one HID turns off

[OreOs]

after about 2 weeks of blacking out my headlights on my 03, just tonight the driver side HID turns off after about 30 - 40 seconds or so. The passenger side one stays on and seems a darker shade of blue when they are both on and pointed against a wall. it happens everytime I turn on my headlights. I dont think its the contacts because nothing happens when I bang on the housing or move any of the wiring harnesses. I have done the manual level adjust with a philips screwdriver before but its been months since I messed with that. Is there a timer i could have messed up that tells the headlights to shut off? When I blacked out the headlights I put the bulbs in new ziplock bags and didnt touch them. does anyone know what could be wrong?

[spoolin]

just pissin in the wind here but the bulb might be fried? 2 months after i blacked out mine my passenger side bulb went out. I took it out to replace it and found that had been melted and badly warped. I know its a hassle, but it might be worth your while to take that bulb out and examine it. :(

[Dr. Evo]

Did you touch the bulbs with bare fingers?

[Matz]

Did you touch the bulbs with bare fingers?


+1

oil (even from your fingers) is really bad on halogen bulbs.

[OreOs]

I made sure I didnt touch the bulb itself but today I took out the bulb and it had a white spot on it which the other one didnt. I swithced out the bulbs and sure enough, it went out on the other housing. so im gona get a new bulb or upgrade to some stonger ones. does anyone know if dust can mess up a HID bulb when it gets inside the headlight housing ? Thanks guys

[Dr. Evo]

Dust? Nah. Dust and dirt can get in all the time. I would say it was probably from taking them out and mishandling them, or shaking them around. The filiment is probably loose, and heats up when the lights come on, then bends and breaks the contact. Remember to be gentle with these new ones.

[Unowned]

Dust? Nah. Dust and dirt can get in all the time. I would say it was probably from taking them out and mishandling them, or shaking them around. The filiment is probably loose, and heats up when the lights come on, then bends and breaks the contact. Remember to be gentle with these new ones.


HIDs don't have filiments (closer relation to flouresent bulbs). Vibrations don't effect HIDs when compared to halogen bulbs.

Do you see the "salt" in the circular chamber inside? Do both bulbs seem to have the same amount? That is a critical component on HIDs staying Lit.

Another idea is that when you removed the bulbs from the projectors you damaged the "grounding" wire which is the external wire out of the glass with the plastic piece is. The plastic piece around it will be snapped if you slightly damaged it.

Here is a quote about other failures:

A damaged HID bulb will not ignite. Often, the bulb stem will seem to sparkle as the electric arc attempts to establish itself. However, it is likely that the gases/chemicals required within the bulb have escaped and without the pressurized sealed environment, the bulb will not function. It may also be expected that a slight buzzing or clicking may be heard emanating from the ballast, as it attempts to fire the bulb. For both 10W and 18W HID bulbs, a break in the bulb can be very difficult to see with the naked eye. It may be possible to locate the break by switching on the light in a darkened room. The electric arc will seek the path of least resistance. No longer confined by an intact quartz arc tube, the arc will probe the damaged area, allowing it to be seen. It is important to note that some types of HID bulbs may be pressurized up to approximately 500 psi during operation. Halcyon strongly recommends proper eye/face protection to be worn when handling/visually inspecting any light head! Further, it is recommended to ensure the lamp cover is in place during these procedures. Breaks due to impact and improper handling tend to occur at structural support points, such as at the support wire or base. Broken bulbs should be replaced as specified within the Halcyon Lighting Systems Owner’s Manual.

[ZK]

When you replace the HID bulbs it might be a good idea to get two new ones so when they are on, they are the same color.

[zyounker]

I had this issue with my 03 evo as well.. I now have an 04 and have not seen this happen.. When this happened to me i just turned them off and on again and then both lights would come on.. I assumed it was a balast problem on the passanger side. But never tried to diagnose it.