HIDs beginning to flicker...

[Impressive]

I've had my HIDs on the car for about 14 months now and recently my drivers side headlight bulb has started to flicker. Would it more likely be a bulb issue or a wiring issue in this case? I've thought about changing my headlight setup for a 3k or a 6k kit but if my original wiring is still intact I could just change the bulbs to get the desired output...

Any suggestions/opinions?

Thanks in advance!
Dan

[Default User]

Is it both sides or just one specific one?

[Impressive]

Is it both sides or just one specific one?

Just the drivers side...the passenger side I have not seen any flickering from as of yet.

[cwp_sedan]

Sounds like a bulb. Could be a ballast but it sounds like a bulb to me.

switch the components of the working side to the malfunctioning side and see if it fixes it. If it doesn't then you know it's the bulb. You can also swap the components to the opposite side to see if the ballast is messed up.

[Pillbox2010]

I think its the ballast not the bulbs. From my experience, bulbs don't flicker when dying, they just die.

I have a damaged ballast that flickers a ton.

[cwp_sedan]

I think its the ballast not the bulbs. From my experience, bulbs don't flicker when dying, they just die.

I have a damaged ballast that flickers a ton.

I've had 2 bulbs that flickered.

[schmat66]

my bulb flickered before it died

[xxSlidewaysxx]

aftermarket or factory HID's?

[aris]

aftermarket or factory HID's?

I would assume that it's aftermarket

[Impressive]

I would assume that it's aftermarket

That is correct. I might do a switch-over in a coming week or so and test it out.

Also, does anyone have any experience while driving and using 3k HID headlights? I have 8k fogs at the moment, and 8k HIDs in the headlights which (if the kit is blown) I may consider changing to a 3K set. My concerns are attention from cops and just overall visibility and opinions.

Thanks.

[sp3GT]

^ Ask Thanu / Azumi. Both of them have been running 3k headlights for a while now.

[Harbour Rat]

I have 3000K in the fog lights and high beams, but choice is based mostly on function. The yellow light produces noticeably less glare from puddles, ice, snow, reflective signs etc and gives better contrast. I understand why so many cars in endurance racing use yellow headlights.

I do like the look of yellow lights so I the aesthetic part of it is nice too. I know yellow fog lights are fine but I do wonder sometimes if a particularly out of sorts Police officer might decide yellow high beams are not strictly kosher. Mostly for this reason I've stuck with 4500K in the low beams, though I do wonder if maybe all yellow lights might be too ricey and/or euro for this locale. In Hogtown the look might pass as sophisticated or hip or whatever but I'm not sure how it would play here in East Butt****istan where some of the natives are still fighting the Metric System. Hell, there are still people in these parts who flash their high beams if you're running halogen lights. There's even a few who still subscribe to the old law, where you got fined for driving with your headlights on in daylight hours.

[xxSlidewaysxx]

. Mostly for this reason I've stuck with 4500K in the low beams, though I do wonder if maybe all yellow lights might be too ricey and/or euro for this locale. In Hogtown the look might pass as sophisticated or hip or whatever but I'm not sure how it would play here in East Butt****istan where some of the natives are still fighting the Metric System. Hell, there are still people in these parts who flash their high beams if you're running halogen lights. There's even a few who still subscribe to the old law, where you got fined for driving with your headlights on in daylight hours.

:huge smile

[rick@garage16.ca]

best thing to do when running into a HID problem is switch over the 2 ballasts

if same side has problem then its bulb
if other side has problem then you know its ballast

[Harbour Rat]

Yep, for issues where it is just one side giving trouble it is easier to move the ballast than swap the bulbs, especially on the low beams pre-2010, with those damn clips.

If the problem affects both lights I've learned the hard way the first thing to check is the fuse holder in the accessory relay/harness, assuming you're running one. I've had 2 fuse holders melt and fall apart. For the fog lights it was just an annoyance and I lived with it for a few months before I got serious and diagnosed/fixed the problem. But for the low beams it was a serious concern. Fortunately it only took a few minutes to figure it out and fix it after having dealt with the same issue on the fog lights a year earlier. I find all of this kind of funny considering the whole reason for running an accessory relay/harness is because of the fear the OEM wiring might not be able to handle the load from HIDs and could melt.