Both ACA Drivers side lights are dead, pop-up is fine
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 14
From: Honolulu, HI
Both ACA Drivers side lights are dead, pop-up is fine
:FIXED SEE BELOW::
This is a RadioFlyer kit (bi-xenon) but without the 4-High Beam module installed. So what would happen normally is.. flash to pass used the Bi-Xenon, push forward turned on the separate LED High-beam lights.
Worked fine for 1+ years
But the car started sitting outside, and shortly after the drivers side low-beam started flickering off but I could turn the head-lights off/on to get them to sometimes work, but that didn't last long. Now the drivers-side High-beams don't work either.
Also, the popup behavior with both is fine.
I swapped fuses LH/RH low-beam and it didn't help.
Since both HI and LOW drivers side are dead now and what I mean is the Bi-Xenon doesn't work, neither does the dedicated high beam LED, what could it be? Again, the headlights pop-up fine, and the passenger side works 100%.
This may be because the signal isn't getting to the separate LED high-beam bulb though.
I'm going to replace the bulb/ballast but given the behavior could it be the headlight module, or bad ground?
This is a RadioFlyer kit (bi-xenon) but without the 4-High Beam module installed. So what would happen normally is.. flash to pass used the Bi-Xenon, push forward turned on the separate LED High-beam lights.
Worked fine for 1+ years
But the car started sitting outside, and shortly after the drivers side low-beam started flickering off but I could turn the head-lights off/on to get them to sometimes work, but that didn't last long. Now the drivers-side High-beams don't work either.
Also, the popup behavior with both is fine.
I swapped fuses LH/RH low-beam and it didn't help.
Since both HI and LOW drivers side are dead now and what I mean is the Bi-Xenon doesn't work, neither does the dedicated high beam LED, what could it be? Again, the headlights pop-up fine, and the passenger side works 100%.
This may be because the signal isn't getting to the separate LED high-beam bulb though.
I'm going to replace the bulb/ballast but given the behavior could it be the headlight module, or bad ground?
Last edited by dagon138; Jun 1, 2019 at 11:33 PM. Reason: results
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 377
From: SW Ohio
This is a RadioFlyer kit (bi-xenon) but without the 4-High Beam module installed. So what would happen normally is.. flash to pass used the Bi-Xenon, push forward turned on the separate LED High-beam lights.
Worked fine for 1+ years
But the car started sitting outside, and shortly after the drivers side low-beam started flickering off but I could turn the head-lights off/on to get them to sometimes work, but that didn't last long. Now the drivers-side High-beams don't work either.
Also, the popup behavior with both is fine.
I swapped fuses LH/RH low-beam and it didn't help.
Since both HI and LOW drivers side are dead now and what I mean is the Bi-Xenon doesn't work, neither does the dedicated high beam LED, what could it be? Again, the headlights pop-up fine, and the passenger side works 100%.
This may be because the signal isn't getting to the separate LED high-beam bulb though.
I'm going to replace the bulb/ballast but given the behavior could it be the headlight module, or bad ground?
Worked fine for 1+ years
But the car started sitting outside, and shortly after the drivers side low-beam started flickering off but I could turn the head-lights off/on to get them to sometimes work, but that didn't last long. Now the drivers-side High-beams don't work either.
Also, the popup behavior with both is fine.
I swapped fuses LH/RH low-beam and it didn't help.
Since both HI and LOW drivers side are dead now and what I mean is the Bi-Xenon doesn't work, neither does the dedicated high beam LED, what could it be? Again, the headlights pop-up fine, and the passenger side works 100%.
This may be because the signal isn't getting to the separate LED high-beam bulb though.
I'm going to replace the bulb/ballast but given the behavior could it be the headlight module, or bad ground?
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 365
From: SF Bay Area
When you have one man (presumably) as both manufacturing and QC, things are definitely going to slip through the cracks. As for Chinese things at American prices... man has to make a living somehow, and what you pay extra for at Radioflyer is the convenience of being a one-stop shop where you don't need to do the research of what works. Also he will take care of you if something goes wrong, might be slow, but better than a generic sales support team.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 377
From: SW Ohio
When you have one man (presumably) as both manufacturing and QC, things are definitely going to slip through the cracks. As for Chinese things at American prices... man has to make a living somehow, and what you pay extra for at Radioflyer is the convenience of being a one-stop shop where you don't need to do the research of what works. Also he will take care of you if something goes wrong, might be slow, but better than a generic sales support team.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,660
Likes: 365
From: SF Bay Area
What we should be paying for is a quality product. It’s fairly basic that you solder electrical connections in automotive applications to mitigate vibration over the years. I may start building the same **** correctly, and honestly, and after doing the math last night I could sell a better hi-4 harness for the same price and make a good profit percentage. Talk about corvette tax.....sheesh.
Having built my own set of ACA bi-xenons after being disappointed with Radioflyer's bi-xenons, I can tell you that Radioflyer's raw material cost for the ACAs is around $500. However, selling it at $650 is a more than reasonable price when you factor in everything else.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 3,275
Likes: 739
From: Miami FL
Things to check before going overboard:
- Using a multimeter, make sure you have power at both driver's side OEM headlight connectors
- Double-check that all connectors for the driver's headlight are in good shape and tightly secured
With a Bi-Xenon setup, I strongly recommend that you install the Hi-4 harness. Without it whenever you turn ON the high beams, you lose the HID projector and only the LED in the high beam reflector is active. The net result is negating the intrinsic advantage of a Bi-Xenon system, and getting way less light than what you could have.
Last edited by GCG; Apr 5, 2019 at 02:03 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 14
From: Honolulu, HI
UPDATE: FIXED
Had dealer clean the grounds, put in dialelectric grease etc, as the car sat outside for 6months and I wasn't sure I didn't have general ground issues. Didn't fix it, but I'm happy I did it for preventive maintenance reasons at the least.
Replaced the drivers side headlight harness as it looked corroded, but seemly did pass the multi-meter tests.I just wasn't happy with the condition of the connectors.
Did various A/B testing with new Ballasts/Bulb but ended up being the ballast (can't forget to reverse the polarity).
So I think it was corrosion on the connectors that might have done-in the ballast. Or just crap ballasts.
Had dealer clean the grounds, put in dialelectric grease etc, as the car sat outside for 6months and I wasn't sure I didn't have general ground issues. Didn't fix it, but I'm happy I did it for preventive maintenance reasons at the least.
Replaced the drivers side headlight harness as it looked corroded, but seemly did pass the multi-meter tests.I just wasn't happy with the condition of the connectors.
Did various A/B testing with new Ballasts/Bulb but ended up being the ballast (can't forget to reverse the polarity).
So I think it was corrosion on the connectors that might have done-in the ballast. Or just crap ballasts.
Last edited by dagon138; Jun 2, 2019 at 12:26 AM.
