Yes I can confirm this is the best way and it's not worth trying any other way! I still had to solder the D4S connector mine didn't pop off like yours on the negative side. What a job!
I hear ya. In the end, this is just a headlight. Hopefully, Toyota/Lexus can design something more modular that is easy to disassemble and replace parts.
Thank you very much for the detailed video. After looking at this we attempted to replace the HID Ballast in our 2008 Lexus GS350. We didn't have the skill and the patience as you so we used a Rubber Band and a flat head screw driver along with our fingers to counter the penta screw. We managed to unscrew the level and replaced the ballast and while tightening up the screw we managed to ruin the head of the screw, but did reset the level at the earlier position. Well hope we will not need to replace the ballast again😂. But thank you for making a detailed video with all the possible ways one can counter this problem.
I am to the part were I have to feed the new cable into my headlamp I guess he didn't get that far and I can't figure it out. The wire keeps getting stuck :(
Im from sweden and having the problem with the ballast also. I will replace the headlight resamble with a used one, because mine is taking in water. Love the video you made, keep up the good work. Best reagards.
Yeah, my aftermarket ballast size was slightly different and didn't fit, and it was clear that the quality is noticeably inferior and it probably won't last...and have to repeat this big work of removing the bumper and headlight. I agree that it's better idea to get the used OEM headlight/ballast set.
Now i replaced the headlight with the ballast and it seems to work just fine. I thank you so much for your video. It made my life a brezee. Keep up with the lexus gs video. There not easy to find people that make the effort filming when they do real work on these cars. You are saving some big mony for us all. Made me subscribe, and i have only subscribed like five chanels
Great it helped. You replaced entire headlight assembly? If so, did you get new OEM, used OEM, or after market part? I want to know because periodically people ask about what to replace with. Thanks.
I have a 2007 LS 460. I am following your instructions. thanks. Yeah, the igniter wouldn't loop through. I have to disconnect the igniter like you did.
Recently changed mine. Didn't have any issues pulling it through. I only routed the cable through a different way (can't tell if you are doing it correct because of the angles) and came out fairly easily. So if you are thinking of taking stuff apart - dont, you are doing something wrong
@@Qharisma I thought my ballast was bad. It turned out to be the bulb. Apparently HID bulb can continue to work one and off. It’s not like regular bulbs that goes out complete at once. My HID light alway came on but it would turn off once it got hot, but when I turn the light off and turn it back on it would come back on immediately…though it goes back out again in few minutes. Try replacing with the original bulb. It’s expensive but it’ll last you another 5 to 10 years. My original lasted more than 10 years.
@@DIYLifeSkills I thoght this was the case as well, but replaced the bulb today. and the lowbeam still doesn't work... The High beam does tho. So I'm still leaning towards the ballast ... we'll see. Thank you for the insight.
@@Qharisma FYI, it was a lot of work to remove the front bumper and headlight to replace the ballast. Therefore, try swapping the bulb from the side that is working. This is to make sure the light doesn't come on with the good bulb. Also if you're going to do this, I suggest avoid getting cheap aftermarket ballast. Since they don't sell of the OEM ballast and you have to buy the entire headlight assembly, you could consider getting a used OEM one from new model year for this car.
@@anthony19721 Mine was doing that as well. The thing about HID bulbs are they don’t suddenly go out 100% but rather gradually. The most common example is they work for few minutes but goes out once the bulb gets hot. And then when you turn it back on few minutes later, it comes back on again. You need to replace the bulb first in this situation as replacing ballast is a lot of work.
@@anthony19721 90% chance your ballast is fine and just need bunk replaced. But replace with OEM Phillips brand like I did. Cost more but even replacing the bulb is tricky.
@@DIYLifeSkills Okay, I just replaced the bulb. I had a few lying around for years ago. I will need to drive around for awhile to see if they stay on. I had another Lexus that I had to replace the ballast and it was a pain. I had a shop do it like 13 years ago.
@@anthony19721 Not that when HID bulb goes bad, filament starts to bulge inside the bunk. I think it’s actually some type of sodium material that glows. Anyway, once it starts to bulge, the light comes on for 1-10 minutes and the goes off once it gets hot.
Hi from the uk , I’m a bit late to this video, but I’ve purchased a 2005 Lexus gs300 mk3 last week, and to be honest I don’t know too much technical details about these cars at all, anyway, I’ve noticed that the passenger side low beam is not working, I have full beam tho, but I swear when I very first turn the lights on, it works for a split second then goes off, but I can’t be sure !! . I’ve tried a new bulb , but still no luck, I’ve checked the low beam fuses and they are fine. Do you please have any advice or suggestions, could it be the ballast or a bad module ? Thanks
@@dalehawke7621 You can try to swap the left and right side bulbs and see if passenger side continues to not work. If so, then, the ballast needs to be replaced, which is bit tricky to do.
@@DIYLifeSkills the low beam doesn’t come on at all , I actually had two brand new bulbs, tried them both, and still won’t turn on ! I have noticed in the actual front light, there’s a lot of condensation inside ! Problem is here in the uk , people are ask £370 for a second hand unit! And still no guarantee that it will work ! 😭 really don’t know what to do !
Followed this video thank you! But I’m on the same page as you. Did you end up getting the ballast to work? I tried your method but the aftermarket ballast didn’t cooperate like the OEM and broke.
Since aftermarket ballast didn’t fit, I ended up putting the OEM back on. And it turned out just the bulb needed to be replaced. These HID bulbs apparently do not go out 100% suddenly but rather they start to flicker or turn on and off when it’s dying. I didn’t go cheap, I went with the same bulb it had ($50+) and it’s been working fine for 2+ years now.
Are you having flickering or light turning off after few minutes when it gets hot? But then when you turn off the light and turn back on, light comes on again for few minutes? This was what was happening to one of my bulb.
@@DIYLifeSkills there’s moisture that’s gotten to the ballast huh and corroded it making new bulbs useless. Nearly punched a wall at why they’d make the ballast impossible to get out.
@@evanporter4986 Yeah, it was design for entire headlight assembly to be replaced if ballast goes out. Moisture creeping in can be fixed, but you have to separate the lens and apply the black tape like sealant, but the problem is finding aftermarket OEM that can actually fit. I just checked, and they sell aftermarket front headlight set (L and R) for about $450. Another option is find a used OEM in local junky yard if you can even find one. Used OEM on ebay are asking too much money. This is a tough dillema. My son's 2008 IS250 is having same moisture problem and I need to find time to fix that soon otherwise, he'll end up same as you.
Hello- I keep Stumbling upon your video. I recently got a 2011 gs 350 & now have run into a problem where one of the running lights fails to turn on whenever I either turn the lamp switch to auto or on. But when the switch is off or just so the tail lights light up - the run lights both work. Basically when I turn the switch to auto or on- one run light stays off. But when the switch is set to off or so that the tail lights come on only, both of the run lights work. I switched both run light bulbs I try to do things myself so I appreciate this video. Do you believe my problem is the ballast? Thanks for your time and uploads
Mine was doing exactly the same before I replaced one of the HID bulb. HID bulbs can go out gradually by working intermittently, and this can confuses people into thinking that the bulb is ok and worry about the ballast. Replacing ballast literally requires taking the front bumper and headlight assembly out, which is a lot of work. I would examine the HID bulb closely. If you watch my HID bulb replacement video, you can see the inside of the bulb center has a bulge and this causes the light to come on initially for few minutes and then go out. Get the original Phillips bulbs and it’ll last you 10 years. Don’t get the cheap ones that’ll fail in 1-2 years. ua-cam.com/video/wSGtNM7tvEk/v-deo.html Replacing the bulb is really simple but the only trick is locking it backing in. I have super close up videos on exactly how to do this.
My god- I didn’t realize the parking light was located there. I bought that initially and couldn’t find where to put it in so I actually ended up replacing the high beam thinking that that was the bulb that went out. I’m glad that I still have the parking light. Wow- I’m subscribing.
I couldn’t find pentagon bit to buy, so I opted to disassemble the connector end of the ballast instead to remove it from the headlight box. This works fine.
I’m assuming you are referring to Low beam headlight? If so low beam uses HID bulb and is power by ballast. There is no OEM ballast. You have to buy entire headlight assembly. Or go with aftermarket, but size and comments carefully. The ballast I bought was 1/4” too big and didn’t fit.
The connector head is too big to route through any space as far as I recall. That’s why I had to remove the connector head so that I can squeeze it out. But I’ll go back and check my videos that’s not included jn the UA-cam video and see if there could’ve been additional room.
My driverside low beam cut off it at a weird angle. Best way I can describe it is if you are looking at a clock face the beam goes from 8-2 but driver is side is 9-3. Any advice?
