While under warranty...

[BreakingBad]

I was involved in a head-on accident with a deer - jumped out in front of me, had no time to respond, tore up the front end - needed new bumper cover, grille, driver side headlight, hood.

Repairs are done, but the new headlamp (driver side) is EXTREMELY bright compared to the passenger side. I mean REALLY noticeable. Purchased vehicle June 2012. Is there anything I can do to get this addressed? Should the HID's be dimming that much over the course of 16-18 months? I've had multiple vehicles with HID lighting and never once have I ever seen a headlight dim so fast and so dramatically. I would have never noticed if it wasn't for the one being replaced.

My question - would bumper to bumper warranty cover bulb replacement for the passenger side for brightness issues? If not, is a new bulb expensive/hard to replace?

Unrelated warranty question - leather on steering wheel where the leather meets the plastic (where your buttons are) is becoming 'undone', the stitching is loosening and there's a flap of leather that has essentially 'peeled' up. I am assuming such a thing would be repaired/fixed under bumper to bumper warranty?

Also, the guy who fixed my car said there is a TSB for rear-end knocking noise that I have. Any direction on getting this fixed or what is causing the problem?

[turboguy327]

Should have had a GM dealer do the repairs for future warranty stuff. Warranty for stuff like that is usually 1 year or 12k miles.

Check out www.theretrofitsource.com for new bulbs. Replace in a pair. They aren't hard to do. Don't purchase bulbs at a dealer or parts store. Way to much money. If its in the budget get CBIs.

[BreakingBad]

Originally Posted by turboguy327

Should have had a GM dealer do the repairs for future warranty stuff. Warranty for stuff like that is usually 1 year or 12k miles.

Check out www.theretrofitsource.com for new bulbs. Replace in a pair. They aren't hard to do. Don't purchase bulbs at a dealer or parts store. Way to much money. If its in the budget get CBIs.

I planned on taking it to the dealer regarding warranty issues...but my question was more of whether or not the fact that the bulb has dimmed so much and is about half as bright as a new one would be covered or if i'd have to go buy one myself. I have a 3yr/36k bumper to bumper.

[turboguy327]

Originally Posted by BreakingBad

I planned on taking it to the dealer regarding warranty issues...but my question was more of whether or not the fact that the bulb has dimmed so much and is about half as bright as a new one would be covered or if i'd have to go buy one myself. I have a 3yr/36k bumper to bumper.

Wear items are covered 1 year or 12k miles. A bulb is a wear item. So if your car is over a year or 12k miles its on you. Dealers usually won't good faith a bulb that costs over 400 bucks

[BreakingBad]

Originally Posted by turboguy327

Wear items are covered 1 year or 12k miles. A bulb is a wear item. So if your car is over a year or 12k miles its on you. Dealers usually won't good faith a bulb that costs over 400 bucks

Ok, while I understand bulbs may be 'wear items', there's absolutely no reason in the world an HID bulb should be about HALF as bright as a new one after ~16-18 months. I've owned standard bulbs (which have shorter lifespans) that lasted 4-6 years without dimming that drastically.

I'm going to be calling the dealer I purchased the car at to see what can be done, no way in hell am I dropping $400 to replace an HID bulb after 1 year. That tells me the bulb is defective, not 'wearing out'. Halogens will have a 'lifespan' of 500-1000 hours while HID's should double, if not triple that easy. I very rarely drive at night, and even after a year+ of driving my car there's no way I'm beyond even 100 hours of HID usage.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

The HIDs should be covered for the 3/36..

I've had my RS lights on both sides replaced within the past month, and I am @ 13K dealer didn't even question the mileage.

my drivers side halo ring was turning green so they replaced it no questions asked, then when the new drivers side light was put in the passenger side HID appeared to be a different color, more yellow than white, so they replaced that unit as well to match the drivers side (the whole lamp fixture not the bulb).


now with that said.


verify that your high beams on both sides are working.. there might be a wiring issue with your lights since you had accident work done.

the high beams are not actually a second bulb, but a shield over the HID that is on a motor and is raised when the high beams are activated..

if for some reason the shield on your light has failed, or is not connected, it could be stuck in the open position.

[BreakingBad]

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

The HIDs should be covered for the 3/36..

I've had my RS lights on both sides replaced within the past month, and I am @ 13K dealer didn't even question the mileage.

my drivers side halo ring was turning green so they replaced it no questions asked, then when the new drivers side light was put in the passenger side HID appeared to be a different color, more yellow than white, so they replaced that unit as well to match the drivers side (the whole lamp fixture not the bulb).


now with that said.


verify that your high beams on both sides are working.. there might be a wiring issue with your lights since you had accident work done.

the high beams are not actually a second bulb, but a shield over the HID that is on a motor and is raised when the high beams are activated..

if for some reason the shield on your light has failed, or is not connected, it could be stuck in the open position.

Interesting. I can understand a wiring issue or something along those lines, but even the halos aren't even as bright as the new one (which i understand, to an extent...) Hopefully they just replace the whole damn thing like they did with yours...

Not sure how high beams would play a part in brightness of the low beams though? I understand there's a 'shield' or whatever, but if it's stuck in the 'open' position, how could that affect low beam brightness?

[turboguy327]

And HID bulbs change color throughout their life. They don't just burn out. Color change effects their brightness. So if they aren't replaced in pairs as required the new one will always appear brighter.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by BreakingBad

Interesting. I can understand a wiring issue or something along those lines, but even the halos aren't even as bright as the new one (which i understand, to an extent...) Hopefully they just replace the whole damn thing like they did with yours...

Not sure how high beams would play a part in brightness of the low beams though? I understand there's a 'shield' or whatever, but if it's stuck in the 'open' position, how could that affect low beam brightness?

We'll if it's stuck open the light would look brighter in low beam mode as it was actually in high beam mode. While the other side is in low beam mode.

[turboguy327]

Do you see a normal cutoff from your headlights like you did before the wreck? Any sign that it may be stuck in high beam? I doubt its in high beam but its a GM product so anything is possible.