Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Last night was out with a couple of mates, and got in the car to go home and everything was ok, 3 mins down the road my HID`s flick off and won`t come back on.

So thought that was strange, so stopped to have a look. I immediately saw smoke and thought "**CK!!", jumped out and popped the bonnet and smoke came billowing out, so I pulled the fuse for the HIDs and ran to my boot and grabbed my socket set and disconnected my battery.

The smell was terrible, and once the smoke cleared I disconnected everything to do with the HID`s, all whilst peeing down.

Called my mate and he came down with one H4 bulb, and reconnected the battery and everything worked as it should. Drove up to the nearest garage and bought 2 H4 and made it home, albeit wet and smelling of burnt out electrics.
So today now I set about taking out the wiring for the HID`s and seeing what went wrong, also to fit my special H4 bulbs from my jeep.

This is the aftermath.

The HID`s are ok, the ballasts are ok, whats gone Pete Tong is the switching for the High/dipped. And the rest of the OEM wiring was fine, the WORST thing was that the 20amp fuse for the HID`s did NOT blow. So nasty email sent off to place I bought them from.

cjquicksilver

iTrader: (23)

i had the same with the hids on my evo 6, was on motorway when they just cut off, managed to side light to the next services (only about 2 mile) saw the smoke, in ripped it off the battery, it was also the high low box ,

Rally fan 555

iTrader: (7)

Pheww Mate - lucky you caught it in time - hope you get the lights sorted soon

R1CH D

iTrader: (8)

Close call there James,

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Not good.

Whats got me is why didn`t the fuse pop??

Will see what the company said that I bough them off, as the wiring came with the bulbs I replaced. First ever problem with HID`s and I`ve used them for best part of 8 years on 2 different cars.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Lights sorted have 80/100 H4 bulbs from my Jeep in there now.

I know was butt twitching!!

S3LDM

****...[img]/shocked-smiley-9456.gif[/img] that was lucky could have been a lot worse, hope you sort it soon budd.

cjquicksilver

iTrader: (23)

ye my fuse never blew either, maybe the ampage on the fuses they supply is too big?

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, I know.
Will have to decide as to if I`m going back to HID`s or staying with Bulbs.

Daft isn`t it.

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

It was nearly a hog roast there Jimbob.

Is the 20amp fuse the correct one for the HID's? What I mean was it supplied with the HID kit? As I wonder if the fuse rating is too high, the first sign of an over voltage or electrical problem that fuse should pop, if it is an OE part of the kit then the supplier wants a good kicking.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Nothing has been changed from what came in the kit, so god knows.
Will see what they say when they read my Email tomorrow lol.

redwards

iTrader: (6)

Lucky escape there. I carry 2 extinguishers just in case, good for a small fire but would probably do nothing for a fuel line fire.

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Yeah have an extinguisher in my glovebox, but after this I`m SERIOUSLY debating an electric cut-off switch, as an extinguisher would do naff all, unless the power has gone.

drive

iTrader: (1)

ideally divide the wattage by the voltage to give you amperage
so 120 watts divided by 12 volts gives you 10 amps

wrx_sti_mudzy

man you had a very lucky escape one of my mates headlights all melted away due to this i bet that kit you bought was a cheap chinese knockoff that the company's claim are fully legal but they never have been certified so corners have been cut when they get built and i bet thats why your fuse didnt blow so just not to take the chance i only use uk made hid kits the one ive always used are made by ultra i know they cost twice as much as the ones you see around on fleabay for example but when it come to electrics its best to be safe than sorry

blueg14rep

3 days ago I fitted a HID kit, I'm worried now!

wrx287

iTrader: (8)

So only light damage then Something about a smoking scoob

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, what I think happened was the switch box rotated and then filled with water, so causing the short, that started the fire.
The lights are CE marked, and don`t think they are from China, I know my last set worked for 3 years and were chinese copies, but didn`t have these poxy switching thing-a-my-jigs. The ballasts and bulbs are ok, just this poxy box.

Mine were in over a year, just keep the fuse for them easy to get at and if there is any issue, remove the Fuse AND the OEM headlamp wiring, as that still provides power to it.

Yeah, but mine was an easier fix, 2 bulbs is quicker and cheaper and less hassle than a box!!

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

I used the fuses that came with it and iirc were only a 15amp.
Problem is that the control box has 2 lives going to it, one direct from the battery, and the other from the headlamp wiring plug that normally plugs onto the H4 Bulb, which that again is either a 15 or a 20amp (can`t remember off the top of my head).

If it were the one feed going to it that should have blown, but because there was 2, it didn`t, strange.