How to change / replace the headlamp ballast on a Lexus IS250 /IS350 / ISF *STEP-BY-STEP*

[@qutubashraf1214]

Watching Utube vids for so long I never came across a Video shot by a in house Cameraman in bright sunlight EVER!!!Wish we have more people like you who are stickler for details,directing the cameraman to zoom Pan and Focus.GOOD WORK GUY and Thank You.

[@SaraiGarage]

Qutub Ashraf Tell me about it man! I was sick and tired of watching those videos myself! Always dark and always skipping steps making you waste so much extra time. That’s why I started this 🤷🏾‍♂️ To make proper repair videos! I’m glad you liked it! Hopefully it helped! Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it! 🙏🏾

[@csn6234]

Yeah and big props to him for actually holding up the bolts so you can see their color and shape before he reinserted them. What a concept, huh?

[@cjporteo]

Just did this with my GS350. Lexus quoted me $1600 but thanks to your vid I did it for less than $100. There is zero way I could have gotten this done without your help, thanks man!

[@SaraiGarage]

That’s awesome!! Glad you were able to fix it yourself and save a bunch of cash! 🙌🏾 Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it 🙏🏾

[@DavidC-o2w]

Why those particular bulbs burn ?

[@ethanmartinez640]

Bro you are a legend for this video. Just knowing that I dont have to peel my headlight apart like every other video is a relief. Hope your Lexus stays running well!!! You go bro!!

[@SaraiGarage]

Ethan Martinez I really appreciate it! 🙏🏾 I have no idea why everyone else is opening up their headlights either LMAO 😂 I saw those vids when my own ballast went bad as was like wtf?? 😂 I feel like one genius decided to do it and everyone else just blindly copied 🤷🏾‍♂️ Regardless, I’m glad the video helped and I wish nothing but the best for you and your Lexus as well my man! 🙌🏾

[@artie2099]

This is THE BEST how to video for this job! Excellent, thank you soo much! I really appreciated all the little helpful tips and hints on disassembly. With your super clear instructions it took me a total of 2 and a half hours to complete. I would like to warn everyone also that if your headlights look like they ever have water or condensation in them please use this video and check your ballast. I knew my igniter was charred but did not know that the entire ballast was rusted. Again, thank you man!!!!! Take care!

[@SaraiGarage]

Wow wow wow! I feel blessed for receiving such glowing praise 🙏🏾 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a positive comment. I’m so happy you found the video helpful and were able to fix your Lexus!! I also appreciate you trying to help others in the future! I wish you and your Lexus the very best my friend 🙌🏾

[@csn6234]

Ok, I finally did this. I started around noon and finished about 2.5 hours later. It really wasn't that difficult. Your video really made it easy! I took it a step further and completely removed the front bumper to give me easier access to everything. Thanks for making this vid!

[@SaraiGarage]

CSN So glad it worked out for you 🙌🏾

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage Same here, bro. Most challenging part of the whole process was reassembling everything. It's easy to take things apart. Harder to get them back together correctly. Dude, where'd you get all those sick cars? I felt like I was watching the Barrett-Jackson auto auction.

[@SaraiGarage]

CSN Exactly Bro! And they’re all my parents haha Actually going to buy a R35 GTR for my little brother tomorrow 🤪 My parents work really hard man. 7 days a week every week for the past 20+ years. Pretty shitty but it allows us to have cool stuff like the cars 🙌🏾 I appreciate the kind words my man 🙏🏾

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage That's an inspiring story, especially these days. Mad respect to your parents and keep making YT vids for the IS. I will use them to fix issues with mine when they come up.

[@jimcrusenberry8215]

Man I think this is one of the best video's I've seen on how to fix the headlights on a Lexus. I see that you really know what your doing when it comes to working on cars. But I think your the kind of person that can work on most anything. I'm getting ready to get into the same job on a Lexus IS350. I appreciate this great video on how to get it done. Thanks man!

[@SaraiGarage]

I just saw this comment while walkin out of class. Made my day my man. Thank you. Probs one of the nicest comments I’ve received on my entire channel! I appreciate it! 🙏🏾 Goodluck with the job. It gets a bit annoying half way thru but it’s not that bad and definitely a lot better than having to buy a whole new headlamp assembly instead! Wish you and your Lexus the best!! 🙌🏾

[@AnitaBetterScreenname]

You saved me a lot of headache and money by making this detailed video! Thanks so much for making this!

[@case1]

This just happened to me yesterday. Found my HID ballast adapter burned exactly like yours. I was already convinced that it's easier to buy a used headlight so I wouldn't go through all the trouble of getting the ballast out as seen on other videos. This GREAT! video gave me hope and I'm only buying the ballast saving me a lot of money! Thank you 👍

[@SaraiGarage]

no1noes Nething GOOD LUCK! Some others have mentioned this design is only for 2011-2013 models so keep that in mind! If yours is older (without the LED check mark) then you might have to do what others did and peel open the headlight 😬

[@case1]

@@SaraiGarage luckily I have a 2011 with the LED strip lights. 🤞 just hope It all works out fine. Thanks again

[@mr.catchings1190]

Local dealership wanted 1500 to do the job. The local mechanic shop charged me 565 parts and labor. Money well spent! I don't have the patience to do that. Kudos to you , job well done 👏🏾

[@SaraiGarage]

Thank you! $600 parts and labor is not bad!! It’s definitely an annoying job, especially the first time around. Hope your Lexus keeps running strong 🙌🏾

[@forald8098]

I have taken apart my headlights today. Yours is a different type of headlights (2011-***) on a 2006 and up it's is different inside. So that is why other KZbinrs say to take apart the ballast, on 2006-2010 model headlight assembly there isn't much room to slide out the ballast

[@SaraiGarage]

Foral oh wow I had no idea. Thanks for commenting and letting all of us know! 👍🏾

[@s14smigs1]

If you remove the metal cover that plugs into the headlight but there’s enough space to snake it out so you don’t have to go threw the hassle.

