Tonight when i jumped in the car and turned on the lights. The Nearside front headlight didnt come on. I switched the lights on and off again and it came back on

Anyway... i thought nothing more of it until i was driving back home, i noticed the left side had now gone out. When i got back home i put the main beam on and it came back on again

This has got me totally baffled, i would have thought maybe there was a dodgy connection of the right side light, but then the left one starts acting strange too.

Just wondered if anyone had similar experiences like this, or can shed any light on the problem (no pun intended )

Im right in thinking moretts are basically the same as the standard lights arent i?. The ones i have are fitted with what looks like HID type bulbs, is the the norm or are they fitted with some special type of bulb?

Im going to have a look in the daylight tomorrow and see if theres anything obvious around the light connections etc.

Thanks

Chris

 

Chris

Not normal in my experince. If they are non-HID, then you can use standard fit replacement bulbs - can't remember which ones - I'm sure someone will tell you. If they are HID, then you need special bulbs - not cheap. You'll know if they are HID, by a) the colour of the light and b) the ballast boxes, normally located somewhere below the lamp units in the engine bay.

Sounds like it might be worth getting the electrical connections checked first though.

Chris

 

Having just had to remove my Morettes to fit some HID type lamps (From the Group Buy) I noticed the nearside has 2 relay's (1 on the Off Side) and an interconnecting cable between the two.

Just a guess, but if you have 100W Lamps fitted then you may have burn out a relay, it sounds to me that one of the relay's may be sticking. It was a concern of mine when fitting the 100W lamps from the GB but as there were no other reported incidents then I decided to go ahead and give it a go but I'll obviously be keeping an eye out.

Keep us posted with your findings


Stu....

 

I have had some similar problems and it was a relay problem

Water had ingressed into the relay and it had rusted and was shorting

The relays could be heard clicking after turning the engine off

I now have marine relays [thanks Scoobysport] which do not let water in

Phil

 

Another option for watertight relays is to mix up some Araldite, or similar, b4 using the relay. Turn the relay over, and spread a layer of Araldite over it's base, concentrating on where the connectors come through the underside, and the edges where the underside meets the sides/top.
A trick I learned from my rallying days and the Lucas 6RA relay: an excellent performer, but prone to water ingress.
Alcazar

 

Thanks for the replys chaps

I had a quick look yesterday, i cant seem to see any ballasts under the lights, but then again i wouldnt really know what they should look like or where they are.
They certainly are much much brighter than the standard lights on my 96 UK turbo, but im still not sure if they are HID. I was thinking maybe they are 100w xenon bulbs????

Since the incident on Saturday night they have been fine. If it happens again, i will look at the relays.

Can someone please tell me where they are

Thanks

 

HID's: Can you see the bulb through the headlight glass? Does it have a wire running from it's top, parallel with the bulb glass, towards it's base?
If so, you have HID. If not, you don't. Simple.
HID ballasts look like a silvery coloured box, about 100mm by 65mm with a pair of normal wires going in, and a monster thick one coming out, leading to your headlight etc bulb.
Relays: Try tracing any extra wires from your battery positive. You'll eventually find the relay attached to it, and should be able to trace the wire from the relay to the headlight to ensure it's the right relay.
The behaviour you describe sounds to me like a dodgy connection, somewhere.
I'd be inclined to do as I said above, find the correct relay, and then trace ALL wires leading to, AND from it. Then check each and every connection, starting with the one at the battery, and don't forget the ones where they go to earth. Check for tightness, and moisture, and signs of corrosion in every connector, then check how tightly the wires are gripped by the connectors, and if necessary, give them an extra nip up with the blades of a pair of pliers or sidecutters, but don't go mad and chop through the connector: been there, done that :
Alcazar

 

Thats gonna keep me busy tonight Alcazar

cheers mate, i'll let you know my findings

 

Right, they arent HID, i can see what looks like a normal bulb

The offside one is playing up on a regular basis now, i need to check the connections this weekend when i have more time. I noticed this though, if i they are on for a while, i stop turn them off, get back in and turn them on, the offside one doesnt come on

anyway..... i will check the connections this weekend

 

That Defo sounds like poor connection.
Look also at connections to bulb, cleaning up any that are blued/burnt with emery etc. This is a major cause of bulb failure. H2 bulbs in Cibies need to be removed and the mounting cleaned, and maybe the bulb contacts too. AVOID touching the bulb glass, handle it with a piece of kitchen roll etc.
Alcazar