85 Headlights won't turn on
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,954
Likes: 2
From: Obama=death for America
85 Headlights won't turn on
I have an 85 and the headlights have been converted to all HID, as well as the fog lights. The fog lights work fine. When I parked about an hour ago and turned the headlights off, the driver's side didn't fully go down. I turned them back on and off and they both went down as they should. I repeated this and couldn't get the driver's headlight to get stuck again. The problem is both headlights won't turn on. They both physically go up and down as they should but they simply won't illuminate. I mentioned the temporary driver's side closing problem in case it was related to the turning on issue.
I paid someone a great deal of money to modify my car and I'm sick of paying someone to do something when I should be doing it. If you have any suggestions as to how to repair the headlights issue, please advise. Just please keep in mind that I have absolutely no knowledge about this car. Yes I know I should. But I guess later is better than never to start learning. So if you give me any suggestions, please be very specific and if possible, use pictures. I am that technically challenged. And yes I have a manual but it looks Chinese to me. Thx guys.
Steve
85_500_Horse
I paid someone a great deal of money to modify my car and I'm sick of paying someone to do something when I should be doing it. If you have any suggestions as to how to repair the headlights issue, please advise. Just please keep in mind that I have absolutely no knowledge about this car. Yes I know I should. But I guess later is better than never to start learning. So if you give me any suggestions, please be very specific and if possible, use pictures. I am that technically challenged. And yes I have a manual but it looks Chinese to me. Thx guys.
Steve
85_500_Horse
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
One of the problems with HID lights is that they require WAY more voltage to turn on (strike, as it's known) when they are hot. The striking voltage comes from the ignitor and is controlled by the ballast. The ballast has no way of knowing that the bulbs are hot and will use the same striking voltage every time. You should let your HID bulbs cool off for at least 15 minutes before trying to turn them on again.
Sometimes this will cause the "winking" HID problem. You turn on the headlights but only one comes on. You turn them off and back on again and the one that previously came on does not but the other one does.
Try them again after they have cooled off. You might get better results.
Sometimes this will cause the "winking" HID problem. You turn on the headlights but only one comes on. You turn them off and back on again and the one that previously came on does not but the other one does.
Try them again after they have cooled off. You might get better results.