The reflector inside the headlight shouldn't move around, so I'm speculating that your low beam HID bulb may not be sitting correctly. It needs to go in and then rotated to the clockwise direction for it to lock in properly. Try taking out the bulb and sit it back in correctly. If that doesn't fix it, try to swap the bulbs from the other side to see if the problem moves to the other side. In which case, it's the bulb issue. Taking out the bulb is easy, but putting it back in requires little bit of trick, especially the HID connector. Refer to this video on quick instruction. ua-cam.com/video/ieLKtS3Miwg/v-deo.html&ab_channel=DIY%26LifeSkills Or if you want more in-depth look at it, take a look at this video start at 2:20 mark. It's easy once you know what's going on, but it's a nightmare, when you can't clearly see the inside without removing the headlight. That's why I made those videos with headlight removed to get the best camera angle.
hi, did your GS300 experienced burning engine oil issue? if yes, how's you fix it? heard from Lexus GS300 user, this is common issue of direct injection engine for 2006-2011 generation of GS 300
Yes I can confirm this is the best way and it's not worth trying any other way! I still had to solder the D4S connector mine didn't pop off like yours on the negative side. What a job!
I hear ya. In the end, this is just a headlight. Hopefully, Toyota/Lexus can design something more modular that is easy to disassemble and replace parts.
@DIYLifeSkills Yes they should have left enough room to get the block through. Surely
Thank you very much for the detailed video.
After looking at this we attempted to replace the HID Ballast in our 2008 Lexus GS350. We didn't have the skill and the patience as you so we used a Rubber Band and a flat head screw driver along with our fingers to counter the penta screw.
We managed to unscrew the level and replaced the ballast and while tightening up the screw we managed to ruin the head of the screw, but did reset the level at the earlier position.
Well hope we will not need to replace the ballast again😂.
But thank you for making a detailed video with all the possible ways one can counter this problem.
Great job. Which aftermarket ballast did you buy and from where? Next time, I do this, I’ll definitely buy a pentagon bit to save time.
Just did this on my gs300 headlight replacement. thank you very much worked for me and very easy
Did you use aftermarket or used OEM ballast?
@@DIYLifeSkills OEM on spyder aftermarket headlights. It came with a everything except the bulb and ballast.
I am to the part were I have to feed the new cable into my headlamp I guess he didn't get that far and I can't figure it out. The wire keeps getting stuck :(
Im from sweden and having the problem with the ballast also. I will replace the headlight resamble with a used one, because mine is taking in water. Love the video you made, keep up the good work. Best reagards.
Yeah, my aftermarket ballast size was slightly different and didn't fit, and it was clear that the quality is noticeably inferior and it probably won't last...and have to repeat this big work of removing the bumper and headlight. I agree that it's better idea to get the used OEM headlight/ballast set.
Now i replaced the headlight with the ballast and it seems to work just fine. I thank you so much for your video. It made my life a brezee. Keep up with the lexus gs video. There not easy to find people that make the effort filming when they do real work on these cars. You are saving some big mony for us all. Made me subscribe, and i have only subscribed like five chanels
Wow, great to hear. I love it when we all can DIY fix and avoid expensive charges.
Did you use the OEM or aftermarket headlight assembly? Did it come with adaptive headlamps? Thanks.
It’s best to get used OEM than aftermarket. This headlight has so many functions, washer and both vertical and horizontal adjusting headlight.
thank you very much worked for me and very easy on gs430 I had to change both my headlights. Saved me a lot of time
Great it helped. You replaced entire headlight assembly? If so, did you get new OEM, used OEM, or after market part? I want to know because periodically people ask about what to replace with. Thanks.
I have a 2007 LS 460. I am following your instructions. thanks. Yeah, the igniter wouldn't loop through. I have to disconnect the igniter like you did.
That leveling is for the AFS system that allows the headlights to auto adjust to turns and hills
Recently changed mine. Didn't have any issues pulling it through. I only routed the cable through a different way (can't tell if you are doing it correct because of the angles) and came out fairly easily. So if you are thinking of taking stuff apart - dont, you are doing something wrong
Which model and year? This car’s ballast connector will not come out like some IS model headlight ballast.
I pretty sure my passenger side ballast is bad as well. And I would like to avoid taking anything apart. So I'm interested in this as well.
@@Qharisma I thought my ballast was bad. It turned out to be the bulb. Apparently HID bulb can continue to work one and off. It’s not like regular bulbs that goes out complete at once. My HID light alway came on but it would turn off once it got hot, but when I turn the light off and turn it back on it would come back on immediately…though it goes back out again in few minutes. Try replacing with the original bulb. It’s expensive but it’ll last you another 5 to 10 years. My original lasted more than 10 years.
@@DIYLifeSkills I thoght this was the case as well, but replaced the bulb today. and the lowbeam still doesn't work... The High beam does tho. So I'm still leaning towards the ballast ... we'll see. Thank you for the insight.
