HID Issue

rayner601

rayner601

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On my 97 M8, one headlight is slow to come to full brightness. It starts off as a orange color then gradually goes to the bright blue/white that the other light is. This occurs over about a 10 second period versus the 1 second time for the other headlight. The other headlight doesn't go orange or any other color it isn't supposed to. Does this sound like a ballast or bulb? I am currently working on a way to "refurbish" OEM M8 bulbs, but need a picture chart to determine which bulb I am going to go with. Thanks for your help
Joe
 
Until someone more knowledgable chimes in:

Why don't you switch the bulbs around and see what happens, that will tell you for sure if its ballast or bulb. (thats what id try as i don't know much about the OEM system)
 
its not the ballast, the ballast either works, or it doesnt, period! if the light is lighting up, regardless of its color, the ballast is working, you my friend are one of the many who have a bulb that is on its way out!
 
You need to start looking into a conversion kit. Being a gen2 I wouldn't know exactly whats involved buy eBays got some, check those out. I do know that it'd be a waste of money to spend 150+ on a used hid bulb
 
none of the ebay hid kits will work if you car came stock with hid's, totally different style bulb, a few people make a conversion kit to install "normal style" hid bulbs into out hid housing
 
chickenviii said:
none of the ebay hid kits will work if you car came stock with hid's, totally different style bulb, a few people make a conversion kit to install "normal style" hid bulbs into out hid housing
Click to expand...

There are a couple kits that will work. 4SHHD and Mafioso (pretty sure I spelled those wrong!) sell kits that have adapters and sell them on eBay.
 
Yes definitely a bulb on it's way out. Like unity said there are homegrown kits for sale by peopl who are into these cars or there is Ford's $600+ fix which is new housing to fit halogen bulbs.
 
Thanks for the replies. I didn't know what was going on with it. I had gotten a used hid bulb for about $5 from a local u pull it. The inner bubble thing had a milky coating on it although it was light. Now for another question that may help out a bunch of folks on here. I was able to remove the glass capsule from an old bulb and found out that the wires on the capsule just kinda slide/plug in there and the rest is held on by some glue. Now if I can get my hands on a D2r and see if I can swap the bases on it and see if it works....
Joe
 
rayner601 said:
Thanks for the replies. I didn't know what was going on with it. I had gotten a used hid bulb for about $5 from a local u pull it. The inner bubble thing had a milky coating on it although it was light. Now for another question that may help out a bunch of folks on here. I was able to remove the glass capsule from an old bulb and found out that the wires on the capsule just kinda slide/plug in there and the rest is held on by some glue. Now if I can get my hands on a D2r and see if I can swap the bases on it and see if it works....
Joe
Click to expand...

You will have to swap ballasts also. The Stock ones are AC? Everyone else is DC? Always get mixed up on that one, but a ballast swap will be needed.
 
unity said:
You will have to swap ballasts also. The Stock ones are AC? Everyone else is DC? Always get mixed up on that one, but a ballast swap will be needed.
Click to expand...

I don't think I am going to have to swap ballasts. I will be physically changing the bulb out, not just putting in a D2r bulb...I guess what I am saying is that I will be disassebmleing the oem bulb and the d2r bulb and swap out the glass envelope. The glass envelopes all work the same it's just that the supporting electronics are a bit different. I don't know if this idea will work but I have an old bulb and ballast here and will give it a shot to see how it works out.
Joe
 
jamie97lsc said:
its not the ballast, the ballast either works, or it doesnt, period! if the light is lighting up, regardless of its color, the ballast is working, you my friend are one of the many who have a bulb that is on its way out!
Click to expand...

I laugh to say this, but it's not necessarily true. I had an HID go out sporadically and come back on, and that was 2 years ago. I switch ballasts and bulbs and the bulb didn't work with either ballast, then it came on after a day or so. Then off for a day.. then back on. And, it's worked fine for 2 years now, no issues. But likely it is true, your bulb's on it's way out. I have 3. Need one? Lol.
 
jamie97lsc said:
its not the ballast, the ballast either works, or it doesnt, period! if the light is lighting up, regardless of its color, the ballast is working, you my friend are one of the many who have a bulb that is on its way out!
Click to expand...

i know your a mark viii expert and i usually would not question your answers,but...

i beg to differ,

i have a ballast sitting in my basement that comes on full power and then drops to half voltage after about 3 minutes,

it drove me crazy trying to diagnose until i pulled the volt meter out and checked it,

light comes on bright white and then goes dimmer until it flickers and then goes out completely.

i know thats not the problem here,but just so you know, they can work and not work properly instead of just the "they work or dont" rule
 
ok, but your ballast is one out of maybe a million odds. so i'll stand corrected, but its very very rare.
 
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