dealer wants to replace whole housing due to bad ballast

mike_ · 01-10-2006, 04:37 PM

I've got an '05 STi, did the clear corner mod, 6 months later a xenon blows out. Turns out the bulb is okay, but per the dealer the ballast is toast. The dealer wants to replace the entire housing just because of the bad ballast, as they claim they can't get just a ballast. No word if they'll warranty this repair yet. What is the typical course of action here? Any shot they'll warranty it or will they attempt to charge me due to the clear corner mod.

Also, they claim that they need to remove the whole bumper to complete this. I'm plenty aware that this is BS and that the headlight housing can be removed without touching the bumper. Add on to that the fact that I don't like how they treat my car at all. (Tech revving the motor/riding the clutch in the shop, etc), and they are primarilly a Honda dealer so I don't know how quality their Suby work is.

Do I:
1. Skip this place and go to another dealer to see if they'll replace just the ballast
2. Let them do their thing assuming they will warranty repairs
3. Forget all of this dealer nonsense and buy JDM housings all around or find a junkyard housing from a USDM car (this is assuming they won't warranty the repair).

I'm prepared to bring the Magnusson Moss Act if they might give me hell.

Any experience with this type of repair/warranty issue?? How much does a new headlight housing run for (dealer cost or other)?

***austinpike*** · 01-10-2006, 05:12 PM

PM ESsTeAEyEe, maybe he can bring your ballast back to life.

*** Custom Headlamp Services For Any Car!!** Update 11-4-06

LightWerkz · 01-10-2006, 05:15 PM

yes i can... im so special

"I'm prepared to bring the Magnusson Moss Act if they might give me hell."

Why would you do that? You caused the light to malfunction, you said your self you opened the lamps up...warranty wont cover it.

Take out the headlamp, dump the water out by removing ballast, place ballast in over for 30mins @ 220 degrees F. Remove, reseal with some silicon so you dont have any leaks, and plug it in, it will work.

Problem is water drips down after alot of condensation accumulates...and it drips into the wrong area

(the ballast)

This causes the ballast to not work...so by placing it in the oven, you dry ALL the water out, and it should be fine.

**AGAIN ANOTHER REASON WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T CLEAR THEIR OWN LAMPS IF THEY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!!!!!**

mike_ · 01-11-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESsTeAEyEe

yes i can... im so special

"I'm prepared to bring the Magnusson Moss Act if they might give me hell."

Why would you do that? You caused the light to malfunction, you said your self you opened the lamps up...warranty wont cover it.

Take out the headlamp, dump the water out by removing ballast, place ballast in over for 30mins @ 220 degrees F. Remove, reseal with some silicon so you dont have any leaks, and plug it in, it will work.

Problem is water drips down after alot of condensation accumulates...and it drips into the wrong area

(the ballast)

This causes the ballast to not work...so by placing it in the oven, you dry ALL the water out, and it should be fine.

**AGAIN ANOTHER REASON WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T CLEAR THEIR OWN LAMPS IF THEY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!!!!!**

Regarding the MM Act, don't get me wrong, I'm not going to have my lawyer in tow, but I will be prepared if the dealer is going to feed me a line of BS about a repair that may not be directly related to a mod. If the mod is to blame, so be it, I'll sack up and pay if I need to.

How do you remove the ballast from the housing (don't have it in front of me, don't know if it's clear by just looking at the housing).

***CGMDan*** · 01-11-2006, 06:49 PM

Pull the housing from the car. Just like when you did the headlight clear. On the bottom is the heavy metal box. Thats the ballast. remove it and shake the piss out of it. When you think you've got all the water out, shake it some more. Then put it in the oven per the instructions above. At the same time I would open up your headlight housing and get new silicone sealer and reseal it. Done

'05 STi · 01-16-2006, 02:29 AM

If you don't trust the competence of the dealership (and it sounds like you don't) there is probably good reason for it. Take your car to someone that will respect your car, and knows what they're doing. You're liable to find yourself driving down the road in a rental or something, and see some dumbass "technician" go blowing by you in your car.

VashTheStampede · 01-18-2006, 07:25 PM

YIKES! You know how much the headlight assy. costs right?

About $750!

Holy crap! I hope they don't charge you for that.

