|
|
How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Nova
New User
Sep 30, 2023, 7:54 PM
Post #1 of 8
(589 views)
|
|
How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
2018
Kia
Sorento
3.3L V6
100,000 Miles
Hi everyone,
I'm needing some help with figuring out how to replace the low beam headlights on this Kia Sorento. I've seen Youtube videos and what they show does not match what I see. I'm thinking that it may be because I have the SX trim which has some kind of auto leveling low beams. At least, I can see them move up and down each time I start the car. In the videos I can see that they are just reaching in, turning the bulb and pulling it out. I have a square metal housing that is screwed in on the left and right side where the bulb is supposed to be. I'm guessing that's the motor that makes the light move up and down on mine but I'm not entirely sure. I have not been able to find anything in the manual that explains what that metal box is either. With how limited the space is in there I'm guessing the bulb must be on the front side of this metal box and somehow attached to it. Does anyone know what I need to do to replace the bulb on this thing?
Thank you.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 1, 2023, 6:32 AM
Post #2 of 8
(560 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
You may want to rethink doing this yourself. This is not the simple headlight system of the old days.
If this is an HID system which I suspect it is. There is a module and igniter that operate a very expensive bulb. If you damage this system you could be looking at thousands of dollars to replace a headlamp. The bulb alone is over $250 if the bulb is even the problem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Nova
New User
Oct 1, 2023, 10:32 AM
Post #3 of 8
(549 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
I've already replaced the high beams on this and they were simple H7 Philips halogen bulbs that just needed new bulbs plugged directly in to the socket. The low beams are just as dim and give the same yellowish light. The manual says they should be H11 bulbs. I'm assuming that if the high beams are halogen and the color and brightness are similar that the low beams would be halogen as well. Is there a way to tell for certain if they are HID or halogen without being able to see passed this metal casing that's in the way?
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 1, 2023, 10:41 AM
Post #4 of 8
(547 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
HID system will have an igniter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 1, 2023, 10:47 AM
Post #5 of 8
(540 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
Here's what the Non-HID looks like.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Sidom
Veteran
/ Moderator
Oct 3, 2023, 12:53 PM
Post #6 of 8
(421 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
Sounds like you just have halogen bulbs in you car.
One thing to look at is how fogged the lens are on the headlight housing. Fogged lens really cut down on the light level. There are restore kits out there to help clean up fogged lens.
Another thing is you could have a bad ground. If you have a wiring diagram, you could supply a redundant ground to the ground wire for testing purposes and if that brings back the brightness, then you have resistances on the ground side. find where it grounds and clean the area.
After that you probably are going to need to take some voltage readings and do some voltage drop testing on the circuit. Which is actually pretty basic if you have a volt meter. Just google "voltage drop testing" and you can decide if it's something you want to do.
|
|
| |
|
|
Nova
New User
Oct 4, 2023, 5:34 PM
Post #7 of 8
(375 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
Thanks for all the advice. At this point I do actually believe that it is an HID bulb. I see that the metal housing looks like what I am seeing on HID bulbs on the web. It's odd that the manual does not mention anything about this. Maybe the previous owner modified it or it's just part of the auto-leveling kit that KIA puts on this car and the manual doesn't cover it.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 4, 2023, 6:36 PM
Post #8 of 8
(371 views)
|
|
Re: How to Replace Low Beam Headlight Bulb of 2018 Kia Sorento with Auto Leveling Lights
|
Sign In
|
|
The manual isn't specific to every available option. It's a generic manual for that model year.
HID is an option for the higher trim levels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
Drive Shaft Repair
2006 Toyoto Camry XLE Driver Side Electric Window Trouble
Grounding Cable, 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
equipment
Howdy