[@lesterpearson8760]

Great video indeed! You taught and tutored vs talk and orate. Well done! I have a 2008 IS350 that I’m pretty sure has a bad ballast since I swapped left and right side bulbs but the problem did not follow the lamp. I’ll let the group know how the ballast in my car’s headlights are configured after I’m done. It’s winter here in New England and we just got hit with a boatload of snow, but I have to get it done nonetheless so I suspect it’ll take me a couple of weeks doing a little bit each day outside. Your video is a time saver since I now know the entire bumper does not have to come off.

[@SaraiGarage]

Thank you so much for the kind comment! Be careful however! Many people have told me that the older style headlights like yours are different! The ballast cannot be removed as easily. You might have to use a heat gun to heat up the sealant around the headlight until it turns gooey and then peel the headlight lens from the assembly. Then you can replace the ballast, reapply sealant all around the headlight housing, and quickly press the lens into the still wet/active sealant. Hold it there until it hardens. This method only works for the facelifted headlamps with the LED check mark running lights! I’m sorry to inform you 😅 But I wish you the best!! Goodluck with the repair! You just have a few more steps than me but overall it should be the same! Goodluck my friend 🙏🏾 EDIT: Please make sure to buy an original LEXUS OEM ballast as well. I went through hell with this Dorman Ballast. It burned out 8 times and I had to do this job 8 times!! Wanted to beat the car with a sledgehammer haha I finally gave in and bought OEM tho and I never had a problem again :)

[@lesterpearson8760]

@@SaraiGarage Yep. With my luck, the ballast will be embedded in some inside corner of the headlamp shell. Thanks for the tip. I concur with your suggestion to go OEM. I’ve had bad luck with non OEM electrical/ electronic parts. Practice makes perfect but I’ll pass on the perfection this time and go with OEM also 😁

[@lesterpearson8760]

@@SaraiGarage I finally got around to removing the headlamp. Your instructional video came in handy as I didn’t have to remove the bumper. I didn’t have to turn the wheels either since a stubby screwdriver and a 1/4 inch ratchet were small enough to get to all hardware. My problem ended up being a cracked headlamp housing which caused water and debris to contaminate the contacts on the ballast. I got the HID light to work by cleaning the ballast contacts with electronic cleaner. I also sealed all cracks in the housing but bought the ballast anyhow just in case my patching work doesn’t hold up (which I don’t think it will). On my car, 2008 IS350, the ballast unscrews from the outside but, because of the auto leveling and AFS lighting circuits, there’s not enough clearance for the socket, onto which the light bulb fits into, to pass through. The only way to remove it is to do one of the following: 1. Purchase a new housing. Expensive, even used. 2. Pull apart the shell using a heat gun. It’s messy and there’s the risk of deforming the plastic (I think it will deform in some way resulting in a poor seal when it’s all out back together) 3. Unsolder the wires leading to the socket from inside the ballast. Easily done but the connection might not be reliable since it’s tough to get a soldering iron into the small space. Even so, the old wires cannot be pulled out since they’re anchored inside the shell, so we’d end up reusing the old harness (sort of defeats the purpose of buying a new ballast) 4. Snip the old and new ballasts’ harnesses and secure the old wires to the new ballast (best place to reattach it is at the ballast side). If it comes to that, I’ll adapt a small connector so the assembly becomes plug and play Lastly, I don’t think the ballast is a replaceable part in the generation of the IS model I have. I wasn’t able to find a part listed on Lexus’ online parts store, which is why I think it’s not easy to remove.

[@SaraiGarage]

@@lesterpearson8760 thank you for the detailed response back. I’m sure it will help others who come here in the future! As for the ballast, try calling Lexus on Monday and ask about part numbers. I had a similar problem. I believe they call it something strange other than a ballast and it makes finding the part number pretty difficult. However, the parts department should be able to find it! I’ll try to see if I can find the part number from my wholesale order logs. If I can, I’ll edit this comment and include it + include it in the description!

[@lesterpearson8760]

@@SaraiGarage No worries. I found the OEM in eBay for $60. It’ll arrive on or around Jan 6th. I can only assume it’s OEM as the label on the supplier’s image on his eBay page is an exact match to that from the headlamp - the brand is labeled Denso. I’ll know soon enough if it’s a just a replica since it’ll fail in short order if and when I install it (as you pointed out in your video non-OEM electrical parts don’t last long or end up not working from day 1). PS: the OEM part number taken off the ballast installed in my current headlamp is: 85967-53040 (and thanks for offering to search for it 😁)

[@caliguy415]

I have a 2010 Is250 and my passenger side headlight gave out. I thought it was the bulb, but now I have to look to see if the ballast burnt out. This will save me $$$ in repair costs thanks a lot.

[@SaraiGarage]

Glad you found it helpful my man! 🙌🏾

[@Tarzan429]

Thanks bro. My left ballast has been out for 2 years and never replaced it because I thought it would be hard. Will try this tomorrow!

[@SaraiGarage]

Of course! Just make sure you have the newer style headlamps with the LED check Mark. Some guys with the older style have told me the older headlamps have a different design!

[@danielvillada4428]

From what I have researched, Older Lexus IS headlamps have a different headlight interior assembly. I own a 2008 and the ballast wire is being held in place by a screw inside, without removing it, you are unable to pull the ballast headlamp connector through. The head is to big and will not fit through the lens without pulling apart the whole headlight. My own solution was to cut the ballast wire of the new one near the headlamp side, feed it through the lens, and splice the wires back together using B-connectors. Preferably to heating up the lens, pulling the sealant apart and routing the new ballast cable through.

[@VanyaJohn]

Best way to tell the difference is the HIGH BEAM / DRL bulb cover. One unscrews and is gray like on this video and the one Daniel is talking about is black and has a metal clip flap thing holding it down.

[@Breese147]

Someone should pin this comment. I had the same issue. Had to cut the old ballast connector, pull the wire through, feed the new ballast through a maze and then connect it to the bulb. Not fun haha. If this is your issue I recommend just saving up for new headlights. Vland are the cheaper option but the HC motions have better reliability.

[@GODEXAULTS]

THE BEST WAY TO DO IT WAS TO TAKE THE BALLAST HEAD APART WITH THE PINS ON THE SIDE. IT COMES APART EASY SO THAT YOU CAN FEED THE YELLOW AND RED WIRE THROUGH THE HOLE EASIER.

