Regal GS headlight assembly w/ HID Discontinued?

[Rachel121]

My point exactly. Believe me I have tried with the service reps, spoke to 2 sr service reps, one of their supervisors and still nothing saying it is not covered even with my argument it is a manufacturer defect as moisture is not supposed to get in or accumulate. Been to 2 different dealerships who both said they will not do it under warranty (unfortunately now I'm above bumper to bumper mileage so it is documented as before the mileage but now I can't try others as they'll tell me I'm out of mileage). And I did explain it is a manufacturer defect they literally just told me "well it's not going to be covered gm isn't going to reimburse us"

Thankfully everyone I have talked to believes it should be covered including warranty clerk at the dealership and service advisor, meaning a reasonable person believes it to be a manufacturer defect (no cracks on outside to let water in or anything due to accidents or road rash).

So my first step is im going to order a hid bulb (a cheaper one not the OEM for now as it'll likely go out soon too due to moisture) and install that asap so I am not illegal.

Second step is file with nhtsa complaint as it is a safety issue.

And third, i unfortunately am going to have to file in small claims court (pretty sure I'll win) claiming it needs to be fixed as warranty and manufacturer defect, in which case it'll be for new headlight assembly, labor, and the HID bulb I'm about to buy to not be driving around without a headlight.

If you don’t mind me asking, how long did it take you to hear back from GM after filing the lawsuit? I understand that the case details etc are confidential, but just wondering if you can answer that? It looks like I’ll be doing the same thing. My car was outside the warranty and I now have both headlights with condensation in them. One side doesn’t work at all ( pretty sure the ballast needs to be replaced) and it’s only a matter of time before the other side stops working too. I keep replacing bulbs and fuses for now on the side that still works. I’ve also drilled holes in the bottom, but that only allows some of the condensation to come out. Thanks.

 

[craigffb]

I empathize with your frustration, and I had the same issue with my 2012 Regal GS. I found some aftermarket replacement headlight assemblies (not made by GM). I did not feel like I was losing anything by purchasing assemblies not made by GM, since clearly GM did not know what they were doing when they made the originals. Post 75 in this thread describes the replacement headlight assembly I bought on eBay for my 2012 GS. These still cost me several hundred dollars, but were cheaper than the price you mentioned.

HID headlight issue!

Earlier in this thread, pigsnzen reported that he did this swap on his 2012 GS and no adapter or new harness was required, so that's what I'm banking on. Yeah, if I do go ahead and take that route, I'll almost definitely put LEDs in.

buickforums.com

Post 80 in the same thread describes my experience in installing it.
The appearance of the ones I bought is somewhat different from the original - not in its external shape, but in that it does not have the visible "blue ring" inside the front glass cover. This difference does not bother me, since I bought a matching pair. It might have bothered me if I only bought one. I bought a pair because while only the driver's side had failed, I did sometimes see moisture on the passenger side too, and I figured it was just a matter of time.

@carl3pedals Which ones did you get off ebay? I'm running into the same issue drivers side out. If replacing them both is cheaper I'll probably go that route.

Thanks

 

[craigffb]

Oh and FYI new part number for the drivers side headlight is 19371008.

 

[carl3pedals]

@carl3pedals Which ones did you get off ebay? I'm running into the same issue drivers side out. If replacing them both is cheaper I'll probably go that route.

Thanks

The link to the ebay item is in the referenced thread in post 75.
Now, I can't guarantee that this seller is still selling the exact same item as what I bought in Spring 2019, but the same URL as the link I cited back then does seem to link to the same type of product (for a 2011-2014 Regal).

 

[fbyg794]

I have just had the same problem occur as most of you. Condensation leading to lamp failure on my 2013 Regal GS. Absolutely no luck finding what I view as a reliable, economical replacement so I tried using a halogen system. Checked fuses and connections, but it didn't work. Has anyone had any experience swapping out a halogen system for the HIDs. I assume it has something to do with halogen system incompatibility with the ECM, but I don't know. I love the car, but a $1500 headlamp. Jeez!

