Intermittent Headlight - < 7000 miles/5 mos
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Would hope the bumper to bumper warranty would cover it.
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79 Posts
No one at the dealership, nor on this forum, has had any experience with this completely random failure. It has continued randomly for the last two 1/2 weeks. There is no pattern that I can discern; sun position, time, temp, location, etc.
Two hours after I dropped it off, dealership calls to say that GM has had some prior experience and they recommend changing the fuse box. Yep, the entire thing. Whatever! I'll let you know if it works.
OBTW: covered under warranty
Two hours after I dropped it off, dealership calls to say that GM has had some prior experience and they recommend changing the fuse box. Yep, the entire thing. Whatever! I'll let you know if it works.
OBTW: covered under warranty
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79 Posts
Update: Took it in to the dealer on 15Jul. Got it back 23Jul. Not fixed!
Details:
GM recommended to change the fuse box - the first action to remedy! A day of chasing parts, day to install, weekend, call to inform me it didn't work.
Next GM recommendation was to change the 'ballast'. Another series of days to chase parts/install, and again another phone call to inform me that this time it worked - but it really didn't. When I got the car home, it didn't work. 13 hrs later in my garage, it worked fine. Still completely random!
Will induct into the GM warranty repair process again next week. More when I know it!
Details:
GM recommended to change the fuse box - the first action to remedy! A day of chasing parts, day to install, weekend, call to inform me it didn't work.
Next GM recommendation was to change the 'ballast'. Another series of days to chase parts/install, and again another phone call to inform me that this time it worked - but it really didn't. When I got the car home, it didn't work. 13 hrs later in my garage, it worked fine. Still completely random!
Will induct into the GM warranty repair process again next week. More when I know it!
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79 Posts
I forgot to mention that you do not want a bad headlight. To get to the ballast which resides under the headlight assembly, they had to separate the forward portion of the fender and the front bumper; and remove the headlight. We're talking whole panel movement just to access the headlight assembly.
Don't get a job repairing Bolts, they are a b*@ch to work on!
Don't get a job repairing Bolts, they are a b*@ch to work on!
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2,094 Posts
Been down this road with some warranty work on my Bolt... apparently there are "Class A" and "Class B" techs at Chevy dealerships. Ask them to have a Class A tech work on your Bolt. When the Class A tech saw what the Class B tech had done on my Bolt he shook his head an said "we're not supposed to talk about the other tech's work... but that is terrible".
You may have to wait longer to have a Class A tech work on your Bolt.. but it is worth the wait!
Don't know if our local dealer's tech was a Class A, or a Class B, but he left them a over year ago, and they haven't replaced him as far as I know. Hasn't stopped them from selling half a dozen Bolts a year though.
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122 Posts
I had an aftermarket setup where the HID/Xenons were installed correctly and worked for years.. then one side started going out intermittently, almost the same way you describe. After chasing wires, ballasts, and moisture from the lens, it finally turned out that the 12V battery was weak. It eventually completly died, and when it was replaced, no more HID issue.
The logical reason behind the experience was that the voltage made it through the relay and harness quicker to the first ballast than it did the other and by the time it got to the second, there wasn't enough left to ignite it.
The logical reason behind the experience was that the voltage made it through the relay and harness quicker to the first ballast than it did the other and by the time it got to the second, there wasn't enough left to ignite it.
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79 Posts
Resolution:
Well, after 3 weeks and two separate dealer appointments - (per GM recommendations) the dealer changed the Fuse Box as the first maint action. That didn't work!
Next, GM recommends changing the ballast. After dislodging my fender and bumper to remove the whole headlight assembly, that didn't work!
Finally
GM recommends change the HID bulb itself. Imagine that! Really? It worked! They did not have to loosen the fender/bumper for this. They were able to get to the 'Headlamp Bulb Access Port' by only removing the wheel-well lining.
Hope this helps someone!
Well, after 3 weeks and two separate dealer appointments - (per GM recommendations) the dealer changed the Fuse Box as the first maint action. That didn't work!
Next, GM recommends changing the ballast. After dislodging my fender and bumper to remove the whole headlight assembly, that didn't work!
Finally
GM recommends change the HID bulb itself. Imagine that! Really? It worked! They did not have to loosen the fender/bumper for this. They were able to get to the 'Headlamp Bulb Access Port' by only removing the wheel-well lining.
Hope this helps someone!
Wow! That is unbelievable. Start with the most expensive and involved replacements, and work back to the simplest and cheapest.
Wow, would think that's the first thing they would have tried.
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79 Posts
The order of maint' on the replacement parts appears to have been dictated by their retail DEALER price for the replacement parts. Fuse Box ~ $145 Ballast ~ $165 HID ~ $190 without regard to the amount of labor hours involved. That's how the service advisor explained it to me!
I recently bought a 2017 Bolt and I since learned that the headlights intermittently flicker and sometimes turn off entirely. When this happens, high beams also don't work (I can hear the adjustment in the headlight assembly, though) and the dash light indicates the headlights are still on. Auto or on doesn't matter - it'll happen in either position. If I turn the lights off and on again they'll immediately start working, but after an indeterminate amount of time will die again. It's often both lights but recently started being one or the other. Has your fix been persistent? I was about to order two ballasts, but may try bulbs first as that's what fixed your problem.
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