e-man

Guys -- I know the topic has been covered but there is something I don't understand. Why is the OEM Philips D4S 4300 replacement bulb from xenon depot $78 when the OEM replacement bulb from Lexus is pushing $200? Is it really the same thing?

is this the correct one: http://www.xenondepot.com/D4S-Philips-42402-HID-Bulb-p/pb-d4s-4k.htm

TRD_Power

Only reason I can think of is the typical dealership markup. I picked up two of these and replaced my OEM bulbs, and for even less than $78. They look great and are much brighter:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

rl9010

Looks correct to me. D4S Hid bulb...Now the reason for the cost is could be... the price from Lexus is for a pair (probably not though), it's from the dealer so you pay the dealer for being the middle man in sourcing the bulbs. Lighting on modern cars scares people so they can charge what they want. Basically, you pay for being lazy and not doing your own research.

Go with the xenon depot replacements, it's the same thing. Note that the link you posted is priced per bulb. I would replace both bulbs at the same time to assure color matching.

e-man

Thanks very much guys. I appreciate the quick responses. I intend to replace both bulbs at the same time. Do we know why the bulbs on Amazon are even cheaper than the bulbs on xenon depot? They look like they're exactly the same Phillips bulbs.

rl9010

Very well could be the same bulb. I would avoid ebay as I have heard stories of knockoff bulbs being sold there. I'm sure if you utilize amazon's buyer protection you will find what you need. Just checked Trd-Powers link...it is sold directly from philips so you are ok!

TRD_Power

I've had them in my car going on two months now, and they both look/work great. Snapped a quick pic of the beams against my garage for you last night. They're a nice crystal white, with a tiny hint of blue... But mostly white Pic makes them look a little off in color, but my OEM bulbs did the same thing. Hope this helps!

wickedtaco

TRD, are your lows 6k? Also do you have your fogs and DRL matching?

TRD_Power

The Seller (Philips) doesn't state the temp, but they appear to be 4300k from my personal experience. They're supposedly rated at what's sold as OEM. I still have one of the original bulbs at home, so I can take a look and compare the two once I leave work. From what I could tell, they were identical when I was replacing them. I bought my car with just 16k miles back in April of 2014, so they're the ones that came with the car back in '08. Should give us all a better idea

e-man

So while I would love to support a club lexus vendor, xenon depot, they are selling the Philips D4S 4300 bulb for $78 while the exact same bulb is for sale on Amazon for $49. That's a savings of $60 for the pair. I think I may have to order from Amazon.

TRD_Power

I would definitely recommend it. Saved me a ton of money Also, you can check the thousands of positive reviews if you need reassurance. Overall, I'm very satisfied.

1VIPGSF

Cool thanks.

TRD_Power

Checked the OEM bulb and compared it to mine, and they are pretty much spot on. They're safe

HaerdenC

Is it for all GS models the same type? I have a 2007 GS450h ... one lamp sometimes goes out and back on, as it is quit some work removing the bumper etc I plan to change all lamps + the ballasts for the xenon lights + change fog lights. I have the luxuary to have another car to drive however if I can order everything at once i might be able to do it in 1 weekend Has somebody an overview of all lamps and types (fog dim stand etc in the light module? And the partnumber of DESCENT ballast replacement. I plan to buy the stock phillips xenons

e-man

So I bought the bulbs off amazon. $49 for each, no sales tax, free shipping. I installed them today. Took about 45 minutes start to finish, but I took my time. Probably could do it in 30 minutes if I had to do it again.

The philips d4s 42402 bulbs from Amazon are exactly the same as what the manufacturer installs. Not similar, of like kind, etc., they are the same brand, model, identical.

I still don't understand how the dealer can charge $175 per bulb, plus tax. I assume it's an hour of time for installation too. I get that because not every person has the time or desire to do the install, but the price of the bulbs themselves shouldn't be that exorbitant.

Hope this helps.

TRD_Power

Glad you were able to save a pretty penny! It definitely makes buying new headlight bulbs a lot less painful when the time rolls around. I always complained about how weak the headlights were in my car last fall/winter (gets dark really early here in the PNW around this time), but totally disregarded the fact that they were the original bulbs from '08. Night driving has been MUCH better since I installed the new bulbs.