DRL burnouts on early IONs solved

[tcotrel]

(There is another thread in the ION forum that deals with this problem. )

Saturn has issued a bulletin (# 030842009) concerning the problem of front parking/daytime driving lights regularly burning out. It concerns excess voltage getting to the bulbs causing them to fail. The fix, which is done under warranty, involves replacing capacitors (01227895) with accompanying connecting parts (AUV13659). It is not a problem with the light housing unit, but with the car's electrical system in the body. I just had this done on my ION2 and so far, so good.

[robh456]

That bulletin actually isn't supposed to address burning out of lights at all. The problem it describes has to do with the use of certain kinds of cell-phone chargers in the accessory outlets which can put excess noise into the electrical system and confuse the body computer module into thinking there is a short on the circuit, causing it to turn off the light. With this condition, the lights should come back on when the engine is restarted. The capacitors the bulletin advises to add are to filter out this noise from the charger.

Burning out of the bulbs is a separate issue, and I don't think there has been a bulletin released about that.

[WopOnTour]

What he said

[tcotrel]

I'm just quoting what the invoice said. I assume this fix addresses, or solves, the same problem.

Thanks for the clarification, though.

[Rm88de]

My 03 QC3 had this problem in the first 30 days of ownership. My dealership replaced the bulbs with new ones and they have now lasted over 5 months without another burned out bulb. They even gave me a spare bulb in case it happened again. Sounds like the bulbs were the problem (I wasn't charging anything, nor was I using any accessory at the time of the bulb failures). Sounds like two separate problems that may have an effect on the DRL/turn signals lights. Love my car!