HID Fog light wont turn on when in socket.. HELPPP!!
 

Ive been stuck on this for hours! I have a set of 3000k 35watt slim ballast fogs. I installed the passenger side and it worked perfect, so i installed the driver side and when i tested them i hear a loud buzzing and only the pass. side turns on. So i figured it was a bad bulb but once i pull it out of the foglight housing and hit the switch both fogs come on. As soon as i plug the bulb back into the socket and turn them off then back on only the right one works. The driver side refuses to turn on while pluged in.
So i figured id swap the bulbs around and the same thing happens with both bulbs.. so i switchs ballasts around and same result. Im really getting frustrated with this one housing cause when i leave the bulb out of it and let it hang, it turns on. Weirdest crap ive ever had with a car! HELLLLLPPPPP MEEEEEEEEE!!!

Do you have the engine turned on while testing the bulbs?

I only ask because I had a side that didn't want to light up with the engine off, like maybe the ballast wasn't getting enough juice or something. But as soon as the engine was running, it lit up just fine - and has been fine ever since. Just something to try unless you already have.

Yea i tried it with the engine running and only one turned on.

Try reversing the polarity on the plug to the balast. Hids have to be wired correctly regarding the + & - wires.

did it already lol.. the light will turn on no problem when out of the fog light housing, but once i insert the bulb into the socket it wont turn on

To me, that sounds like a loose wire of some sort.

The housing does NOTHING other than give the bulb a place to sit and project the light out.

Do this: Turn it on when the bulb is not in the housing, then start moving the bulb around, moving towards the housing, up/down and see if it turns off.

I bet the connector or wires leading to the connector are broken and sometimes make a connection and sometimes they don't.

That is really strange seeing the housing is plastic.

im gonna have to take apart the drivers side original harness and see if everythings ok in there. cause ive tried both bulbs and both ballasts in the drivers side and same result.. weird thing is if i turn it on while its hanging, and then insert it into the fog housing it stays on. thats how i got those pix in my other thread. but as soon as i turn it off and try to turn it back on it doesnt come on

Thats wat im sayin'! lol :willy:

I believe the fog housings are metal.

They could be, I just thought they would be plastic, But still I think the bulb connector is all plactic as far as I remember. So grounding would be out.

The bulb base is plastic however HID bulbs have a lightly insulated return wire that in the case of the 800 series bulbs comes VERY close to the metal bulb mounting tabs on the housing. Some manufacturers have the return wire further away from the capsule. This combined with the firing voltage of +20Kv, this might be causing the short.

I woudl reccomeend first examining the bulb's return wire for damage, then attempting to fire the bulb outside the foglight housing.

I thought that too, so i stuck my pinky in so see if there could be something hitting the bulb but i couldnt feel anything.. i even tried sticking the bulb in loosely w/o twisting to lock it in and it turned on (with alittle effort but it turned on). As soon as i twist and lock it in tight it doesnt work

No damage to the bulb, i checked that too.. is there anything i could try putting around it to insulate or does it get to hot?

what bulb are you using? I use the 880 series but i believe some use 881 or 883.

yea i believe its the 880.. i got them from JWM, but i think Jonathan must not be online due to the holiday. idk if theres anything he could do anyway.

So you've eleminated the bulbs, ballasts and harness as the problem. and the only failure s when it's inserted and LOCKED in position.
...hmm

I'm almost certain it's a faulty return wire. Even a microscopic failure in the return wire insulation would be enough to cause arcing at that voltage. If both bulbs are doing this, i think theres something up with either the design of the bulbs or your housings.

correct, ive eliminated those things by switching bulbs and ballasts around and trying both bulbs on the other side with both ballasts and they work.
its only when locking one of the bulbs into the driver fog housing :crazy: its frustrating cause i was looking forward to the HID fogs..

if i turn it on while the bulb is outside the housing, and then lock it into the housing, the light stays on.
now if its arcing like ur suggesting, would it cause a problem once i lock the bulb into the housing while lit up. or could this arcing only occur on startup(aka while turning the light on)

startup voltage is significantly higher than the running voltage: +20Kv startup vs. about 8K running.

I do have an option for you:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-p...light-kit.html

they will fit your existing brackets.

i cant afford that at the moment, but i def appreciate all ur helpful suggestions and possible reasons why this may be happening dispite the fact the lights werent purchased from u. ur a class act and ill keep ur company in mind for future mods :cheers:

thanks.

last minute ideas: put a thin layer of high temp silicone on the return wire being careful not to get any on the glass. This MIGHT provide just enough shielding for the startup voltage NOT to arc.