[@talambutaion]

@@GODEXAULTS it's risky business, because of high voltage you can flame easily the entire hedlight! Only solution I was doing on my 06 IS, was an aftermarket ballast connected over the exterior of the headlight. At the moment is working...see in time.

[@jamesgames1820]

I have an 09 is350. I hope my ballast can swapped as easy as yours. I saw another video where the headlight housing had to be opened up completely. Removing the lens and the reflectors just to access the ballast 😱

[@jonsmith3342]

Thank you very much for this tutorial. It's great to see an amazing tutorial video on such a specific topic.

[@SaraiGarage]

Jon Smith You are so welcome! Thank you for the support and such kind words! You’ve made my day! 🙏🏾 haha

[@rudyjacoby8495]

you all prolly dont care at all but does anyone know of a trick to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb lost the account password. I would love any tips you can offer me.

[@robertojaden2378]

@Rudy Jacoby instablaster ;)

[@rudyjacoby8495]

@Roberto Jaden I really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and I'm in the hacking process atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.

[@ManuelCamarena0725]

Thanks. I needed to know how to remove the ballast off the actual headlight.

[@heikkipinomaa5720]

A very good video, without any casulties. Greetings from Helsinki Finland

[@jeffbohn2576]

Good Step by step.. Sometimes you just gotta remember "lefty loosey" ..It happens. Thank you

[@danielmunoz7712]

Thank you for this video although I was working on a 2002 lexus the instructions were about the same and I was able to replace my ballast this is a great video 📹

[@SaraiGarage]

That’s awesome to hear that it’s a similar process on the first Gens! Even more awesome that everything went well for you! Wish you and your Lexus the best! 🙌🏾

[@konshin5395]

Great video! George did a good job taping. You have true mechanic traits and this was most helpful. Thumbs up!

[@SaraiGarage]

My little brother’s name is “Jot” not George! 🙂 haha But thank you so much for the kind words!! It means everything! Glad I could help out! 🙏🏾🙌🏾

[@konshin5395]

@@SaraiGarage You can not imagine fully how much we appreciate your and Jot's tireless and good efforts to share your experiences with others. Hopefully you have fruitful and worthwhile life with bright future. Again, thank you.

[@SaraiGarage]

@@konshin5395 That’s one of the nicest things anyone has said to me on KZbin yet. Thank you so much 🙂 I hope you have an even more worth full life and brighter future than me! 🙌🏾 I hope your car stays running strong as well!! Stay well and take care!

[@vuyoqwalana8638]

Hello. Thanks for the great video! What is the OEM part number for the RH ballast? Does LH and RH have the same OEM part number?

[@TheRockasaki]

DISASSEMBLY 2:22 turn wheels inward 2:35 wheel well hardware (flat tip, trim, 10mm) 6:06 wheel well liner - pull down 7:00 extra bolt on bumper 9:10 more hardware on bumper (trim, torx) 11:25 more hardware on bumper 12:45 weather trim piece and plastic bracket 13:45 headlamp connector 15:45 ballast (cross tip, 10mm) REASSEMBLY 20:00 ballast install 23:30 headlamp install 25:03 weather trim piece, bolt 1 (10mm) 26:35 bolt 2 27:28 bolt 3 28:00 bolt 4 on bumper corner 29:25 more hardware on bumper 30:40 wheel well liner (remember to turn wheel inward) 34:35 top bumper screws; plastic panel & trim hardware

[@SaraiGarage]

LMAO why did you take the time out of your day to make this guide 😂 SHEESH Very impressive and helpful for others tho. Thank you my bro 🙏🏾

[@TheRockasaki]

@@SaraiGarage My OCD is real bruh. Lol

[@noeunn]

I have one headlight that comes on, flickers and then turns off. Is it the ballast that is going bad or the light bulb?

[@isaidwhatisaidnetwork9510]

What was it because I have the same problem

[@154g]

@@isaidwhatisaidnetwork9510 same prob here. What was your prob? Bulb or ballast?

[@leondecker3410]

@Sarai Garage 2011 IS250 owner here. I have the same thing as these other 2 people. Passenger Low beam works for about a minute then flickers for another minute or so then turns off. Is this a sign of a bad ballast? Also, you mentioned cleaning the inside of the connector. Maybe this would work for this?

[@SaraiGarage]

@Leon Decker Yeah that was pretty much my problem until the ballast completely fried itself bc I would keep turning my lights on and off again. Igniting the bulbs quickly over and over again fried my ballast. The autozone and off-brand ballasts are junk and start acting like this after like a week. They have crappy connections. Obviously I’m not there in person and can’t look myself, but based on ur symptoms being the same as my car’s, I’d say your ballast is on its way out. You may be able to pass time if you’re tight on cash by applying some dielectric grease to the ballast connector (very small amount) but overall I’d prepare to change your ballast soon. Goodluck! Come back and comment to let others know if it fixed your problem! 🙏🏾

[@candioreiro8005]

Great job...im going to do the driverside today..wish me luck🥗

[@SaraiGarage]

Goodluck! Wish you and your Lexus the best!! 🙌🏾

[@krlm2280]

How was the job

[@IllestISF]

I work on my Is350 so much that I never put the engine covers back on 😂😂😂😂

[@SaraiGarage]

LMAO I might have to go that route too at this rate

[@StR8uP254]

Me too!

[@csn6234]

Then you must own a salvage ES, because that car is so well-made it shouldn't require frequent labor unless you're just upgrading parts.

[@miteshshetty9523]

Hey man I need to replace headlights on my IS 350. I’m in Columbus, Ohio. Know a good place ?

[@dettalife9226]

This is old but I understand😂

[@csn6234]

1:24 Whew. Thanks for the math help, bro. I don't think I could have added that up myself.

[@SaraiGarage]

CSN I did it just for you bro! I know how stressed you get doing addition! You know I’m always lookin out for ya 😩

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage lmao good one. Thumbs up on the vid just for that. I'm changing my ballast tomorrow. Thanks for the vid!

