HID drivers side problem, any electrical wizards?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,275
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver WA
HID drivers side problem, any electrical wizards?
I installed HID low beams on my 99'. And I replaced the 10 amp fuses with 20 amp fuses. Made sure the black wire mated with the black wire, and the colored wire mated with the colored wire (Which meant I had to flip the connector over). The passenger side worked great, but the driver side lamp would not fire up. Put the stock bulb in, and it works. Take the HID and put it on the otherside, and it works. Take ballast off and switch, and the ballast didn't fire up on the other side. Conclusion- bad ballast.
I get a new ballast. Plug it up, and nothing.
So I plug back in the stock bulb, and it works. 
Then I figured, what the hell, so I flip the plug over on the driver side so the black is mated with a colored wire, and they work. 
(Why is one side the opposite of the other side)??? 
So I went and tired the first ballast that way, and it still didn't work.
Anyway, all was good driving to work in the dark with the new ballast. But that night, I go to drive it, and I am back at having only one headlight. And it's the driver side that is dead again. Plug in the stock bulb, and it works. Take the HID bulb out and put it on the passenger side,and it works.
Could something be knocking out the ballast on the driver side? I need to find out what is going on here before I get another ballast. I really like these lights, and don't want to have to go back to stock bulbs. I read about some people using a relay. But not much info about it. HELP..............
I get a new ballast. Plug it up, and nothing.
So I plug back in the stock bulb, and it works. Then I figured, what the hell, so I flip the plug over on the driver side so the black is mated with a colored wire, and they work. (Why is one side the opposite of the other side)??? So I went and tired the first ballast that way, and it still didn't work. Anyway, all was good driving to work in the dark with the new ballast. But that night, I go to drive it, and I am back at having only one headlight. And it's the driver side that is dead again.
Plug in the stock bulb, and it works. Take the HID bulb out and put it on the passenger side,and it works. Could something be knocking out the ballast on the driver side? I need to find out what is going on here before I get another ballast. I really like these lights, and don't want to have to go back to stock bulbs. I read about some people using a relay. But not much info about it. HELP..............
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8,466
Likes: 51
St. Jude Donor '17
I installed HID low beams on my 99'. And I replaced the 10 amp fuses with 20 amp fuses. Made sure the black wire mated with the black wire, and the colored wire mated with the colored wire (Which meant I had to flip the connector over). The passenger side worked great, but the driver side lamp would not fire up. Put the stock bulb in, and it works. Take the HID and put it on the otherside, and it works. Take ballast off and switch, and the ballast didn't fire up on the other side. Conclusion- bad ballast.
I get a new ballast. Plug it up, and nothing. So I plug back in the stock bulb, and it works. Then I figured, what the hell, so I flip the plug over on the driver side so the black is mated with a colored wire, and they work. (Why is one side the opposite of the other side)??? So I went and tired the first ballast that way, and it still didn't work.
Anyway, all was good driving to work in the dark with the new ballast. But that night, I go to drive it, and I am back at having only one headlight. And it's the driver side that is dead again. Plug in the stock bulb, and it works. Take the HID bulb out and put it on the passenger side,and it works.
Could something be knocking out the ballast on the driver side? I need to find out what is going on here before I get another ballast. I really like these lights, and don't want to have to go back to stock bulbs. I read about some people using a relay. But not much info about it. HELP..............
I get a new ballast. Plug it up, and nothing.
So I plug back in the stock bulb, and it works. Then I figured, what the hell, so I flip the plug over on the driver side so the black is mated with a colored wire, and they work. (Why is one side the opposite of the other side)??? So I went and tired the first ballast that way, and it still didn't work. Anyway, all was good driving to work in the dark with the new ballast. But that night, I go to drive it, and I am back at having only one headlight. And it's the driver side that is dead again.
Plug in the stock bulb, and it works. Take the HID bulb out and put it on the passenger side,and it works. Could something be knocking out the ballast on the driver side? I need to find out what is going on here before I get another ballast. I really like these lights, and don't want to have to go back to stock bulbs. I read about some people using a relay. But not much info about it. HELP..............
but keep looking around here
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,275
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver WA
I did that. If I plugged the connector to where the lock was on the same side, then it would have had a black wire mating with a colored wire. So I flipped the plug over to have the black on black. But this would only work on the passenger side. The driver side would not work this way. It worked with black on colored.................for a day, then it quite working. But it would not work black on black. I have no trouble with the passenger side, ONLY the driver side lamp.