 

[Jlm85]

I have a 2012 regal gs and just smoked a deer. Already replaced the headlamp assembly once, for just under $800, hitting a deer before 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Some of you are saying you used the halogen headlamp assemblies. Is that the regal turbo headlamp assembly? Are they bolt on or do you need to finesse it? Are the plugs different? Its ridiculous we can't get a unreasonably priced headlamp anymore. 🤷‍♂️

 

[carl3pedals]

I would not want to purchase a GM-manufactured headlight assembly for my 2012 Regal GS, because of their high failure rate with getting moisture in them, leading to headlight assembly failure. With the replacement headlight assemblies I bought from a 3rd party, I had no problem getting them installed. I did post with my installation experience as well.

 

[MN Regal owner]

About a year ago I gave up fighting with the HID issues on my 2012 GS and purchased Halogen assemblies made by TYC from Amazon. Installation was easy since I had gotten pretty skilled at removing the lights to constantly attempt fixes on the factory HIDs. The Halogen buckets fit right in, you have to rotate the plug to align with new lamp but there is enough slack in the wire harness to make this work. I swapped out the stock Halogen bulbs with Sylvania SilverStar Ultras which has been a great solution that have worked perfectly for a year now. The total solution cost me about $250 after spending hundreds more trying to keep my HID lamps alive with new bulbs and ballasts that fried each time they got wet. I’ve had a happy year since then not worrying about the headlights and enjoying a nice bright road ahead at night with the upgraded bulbs. I don’t miss the HIDs one bit after all of the problems with insanely expensive solutions.

 

[mitchflorida]

About a year ago I gave up fighting with the HID issues on my 2012 GS and purchased Halogen assemblies made by TYC from Amazon. Installation was easy since I had gotten pretty skilled at removing the lights to constantly attempt fixes on the factory HIDs. The Halogen buckets fit right in, you have to rotate the plug to align with new lamp but there is enough slack in the wire harness to make this work. I swapped out the stock Halogen bulbs with Sylvania SilverStar Ultras which has been a great solution that have worked perfectly for a year now. The total solution cost me about $250 after spending hundreds more trying to keep my HID lamps alive with new bulbs and ballasts that fried each time they got wet. I’ve had a happy year since then not worrying about the headlights and enjoying a nice bright road ahead at night with the upgraded bulbs. I don’t miss the HIDs one bit after all of the problems with insanely expensive solutions.

Can you please post the link?

 

[MN Regal owner]

Looks like prices have gone up a bit since 2019:
Right side -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T31P31S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Left side -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T31P2TG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[MN Regal owner]

The TYC assemblies come with bulbs already installed so if you're good with that it's just a 1 for 1 swap out. In my case I upgraded the low and high beam bulbs with Sylvania SilverStar Ultra bulbs which provide a nice bright white beam that stretches nicely down the road. The high beams are especially effective and for me they seem much more effective than the stock HID bulbs. When you hit the high beam switch you get all four bulbs lit and can see really well with a nice even beam pattern a long way down the road. You'll want to flick off the high beams when oncoming traffic approaches - they WILL remind you to shut them off!

After reading my previous post and then looking up the links on my Amazon account I realized it's been TWO years since I replaced the HID assemblies - Two years of no problems with my headlights has been bliss... When I read reviews of the Ultra bulbs I was a bit worried about their lifespan but they've been working great for two years now so if they start to burn out anytime soon I'll consider that a success given their excellent performance in my Regal.

 

[carl3pedals]

Posts 75, 79, and 80 on page 4 of the thread below describe the 3rd party replace headlight assemblies that I bought back in 2019, and my experience in installing them:

HID headlight issue!

