Dipped Beam intermittently turning off

[PJD]

One of my main front headlamps, the dipped beam sometimes is not switching on... if I turn off the lights and on again it comes on... - very annoying to have to check that my lights are on when I head off (if I cannot see it in a reflection somewhere!) and sometimes it turns off mid-drive.  I told the garage about this a while ago and they couldnt recplicate the issues, - I originally thought it might be a worn Battery issue, but I have recently had a new one, and the issue remains?

Any ideas at all?  Many thanks 🙂

[royoftherovers]

Replace both bulbs ?

[Malc]

sounds like one of the bulbs has a little problem

loose filament ( do they have filaments these days ?  )

change one or both maybe  .......................  as above

Malc

[OldTrout]

Phil,

Are the bulbs HIDs? If so this sounds like the typical failure mode. As John says replace both.

Could they be the originals?

John

 

 

[cruisermark]

This problem is quite common on the gs450h - and is usually fixed by buying new bulbs - I would swap the bulbs over and see if the problem moves over to the other side to confirm this.

[Herbie]

If they're HIDs it could be the ballast on the way out.

It takes about 25kV to strike the arc and about 80V to sustain it so it could be the 80V section.

[cruisermark]

I have had a ballast go on my headlight - it went suddenly from working to dead - to replace you need to remove headlight and bumper to access it as it’s located under the headlight 

[John N]

The dipped beam bulbs on an LS430 are HIDs. The original Osrams on mine lasted 16 years and 150,000 miles. The details are in the handbook, you can get ones cheaper than Osrams but if you are keeping the car they are worth the extra, I got a pair off eBay and they are easy to fit.

Just be careful if you find some very cheap they are probably fakes. If the price is too good to be true beware!

John N