@@Qharisma
FYI, it was a lot of work to remove the front bumper and headlight to replace the ballast. Therefore, try swapping the bulb from the side that is working. This is to make sure the light doesn't come on with the good bulb.
Also if you're going to do this, I suggest avoid getting cheap aftermarket ballast. Since they don't sell of the OEM ballast and you have to buy the entire headlight assembly, you could consider getting a used OEM one from new model year for this car.
How do we know if we have to replace the the ballast? Currently my bulb works for about a minute then goes out.
@@anthony19721 Mine was doing that as well. The thing about HID bulbs are they don’t suddenly go out 100% but rather gradually. The most common example is they work for few minutes but goes out once the bulb gets hot. And then when you turn it back on few minutes later, it comes back on again. You need to replace the bulb first in this situation as replacing ballast is a lot of work.
@@anthony19721 90% chance your ballast is fine and just need bunk replaced. But replace with OEM Phillips brand like I did. Cost more but even replacing the bulb is tricky.
@@anthony19721 take a look at this video ua-cam.com/video/wSGtNM7tvEk/v-deo.htmlsi=FibcqGmidj8t0dPy
@@DIYLifeSkills Okay, I just replaced the bulb. I had a few lying around for years ago. I will need to drive around for awhile to see if they stay on. I had another Lexus that I had to replace the ballast and it was a pain. I had a shop do it like 13 years ago.
@@anthony19721 Not that when HID bulb goes bad, filament starts to bulge inside the bunk. I think it’s actually some type of sodium material that glows. Anyway, once it starts to bulge, the light comes on for 1-10 minutes and the goes off once it gets hot.
Hi from the uk , I’m a bit late to this video, but I’ve purchased a 2005 Lexus gs300 mk3 last week, and to be honest I don’t know too much technical details about these cars at all, anyway, I’ve noticed that the passenger side low beam is not working, I have full beam tho, but I swear when I very first turn the lights on, it works for a split second then goes off, but I can’t be sure !! . I’ve tried a new bulb , but still no luck, I’ve checked the low beam fuses and they are fine. Do you please have any advice or suggestions, could it be the ballast or a bad module ? Thanks
@@dalehawke7621 What do you mean no luck with the new bulb? It doesn’t turn on at all or it turns off after it gets hot?
@@dalehawke7621 You can try to swap the left and right side bulbs and see if passenger side continues to not work. If so, then, the ballast needs to be replaced, which is bit tricky to do.
@@dalehawke7621 another possibility is to find a used headlight…possibly from a junky yard. The new OEM headlight assembly is almost $800-1000.
@@dalehawke7621 Lexus doesn’t sell just the ballast, hence you have to go through some tricks I’ve done in my video to replace it.
@@DIYLifeSkills the low beam doesn’t come on at all , I actually had two brand new bulbs, tried them both, and still won’t turn on ! I have noticed in the actual front light, there’s a lot of condensation inside ! Problem is here in the uk , people are ask £370 for a second hand unit! And still no guarantee that it will work ! 😭 really don’t know what to do !
Followed this video thank you! But I’m on the same page as you. Did you end up getting the ballast to work? I tried your method but the aftermarket ballast didn’t cooperate like the OEM and broke.
Since aftermarket ballast didn’t fit, I ended up putting the OEM back on. And it turned out just the bulb needed to be replaced. These HID bulbs apparently do not go out 100% suddenly but rather they start to flicker or turn on and off when it’s dying. I didn’t go cheap, I went with the same bulb it had ($50+) and it’s been working fine for 2+ years now.
Are you having flickering or light turning off after few minutes when it gets hot? But then when you turn off the light and turn back on, light comes on again for few minutes? This was what was happening to one of my bulb.
@@DIYLifeSkills there’s moisture that’s gotten to the ballast huh and corroded it making new bulbs useless. Nearly punched a wall at why they’d make the ballast impossible to get out.
@@evanporter4986 Yeah, it was design for entire headlight assembly to be replaced if ballast goes out. Moisture creeping in can be fixed, but you have to separate the lens and apply the black tape like sealant, but the problem is finding aftermarket OEM that can actually fit.
I just checked, and they sell aftermarket front headlight set (L and R) for about $450. Another option is find a used OEM in local junky yard if you can even find one. Used OEM on ebay are asking too much money.
This is a tough dillema. My son's 2008 IS250 is having same moisture problem and I need to find time to fix that soon otherwise, he'll end up same as you.
