Hi,

 

While I've got the headlamps out I thought I'd look at at annoying problem I've had since putting in some H.I.D lamps. One bulb only come on 50% of the time and it's deffo the bulb and not the ballast or holders. Can anything be done with the bulb or does it have to be replaced?? If so are they all the same fittings and where's the cheapest place to get a bulb??

 

Cheers

 

Vijay

I bought this kit ages ago when ArundaleP arranged the group buy via his contact in Germany (Sergio I think). They seemed like well built Hella parts and worked fine after a bit of modding to the rear of the headlight. However one has stopped working and I've narrowed it down to a ballast box failing.

 

Have been in touch with Hella and they cannot source me a replacement.

 

Smithy gave me a ballast from another kit he had lying around, but it seems that this kit works differently. As shown in Boldy's pic above, the Merc kit I bought has 2 boxes (with 4 small low voltage wires between them) whereas the other has one box and a bulb holder (with 2 heavier voltage wires between them). I am guessing that most kits have one box for ballast AND ignitor functions whereas my kit has 2.

 

So I either need to replace this specific box OR revert the light housing back to the original fitments. I am selling the car now so dont want to fork out 100s of pounds for replacement HID. :rolleyes:

 

Boldy - do you have a spare of the Merc ballast boxes knocking around that I could purchase??

 

Anyone - do you have the dip beam spring clip/bulb holder assembly from a set of lights by any chance (I had to remove those when fitting the HID and lost them).

 

Cheers

Rich

 

p.s. smithy - if you are reading this, I will send the ballast box you sent me back to you shortly - cheers again matey!!

Ere could i get my mits on another ballast pack from somewhere to work with my HID bulb. Do all HID bulbs get the same voltage and AC (i assume HID bulbs are AC cos of the ballast pack thing)

 

all your voltages are DC, the alternator generates the voltage as AC but a bridge rectifier on the alternator converts it to DC, the ballast can be used to generate a higher voltage (from 12 volts to maybe 10,000 volts, this will enable a spark to jusp a small gap, similar to a coil on older cars) but also acts to keep the voltage from going to high (same as a choke in a fluorecent light.)as for the lamp itself, its clearly faulty, but the resistance does change at different temperatures, this is called coefficient but is factored in and should not alter the performance.

 

have you checked the DC voltage into the ballast? and at the lamp too? hope this helps.

 

Kensai