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[Neil_MV6]

Yesterday evening, one of my Xenon headlamps didn't light and a warning came on the dash.  My immedaite thought was that the bulb had gone, but after switching off and on a couple of times it lit. When I stopped and switched off the engine, I tried turning on again and could see that the bulb was flickering but not actually lighting (like a flourescent tube trying to light).

Later, when I tried again (after starting the engine), it lit first time.

 :question Is this a problem with the bulb or is there something that kick-starts the bulb that might be faulty, like a starter motor or something?

Cheers, Neil   

[Jimbob]

There is a ballast pack....but that does sound like the bulb on the way out....is it also a little more pink in illumination than normal?

[rustym95]

buld may be sorting out on the earth or the eliment is going check the wires are good on the plug and the earth is clean.

[dbug]

Symptomatic of a dying HID bulb bud   To check ballast packs you could swap them over.

[Teebee]

May not be of much use but I very intermittently (once or twice a year, usually winter) lose one side of my lights. In my case I switch them off and whack the top of the dashboard (!), obviously a bad connection there but not frequent enough to warrant ripping things apart.

[dbug]

May not be of much use but I very intermittently (once or twice a year, usually winter) lose one side of my lights. In my case I switch them off and whack the top of the dashboard (!), obviously a bad connection there but not frequent enough to warrant ripping things apart.

Applaud your scientific approach mate 

[VXL V6]

buld may be sorting out on the earth or the eliment is going check the wires are good on the plug and the earth is clean.

There isn't a filament (presume that's what you mean by element) in a HID bulb, it's an arc.

[rustym95]

buld may be sorting out on the earth or the eliment is going check the wires are good on the plug and the earth is clean.

There isn't a filament (presume that's what you mean by element) in a HID bulb, it's an arc.

yep element in side not filament says on box i got with some old knakerd ones, it say lighting element.

[dbug]

buld may be sorting out on the earth or the eliment is going check the wires are good on the plug and the earth is clean.

There isn't a filament (presume that's what you mean by element) in a HID bulb, it's an arc.

yep element in side not filament says on box i got with some old knakerd ones, it say lighting element.

Wrong as VXL V6 says HID Xenon bulbs do NOT have a filament or an element inside - light produced by an arc. 

See the following extract re HID lighting - "Xenon HID kits produce 300% more light than standard halogens, yet use less power. Xenon car headlights are significantly different to conventional halogen bulbs that use a heated tungsten filament. Unlike Halogen lamps, Xenon HID kits don't have a filament but create light as a result of an arc between two electrodes. The heat from the arc vaporises the metal halide which produces light as the temperature and pressure increases.

The light produced by Xenon car headlights is greater than a standard halogen bulb and with less power consumption. On the road, Xenon HID kits appear as a bright white beam which resembles natural daylight. The bright white beam offers greater visibility and road safety."

Do not confuse HID lights with xenon filled bulbs, which like halogen filled bulbs, do have a filament inside.