HID headlight issues

[holddeez08RR]

Hey guys, been running HIDs in my headlights for the past two years. Well one of the bulbs decided to burn out and so I bought replacement bulbs. Come to find out that the bulbs had different plugs than my ballasts so I bought the ballasts to match also. The headlights were working fine but after time they became more and more difficult to get to turn on...

Is this a circumstance that I should look at putting higher amperage fuses for the headlights in? I still have the stock 10a fuses in there and the physical bulbs look to be a little bit larger than the ones I was running before.

Any helps is appreciated because I am getting frustrated with these things leaving me stranded at night by not turning on.

 

[NHXRUNNER]

Are you running a relay setup? In other words do the ballasts get power from the battery directly or do they just draw from the stock harness? You should have a relay setup. If you don't that's probably your problem. Where did you buy the kit?

 

[ACE OF SPADE X]

Are you running a relay setup? In other words do the ballasts get power from the battery directly or do they just draw from the stock harness? You should have a relay setup. If you don't that's probably your problem. Where did you buy the kit?

yea that sounds right

 

[holddeez08RR]

No relay kit. Can i buy one and just add it to my existing setup or do I have to buy new ballasts and junk?

And I bought it from a stereo shop down the street... a$$wipe said I was getting a Phillips kit for $100 :laugh:

 

[NHXRUNNER]

You should be able to buy a kit online. Is your kit a hi/lo or just a lo? Just search for an H4 relay kit for your headlights and a 9005 or H10 relay kit for your fogs. Shouldn't blow anymore fuses after that.

 

[holddeez08RR]

I haven't actually blown any fuses. I just don't think the bulbs are getting enough voltage upon startup... I'll check out the relay kits right now. Thanks guys.

Oh and its a hi/lo but the high beam is just a smaller bulb off to the side, not the kind that move the shield to make a hi beam

 

[rich017]

The Luminous Soultion kits are run off the harness and I don;t have any problems with them turning on.

When you have trouble turning them on, is it when the headlight switch is already on when starting the truck? If so then that is the issue. You have to turn the HID's on AFTER you have started the truck. Having them fire up while starting the truck creates a drop in voltage and prevents them from turning on

 

[holddeez08RR]

No, even if I flip the switch after the truck is running I still have problems. I will then hear (and see when its dark) a triple pulse buzz in the wire that goes to the bulb. I've already replaced the ballasts thinking that they were my problem but nothing changed. I am wondering if they just aren't getting enough juice.

 

[rich017]

No, even if I flip the switch after the truck is running I still have problems. I will then hear (and see when its dark) a triple pulse buzz in the wire that goes to the bulb. I've already replaced the ballasts thinking that they were my problem but nothing changed. I am wondering if they just aren't getting enough juice.

Hmm, I think it's a bad kit then.

What's the wattage on your kit?

 

[holddeez08RR]

I think they're just a 35w setup

I'm getting fairly frustrated because I don't have the cash to just buy another kit. I probably should have bought a good kit in the first place and I thought I was considering the guy who sold them to me said they were from Germany, instead of China...

 

[TitanRattler813]

General Side note... bigger fuses almost never solve any problem.

If they don't blow, they are not getting passing any more current than their rating.

If they do blow, it's more often a short circuit than it is a wrong sized fuse, in which case they will either continue to pop as they are replaced or pass enough current to overheat the wire and eventually start a fire.

The purpose of a fuse is to protect the wiring :top:

 

[JDUB916]

I have a similar problem with my set. Im on my 2nd set and out of the box the drivers side wont power on initially from time to time. It will show for about a second and stop, i have to turn it on again, and sometimes a 3rd time for it to stick. Usually after theyre 'warmed up' it wont do it.

I bought the Luminous Solutions fogs and wish I woulda searched the forums for my headlights before I went with some ebay kit, cuz i bought the fogs secondly.

Good luck man, im just waiting for mine to stop working (or before I get super frustrated) before i go with a new luminous solutions kit.

 

[DERRIXRYD]

My passenger side is still giving me fits...it flashes to turn on and doesn't. It's not the bulb. I bought the DDM kit from HVM.

 

[holddeez08RR]

Mine does appear to be the bulb though, I switched sides and the bad bulb still didn't work... Now though i think from all the flipping on and off the "good" bulb is starting to give me shit too... :thumpdown: maybe i'll just throw it all away and go back to stock lol

I have a similar problem with my set. Im on my 2nd set and out of the box the drivers side wont power on initially from time to time. It will show for about a second and stop, i have to turn it on again, and sometimes a 3rd time for it to stick. Usually after theyre 'warmed up' it wont do it.

I bought the Luminous Solutions fogs and wish I woulda searched the forums for my headlights before I went with some ebay kit, cuz i bought the fogs secondly.

Good luck man, im just waiting for mine to stop working (or before I get super frustrated) before i go with a new luminous solutions kit.

Yeah, I am kinda wishing I would have bough LS also... but i couldn't wait for the shipping out here.

General Side note... bigger fuses almost never solve any problem.

If they don't blow, they are not getting passing any more current than their rating.

If they do blow, it's more often a short circuit than it is a wrong sized fuse, in which case they will either continue to pop as they are replaced or pass enough current to overheat the wire and eventually start a fire.

The purpose of a fuse is to protect the wiring :top:

Yes I agree... definitely some hazards with raising the fuze amperage. So does everyone run a relay who bought a kit from LS? I have never needed a relay before.

 

[babyboi2284]

Is it just a problem with our trucks and hid kits? Ive had the same hi/low kit for 1 1/2 years on an 06 tundra and never had a prob with them til about 2-3 weeks AFTER putting them on my x. at first they worked fine now i turn them on and one comes on and the other flickers super fast and shuts off or doesnt come on at all. i have to patiently turn them on and off til they both come on and its really aggravating. when i turn them on (when its f'n up) i can hear a buzzing sound for a second like its shorting out coming from the wiring by the ballast...but when they come on with no prob no sound is made at all (other than the ballast coming on and warming up). im getting to the point where im just gonna take em off and put the stock bulbs back in. it has the relay harness and everything for the high beams but i dont get it. maybe i might need to upgrade my battery to an optima or something or get a bigger alternator....any ideas will be nice or im jus gonna sell it and maybe get lucky and get an entire headlamp kit from LS

 

[babyboi2284]

no ideas from anyone.........

 

[holddeez08RR]

i did finally end up getting mine to work. With the buzzing sound like you're describing, it ended up being the bulbs and not the ballast. I wired up a relay for the headlights and replaced both bulbs and haven't had an issue since.

 

[babyboi2284]

damn i was hoping that i wouldnt have to replace anything. i guess im prolly just gonna get a brand new hi/low kit and sell the one i have to someone with an older vehicle. i know certain makes and years need a special wiring harness for the kit to work right so maybe that will help. thanks man