Hello- I keep
Stumbling upon your video. I recently got a 2011 gs 350 & now have run into a problem where one of the running lights fails to turn on whenever I either turn the lamp switch to auto or on. But when the switch is off or just so the tail lights light up - the run lights both work.
Basically when I turn the switch to auto or on- one run light stays off. But when the switch is set to off or so that the tail lights come on only, both of the run lights work.
I switched both run light bulbs
I try to do things myself so I appreciate this video.
Do you believe my problem is the ballast? Thanks for your time and uploads
Mine was doing exactly the same before I replaced one of the HID bulb. HID bulbs can go out gradually by working intermittently, and this can confuses people into thinking that the bulb is ok and worry about the ballast.
Replacing ballast literally requires taking the front bumper and headlight assembly out, which is a lot of work.
I would examine the HID bulb closely. If you watch my HID bulb replacement video, you can see the inside of the bulb center has a bulge and this causes the light to come on initially for few minutes and then go out.
Get the original Phillips bulbs and it’ll last you 10 years. Don’t get the cheap ones that’ll fail in 1-2 years.
ua-cam.com/video/wSGtNM7tvEk/v-deo.html
Replacing the bulb is really simple but the only trick is locking it backing in. I have super close up videos on exactly how to do this.
@@DIYLifeSkills thank you for your great response! I will look at your video on HID bulbs!
Really appreciate it!
My god- I didn’t realize the parking light was located there. I bought that initially and couldn’t find where to put it in so I actually ended up replacing the high beam thinking that that was the bulb that went out. I’m glad that I still have the parking light. Wow- I’m subscribing.
My ? is what happened after you removed it what did you do about the 5 sided screw?
I couldn’t find pentagon bit to buy, so I opted to disassemble the connector end of the ballast instead to remove it from the headlight box. This works fine.
So you have leather seat cover replacement vids on this car
Is your seat torn?
@@DIYLifeSkills yes the upper portion on the driverside.. I bought a new leather but i dont how to properly remove the old one
Great thanks for help
Be sure to check the bulb first before attempting ballast replacement. Bulbs usually go out before the ballast.
my dad has a '06 GS430 with the driver side headlight not working & replaced the bulb & still didn't work
someone said in a FB group it's the ballast
I’m assuming you are referring to Low beam headlight? If so low beam uses HID bulb and is power by ballast. There is no OEM ballast. You have to buy entire headlight assembly. Or go with aftermarket, but size and comments carefully. The ballast I bought was 1/4” too big and didn’t fit.
@@DIYLifeSkills the small part of the headlight works from that switch but the main headlight doesn't work at all
surely you could have jammed a torx in the pentagram?
Just reroute the plug to the opposite side you will have to work the plug through but it is doable
The connector head is too big to route through any space as far as I recall. That’s why I had to remove the connector head so that I can squeeze it out. But I’ll go back and check my videos that’s not included jn the UA-cam video and see if there could’ve been additional room.
My driverside low beam cut off it at a weird angle. Best way I can describe it is if you are looking at a clock face the beam goes from 8-2 but driver is side is 9-3. Any advice?
The reflector inside the headlight shouldn't move around, so I'm speculating that your low beam HID bulb may not be sitting correctly. It needs to go in and then rotated to the clockwise direction for it to lock in properly. Try taking out the bulb and sit it back in correctly. If that doesn't fix it, try to swap the bulbs from the other side to see if the problem moves to the other side. In which case, it's the bulb issue. Taking out the bulb is easy, but putting it back in requires little bit of trick, especially the HID connector.
Refer to this video on quick instruction.
ua-cam.com/video/ieLKtS3Miwg/v-deo.html&ab_channel=DIY%26LifeSkills
Or if you want more in-depth look at it, take a look at this video start at 2:20 mark.
It's easy once you know what's going on, but it's a nightmare, when you can't clearly see the inside without removing the headlight.
That's why I made those videos with headlight removed to get the best camera angle.
hi, did your GS300 experienced burning engine oil issue? if yes, how's you fix it? heard from Lexus GS300 user, this is common issue of direct injection engine for 2006-2011 generation of GS 300
Im having that issue gs460
lol. Great job!!
Thank you…though Lexus could’ve designed it better for easier replacement. LOL
hi, plz check this ( 2006-2011 Lexus Gs Headlight Lens Removal DIY )
Thanks, I found that video. He did a nice work, but I’m glad I didn’t have to open up the lens.
Now I’m having a hard time turning the AFS light off🙄
Have you worked on your car recently, particularly something that would affect the headlight/AFS?
Get to da point stop unnecessary stuff , advice for you