hid headlight problem?
 

the o/s headlight flashes and then goes off after about 20 seconds on a jdm bugeye.

anyone come across this?

yes i had the same problem it was the headlight ballast, changed it all good now :)

try a new lamp first though, just order the cheap ones to test it,
where are you located ?

Check your earths also :)

im in staffs.

whats a ballast?

A ballast the main unit that supplies the high voltage current to fire up the HID lamp, it's normally screwed into the bottom of the headlight unit, will normally be black and have an orange sticker on it saying danger etc,

They are also silver.

To test, remove bulb from working light and instal it in non-working light. If problem persists, it's the ballast: change it.
If problem goes away, it's the bulb, change that instead.

Oh, and yes, DO check the earths first!

Sorry to hijack ur thread but I was reading somewhere that hid light kits arnt road legal, is this true or just true of the cheap ones off ebay?

That is correct, but these ones are factory fit, although could be illegal now as they lack the washers and possibly the auto levellers

ah ok thought as much
cheers

My Spec D has xenon as standard with headlamp washers and auto levelling.

Why do they have to have washers by law? They are brighter than normal bulbs, so shouldn't the normal bulbs require washers by law instead?

They have to work if they come as standard on the car, if you dot have them as standard you don't need them, and the oe hid lights are legal its the aftermarket kits that they were making illegal for road use iirc due to the pattern, they are not very good according to form and can dazzle on coming motorists

My headlight washers annoy me to be honest. I keep the car clean and never need them (lots of salt about at the moment I guess) but not normally.

I spend a long time washing / waxing etc, only to have my bonnet covered in screenwash if I need to spray the screenwash jets for more than a second!

The book says it's more than two seconds to operate the headlight washers, but it's more like 1 second, and keeps catching me out.

I might disconnect the headlight washers, and just re connect for MOT.

My JDM Sti light were doing the same flickering then going off as yours,I went to see JonMc and it turned out there was just a lot of dirt in one of the connector slots on the ballast. A quick clean with wd40 and they are as good as new.

I have also wired up the adjusters, a very easy job tbh just followed the wiring sia gram and made a loom up. Worked first time and I'm certainly no sparky.

Probably your best bet fella as if you remove them and don't know a friendly mot place then its going to cause you problems, silly vosa an their new made up rules :razz: there has been a few items added to the mot standards just because they want to be fckers about it :lol1:

This is taken from the AA sight

* The new testable components subject to the 'bedding in' period throughout 2012 are:

headlamp levelling and cleaning devices when fitted for HID or LED headlamps main beam 'tell-tale'

battery - including batteries for electric or hybrid vehicles

electrical wiring connectors

trailer electrical socket security and damage

operation of 13-pin trailer electrical sockets

operation of the steering lock (where fitted)

electronic power steering malfunction warning indicating a fault

electronic parking brake control and malfunction indicator lamp

electronic stability control components including switch and malfunction warning

brake fluid warning lamp illuminated or inoperative
tyre pressure monitoring systems

secondary restraint system component including airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and seat belt load limiters.

speedometer

indirect vision devices - where they replace obligatory mirrors

My mot station did t even check if my lights adjusted. They told me that if the light beam is within the pattern area permitted they don't need to check the adjusters :wonder:

they are on adjuster,s
changed bulbs around and it dont work at all in other side,only have one ballast too?
so am looking at bulbs now hid d2s 35w 6000k.
local spares place just quoted me £49.94 each.

ebay it is lol

I will get mine MOT'd at work. I will be open with them and ask before the test if they will fail it if headlamp washers are disconnected. If so, then The Monster (Big Ian) can re connect everything for me beforehand.

The brake test will have to be with the meter they take out with them as they only have single rollers.

This is true^^^

If your car comes with factory fit HID (Xenons)
The headlight washers and self levelling MUST both work IF FITTED. There is NO requirement to fit either if not fitted at the factory.

Retrofit Xenons:
Were supposed to have become illegal under the terms of the last MoT: ie from last January. This, in effect, makes it an offence to use any bulb, or lighting device in a light/reflector/lens unit NOT SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR IT. (So: HID in a unit designed for halogen, and vice-versa, halogen in a unit designed for a tungsten bulb).

I have come across quite a few people who have been told by police to remove retrofit Xenons/HID kits, and ONE person who has had a £60 fine for having them, no warning. I think it depends on the police force, but they all have that power now.

And yes, they can tell: the lights MUST also be e-marked (or that's ANOTHER SEPARATE offence), and the e-mark will tell police/MoT testers what bulb should be fitted;)

NO! Not 6000K.

OE ones are 4300K or, in extremes, 5000K. 6000K is too blue.

The higher the colour temperature, the LESS light produced.

Ah...we were conned, we were told that we would come in line with Europe, so more items, more rigorously tested, but only every TWO years.

As soon as they had it in place, the dropped the two years thing:mad:

I have a blob jdm and it has factory hid lights, no washers and no auto levelling, so should be ok, only thing that stands out is the lack of e mark, I presume being jdm non of the parts would be e marked.

6K lamps are cock on, 8k are very blue

You will be fine with the lights :thumb:

So what are your thoughts to this then, if a uk blob has changed lights to the hid jdm lamps, is this a fail :wonder: as technically they are not standard items and if they don't have the e marker as said above like it should have on a uk spec car then is that a fail?? Can see it getting a bit complicated really fast if that turns out to be the case :lol1: and a lot of angry owners :razz:

JDM bugeye lights are DOT approved, I have a set of genuine OEM bulbs from my last car D2S, one of the insulators is cracked but both work perfectly £20 inc reg delivery for the pair if you are interested :thumb:

http://i665.photobucket.com/albums/v...0sale/HIDs.jpg

Then why are ALL OE fit lights either 4300K or 5000K?

Could it be because natural daylight is somewhere in that range and that they give more light? I mean USABLE light?

yes, I can see it getting complicated.

Strictly speaking, they are TRYING to get it to be only factory fiot HID allowed.

But those came off a factory fit car and are going on a similar car....

The lack of e-mark might be a sticking point for a pedantic MoT tester. Most would just pass it: no probs with wrong bulbs etc.

It SHOULD pass, so long as the beam pattern is within spec.

I totally agree it should pass :lol1: you got to be reall unlucky to get a tester that would fail you on that, what a prober jobs worth they would be :lol1:

They are out there...be afraid...be very afraid...:D

Technically yes it's a fail as any JDM car that gets imported has to go to an SVA test and the headlights are one of the things that have to be changed for UK ones, It depends on how clued up the technician is but time will tell, Just to reiterate all the OEM JDM lights have DOT stamped into the front lens at the bottom :thumb: