Thread: HID problems...Looking for answers

Ok here is my problem. I received my WBody HID kit from the Branson GPM and I just recently installed them, about 3 months ago, and ever since then I have had problems with them.



Originally when they were first installed, I just used the harness that Wbody provided that connected to the factory plug on the lights then connected to the ballast of the HIDs. Whenever I would turn on the lights, either the left or right HID would not want to come on. I would have to flick the high beams to get the ballasts to start up. This has been a constant problem since I have had them installed.

Just a week ago I got a new wiring harness for the HIDs to run independently from the stock wiring and work solely off the battery for direct power to help correct the problem as many have suggested would fix it. However even after installing the wiring harness the problem still persists. It is not as severe as before the wiring harness was installed but it is still going on. Also I find at times the right side HID flickering from time to time. It is very annoying.

The new setup is as follows. The new wiring harness is connected to the battery, it’s a has a nice big HID relay switch that feeds to lines that go to the power for both ballasts and one plug that plugs into the aftermarket harness that WBody provided. All grounds are good and the lights are working, but not as intended I am sure due to the problem listed above. I am only using one of the aftermarket harness' that WBody provided to plug in from the passanger light assembly into the new HID Wiring Harness that then plugs into the ballast on the right side. The driver side wiring of the HID wiring harness plugs directly into the ballast, no WBody aftermarket wiring harness used on that side of the assembly.

I know Chris, Webracin, had created a little device that was supposed to delay the HIDs from activating, but I never heard anything else about it. I sent him a PM or two on the National Boards back in the days before all the fallout there.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be the “fix” to this problem or suggestions to help correct it? Or could it be a problem with the ballasts themselves? The ballasts from WBody are pure chrome looking and do not have any labels at all on them. I could not even determine who the maker would even be of them.

Many thanks for reading all of this.

Sounds like you have ballast that is dead or dying. What sucks about no name brands. They are hit and miss. Other issue could be the harness itself. Where did you get the harness at or did you make it?

Geddy I sent a message to Chris for you, he says he has some switches left if you want one. But Id wait for him to see if he posts in here and gives his input on the issue you are having. He knows way more about HIDs than I do because he has them.

could this be a ground issue, cause you fixed the power side, did the ground side get any attention

Hoe exactly is the relay wired up?

Is that just a 9007-1 kit? What do you have your +12 high beam feed tied to? You don't need an upgraded harness for that kit. Most ballasts will operate down to 9-10VDC, which unless you have a dead battery, will not happen at the headlamp sockets. Try powering up a ballast and bulb outside the car with some (fused protected) jumper wires to the battery (+12 lug at top of relay center will do). The only time you need a harness, is if the kit is a tilting or telescopic type, and generally they come with it because of the relay logic module.

I have lots of info here:
ClubGP Message Forum troubleshooting

Hey Geddy,

I still have 2 of the kits I made up available. They really dont address the one light on issue, but since I installed the delay, it is few and far between when I have the issue now.

All the kit is, is a delay to allow the car to start before the headlights come on, which most say will save the ballast.

I have had mine installed for quite a while now and have the one light on issue maybe once a week, where before it was once a day.

Ground is not the issue either because I have the harness which also runs a seperate ground and is powered thru relays off the battery and the issue still occurs.

If you want to give the relay a shot, its posted in the for sale section.

webracin

Here is the link to the Wiring harness I purchased for my HIDs.

eBay Motors: HID fuse relay wiring harness 9005 9007 9006 H1 H3 H4 (item 120218211703 end time Feb-09-08 14:15:56 PST)

Here is a brief description of the harness....

Features and Benefits

MAXIMUM OF 50W POWER SUPPORT!
5 WIRES AND 1 FUSE DESIGN
BLACK NEGATIVE WIRE; RED POSITIVE WIRE
CONNECTOR TO OEM SOCKET WHICH ALLOWS THE THE HID TO TURN ON AND OFF WITH THE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE'S LIGHT SWITCH
2x HID BULB CONNECTOR WIRES

DRAWS POWER FROM THE BATTERY; NOT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; GUARANTEED NOT TO SHORT YOUR VEHICLE
POLY SYNTHETIC WIRE COVER TO PREVENT DAMAGE FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT CAUSED BY THE ENGINE
E-MARK AND CE APPROVED
EXTRA LONG WIRES AND WIRE TIES FOR A CLEAN INSTALLATION & LOOK!