[@SaraiGarage]

CSN Hope it helps man! Make sure your IS is 2011+ for this method. Some people with the older style headlamps (without the LED check marks) are saying the ballast is built into the headlamp and you can’t remove it this easy!

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage nah, I'm good, dude. I have a 2012 base with the daytime-running LEDs. On a side note, those things are lame. I am going to shut mine off. MartyMotoring made a vid for this. I'll let you know how the ballast-reolacement process went. Out of curiosity, how long did it take you?

[@SaraiGarage]

CSN okay awesome! And if it’s your first time taking bumpers off and doing stuff like this, ehhh I’d say easily 3-4 hours worth. This video took me 3 separate days tho bc it kept raining + we had to film everything and that slowed me down a bunch. If you’ve done stuff like this before I’d say 1.5-2 hours at home is reasonable!

[@csn6234]

Well, here I go again. Just shy of a year since I used this video to change the ballast on the passenger headlight assembly of my IS, now I have to change the entire assembly on the driver side. The ballast on the driver side AND the LED DRL burned out, and since the LED (the Nike swoosh-looking LED strip) is part of the assembly, I gotta replace the whole damn thing. The plexi cover was getting pretty cloudy, so it was time. So, another $200 for the ballast, $40 for the bulb, and $600 for the assembly. Lexus puts a lot of research into its engineering, but it stops at the headlights. These things seem to have a lot of problems, and I'm not the only one pointing this out. Good thing my man Sarai makes vids like this to help Sunday mechanics like me do the job right.

[@SaraiGarage]

OMG! 😱 The Nike check failed!? I’ve never heard of someone having that problem! I’m glad to see you back and talk again but that’s terrible! I moved to Arizona this last year and I’ve been hearing these lights, instrument cluster needles, and other electrical things like alternators get burnt out extra quick if you live in a really hot climate. Idk where you live but that might be why. Been Lowkey stressed of having more lights fail in Arizona myself 😅 (Mainly just worried about my gauge needles) I know you’re probably going to be cursing this weekend opening the whole car up to do it all over again 😅 (I know I did) but hopefully this is the last time you’ll deal with this again! I wish you and your Lexus the best my man 🙏🏾 And thank you for the constant support! It means a lot and it’s pretty awesome having a few people that pop back up over and over again on different vids 🙂

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage Yeah, man. It started flickering like an old neon sign a few weeks ago, and then the passenger side started doing the same. Within a few hours, the LED on the driver-side assembly quit working altogether. Passenger-side DRL seems to have recovered, bc it hasn't flickered in a while. I shopped around for new assemblies, but no matter where you look, they are ridiculous. I bought an aftermarket assembly made by DEPO from CarParts.com and tried to install it last weekend. The quality was lower than the Lexus headlight assembly, but overall, it was a good deal for the $600 price. I put the new ballast in, moved my turn-signal harness from the old assembly to the new one, and plugged the wiring harnesses together. Worked flawlessly. Then I tried to fit it into the space between the hood, bumper, and fender. Nope. What a piece of shit. I realized you get what you pay for, so I returned it and ordered a new Lexus assembly from DiscountPartsMonster.com for $900. They charged me $136 for overnight, but didn't ship it. So I inquired about the status of my order. That's when they said FedEx wanted to charge me $260 for overnight -- after they had already charged me $136. So I told them to pound sand and cancel my order. I ended up going to the dealer and bought the assembly for $1300.

[@csn6234]

@@SaraiGarage I can tell you about owning a vehicle in Arizona. I was born and raised in AZ. My parents owned homes in Phoenix and then far North Scottsdale, and the heat just cooks cars. Electronics don't last as long, batteries die young, paint fades and peels, rubber turns brittle -- unless, of course, you live in northern Arizona. I went to college at NAU in Flagstaff and I used to drive to Phoenix at least one weekend a month to visit my parents. It's amazing how differently your car performs in that heat. I moved to Boston in 2004 for my career and lived there for five years, but eventually my wife and I moved out west again and now we live in Denver. However, my folks still own homes in Tucson and just west of Flagstaff, in Bellemont. We're going to visit them sometime next year. Where do you live in AZ?

[@reneherrera3876]

Hey what’s up bro I have a cuestión I got the same problem and my Lexus IS350 Kind of the same issue when I turn my driver side light going off But the light still works. Do you think it’s the computer headlight too I have to replace?

[@chriscook38]

Will this technique work the same for a 2013 Lexus GS 350?

[@fadihammami6690]

Well done. I feel that I can now do it. Just want to be sure first that this is what I need done to fix my issue. Would you say replacing the light bulb first is wise to see if it solves the problem? Since your issue started with an aftermarket light bulb, I am hesitant! My issue is that the light comes on when I start and few min later, it goes off.

[@SaraiGarage]

Sorry for responding so late. You probably fixed it by now. But yes, taking the working bulb out from the other side and installing it into the burnt out side to test is a great test and exactly what I did. Most aftermarket bulbs will not give you any problems. I personally just stick to big name brands like OSRAM or Phillips now and never have had any problems! The Lexus bulbs are too yellow in my opinion. Need to buy aftermarket in 5000K or 6000k temperature/ color for that perfect white look!

[@GODEXAULTS]

Thanks for the video on how to change the ballast. But the bulb had nothing to do with it. Somehow you got moisture into the lamp and bulb area and it burned out the ballast

[@SaraiGarage]

It very well could have been moisture that fried up my first one, but all of my autozone replacements failed within a month with no corrosion. I believe all them failed due to poor design/ fit with the bulbs and repeated ignition in short spans. Either way I’m glad you found the video helpful!

[@XanhDT89]

WOOOOO!!! Just did mine and it was intimidating at first, BUT DAM IT WAS EASY!! THANK YOU MAN!!! I MEAN IT!!!

[@SaraiGarage]

MY MAN!!! 🤝 I love the energy!! Haha Glad it went smoothly for you! Hopefully your Lexus stays strong and problem free for a long time now!!

