Will 55w ballast be the solution?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
Will 55w ballast be the solution?
I have ACA projectors in my '04 coupe, with 5000k HID bulbs. Currently using Corvette Mods 35w ballasts and a Morimoto harness connected directly to the fuse block battery connection. Prior to this harness I had a previous version that was I think a Corvette Mods one or similar. I was also using an inline gold metal resistor along with the previous harness. I disconnected the inline resistor when I installed the new Morimoto harness.
No matter what I do with the setup here, the headlight buckets will randomly go up with the first click of the stalk for parking lights only. Pretty much every time with current setup of Morimoto harness and NO inline resistor. I thought the harness was intended to replace the resistor? It was a bit more inconsistent when I had the old harness AND resistor. The old harness had ratty wiring and frayed in one area, hence why I replaced it.
Just tired of dealing with the front end lighting and wondering if 55w ballasts will cure the bucket issue AND allow me to get rid of the resistor onc and for all? Thoughts?
No matter what I do with the setup here, the headlight buckets will randomly go up with the first click of the stalk for parking lights only. Pretty much every time with current setup of Morimoto harness and NO inline resistor. I thought the harness was intended to replace the resistor? It was a bit more inconsistent when I had the old harness AND resistor. The old harness had ratty wiring and frayed in one area, hence why I replaced it.
Just tired of dealing with the front end lighting and wondering if 55w ballasts will cure the bucket issue AND allow me to get rid of the resistor onc and for all? Thoughts?
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 235
From: North Carolina
I installed Radioflyers ACA HID kit about 2 years ago. The set up uses 55w HID bulbs with 70w ballasts. No harness, no resistors. Have not had any headlight operation issues since installed.
Last edited by MAC5; Jun 14, 2015 at 07:19 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
Right...it goes harness from battery to the 35w ballast to the bulb. So wouldn't the signal be flowing through the lower watt ballast and causing an issue with the buckets not reading the same power as when everything was OEM?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
You're not getting it. The relays in the harness connect to the original car wiring and the contacts in the relays power the ballasts directly from the battery. So changing the ballasts won't change the load on the original wiring.
Pro
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 740
Likes: 83
From: MN
If you slowly and gently move the switch on the stalk from the off position to the parking light position, does that eliminate the problem? If so, it may be the stalk. My stalk did this for a while after I rebuilt it; I think I went a little overboard on the tension on the contacts. If you flick it from off to park quickly, the headlight switch contact can momentarily make a connection which will cause the buckets to pop up.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
This. The Morimoto harness is really nice, I am using it on my car as well, along with Morimoto 35W ballasts. No issues related to the harness or ballasts.
If you slowly and gently move the switch on the stalk from the off position to the parking light position, does that eliminate the problem? If so, it may be the stalk. My stalk did this for a while after I rebuilt it; I think I went a little overboard on the tension on the contacts. If you flick it from off to park quickly, the headlight switch contact can momentarily make a connection which will cause the buckets to pop up.
If you slowly and gently move the switch on the stalk from the off position to the parking light position, does that eliminate the problem? If so, it may be the stalk. My stalk did this for a while after I rebuilt it; I think I went a little overboard on the tension on the contacts. If you flick it from off to park quickly, the headlight switch contact can momentarily make a connection which will cause the buckets to pop up.
Maybe I will try to put the resistor back in, but I don't like having it. So many others don't have these issues and I don't understand why mine does.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
In our experience, 35w ballasts won't trigger the headlights to close (and sometimes not to open either) Relay harnesses and headlight resistors are a work-around to a very simple solution.
Since we started using TRUE 55w ballasts (most "55w" ballasts can draw as little as 42w stable)
The factory 9006 bulb (low beam) draws 4.3a
Our current ballasts are rated at 4.2 amps @ 13.2v. When the car shuts off, the car's battery should be at 12.5v which means the ballast is still drawing 52.5w which is enough when shut off to trigger the buckets to lower.
Since we started using TRUE 55w ballasts (most "55w" ballasts can draw as little as 42w stable)
The factory 9006 bulb (low beam) draws 4.3a
Our current ballasts are rated at 4.2 amps @ 13.2v. When the car shuts off, the car's battery should be at 12.5v which means the ballast is still drawing 52.5w which is enough when shut off to trigger the buckets to lower.
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
In our experience, 35w ballasts won't trigger the headlights to close (and sometimes not to open either) Relay harnesses and headlight resistors are a work-around to a very simple solution.
Since we started using TRUE 55w ballasts (most "55w" ballasts can draw as little as 42w stable)
The factory 9006 bulb (low beam) draws 4.3a
Our current ballasts are rated at 4.2 amps @ 13.2v. When the car shuts off, the car's battery should be at 12.5v which means the ballast is still drawing 52.5w which is enough when shut off to trigger the buckets to lower.
Since we started using TRUE 55w ballasts (most "55w" ballasts can draw as little as 42w stable)
The factory 9006 bulb (low beam) draws 4.3a
Our current ballasts are rated at 4.2 amps @ 13.2v. When the car shuts off, the car's battery should be at 12.5v which means the ballast is still drawing 52.5w which is enough when shut off to trigger the buckets to lower.
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
Thanks for the input. With that being said, I see usng the resistor won't matter in my case since I don't have issues with the buckets NOT opening and closing when they need to. Just opening when I only want the parking lights on. Headlamps stay unlit, but the bucket it going up. I have to turn it all back off, then back on and it works properly on my second try. Never mentioned this before, but battery is brand new as well, in case that comes up as a question later.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,308
Likes: 159
From: LaGrange Park, IL IL
St. Jude Donor '13, '15
I'll do some searches on the contacts to see what I can do to address that, unless you have some suggestions?
Racer
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 427
Likes: 8
From: FRANCE
Yes, I engage parking lights and the buckets go up, but no lights. I can then rotate the switch to headlights and the bulbs will turn on. Or I can rotate the switch back off and the buckets drop. Try a second time for just parking lights and all works as normal.
I'll do some searches on the contacts to see what I can do to address that, unless you have some suggestions?
I'll do some searches on the contacts to see what I can do to address that, unless you have some suggestions?
I had the same issue with my 55W ballast until I removed them and put this set: I'm sure that you can find the same in the US
http://www.france-xenon.com/fr/piece...811500344.html
Hope it will help