The way the HIDs are hooked is through the Wiring harness off the Battery. The lines from down the passanger side past the battery and then relay is located there with three wires leading from it. One of blue aftermarkter connections that connects to the actual headlamp is now plugged into the conection on the wiring harness to provide the power connecting back to the relay which inturns powers the 2 lines leading to the ballasts.

The blue wire in the picture above in my first post, is only used on the passanger side of the car. And other ballast has the direct power connection from the harness.

I am personally thinking it is the ballasts. I know the Ground connection of the new relay is spotless, cause IF it was not? The lights would not even come on at all. I feel the problem involves the ballasts only.

I can try and scare up some photos of the new wiring harness if need to be. And in regards to your question BlackinBlack. I am not sure if it is connected the way you mentioned. As I said before. The wiring with the blue ends, in the above photo, are connected the lamps connection of the same type connection for the 9007 bulbs.

I hope I am explaining this right?

And to answer your other question Black. These are single bulb HIDs no duals or extending HIDs. Sorry forgot to add that.

Originally Posted by archemedes

really that sounds like just plain shoddy workmanship

I would tend to agree with that statement. I know Chris probably has the same ballasts as I do. And he too is still experiencing the same issue. Not sure how I should go about approaching WBody on this issue, without ruffling any feathers.

What happens when you just plain plug the ballasts into the stock headlamp bulb harness?

Originally Posted by BackInBlack

What happens when you just plain plug the ballasts into the stock headlamp bulb harness?

Well i have to use those blue connectors in the picture on the first page to make the connection between the headlamps and the Ballasts. But that was the setup I was using at first and the problems with the headlights coming on or half of them coming on started immediatedly when I first installed them.

And there has not been night before I got this wiring harness, that both lights would actually light up at the same time. I would have to flick the highbeam switch a couple of times to coax the other one to turn on.

After hooking up the wiring harness, I have had more like 60/40 chance now of BOTH HIDs coming on at the same time. It is an improvement of the prior setup, but not by much.

I hope that better explains it for you Black?

Originally Posted by archemedes

sounds like a flourescent light when it's too cold

I was kinda wondering that same thing, but when I installed them back in October, the weather was still quite warm and they were doing it then.

Same here, I installed them when the weather was still in the 80's...mine has improved to about 85/15 (new harness and delay switch).

The only thing I can think of that even remotely makes sense is the initial current draw of the ballast. With both coming on at the same time, it may be tripping one of them. I may have to try something like delaying one of the lights so that they come one one at a time and see if that works, but that wont be for a while....the ice storm is here this weekend, so I can deal with it for now, but I would like to find a fix.

webracin

how old are your kits? I had purchased mine this past year and have only had a problem witht he little 10A fuse...I stepped up to a 15A.

I havent had any of the problems both of you are experiencing...this thread has a lot of good info!!!

Both of our kits are less than 6 months old.......

webracin

Originally Posted by UR LOSN

how old are your kits? I had purchased mine this past year and have only had a problem witht he little 10A fuse...I stepped up to a 15A.

I havent had any of the problems both of you are experiencing...this thread has a lot of good info!!!

I might have to try that. It does have the 10amp fuses in lead that comes from the headlamp to the HID Wiring harness. I will check the fuse on that harness as well. I think its a 10amp fuse as well.

And like Chris said. We both got ours at almost the exact same time from WBody.

And I know BlackInBlack has done some wonderful write up work on the national board, but this problem I felt fell outside of those. I would run upto ORielllys or something, but the roads are still craptastic from the 4" of sleet that got dumped on us yesterday.

Which reminds me.........I need new Winter tires!!!!!!!