[@XanhDT89]

@@SaraiGarage haha thanks man! Hope the same for you. The new facelift is looking tempting tho

[@SaraiGarage]

@@XanhDT89 Man my IS is at 131,000 miles now. Thinking about driving her up to about 170,000 and then buying the new ES. Want something bigger where people can sit in the back comfortably. It rides amazing compared to the IS too! I will say tho that new IS looks WAY better than any ES. A red or blue 2022 IS is goals 🤤

[@XanhDT89]

@@SaraiGarage lol I’m not that far from you. I’m at 108k, and got it brand new in 2012. Sounds like a plan, but I think I might hold off with this crazy market right now lol. I got the ES as a loaner a couple times, and yes, it’s so smooth and spacious. I want something under 190” in length cuz of limited space in garage, but bigger than the IS at 180”. The crazy thing is the amount of space we have in the front compared to bigger midsize cars that I’ve sat in, but that in turn results in smaller rear space. It does look great. I see a lot of white and silver ones here. The ultra white with blacked out windows look sick.

[@jasonnguyen2213]

Wow you did a great job for your car and I learned something from you, thank you

[@rabsny123]

Thanks for the video bro, you are a master! Yo i have a question, my headlight stop working i bought d4s replacement from Amazon, i noticed there was some condensed water inside the housing while I was replacing it, light didn't work! Do you think it is the balast or a blown fuse? I check all possible fuses in the engine area, all seems fine unless there are another headlight fuse inside the car... your comments will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks in advance!

[@RR-sp9uf]

have you tried swapping the lights and see if it is the lights

[@fj717]

Great vid. I've got myself the same spec IS. I do have an issue with the DRLs tho. One side doesn't work at all 😭 and the other issue is when the parking/headlights are turned on, the DRLs totally go off rather than dimming. Any idea what could be wrong?

[@bulgarianicedtea7897]

IS350 OWNERS! This Only works on the non autofocus headlights, the autofocus ones have to be taken completely apart, there are rails inside which don’t allow you to slip the connector for the bulb through.

[@SaraiGarage]

Please read the description. Autofocus does not matter. It has to do with the model year of your car.

[@foca656]

Is the driver side the same process? My ballast is all corroded and it keeps on coming loose.I wouldn’t mine putting actually new headlights.I have a 2010

[@SaraiGarage]

As long as you have the LED check mark day-time running lights like me, the process will be the exact same! Driver side is actually a bit easier because there is less stuff crammed on that side giving you more space to work!

[@tmoney1572]

Thanks for that. this is a big job for a headlight. How completely and utterly stupid and irritating why lexus would not just have a ballastless headlight option

[@michelleg9033]

Thank you !! I have a Lexus IS 250 n now the check mark ✔️ light on the passager side is out 🤦‍♀️ HELP!!! 😩

[@brentzittel]

What are the symptoms of the ballast being bad? Are there other reasons the bulb is out if it's not just the bulb itself, The dealer wanted to charge way too much to diagnose it.

[@elkreepo7433]

got one day of good weather got the light loose however I can not for the life of me undo the electrical harness any suggestions ? There was a lot of corrosion on the ballast and the hardware as well. Not looking too good

[@mikimiki195]

Best video on this subject 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@SaraiGarage]

Thank you! I wish you the best with your repair! Please make sure to read the description before you start! This is for facelifted headlamps with the LED’s! The process is slightly different on pre-facelifted headlamps

[@nobadhairdayzchase]

Thanks for the vid but I don’t think I ever sepal you reconnect the bulb. That’s been the most frustrating part for me🤦🏾

[@BrightBoyRandy]

Do these headlights on the lexus have one ballast each for the high and low beam or one for both? Have a check headlight system on my 2014 is 350 and I replaced ballast a year ago, Check headlight notification went out , but came back the next morning. Any help? Thanks amigos

[@saxopio6280]

Great video. Thanks for your hard work. Question, did you change the bulbs as well with this ballast swap out? You might have mentioned it in the beginning but I wasn't sure if you were referring to the ballast or the bulb.

[@SaraiGarage]

-Can Ameri- Thank you! And no! My bulb was fine so I reused it! Only my ballast was burned out!

[@saxopio6280]

Ok thank you 🙏🏽

[@vicdhillon7723]

How were you able to look at the damaged ballast without taking the whole headlight housing off? Or is there a way to look at the ballast connector without taking apart the bumper, etc? Great detailed video by the way. Appreciate all your efforts!

[@SaraiGarage]

Vic Dhillon Thank you 🙏🏾 To check and see if your ballast is fried, open up the lightbulb access door and just pull the part of the ballast that connects to the light bulb off of the light bulb. Then, you can inspect the inside of the connector. If it’s all burnt like mine you know you have a burnt out ballast. I have another video on the channel where I show people how to change the light bulbs of this car. Watch that video and you’ll see how to open up the access doors and from there it’s pretty straightforward. Hope this helps!

[@vicdhillon7723]

@@SaraiGarage, thanks for your quick response. Having never changed an HID bulb, I wasn't sure how complicated it would be but you're right, I was able to twist and pull the connector off. Luckily it wasn't the ballast. Turned out to be the bulb. Whew! Thank you!

[@SaraiGarage]

@@vicdhillon7723 Yeah man! This Lexus is a bit of a pain when it comes to the passenger side bulb and accessing it but like you've seen by now, it's not too bad! Glad it was just a bulb tho! Really dodged a big job and headache lol. I'll be here if you ever need help again my man, and you're super welcome!

[@luciradu1975]

Hei, I think only that wire which comes from ballast to the bulb is bad for me, is it possible to change only that wire without changing full ballast?

[@kingdrosive4102]

Took me three hrs to replace my hids..almost cried

[@cedric3218]

Great video bro, do you think this method would be more or less the same for a 2015 IS250 FSport? Haven't been able to find any tutorials on that specific year and would love to use yours as a guide to give it a shot.

[@jimcrusenberry8215]

I just changed all 4 headlights on my 2010 IS 350 Lexus and it took about 60 minutes.

[@rebirth2969]

Very very good. Thumbs up. Good work kid

[@ceasarnunez5652]

great job, man! Two thumbs up!