Earlier in this thread, pigsnzen reported that he did this swap on his 2012 GS and no adapter or new harness was required, so that's what I'm banking on. Yeah, if I do go ahead and take that route, I'll almost definitely put LEDs in.

buickforums.com

 

[poncho167]

The dealer gave me the part #, thanks for the correct one though! I knew it was much cheaper as I had one replaced before because of a collision by insurance and I coulda sworn it was a few hundred dollars. Ya I called GM and asked them for a list of what is covered under bumper to bumper warranty and what is not, they refused and said it is up to the dealer warranty claims person. Regardless I am going to try another dealer monday, I feel bad for other consumers who do not have the time to push on things like this, essentially defrauding customers by denying warranties isnt okay and GM couldnt of cared less

It sounds like you are not familiar with the auto industry. Try and get something like this resolved with Toyota or Hyundai and you would see the same thing if not worse. Some dealers don't feel that certain warranty services are worth their time, unfortunately.

 

[black12gs]

The TYC assemblies come with bulbs already installed so if you're good with that it's just a 1 for 1 swap out. In my case I upgraded the low and high beam bulbs with Sylvania SilverStar Ultra bulbs which provide a nice bright white beam that stretches nicely down the road. The high beams are especially effective and for me they seem much more effective than the stock HID bulbs. When you hit the high beam switch you get all four bulbs lit and can see really well with a nice even beam pattern a long way down the road. You'll want to flick off the high beams when oncoming traffic approaches - they WILL remind you to shut them off!

After reading my previous post and then looking up the links on my Amazon account I realized it's been TWO years since I replaced the HID assemblies - Two years of no problems with my headlights has been bliss... When I read reviews of the Ultra bulbs I was a bit worried about their lifespan but they've been working great for two years now so if they start to burn out anytime soon I'll consider that a success given their excellent performance in my Regal.

View attachment 28527

I am getting ready to order these bulbs and headlight assembly on Amazon...just to double check...I will not need any other plugs or ballasts or anything else, correct?? I already have condensation in my lens and do not want to wait for them to blow a fuse or the bulbs to go out. Kinda sucks that GM couldn’t come up with another supplier for the HID. I like the look of them on my car.

 

[MN Regal owner]

You will not need anything other than the new assemblies. Your existing connection plugs will fit the new assemblies once they're installed. You'll need to rotate them to align with the new connection point orientation but in my case there was enough slack in the harness to allow for this:

 

[MN Regal owner]

The Sylvania bulbs were an upgrade but not necessary as the Amazon sourced assemblies already have all bulbs installed. That said I've been quite happy with the performance of the overall solution. The overall lighting performance is at least as good as the HID on low setting but (IMO) much better when I have opportunity to use the bright setting.

I tried to upgrade the amber turn signals with LED bulbs but the GS doesn't use a typical 'flasher' so I ended up with the dreaded "fast flash" and so far have not found a solution to this.

 

[anon242]

I am extremely familiar with this headlight assembly as I've had to disassemble mine a couple times now. 2012 GS.

If the Xenon is out, it is likely the ballast. (of course check the blue 10amp fuse. 57 and 58 iirc.) They are <$40usd. Non-OEM is fine. Just keep water out of it. Its is a ultrasonic welded case, but there are breather ports in the connectors, which is brilliant design by Hella because that is exactly where the water would pool in the headlight assembly if there were to be a leak. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D746TZG/

If the white DRL is out, it is likely the hella module 169424-71 AB. It is listed on aliexpress for $20usd. Mine went out this time and am awaiting said module.
New headlight assembly is around $700 used but in full working condition if you can find it. My local wreckers have one but I'm going to attempt to fix again.

My experience: moisture in headlight. Permaseal seal failed and does the opposite of its name. Put in oven, Remove permaseal as much as possible using knife and heat. Replace ballast, reseal with retrorubber butyl rubber. Didn't have any issues for 8mo+. It was leaking again, as I didn't do a perfect job with the sealant. Ballast fried again, filled with water. Took it apart again (easy as pie now with butyl) in comparison, and resealed. Waiting on ballast to fix the headlight itself, and waiting on the part from China for $20 to fix the DRL. I'll have to dissasemble it again though. It takes me a tenth of the time though.