***Neanderthal Racing*** · 01-19-2006, 05:52 AM

sorry, but it seems the magnusson moss act is designed to protect the manufacturer on this one. i had my headlights cleared and i have no illusion about it; if they leak or don't seal proprly it is my problem not theirs. don't complain if they refuse to warranty it. take it like a man.

throw them in the oven. finger lickin' good.

hp1000 · 01-23-2006, 01:47 PM

Mine also went out.. thanks to the magic man ESsTeAEyEe. Baked them for 30 mins.. Good as new

01-10-2006, 04:37 PM	#1
mike_ The Next Petter Solberg Car: Silver 05 WRX STi Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 916 IWSTI Addict since: May 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	dealer wants to replace whole housing due to bad ballast I've got an '05 STi, did the clear corner mod, 6 months later a xenon blows out. Turns out the bulb is okay, but per the dealer the ballast is toast. The dealer wants to replace the entire housing just because of the bad ballast, as they claim they can't get just a ballast. No word if they'll warranty this repair yet. What is the typical course of action here? Any shot they'll warranty it or will they attempt to charge me due to the clear corner mod. Also, they claim that they need to remove the whole bumper to complete this. I'm plenty aware that this is BS and that the headlight housing can be removed without touching the bumper. Add on to that the fact that I don't like how they treat my car at all. (Tech revving the motor/riding the clutch in the shop, etc), and they are primarilly a Honda dealer so I don't know how quality their Suby work is. Do I: 1. Skip this place and go to another dealer to see if they'll replace just the ballast 2. Let them do their thing assuming they will warranty repairs 3. Forget all of this dealer nonsense and buy JDM housings all around or find a junkyard housing from a USDM car (this is assuming they won't warranty the repair). I'm prepared to bring the Magnusson Moss Act if they might give me hell. Any experience with this type of repair/warranty issue?? How much does a new headlight housing run for (dealer cost or other)? This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

01-10-2006, 05:15 PM	#3
LightWerkz STI Master Car: E46 M3 Fav Mod: ZCP Wheels Location: Clifton Posts: 7,456 IWSTI Addict since: Aug 2005 Trader Rating: (77)	yes i can... im so special "I'm prepared to bring the Magnusson Moss Act if they might give me hell." Why would you do that? You caused the light to malfunction, you said your self you opened the lamps up...warranty wont cover it. Take out the headlamp, dump the water out by removing ballast, place ballast in over for 30mins @ 220 degrees F. Remove, reseal with some silicon so you dont have any leaks, and plug it in, it will work. Problem is water drips down after alot of condensation accumulates...and it drips into the wrong area (the ballast) This causes the ballast to not work...so by placing it in the oven, you dry ALL the water out, and it should be fine. AGAIN ANOTHER REASON WHY PEOPLE SHOULDN'T CLEAR THEIR OWN LAMPS IF THEY DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT RIGHT!!!!! Last edited by LightWerkz; 01-10-2006 at 05:19 PM.

01-23-2006, 01:47 PM	#9
hp1000 Junior STI Driver Location: Philadelphia Posts: 140 IWSTI Addict since: Jan 2003 Trader Rating: (0)	Mine also went out.. thanks to the magic man ESsTeAEyEe. Baked them for 30 mins.. Good as new This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

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01-10-2006, 05:12 PM	#2
*austinpike* Platinum Member Car: 2oo5 cgm STi Location: MN Posts: 1,927 IWSTI Addict since: Jul 2004 Trader Rating: (7)	PM ESsTeAEyEe, maybe he can bring your ballast back to life. * Custom Headlamp Services For Any Car!! Update 11-4-06

01-11-2006, 06:49 PM	#5
*CGMDan* Platinum Member Car: '05 CGM STi Fav Mod: What's RCE made lately? Location: Beaverton, Or Posts: 1,506 IWSTI Addict since: Nov 2004 Trader Rating: (0)	Pull the housing from the car. Just like when you did the headlight clear. On the bottom is the heavy metal box. Thats the ballast. remove it and shake the piss out of it. When you think you've got all the water out, shake it some more. Then put it in the oven per the instructions above. At the same time I would open up your headlight housing and get new silicone sealer and reseal it. Done

01-16-2006, 02:29 AM	#6
'05 STi Banned Car: '05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: Anything that enables me to go faster! Location: Maryland Posts: 839 IWSTI Addict since: Dec 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	If you don't trust the competence of the dealership (and it sounds like you don't) there is probably good reason for it. Take your car to someone that will respect your car, and knows what they're doing. You're liable to find yourself driving down the road in a rental or something, and see some dumbass "technician" go blowing by you in your car.

01-18-2006, 07:25 PM	#7
VashTheStampede Amateur STI Driver Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: The color black. Location: Ohio Posts: 40 IWSTI Addict since: Jan 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	YIKES! You know how much the headlight assy. costs right? About $750! Holy crap! I hope they don't charge you for that.

01-19-2006, 05:52 AM	#8
*Neanderthal Racing* GT R US Car: CUTN EDG project Fav Mod: $20. mudflaps from auto zone Location: my cave Posts: 5,882 IWSTI Addict since: Dec 2003 Trader Rating: (1)	sorry, but it seems the magnusson moss act is designed to protect the manufacturer on this one. i had my headlights cleared and i have no illusion about it; if they leak or don't seal proprly it is my problem not theirs. don't complain if they refuse to warranty it. take it like a man. throw them in the oven. finger lickin' good.