[@SaraiGarage]

Thank you! 🙏🏾🙌🏾

[@angelahebard9708]

I Ditto what Eathan said! Bravo thank you❣️

[@SaraiGarage]

You are too kind! 🙏🏾

[@elkreepo7433]

I was told I would have to replace the whole headlight assembly now I have the ballast which I got for $40. The hard part is in front of me as I have never removed a bumper/fender and it's freezing outside lol.

[@bigstranger5789]

Hi, I know this video is years old, but hopefully you can see my comment and give me a suggestion. I bought used headlights without the ballast. There installed with a converter , so they work. I don't know what to use to cover the open/ hole where the ballast was, can I use duct tape? Ant suggestion please

[@SaraiGarage]

I would not cover it with duct tape. Those lights run pretty hot and I think the tape would melt and make a mess. I don't know what your custom set up is like, but if you can, just try to buy the original covers from your Lexus dealer. They should be pretty cheap. If not, ask for the part number and find them for sale on ebay. Try joining one of the Lexus IS facebook groups like "Lexus IS Freaks" and post a picture of your set up on there and ask other members. Maybe someone else has ran into this before and has the solution or can at least guide you better than I can. Sorry I couldnt help more but I wish you the best! Let us know how you ultimately fixed it by leaving a follow-up comment!

[@raycarrillo2799]

Very cool detail. Ty man!!

[@SaraiGarage]

Thank you! Glad the video helped!! 🙂

[@XanhDT89]

Hey have you messed with the headlight adjustment screws? I don’t know what I did, but I can wiggle the whole assembly now. Someone on clublexus said maybe it’s the solenoid? I was adjusting the vertical screw and all of a sudden the assembly fell down a notch and pointed towards the ground.

[@SaraiGarage]

Sunny T I have no idea man. I’ve never played with it. Lowkey it sounds like you might have twisted the screw one too many times in a certain direction and broke it 😬 You ever tighten a screw so much that it begins getting loose? That’s what I’m picturing rn in my head. I’d go to the dealer and ask if I were you. Hopefully it’s nothing major and just a quick fix! Sorry I wasn’t able to help

[@TayDavis7276]

On your aftermarket headlight what is that other piece that looks like a connector hanging??? It has white prongs???

[@SaraiGarage]

Tammy Johnson These are not aftermarket. These are factory 2011 Lexus headlamps. And you have to give me a time-stamp on the video for me to know what you’re talking about. It’s a 40 min video... I have no idea what part you’re talking about 😅

[@todabag0395]

So if it’s not burned out then is it a different issue than the ballast because the bulb works on the other side but the ballast is getting no power

[@SaraiGarage]

It could be, yes. Troubleshooting for you will be much more difficult. I’d try to see if there’s a blown fuse that sends power to the headlamp first. Would be quickest and simplest troubleshooting. This will probably be a very annoying process for you and I’m sorry 😅 I hope you figure it out quickly and it’s an easy fix though! Come back and tell everyone what the problem was so people can see it/ know for the future!! Goodluck my bro 🙏🏾

[@sokefunolusola5434]

Pls I have same issue of replacement of headlamp of my Lexus ES350 2009 model. Where can I get it fixed and how much would it cost me to do so here in South Chicago. Thanks you..

[@SaraiGarage]

Replace the entire headlamp or just headlamp ballast? If you need the entire headlamp replaced, may I ask why? Was it in an accident and cracked? Usually you can just switch components that fail instead of buying an entire headlamp assembly (very expensive $1200-$2000)

[@sdanforth2008]

07 Lexus IS250. Low beams come one for 4-5 seconds then shut off. Would both ballasts need to be replaced? Have not replaced the bulbs.

[@154g]

Im having the same prob. What was the problem?

[@hanf417stock]

Why the headlamp ballast burnt out? I am planning to change from stock D4S to a 6000K D4S, does 6000K bulb burn the ballast? Is it a hidden issue for these brighter bulbs? Many thanks.

[@SaraiGarage]

No. Mine just randomly failed. Most likely from a loose bulb connection and hitting bumps in the road over and over again with a loose bulb. I've been using 6000k bulbs for over 4 years now and my original ballast on the drivers side as well as the ballast I replaced on the passenger side have been working perfectly fine since!

[@hanf417stock]

@@SaraiGarage sounds good happy days

[@omid1929]

Did you disconnect the battery or would you recommend disconnecting it before doing this? Everything around the headlight parts has a bunch of high voltage warning labels

[@SaraiGarage]

Omid I didn’t disconnect the battery. Just don’t stick your hand in anything I didn’t in the video and you’ll be good! 😂 If you feel nervous, disconnecting the battery won’t hurt anything! It’s your call!

[@vikhundal8446]

I have 2009 Lexus IS 250AWD. Where can I buy the original ballast OEM? Any link?

[@SaraiGarage]

Other owners have told me non-facelift models, so those with older style headlamps (2006-2010) have a different way of replacing headlamp ballasts. The older headlamps are designed differently. Some say the older design needs the lens to be peeled off. Others say this is not necessary and you can still snake out the ballast. I don’t know the answer bc I do not have older style headlamps. ^^ Just saying this before you start anything. Take some time and double check with others on forums and Facebook groups. Get the part number from a Lexus dealer. Some won’t give it to you... don’t do business with them. Keep calling dealers in your area till one gives you the part number. Then type that part number into google and go to “shopping” tab. You will see real dealerships selling that part number online at wholesale prices (30-70% off). This works for ANY part for ANY car. This is what I did ^ Goodluck 🙏🏾

[@irishcowboy6908]

LS460 2007 should be the same ?? And how could u tell if ballast or bulb was bad????

