OK, so I'm actually posting this for a friend, but he's a fellow Subaru owner, so I hope I can get some help with this. He bought a 2005 Outback XT brand new off the lot, and so far, he's gone through some headlight issues. I've read that most cars of the Legacy family have this issue, but here's my snag-

 

His car has HID headlights, and all the issues I've read about with headlights going out are halogen. ALL of the searches I've conducted online have only yielded results for halogen bulbs, and I can't find a single thing about HID.

 

So the questions are-

1. Is it a common issue on these cars for the same headlight to keep burning out if it isn't halogen?

2. WHERE can we find a place to even buy a replacement?

3. Is there anything that can be done to hopefully eliminate this problem?

Generally repeated HID failures are due to faulty lighting modules.

Broken headlight mounts allowing the housing to move excessively, incorrectly mounted or damaged housings causing excessive chassis vibration to reach the bulb, can cause the bulb to rattle around and be damaged.

 

Subaru dealer should be able to check the lighting module for faults. Those are far from cheap though.

I'm sure he does not have HID's. I also bought an OBXT (2008 model) new off the lot. It does not have HID's. Projector headlights YES! HID's, NO. Hence the search repeatedly resulting in halogens.

 

Spencer

Edited May 19, 201114 yr by obk25xt

Generally repeated HID failures are due to faulty lighting modules.

Broken headlight mounts allowing the housing to move excessively, incorrectly mounted or damaged housings causing excessive chassis vibration to reach the bulb, can cause the bulb to rattle around and be damaged.

 

Subaru dealer should be able to check the lighting module for faults. Those are far from cheap though.

 

Is that the ballast looking thing?

I'm sure he does not have HID's. I also bought an OBXT (2008 model) new off the lot. It does not have HID's. Projector headlights YES! HID's, NO. Hence the search repeatedly resulting in halogens.

 

Spencer

 

He definitely does have HID lights. This I can assure you. It, too, was purchased brand new off the lot. I have noticed that this in the ONLY Subaru of its kind that I've ever seen with HID lights on it.

Are you sure its going out?

 

The wiring on the module could be messed up, but I have noticed this, and I cannot stress enough (after recent events) how dumb HIDs are. Love the light, hate the way they work.

 

 

Does he have a cheap-o kit - HIDs on regular, Yellow on brights?

 

My HIDs, my friends 97 Impreza and my buddies 95 Impreza ALL have this issue, where if the headlights are in the on position when the car is started, one goes out, and the lights must be flicked on and off a few times and the bulb will work again...

 

I know these cars are 10-15 years older than his car, but its worth a shot...

He definitely does have HID lights. This I can assure you. It, too, was purchased brand new off the lot. I have noticed that this in the ONLY Subaru of its kind that I've ever seen with HID lights on it.

 

huh, weird, ok, good luck then.........

Someone had to have added an HID kit to that car. Nowhere does it say that the Outback XT got HID lighting. The only thing that did that year was the STi. Usually the cause of the weird flickering issue when someone puts aftermarket HIDs in a car with daytime running headlights. Thus, the DRL need to be disabled.

 

Even the spec.b didn't get HID lights.

Well, I guess I'll have to figure this out. I could have bet money that it had HID lights on it, but I know HE didn't put them on, and I doubt the dealer would have put them on for giggles. It's just very strange to me, because it gives off a very HID type light. I've seen projector lights give GOOD light, but never like this.

 

 

I'll update later tonight. If they do end up being halogen, what's the main cause of problems that makes the same bulb burn out?

Vibration, moisture in the headlight assembly, or most likely, oil on the bulb from the fingers of the installer. You have to make sure to never touch the crystal off the bulb (that's the glass part) with a halogen. The crystal runs wicked hot, and if there's oils on the surface, it destroys the bulb. The natural oil in your skin is enough to do it.