well to remove my HID's.

Its too late for you since you placed your order, but if you want to see what part is shot, just swap from your drivers side to your passenger side, or vice versa to isolate the problem. If its just a bulb, the problem should be solved, and you know the culprit.

When I lost a ballast due to a leaky headlight, I swapped parts from left to right, and figured out it was just my ballast I lost, and not the ignitor($$$), or bulb. In my case it was a fair amount of work, but for yours, swap one bulb with the other, and see if the problem jumps with the bulb. Good Luck.

dfrutiger

Thanks for all the great advise on replacing my HID headlights. What started as an expensive dealer hassle turned out to be a realtively easy fix. I found a pair of replacement HID bulbs at highperformancebulbs.com for $49.99.