msmith56

Hello, I just purchased a used 2006 with about 130k on it. I noticed while driving it home that the low beam headlights did not seem very bright. In fact, without the fogs or high beams on the road was very difficult to see. So I purchased new bulbs and replaced them thinking that it would resolve the problem. It doesn't appear to be any better then what it was prior to the replacement. I have searched the forums for a solution but I didn't find anything close to my issue. Is it normal for the low beams to be dim or do I have something else going on? My fogs, drls, instrument cluster etc all appear to be working normally. If the ballast(s) were going bad or are bad would they continue to work but not be as bright or do they fail and when they do there is no light output? Thanks in advance for any assistance and advise you can provide.

Knob Jockey

Basically the way a HID lamp works is that a high voltage spark is jumping across a gap, so it can't really dim like a lamp with a filament.

It may flicker as it fails, but won't just go dim.

Are your lens' tinted?

When you replaced the D1S HID's, what color temperature lamps did you buy? OEM are 4300K.

The OEM halogen high beams usually look dimmer/yellowish in comparison to the HID low beams.

Congrats on your 'new' car and welcome to the Forum.

timd38

If you live in Milwaukee, I have an extra ballast you can try.

msmith56

Thanks for the information and the congrats. The bulbs I purchased are 6000k and they both work but they just don't seem very bright at all. I honestly don't feel confident drving the car at night because I cant see very far ahead of me. I live in PA and in a rural area where there are deer and others crossing the road. The light that is output barely makes the road visible. The lens are not tinted (they appear clear to me). My high beams are most definetely brighter then the HID's, I can see with the high beams on or the fogs on. The car has a clear history and there is nothing else wrong with the car that I am aware of. It is a dream car for me and I really enjoy driving it.

What are the chances of both ballasts failing? If they are on their way out, do they just fail and no longer work or do they gradually produce less and less power to the bulbs? Both bulbs appears equal in light output and brightness. This doesn't make any sense to me?

msmith56

I timd38,

I live in PA, From my understanding there is a ballast on the bottom of each of the headlights correct? do they somehow work in tandem or individually?

dby49ers

I just bought a 2007 coupe a few weeks ago and noticed when driving at night the headlights seem to dim and then get brighter when you approach an intersection. At first I thought it might just be the rough road with the firm suspension (Z51), but I don't think so.

Unless these are auto dimming headlights (I doubt it), I'm wondering what it could be. Both headlights seem to dim and then brighten at the same time. Maybe it's just me not being used to these HID headlights.

Any comments ....... thanks a lot.

eboggs_jkvl

Are they aimed correctly? 6000K bulbs are NOT dim. I have them on my low beams and also 6000K bulbs on my Fogs. It is very bright when I have them both on. My low beams have a horizontal cut-off (light has a top edge to it to block it from oncoming driver's eyes) to make them "low"-beams. If you are aimed incorrectly you might think the lights are dim.

Elmer

torquetube

If the fog lights are helping, something is wrong. The C6 low-beams are so bright that additional brightness from the fogs should be barely noticeable except right under the nose and to the extreme sides.

Is something blocking or clouding up the headlight covers perhaps?

batpig

Your headlight lenses might be cloudy or scarred having 130K on them. Check to see how opaque they are in daylight. Something seems to be blocking the light they should be throwing. Bat Pig out.

Bill Dearborn

However, the OP isn't helping himself with the 6K lights. Although they look bright you can see better with the 4300 K lights as they more closely approximate sun light. I live in a similar area with lots of two lane roads with trees, brush and corn fields very close to the road and lots of deer wandering around. You need every bit of light possible thrown as far out as possible to see the yellow glint from a deer's eyes or the dim brown reflection off their fur. Check the aiming of the HIDs as the sharp cutoff could be limiting the distance you can see. I really don't like mine since they throw plenty of light to the side where it doesn't do any good. I can only see about 250 ft in front of the car with the low beams. No where near far enough to detect a deer hidden in growth alongside the road and react when you are driving 60 mph. A wide bright beam highlighting the side of the road 100 ft in front of the car just means you get to see what you are going to hit since it is too close to react in time. High beams are pretty much the only way to get the distance needed.

Bill

corvetteflier

Assuming correct aim, HID lights should NEVER be dim. That's why many cars flash their brights at you when you have them on, even if aimed properly.

msmith56

Thanks everyone for the replies.

