weird problem about HID

Just installed DDM HID a few days ago. But when I turn the headlight on. Sometimes my light on one side doesn't work. If I restart the car, it works again...

Is it a problem of the ballast?

Do you have the wiring harness?

This is very typical of our BL/BPs, when using aftermarket "slim" ballast HID kits.

Although I never have this problem, with the DDM "slim" kit, with harness, on *really* cold days, after the car has sat for a few hours, it can present (which, by your "Location," you likely will also see ).

You actually need to re-start the car? Or can you get around the issue simply by re-lighting the headlamps?

^ That's weird....why must a restart of the car be necessary? Why would that be different than cycling the power to the lights?

I'm truly confused....?

^ That's the thing, I'd expect that cycling power to the lights via the stalk to be able to jump start the ballast.....

But why does Windy Road and Gemini need to cycle *vehicle* power?

I guess it might depend how they are wired. Mine are run off the stock wires with nothing going to the battery. Maybe with a independant ground and a direct connection to the battery it would effect it? I dont know how just posing the question.

This all reminds me.... I need to install my Fog light HIDs

^ And I'm also asking the questions I am asking, because I'm not an electrician. I have no idea why, either....

As I said above, I run the dedicated harness - from battery to the ballasts/ignitors, with independent ground, fired from a relay off the headlamp circuit. I've never had to cycle the car off/on, only cycle the lamps via the stalk.

I'm a electrican by trade

Anyway, my fogs are plugged into their own wiring harness, with power direct power and ground from the battery. I only have a issue every once in a while where they will not turn on. Very rarely they don't turn on with shutting off the stalk and turning back on that way. Its probably a ballast issue, they are almost two years old and they are zip tied to the frame rail so they move around.

^ Cool, professional help!!!

OK, then I've gotta ask ya again....why does your/OP's problem seem to resolve only with vehicle-power cycling? Shouldn't cycling the headlamps work?

^ Honest question! Like I said, I have only "poets" understanding of things to do with electrons. No kidding, I took "Physics for Poets" in my undergrad days!

I'm a electrican by trade

 

Anyway, my fogs are plugged into their own wiring harness, with power direct power and ground from the battery. I only have a issue every once in a while where they will not turn on. Very rarely they don't turn on with shutting off the stalk and turning back on that way. Its probably a ballast issue, they are almost two years old and they are zip tied to the frame rail so they move around.

Try i hit a HUGE bump at 30-40mph and i broke the zipties and it was dragging under the car for a few hundred feet.... Goodtimes and still work fine.

I can't say why that some times I need to shut the car off and then back on for the fogs to work. Though they did go off on my once and I kept them off for like 30 mins while I was driving and then flicked them on and they lit up again. But a restart will get them working again also. So I'm thinking there is some safety thing in the ballasts themselves that helps to protect them.

Maybe the next time I have my bumper off I'll check my ballasts but I doubt they are loose and moving around. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow if I have enough time before work.

I can't say why that some times I need to shut the car off and then back on for the fogs to work. Though they did go off on my once and I kept them off for like 30 mins while I was driving and then flicked them on and they lit up again. But a restart will get them working again also. So I'm thinking there is some safety thing in the ballasts themselves that helps to protect them.

But in a system where the wiring is either taken directly from the headlamp's circuit, or, alternatively, in using the headlamp circuit to trigger the HIDs to fire, via a relay, would it not reason that cycling the power on and off for that circuit should be the same as cutting the car, on and off?

Is there residual charge left, somewhere - that somehow only gets discharged when the car's power cycled?

It should be the same thing. Why just using the stalk doesn't work I don't know. Maybe there is a slight charge that is still there and the ballasts can see it or something else.

I work with high voltage, I know enough on about 12v systems to wire stuff but to see why the HID kit is like this I don't know. Thats why I'm saying its a ballast issue since I know for a fact my wiring and subaru's wiring is fine.

Frustrating!

So, logic would dictate that you/OP swap ballast from side-to-side, and see if the problem persists, right?

Now, that's what gets me (yeah, I know, I'm very confused! ), why do so many of us have problems with the passenger side - the side with the longer wire run?

Is it that the ballasts themselves are of such variable quality that, when paired with the longer wiring run, colder days, etc., it's likely to see more trouble - i.e. a "double hit" scenario?

Could just be a bad ground maybe?

Who knows. But mine is defonitly the cheaper/older ballast on that side(long story)

ohh how'd I miss this thread..

Ok so I run DDM ballast now since they are 55w but I also have 35w ballast that are for my fogs which I have never installed..

I have never ever had the problem that you all speak of but I have had a problem with my resistor for my harness with bad connections causing the lights to not ignite and or turn off on there own while I was driving (SCARY) but the reason why I kept bulb fogs so I didn't die if a whole entire HID setup went out because of a resistor.

I replaced the resistor and haven't had problems for 2 years since. If you are running the harnesses I'd say take a look at the resister and possibly replace it. I bought my replacement at RadioShack.