HID lighting "issue"....need some help.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: Welcome to the SEC...#GMFG !!!
Cruise-In I Veteran
National Champs Gators 4 St. Jude '09
HID lighting "issue"....need some help.
I installed the HID low beam / fog kit from one of our forum vendors. I did buy the capacitor with the kit and installed per the instructions....everything was working perfectly for a bit.
Now, on occasion, the lights will not roll back into "off" mode when turned off. They stay up and I get the chime suggesting they are still on. Then when I click them on and back off, they stay up, but are confused that they are "down" as the chime stops.
Anyone had this happen?
I am wondering if it is battery related and perhaps it is time for a replacement?
Yes...I did check all the connections and everything is in order.
Anyone with any ideas where to start troubleshooting this?
Thanks.
Now, on occasion, the lights will not roll back into "off" mode when turned off. They stay up and I get the chime suggesting they are still on. Then when I click them on and back off, they stay up, but are confused that they are "down" as the chime stops.
Anyone had this happen?
I am wondering if it is battery related and perhaps it is time for a replacement?
Yes...I did check all the connections and everything is in order.
Anyone with any ideas where to start troubleshooting this?
Thanks.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,533
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From: Republic of Texas
When you turn off your headlights, the control module is looking for a drop in amperage from the headlights. Most HID kits do not draw enough power to trigger the headlight close signal when turned off.
The way around this is to turn on your high beams before turning off your headlights.
The way around this is to turn on your high beams before turning off your headlights.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
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From: Phoenix area, AZ
When you turn off your headlights, the control module is looking for a drop in amperage from the headlights. Most HID kits do not draw enough power to trigger the headlight close signal when turned off.
The way around this is to turn on your high beams before turning off your headlights.
The way around this is to turn on your high beams before turning off your headlights.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Welcome to the SEC...#GMFG !!!
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National Champs Gators 4 St. Jude '09
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,533
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From: Republic of Texas
From our experience, to effectively trigger the headlight lowering signal, your ballasts must have a stable current draw of at least 3.9 amps. We tried a 3.6a ballast and it failed to trigger the signal. Our current ballasts draw a stable current of 4.2 amps at 13.2v and reliably trigger the lowering mechanism as well as provide full 55w power to the HID bulb in stable mode.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
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From: Welcome to the SEC...#GMFG !!!
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National Champs Gators 4 St. Jude '09
Pro
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Long Beach SoCal
I installed HID lows and my lights work like stock. It doesn't matter whether I have the engine running or not or I flip the highs on, they work normally. The difference is I used a relay harness and not the resistors. The ballasts are powered directly from the battery. When you turn your lights on, it closes the relay and that sends power to them. I thought I've read the resistors are used to fool the system into thinking you're using the stock lights. All I know is my install using the relay harness did not cause any issues.
Pro
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From: Long Beach SoCal
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: ALL governments are legalized mobsters, so doesn't matter where I live :(
What is the wattage of your resistor and how many ohms? Should say right on it. Also where did you install it? How is it wired into the electrical, with crimps, or hardwired?
I have mine installed on the the positive and negative, before stock wiring harness. Mine were working fine then started getting flaky on me. I double checked my wiring and found that my crimped connectors came loose. I re-adjusted them and used electrical tape over the crimpped connections and now working great again. Can't say for sure this is your issue but wiring is a start, as is an issue possibly with your resistor.
I have mine installed on the the positive and negative, before stock wiring harness. Mine were working fine then started getting flaky on me. I double checked my wiring and found that my crimped connectors came loose. I re-adjusted them and used electrical tape over the crimpped connections and now working great again. Can't say for sure this is your issue but wiring is a start, as is an issue possibly with your resistor.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
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From: Welcome to the SEC...#GMFG !!!
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National Champs Gators 4 St. Jude '09
Thanks Stalion....I am going to re-run through all connections again this weekend. If that does not solve it, then I will go to Tim's method. The resistor is the base one that came with my lighting kit.
Thanks for all the replies. Will report back my findings such that others may benefit.
FYI....bought my HID's from Corvettemods ... one of the forum vendors.
Thanks for all the replies. Will report back my findings such that others may benefit.
FYI....bought my HID's from Corvettemods ... one of the forum vendors.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
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From: Phoenix area, AZ
Thanks Stalion....I am going to re-run through all connections again this weekend. If that does not solve it, then I will go to Tim's method. The resistor is the base one that came with my lighting kit.
Thanks for all the replies. Will report back my findings such that others may benefit.
FYI....bought my HID's from Corvettemods ... one of the forum vendors.
Thanks for all the replies. Will report back my findings such that others may benefit.
FYI....bought my HID's from Corvettemods ... one of the forum vendors.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Odessa FL
St. Jude Donor '10-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Suggest you go the relay harness route. I could never find one that had long enough wires in order to keep the relay up by the battery and reach the passenger side and drivers side headlights so I made my own. I used one harness to power both sides.
Regarding the resistor, I used one I bought from JW Motorsports (a forum vendor) that was plug and play, but it seems JW is no longer carrying them, so can't help you with that, other than to suggest looking on E-Bay.
Also, I understand that Radio Flyer (another forum vendor) has an HID set up using ballasts that present enough wattage to the system that a resistor is not required and can power 55 watt bulbs.
Good Luck.
Regarding the resistor, I used one I bought from JW Motorsports (a forum vendor) that was plug and play, but it seems JW is no longer carrying them, so can't help you with that, other than to suggest looking on E-Bay.
Also, I understand that Radio Flyer (another forum vendor) has an HID set up using ballasts that present enough wattage to the system that a resistor is not required and can power 55 watt bulbs.
Good Luck.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 20,030
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From: Wylie TX --> Less is More, except under the hood !
I got my inline resistor from JWMotoring years ago.
His site no longer has them ...
I have never seen an issue like you are seeing.
Mine looks like this one below.
Maybe give this one a try ? Its only $12.99.
I'm running one of these on my passenger side.
I hear you only need one, and you can put it on either drivers side or pass side.
Toque
His site no longer has them ...
I have never seen an issue like you are seeing.
Mine looks like this one below.
Maybe give this one a try ? Its only $12.99.
I'm running one of these on my passenger side.
I hear you only need one, and you can put it on either drivers side or pass side.
Toque