A week or so ago as I pulled up to my garage door I noticed that the driver's side headlight was pink tinged instead of the usual HID blue tint. So I went to the dealer to have it replaced and they had to order it. The service rep looked at it and said it was in the process of going bad.

Saturday I got a written notice that the headlight had come in but now the driver's side headlight has gone back to being the normal blue color and the passenger side one has now turned to about the same color as a conventional headlight. Neither the normal blue or the pink I had earlier on the other one.

What's going on? This seems so bizarre. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

One other question. In looking in the owner's manual to see what was involved in replacing the low beam headlight, I found that the the hight beam headlight and the orange parking light can be replaced by the owner, and it provides instructions for doing it, but the low beam headlight has to be replaced by the dealer. Anyone know why this is the case? All three lights appear to be similar. What makes the low beam so special that only the dealer can replace it?

 

Ugh, it sounds like you might be chasing an electrical gremlin there. Only thing you can really do is let the dealer know what's going on and hope the techs are good at detective work.

For the low beam it's probably listed that way because HID's have a self-leveling mechanism that doesn't lend itself to being worked on by the average weekend mechanic.

 

No self-leveling in the Corvette, but the HID module uses very high voltages to create the discharge. There is a shock hazard if you don't know what you're doing.

 

Corvette'd HID is fixed, not self leveling.

 

Made an assumption based on other cars I've encountered, sorry. Now I know for when I order my C6, thanks guys!

 

I still wonder why chevy does not want owner's changing the low beam headlight bulbs. Is it a legal thing? Maybe the adjustment will change upon replacement and so they don't want owner's touching? Or is it because the bulbs are very expensive and probably fragile, and they don't want owner's coming back and saying that they received bad bulbs when in fact the bulbs were damaged during a sloppy attempted replacement?

I have not attempted to change any bulbs yet, but if the DRLs and high beams are user serviceable, I really don't understand why the low beam headlights would not be owner serviceable too. I suspect GM just doesn't want you playing around with them, for their own reasons. Yes?

Anyone?

 

Oops - just saw this post now. Makes sense.... thanks!

I do not yet have the C6 service manual... waiting for the `06 version. Does the existing C6 service manual list instructions on how to change the low beam bulb? Any trickery involved, or just straight forward?

 

Looks like the "Arc tube" is right above the low beam bulb. Service manual says don't let the arc tube contact the side of the headlamp housing or the bulb sheild. Damage to the arc tube may result. That and the fact you're not just dealing with 12 volts. If in doubt, take it to the dealer.

 

Found your 'pink' headlight mentioned in my service manual while I was looking for something else. It says one of the symptoms of a HID bulb going out is Color Change...the lamp may change to a dim pink glow. Bad bulbs are possible, even on a new car.

 

 

I took the car to the dealer and I basically have the driver's side low beam going bad. The confusion in some of the stuff I stated earlier was I didn't realize when you first turn the headlights on, they tend to be blue and slowly turn to a warmer color.

My formerly pink headlight is now constantly blue and the other one is actually ok. They had a new Z0-6 sitting right next to my car and they turned on the headlights to show me how they start out blue and then change color. Never had noticed that before.

I didn't have time on that visit to wait for them to change it so I am taking it back next week. It's covered by warranty so best let them do it anyway.

One thing that really surprised me. They started up the Z0-6 while I was standing there and I was amazed at how quiet the exhaust is. You would think they would get a little more sound out of 505 hp.

The Corvette exhaust note in general is kind of disappointing. A stock Mustang has a more aggressive sound. I now have a Corsa Sport system on mine but whatever happened to the deep rumble that aftermarket systems used to provide? This has more of a raspy sound than a throaty rumble.

 

I guess you missed the posts that told us that the Z06 exhaust opens up after a certain rpm and get loud.

 

As per the service manual:

When To Change The HID Bulb
Bulb failure, end of life occurs when the bulb gets old and becomes unstable. The bulb may begin shutting itself off sporadically and unpredictably at first, perhaps only once during a 24-hour period. When the bulb begins shutting itself off occasionally, the ballast will automatically turn the bulb back on again within 0.5 seconds. The ballast will re-strike the bulb so quickly that the bulb may not appear to have shut off. As the bulb ages, the bulb may begin to shut off more frequently, eventually over 30 times per minute. When the bulb begins to shut off more frequently, the ballast receives excessive, repetitive current input . Repetitive and excessive restarts or re-strikes, without time for the ballast to cool down, will permanently damage the ballast. As a safeguard, when repetitive re-strikes are detected, the ballast will not attempt to re-strike the lamp. The ballast then shuts down and the bulb goes out.

The following symptoms are noticeable signs of bulb failure:

• Flickering light, caused in the early stages of bulb failure

• Lights go out, caused when the ballast detects excessive, repetitive bulb re-strike

• Color change--The lamp may change to a dim pink glow.

Input power to the ballast must be terminated in order to reset the ballast's fault circuitry. In order to terminate the input power to the ballast, turn the lights off and back on again. Turning the lights off and back on again resets all of the fault circuitry within the ballast until the next occurrence of excessive, repetitive bulb re-strikes. When excessive, repetitive bulb re-strikes occur, replace the starter/arc tube assembly. The ballast will begin the start-up process when the starter/arc tube assembly is replaced. Repeatedly resetting the input power can overheat the internal components and cause permanent damage to the ballast. Allow a few minutes of cool-down time in between reset attempts.

Bulb failures are often sporadic at first, and difficult to repeat. Technicians can identify bulb failure by observing if the problem gets progressively worse over the next 100 hours of operation.


Light Color
White light has a different color rating than regular headlamps. The range of white light that is acceptable is broad when compared to halogens. Therefore, some variation in headlight coloring between the right and left headlamp will be normal. One high intensity discharge (HID) at the end of the normal range may appear considerably different in color from one at the other end of the range. Difference in color is normal. Replace the arc tube only if the arc tube is determined to be at the bulb failure stage.

 

I know there is a TSB out on the wiring harness as my DRL went out at 300 miles.
They want you to take the Corvette in to the dealership for everything. Just one of the reasons why I was looking for a 69-72 big block Corvette the old ones are more simple for DIY but factory vs. factory the C-6 beats them all.

 

Geeez... I remember when a headlamp cost under $10 and took 5 minutes to change with nothing more than a phillips screwdriver.

Thanks for the excellent info!

 

Real engines with real exhaust systems make raspy, hard sounds.

 

It took alot longer than 5 minutes on the old Corvettes
remember seal beams

 

5 screws (2 holding the chrome beauty ring, 3 holding the actual sealed beam retainer) and the bulb was in your hand, out the front. Unplug, pop the new one in, screw the retainer and beauty ring back on, done. Simple, quick, easy.

No monkey business about removing part of the inner fender well, and the wheel too if you want room to see and work, then fishing around in that little hole to get to the lamp module as is the case with the C6.

 

I can see how an extended warranty is required maybe even mandtory on thse cars. I was surprised to learn I can't view or reset simple DIC error codes, the car needs to go back to the dealer for something that took 60 seconds in the C5.

I have a C6 on order but it looks like I'll be buying an extended warranty.

Tom

 

I'm sure glad I got the GM extended warranty.