 

[Darko]

I am extremely familiar with this headlight assembly as I've had to disassemble mine a couple times now. 2012 GS.

If the Xenon is out, it is likely the ballast. (of course check the blue 10amp fuse. 57 and 58 iirc.) They are <$40usd. Non-OEM is fine. Just keep water out of it. Its is a ultrasonic welded case, but there are breather ports in the connectors, which is brilliant design by Hella because that is exactly where the water would pool in the headlight assembly if there were to be a leak. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D746TZG/

If the white DRL is out, it is likely the hella module 169424-71 AB. It is listed on aliexpress for $20usd. Mine went out this time and am awaiting said module.
New headlight assembly is around $700 used but in full working condition if you can find it. My local wreckers have one but I'm going to attempt to fix again.

My experience: moisture in headlight. Permaseal seal failed and does the opposite of its name. Put in oven, Remove permaseal as much as possible using knife and heat. Replace ballast, reseal with retrorubber butyl rubber. Didn't have any issues for 8mo+. It was leaking again, as I didn't do a perfect job with the sealant. Ballast fried again, filled with water. Took it apart again (easy as pie now with butyl) in comparison, and resealed. Waiting on ballast to fix the headlight itself, and waiting on the part from China for $20 to fix the DRL. I'll have to dissasemble it again though. It takes me a tenth of the time though.

Please give an update when you receive the part from China. I have the same issue. My driver side LED DRL portion of the headlight assembly is out. I have not removed the assembly from the car yet. I assume from what I've read that you have to take the light apart to replace the LED module?

 

[Darko]

I am extremely familiar with this headlight assembly as I've had to disassemble mine a couple times now. 2012 GS.

If the Xenon is out, it is likely the ballast. (of course check the blue 10amp fuse. 57 and 58 iirc.) They are <$40usd. Non-OEM is fine. Just keep water out of it. Its is a ultrasonic welded case, but there are breather ports in the connectors, which is brilliant design by Hella because that is exactly where the water would pool in the headlight assembly if there were to be a leak. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D746TZG/

If the white DRL is out, it is likely the hella module 169424-71 AB. It is listed on aliexpress for $20usd. Mine went out this time and am awaiting said module.
New headlight assembly is around $700 used but in full working condition if you can find it. My local wreckers have one but I'm going to attempt to fix again.

My experience: moisture in headlight. Permaseal seal failed and does the opposite of its name. Put in oven, Remove permaseal as much as possible using knife and heat. Replace ballast, reseal with retrorubber butyl rubber. Didn't have any issues for 8mo+. It was leaking again, as I didn't do a perfect job with the sealant. Ballast fried again, filled with water. Took it apart again (easy as pie now with butyl) in comparison, and resealed. Waiting on ballast to fix the headlight itself, and waiting on the part from China for $20 to fix the DRL. I'll have to dissasemble it again though. It takes me a tenth of the time though.

Please give an update when you receive the part from China. I have the same issue. My driver side LED DRL portion of the headlight assembly is out. I have not removed the assembly from the car yet. I assume from what I've read that you have to take the light apart to replace the LED module?

 

[anon242]

Please give an update when you receive the part from China. I have the same issue. My driver side LED DRL portion of the headlight assembly is out. I have not removed the assembly from the car yet. I assume from what I've read that you have to take the light apart to replace the LED module?

Correct. Lens off to pull the module out. Here's pics of it. I desoldered the can on the pcb to inspect it. Sure enough, a 10pin sop is obviously blown. (https://www.analog.com/media/en/technical-documentation/data-sheets/1871fe.pdf) It is NOT conformal coated at all. I likely will be doing that once I get the replacement.