Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[duggs]

Further to previous posts...I'm STILL having problems with my Xenon domed lights. As mentioned, they will work BUT ONLY after about a 60 secs and I often get an error message despite the fact that they seem to work eventually.

A thought !  Because the computer logged an error and over a period of time while lights, ballasts and bulbs were being swapped over the light switch was often off and on while testing, is there a chance that the computers got "humpy" at some point preventing the lights from coming on initially. Tis as if the computer is checking itself and the car over before it will allow the lights to come on. I was wondering if the error is "reset" by the RAC/AA/Green Flags laptop thing whether the problem may go away.

An auto electrician checked her out today and sais there's nothing wrong in the wiring or power flow, certainly up as far as the lights themselves.

IF it's the ballasts, which I doubt, WHY do they work perfectly after a 60 second "warm up".

[fiend61]

duggs
can you try something for me?
can you start car from cold increase revs then turn on lights whilst on higher revs
what this is doing is making alternator work harder and if lights do work then you are looking at a failing battery or the amph is not enough to strike the lamps, these lamps can take 30amps per side to strike  also check fuses to see that are seated properly and making good contact and not corroded or carbonised (is that a word) :question any dodgy connection will stop the lights working correctly
another question is when you do turn on the lights normally (without) revving the car do the lights flicker at all, might only be minimal but if they do there is several causes, corroded or loose connections, dampness in the circuitry or as i said not enough power of the battery output, which could be down to failing battery, loose connections etc
give it a try you seem to have tried everything else and you never know 

[TheBoy]

There is no 'computer' directly involved in the HID lighting.

HIDs are provided a simple 12v straight to the ballast pack (Xenon Controller in GM lingo).

If your car has Check Control, then it will go via the monitoring ECU though.


What happens if you remove the headlight/ballast, and apply 12v from a car batt straight to the ballast pack?  the yellow wire represents the 12v, brown 0v.

This should help pin point if its the light/ballast, or loom/check control

[duggs]

Wow !    Got a few things to check there....Thank you.

Will report back soonest.

[I_want_an_Omega]

Just a word of warning doing this.

The ballasts have a very high inrush current of about 20A - this reduces to about 4A when the lights have warmed up - but this can take a few minutes.

Just make sure that your wiring is upto the job, if it isnt then the lights with "arc" quickly but not strike. Use as short a length of as thick a cable as you can.

[duggs]

DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT..!

After literally hours out on the drive and in the garage looks like I've sorted it.

Did the spare battery and wires trick and one of the original OEM bulbs lit up a treat. The other OEM was dead, as I suspected BUT here's the kicker....Neither of the new "el cheapo" Ebay bulbs worked correctly.
Both flashed under the battery test, exactly as they do when IN the car. As bulbs they do work in the car after a min. or so but it would appear there is something about an Omegas system they don't like, the ballasts most likely, preventing them from starting correctly.

I've put the one working OEM bulb back in the car and it works perfectly. Will get the other from Wilco, £54 so hopefully that will work also.

Crazy but it would appear...true.

[Andy B]

DON'T BLOODY BELIEVE IT..!

After literally hours out on the drive and in the garage looks like I've sorted it.....

Have you just come in from the cold ... so to speak?
Glad you seem to be getting somewhere though.     

[duggs]

Yep...got ice on my little bald head.

[fiend61]

glad you seem to have it sorted 
there is nothing like the feeling when you do something and it works 

[Jimbob]

these days you hear more bad ebay hid bulbs than good ones, check tonka's similar experience in the electrical section

now I only recommend Osram or phillips (despite being lucky with my ebay ones)

[skyblue]

Well done message stored about not getting bulbs from ebay 

[Jimbob]

Well done message stored about not getting bulbs from ebay 

ill rephrase....cheap 'chinese' type lamps, osram or phillips from the bay should be fine.

I read a very interesting article once about it all, but cant find it again.

Just hear so many bad stories from just not working, long strike / warm up times, bad colours, low output, going on fire, that they are just not worth the gamble any more.