[@SaraiGarage]

Honestly I can’t remember off the top of my head. I used to know but not anymore Check Google and a few Lexus forums like Club Lexus to double check. Just see if you can find a ballast for sale for your car. To test if ballast is faulty: I simply unplugged mine from the back of the bulb, and saw it burned up and obviously at that point knew it was dead. HOWEVER, if it’s not as bad as mine and still looks good; Take out the bulb from the side that’s dead, and plug it into the other side that is working. If the bulb doesn’t work even on the other side, then only your bulb is bad. However, if you plug the bulb into the other side and it turns on, you can assure yourself that the ballast is broken on the non-functioning side. Hope that helps! Goodluck!! 🙌🏾

[@irishcowboy6908]

Any way to convert into Led to avoid that Ballast

[@SaraiGarage]

I’m sure there’s a way but I’m not super familiar with doing that at all. I’d join a Facebook Lexus LS group and ask the guys on there. The only way I would switch these to LED is by plugging in a LED low beam bulb that’s the correct bulb size. I’m sorry I couldn’t help more! I hope you figure it out and get your answers soon tho! 🙏🏾

[@irishcowboy6908]

@@SaraiGarage thank u for replying... I'm dealing with LS460 at the moment . My bulb doesn't look burnt and that socket for the bulb look doest burnt .... I guess ballast is out since vehicle is old enough to do all that its 2007 . If possible send me the link of Facebook lexus group

[@SaraiGarage]

@@irishcowboy6908 The group I’m in is “Lexus IS Freaks”. It’s obviously for IS information but there’s a lot of smart people on there…. And many more that are not 😂 You’ll see if you join But I would also join LS specific groups as well! I don’t know which ones are good or bad tho bc I’m not really in the LS community!

[@MrJESSE300]

Bought the ballast for a 2008 IS250 and brought it to my mechanic and he ran into the the assembly being glued shut and didn’t proceed. Any advice? Should I try another shop? I don’t know that I’m capable of doing it myself.

[@XanhDT89]

Search it up on clublexus. There’s a process to do it without removing the lens.

[@SaraiGarage]

You can take it to a custom headlight shop. They are always removing lenses and doing stuff like this. Just make sure they reseal everything correctly. That’s the most important thing. The club Lexus post the other guy is talking about involves baking your headlight in an oven or using a heat gun and pulling the lens apart yourself. If I was doing it, I would just pay a headlight shop $100 or $200 to do it all for me. Too much work and too much stuff that I could do wrong. I could make more money and waste less time doing something else while the headlight guy fixes my headlight! Good luck!!! 🙌🏾

[@XanhDT89]

@@SaraiGarage The post I saw didn’t involve that. It consisted of removing the plate and wires and soldering new ones in. Something along those lines

[@XanhDT89]

www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-3rd-gen-2006-2011/680363-diy-replace-headlight-ballast-without-taking-apart-headlight.html

[@ethothunderbird3770]

Shop is trying to charge me 389.. I was about to start laughing

[@SaraiGarage]

To be honest $390 to do this job is not that bad in my opinion! It’s a pretty long and annoying job! But $400 saved is $400 saved! Goodluck with the repair! Wish you the best! 🙌🏾

[@riksiu5887]

How did you know it was the ballast that was messed up and not the bulbs before you took it out ?

[@XanhDT89]

Just test the bulbs. Swap from left to right right to left.

[@chathao8109]

Question. Your screws that were stripped. The ones with the rubber bumper cover. Do you by chance have a part number for them? And did you order them at the dealership or no?

[@SaraiGarage]

Part Number: 53119-53021 I bought this from a Dealer off of Ebay for $13.

[@chathao8109]

@@SaraiGarage thanks for the quick reply. I've been stressing out trying to find them

[@emmapedroza2247]

did you just get your ballast from lexus itself & how much was it?…

[@SaraiGarage]

Yes. I think I paid like $170 wholesale but that was also almost 4 years ago. Price is probably more now.

[@lopezbiglos]

so how long did this new installed ballast from Auto Zone last you for?

[@SaraiGarage]

Like 2 months. Just buy a genuine one from Lexus bro. The autozone ones are not worth it at all. Just get the part number from your Lexus dealer and Google it. You’ll see tons of dealerships selling them online at wholesale prices

[@TheOrvilleF]

Hhhmmm I almost bought new headlights thinking the ballast wasn't changeable. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲

[@StR8uP254]

Do you know if your particular headlight assembly would fit a 2008 IS250 (I have factory HID low beams & halogen high beams)

[@SaraiGarage]

StR8uP254 I have an OEM headlight assembly. All Lexus IS cars model year 2011 and newer come with the LED’s. Yes, an OEM headlight assembly from a 2011 or newer IS will fit your car, but it’s gonna be really expensive. My car is a 2011. To see if a ballast is bad, watch my headlight bulb replacement video. When you open up the light bulb access door, you can remove the part of the ballast attached to the headlight, which you have to do anyways when changing bulbs, and you can see if the connector from the ballast is burnt or not.

[@StR8uP254]

Sarai Garage my apologies , I didn’t realize I was doing multiple comments for same issue, ill try to back track and delete them 😶

[@SaraiGarage]

StR8uP254 You’re good Bro! It’s just you split up questions under 2 or 3 diff peoples comments 😂 + A lot of people ask me the same stuff over n over again like what model year my car is and it’s lowkey annoying having to type it out to everyone when I wrote it all out in the description. But like I said it’s all good! If you get stuck at any part just comment again, I have notifications turned on so I respond pretty quick 🤪

[@StR8uP254]

To be honest, you had me speechless while watching your videos, you seem very intelligent and if you told me you were a professor at a technical school specializing in automotive technology , i wouldn’t have any reason to doubt that. I admire your confidence and drive that you put forth in what you like doing!! What are you majoring in if u don’t mind me asking?? 🏆keep up the great videos I enjoy them and apparently a lot of ppl do! Don’t pay no mind to them haters out there with their nonsense.. your a one of a kind!! 😎💯💯

[@SaraiGarage]

StR8uP254 Thank you so much 🙏🏾 Thats honestly the kindest comment I’ve gotten yet!! 🙌🏾 I really try to show everything so anyone can do it. I got tired of trying to guess my way through half of the steps from other people’s videos man 😅 Im super glad they’re helping you though 🙂 And I’m currently a health science major at the Ohio State University and hopefully I’ll be going to Dental School next year if my interviews go well! Haha

[@El_Jefe916]

Would this process be the same on a Lexus gs300 06-09

[@SaraiGarage]

eder gamez Yes. Of course the process of removing the headlamp would be different, but replacing the ballast is the same on every car from every manufacturer. I have yet to see a ballast that cannot be unscrewed and swapped when it fails!

