So you're cruising along lighting up the pavement with your
(hopefully!) well-focused HID lights and some fault comes along with the
lights that totally put a damper on your evening. There are many things
that can go wrong with an HID system, from not lighting up at all to
flickering to fuses blowing out. Not all HID conversion systems are
built to the same standards as OEM lights, and as with most things, you
get what you pay for. Sometimes, even with the best equipment, sloppy
installation practices and/or extreme environmental conditions combine
to ruin that nice HID glow.
Many car enthusiasts who would have no problem replacing injectors or installing a turbo simply tear out their hair when asked to diagnose electrical faults. The wires go through unseeable nooks and crannies or some components work well at startup but fail after 15 minutes of running. There are many possible causes of failure in an electrical system. They can be from heat, moisture, corrosion or vibration. Luckily, wire insulation does not degrade for a long time so that is one thing we don't have to worry about - unless you're restoring a decades-old car and you haven't replaced the wiring harness. What this all means is that when electrical failures occur, you just need to check the connections or the components themselves, and not the wires on the harness.
When an HID lighting system becomes inoperative, a simple check of the power switches, the connectors and splices or a visual check of the lamp itself is enough to diagnose the cause of the problem. Through environmental factors or plain poor workmanship, connections and splices may have gotten loose or corroded, which would result in intermittent faults or failure to operate. Bulbs at the end of their life are characterized by low light output and/or intermittent starting. Visual checks may show discoloration at the ends of the arc tube or deterioration of the electrode tip. As a quick check, you may try swapping the headlight bulbs if one side is acting up. If it lights up, then you know that it was the bulb that was at fault. If it doesn't, however, then the HID componentry is suspect. Check the ballast for signs of overheating such as bulging or discoloration. If everything still seems normal, then checking for line voltage and resistance is in order. This procedure may require a visit to your installer or electrician if you don't know your way around a multimeter.
The message here is if you install HID lighting, ensure that the installation is correct from the start. Check for proper routing so the wires don't chafe and insist of soldered splices. Then weatherproof the splices so that water splashes, oils and detergents don't prematurely degrade the connections. With these simple procedures, you can be assured of a more reliable experience for your upgrade.
Many car enthusiasts who would have no problem replacing injectors or installing a turbo simply tear out their hair when asked to diagnose electrical faults. The wires go through unseeable nooks and crannies or some components work well at startup but fail after 15 minutes of running. There are many possible causes of failure in an electrical system. They can be from heat, moisture, corrosion or vibration. Luckily, wire insulation does not degrade for a long time so that is one thing we don't have to worry about - unless you're restoring a decades-old car and you haven't replaced the wiring harness. What this all means is that when electrical failures occur, you just need to check the connections or the components themselves, and not the wires on the harness.
When an HID lighting system becomes inoperative, a simple check of the power switches, the connectors and splices or a visual check of the lamp itself is enough to diagnose the cause of the problem. Through environmental factors or plain poor workmanship, connections and splices may have gotten loose or corroded, which would result in intermittent faults or failure to operate. Bulbs at the end of their life are characterized by low light output and/or intermittent starting. Visual checks may show discoloration at the ends of the arc tube or deterioration of the electrode tip. As a quick check, you may try swapping the headlight bulbs if one side is acting up. If it lights up, then you know that it was the bulb that was at fault. If it doesn't, however, then the HID componentry is suspect. Check the ballast for signs of overheating such as bulging or discoloration. If everything still seems normal, then checking for line voltage and resistance is in order. This procedure may require a visit to your installer or electrician if you don't know your way around a multimeter.
The message here is if you install HID lighting, ensure that the installation is correct from the start. Check for proper routing so the wires don't chafe and insist of soldered splices. Then weatherproof the splices so that water splashes, oils and detergents don't prematurely degrade the connections. With these simple procedures, you can be assured of a more reliable experience for your upgrade.
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