The headlights are bright with the fogs or the high beams and work as they should. The lens are clear but there is some crazing there. I don't think its enough to "kill" the HID's but I am by no means an expert on these lights. The only thing I can think of is that both balast have had so much use that they both do not produce enough voltage to charge the HID's the way they are supposed to be.

Reluctantly, I have a appointment with the dealer tomorrow to try to find out what the issue is. They are going to check the aim and the electrical system. I agree with everyone here, they should be super bright and light up the road. I would welcome someone flashing their lights at me but it hasn't happened due to the light output. I have had cars in the past with HID's and right now my C6 doesn't even come close. Hopefully the dealer will be able to tell me what is going on? I will post here tomorrow with the results of their diagnostics.

msmith56

Results.
They cleaned some electrical contacts and advised that they thought that it helped the issue. The dealer’s analysis found that the driver’s side headlight was not positioned correctly. I never noticed it, but the service department pointed it out. They told me that they would have to remove the front bumper to reposition the headlight at a cost of 3 hours of labor. I paid their fee for checking it out and took the car home. I loosened the lugs, and jacked the car up, removed the front wheel and the entire cover in front of the fender-well. I had full access to the headlight and the screws underneath, although I could not fully remove the headlight from the fender. I loosened the nuts and positioned the headlight the best I could. Before reinstalling the front fender-well, I verified the lights still work. I put everything back together and waited for night.

I still do not see any significant improvement. I also don't see any evidence of the car being involved in an accident although it may have and not have been reported. There are no paint lines or turned bolts or screws in the fender or anywhere else that I can find but it still doesn’t explain how the headlight was seated wrong. I’m a newbie here, I did take some pictures of the headlights against a building but I don’t know how to post them here. Can someone please post a picture of what the output of just the low beams is supposed to look like without the fog lights or high beams?
I’m really not sure where to go from here? I have to drive at night frequently and right now the low beams just are not cutting it. I did see a pair of Monterey red headlights on ebay, but they mention that there is an additional light bulb in the enclosure leading me to believe they are not OEM. Should I try to replace both ballasts or just bite the bullet and buy new GM OEM headlights? I really love my nused car but this problem has me perplexed and apparently no one else seems to have the same issue.

msmith56

I uploaded some pictures to photobucket. It was raining when I took the pictures.

Here is the link.

smaynor

I feel your pain. My low beams are so bad that there is no way I can drive the car at night without the driving/fog/whatever lights on. High beams are great, but the low beams are completely useless. I seriously cannot tell that my headlights are even on.

I would love to know what could be done to fix this.

Stacey

msmith56

Hi Stacey,

So is what I am experiencing normal? I really don't think that it is, is it? It sounds as though that even if I did completely replace both headlights I would not see any difference? I'm really confused right now?

msmith56

Can someone please post some pictures of the HID headlights without the fogs or the high beams turned on from inside the car? I am still trying to figure this thing out.

If the ballast are on their way out do they fail and there is no light output or do the lights get dimmer as the amount of current drops?

I can get to the bottom of the ballast by removing the inner fender well, but can I then remove and replace the ballast without removing the entire headlight assembly?

My HID's alone barely light up the lines on the road and the distance is not very far ahead. The last reply basically stated that they are not very bright and that is just the way they are, is that true? If it is, then replacing the ballast will just be a waste of money and not resolve the problem.

Thanks for your help!

msmith56

I went ahead and purchased a pair of used ballast for the car. I was able to replace them without removing the fender and or front bumper. I just removed the front wheels and then the plastic inner fender wells. I was able to replace both ballast. I did check the aim of the headlights and they were where they are supposed to be at 24 foot and 24 inches. Honestly I can't tell a difference with the replacement ballasts.

So it looks as though my only other alternative is to replace the entire headlights or go through the process of replacing the lenses or just live with it and use the fog lights. At this point I'm not sure if replacing the headlights will help, I'm guessing that this is all normal behavior. Does anyone else here have any different experiences with the factory HID's?

eboggs_jkvl

Where do you live? I'd gladly give you a demo of my lights at night. Don't you know anyone with a Corvette that you can get to compare your lights vs theirs?

Elmer

5 Liter Eater

I noticed the same after I swapped in 6k bulbs. It seems to me like the bulbs are not installed correctly either. They are really bright near the front of the car but not out far, like they're pointing down although the line from the projector is still where it should be.