[@mbank3832]

why dont you use LED instead of HID ?

[@Lmc-cargo-llc]

would it be the reason my DRL not working ?

[@SaraiGarage]

No. Either it’s just burnt out from age or you have some electrical problem/ bad connection going on.

[@sofianeadrouche9435]

Thx after all man

[@SaraiGarage]

Glad it helped you! 🙏🏾🙌🏾

[@goatculler]

no motor in yourheadlamp so ballast plug just come out easy. its a nightmere with electric motor headlamp

[@joshualefebvre5943]

was your afs light on?

[@SaraiGarage]

No

[@kevinkleinhenz6511]

The stock 2008 ballasts will not fish out without removing lens. I believe the lights you are removing are aftermarket.

[@SaraiGarage]

These are stock 2011 face-lifted headlamps. Read description for details.

[@kevinkleinhenz6511]

@@SaraiGarage Ok, well the 2008’s are so much more difficult. We had to disassemble the plug on the new ballast, cut the old pigtail at ballast, tape them together and drag new one through, otherwise you have to take lens completely out. 👍

[@emmanuelvicente5462]

No way !the bulb connector won't get through. No room inside. And the ballast cable is screwed .you have to remove the lens in order to put in the ballast.

[@SaraiGarage]

Did you read the description before starting?? Are you working on newer headlamps with the LED check mark or the older ones without the LED’s?? I wrote in capital letters in the description that this is just for the newer designs man.

[@bulgarianicedtea7897]

The older style is350 headlights are different, it’s not possible to do this method there. The autofocus headlights on the is350 also don’t have enough room to do this method.

[@mobettaspice]

I actually watched the whole video. It was very helpful. But when you said it’s been a few days later and I seen how aggravated you got. I may have to pay someone to do all that work. It’s winter now #AintGotTimeForThat lol. Nice job tho.

[@SaraiGarage]

Richard Brown Thank You!! Haha Yeah it was just aggravating for me bc it kept raining and this job that should’ve taken 1 afternoon took me 3 🤦🏾‍♂️

[@CJ2K]

what headlights do u got

[@SaraiGarage]

CJ2K Osram D4S “HID Cool Blue Intense” 6000k from HIDconcept.com Forgot to add it in the description but I’ll add it now! Haha

[@michaelhampton2169]

Thank you very much

[@blueissocool]

How much $ was the Lexus ballast and bulb. I thought I saw it for $500 for both. Lexus smh.

[@NOEISY1]

THANK YOU so much

[@SaraiGarage]

NOEISY1 You’re very welcome! Glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@Bigsixi]

Thanks dude

[@SaraiGarage]

You got it! Thank you for the support!

[@dillonprice4738]

Yeah I have no fin room for my ballast wire to just slide in like yours just did. Now I have shit everywhere and can’t fix my car

[@SaraiGarage]

You might have pre-facelift headlamps. Please read description of video

[@TFROSTINC]

All you had to do was remove the piece of the bulb that was left behind when you removed the burnt out bulb.

[@SaraiGarage]

That is completely inaccurate. The little connector inside the ballast socket that latches onto the bulb was charred to a crisp. What would you do? Scrape it off?? What would your bulb attach to then? It MIGHT work and turn on, but I promise you an unsecured light bulb will constantly be knocked loose from the ballast and turn off while driving. Then you will sit there flipping your lights on and off over and over again to reignite the bulb and the ballast, which will ultimately lead to both burning out. Your idea will fix nothing and if anything make you buy 2 bulbs instead of 1. Do the repair right and do it once. Don't make things more difficult and annoying for yourself than they need to be.

[@ZAKI1980]

This ballast is original Toyota or Chinese fake from eBay or Amazon I’m asking becosue im buy 4 times the not original ballast

[@SaraiGarage]

I don’t know where you’re buying it from. Buy it directly from your Lexus dealer. I had the same problem myself. They kept breaking. Finally I bought the genuine Lexus ballast and it never broke or gave me problems. Good luck! 👍🏾

[@j.p.8276]

Can you work a little harder at getting the audio consistent?

[@SaraiGarage]

The audio is better in newer videos. I learn more with each video. This took me 3 days to film and another day to edit. I make literally nothing off the views. I made this just to help people in the community. I don’t appreciate you telling me to “work a little harder”. I don’t work for you my guy. You could’ve gotten your message across much more nicely.

[@Gulfdiver211]

WTF do they make this shit SOOOO HARD just to replace a bulb or ballast??? OMG!!!!!

[@kingachiever]

Thank you

[@SaraiGarage]

Demetrich Stokes Glad it helped! 🙂

[@oXumeR]

How much for you to replace my ballast lol

[@SaraiGarage]

I wouldn’t go through the three days of pain it took to do this again no matter how much you paid me 😂😭

[@oXumeR]

Sarai Garage lol wow really 3 days? Also how are those aftermarket headlights doing I’m thinking of getting some but not sure which ones exactly?

[@SaraiGarage]

oXumeR Yeah it took three days cause it kept raining for me 😂 Had to stop over n over again. And these arn’t aftermarket lights. These are OEM. But besides this one ballast failing they’ve been doing great!

[@oXumeR]

Sarai Garage that’s crazy my right ballast has been messing up as of lately and those headlights look super sleek they look like they are in amazing shape no oxidation or anything

[@SaraiGarage]

oXumeR Watch my Sam’s Club video man 😂 (I fixed it later). But yeah they’re crystal clear now man! 🙌🏾

[@ayoubjandou3245]

You forgot the gasket.You're supposed to put the gasket

[@SaraiGarage]

@@ayoubjandou3245 I for sure added my gasket back on when doing this repair. Maybe the footage of that got accidentally cut out! It was a super long video. The actual recorded footage was 4x is long and I trimmed back all of the clips into this. Thanks for warning everyone tho. Good reminder 🤝

[@mikepayneshow]

That's a burnt fly. lol

[@andrzejpl9897]

👍👍👍

[@osanshouo1684]

Fvkyn tax! federal tax, state tax, sales tax, property tax...

[@kimo130575123]

long long video,