The passenger side light comes on...sometimes..but after 5-10 minutes. Why?

[rebelx]

Some of you might have remembered that I had a driver's side issue where the light would not turn on at all. Every now and then I might get the light to turn on but then after a while, it just didn't. I took it to the shop and they basically said they just replaced the bulb with one that I provided and everything seems to be good on the driver's side for the most part.

Now I have a new issue on the passenger's side. I would say that the vast majority of the time recently the passenger's side does not illuminate when I turn the car on. Once I start driving for a period of time, I would say maybe 5 to 10 minutes, then the passenger's light turns on most of the time. I think in some instances the passenger's side light does not turn on at all. I'm confused what this might be. I'm thinking it may not be a bulb issue like it was on the driver side because then shouldn't the light not turn on at all? What is the most likely component that is creating this issue?

I have a d2s with morimoto ballasts. xb35, I believe.

[satrya]

It is hard to pin down exactly where the source is, when the symptom is intermittent like that.

In my retrofit case, when that happens, I would try to first inspect the obvious ground and battery connections. Then, gently move the wires around the different connectors (e.g. OE halogen to harness signal input, battery connector to harness, harness to ballast, ballast to igniter, igniter to bulb). I've ran into instances where the culprit was one pin between the OE halogen to harness input, and another where it was from the harness to ballast. In both cases, cleaning the pin and socket, and tried to improve the snug fit of the pin and socket of the terminals.

[rebelx]

It is hard to pin down exactly where the source is, when the symptom is intermittent like that.

In my retrofit case, when that happens, I would try to first inspect the obvious ground and battery connections. Then, gently move the wires around the different connectors (e.g. OE halogen to harness signal input, battery connector to harness, harness to ballast, ballast to igniter, igniter to bulb). I've ran into instances where the culprit was one pin between the OE halogen to harness input, and another where it was from the harness to ballast. In both cases, cleaning the pin and socket, and tried to improve the snug fit of the pin and socket of the terminals.

Thank you! I will try to play around with this but I am not mechanically inclined whatsoever. Hopefully it's just a matter of playing with some of the wiring/cables and trying to make sure the fit between the connectors is good.

[rebelx]

I should probably ask if I should have the lights on or off while I am testing the cables. Probably on?

[satrya]

On, but be careful when dealing with the high voltage part, that is between the ballast and HID bulb connection, including if the igniter has a separate cable (i.e. ballast --> igniter --> bulb).

[satrya]

Maybe use a wood stick to prod the cables near the connectors.

[rebelx]

Unfortunately now both sides have gone off. I was experiencing one side going out so I flicked the lights on and off quickly about 3-4 times and apparently that just shut down both lights lol. The parking lights work, as do the the fog lights, just not the actual low beams projectors. High beam halogens still work! I am now headed back to the shop to see if they can either fix it cheaply, or I am going to ask they remove the entire HID system and I will look into better-than--OEM halogen bulbs.

[satrya]

Did the fuse in the harness break?

[rebelx]

Did the fuse in the harness break?

I took it to the shop. Turns out one ballast was totally dead. And the other was slowly dying as the light would intermittently turn on. I ended up replacing both ballasts at the shop. Now the lights are working again!

[satrya]

I see. Yes. Ballasts do die, but it takes many hours of use (years in actual use). How long ago were the ballasts from?

[rebelx]

I see. Yes. Ballasts do die, but it takes many hours of use (years in actual use). How long ago were the ballasts from?

It's been a while--even the TRS website doesn't show my order history anymore. I want to say that I bought it in sometime in 2015, but did not have the retrofit completed until 2016. So roughly from 2016 maybe mid year or late in the year? A forum member actually put my build together!

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/complete-retrofit-kits/bi-xenon-morimoto-mini-stage-3-kit-h1.html#.VC5QnPldVSt

That was the kit I bought, with some minor changes from TRS, if I recall correctly. However, the link is no longer operational.

[satrya]

So around 5 years. If you use almost everyday then that's not too unreasonable.

[rebelx]

So around 5 years. If you use almost everyday then that's not too unreasonable.

I am on my way back to the shop as one of the lights is not illuminating (flashes and then turns on or most of the time, doesn't turn on at all). I am hopeful it's a ballast issue and dnot a bulb so I dont need to buy another bulb...the ballast is covered under their warranty from last year.

Speaking of which, anyone know if any big box stores sells HID bulbs brick and mortar?


Turns out it was a faulty relay or something. The guy wasn't really clear but said that something they had installed last year failed (not the ballast) and t sounded like a broken relay. It was closing time and they squeezed me in so I just accepted it and called it a day lol.