Hids turn off

[Chip]

I installed my 6000k DDM HIDs and wire harness y'day. This also happened y'day. Today, I was parked outside for a few hours, so the car was pretty cold. (NJ) I started the car and then turned the HIDs on. Both turned on, however, after I got home and looked in the garage, my left HID was turned off. I switched them off and on, and they turned right back on. This happened y'day to the left headlight, but turning it off and on again solved the problem.

FYI, from my other thread, this is the side with the loose connection with a zip tie over it so it stays connected tightly. However, when that connector become loose, BOTH headlights turned off. With this, only one headlight turns off, and by turning the switch off and on again, the problem is resolved.

Could it be the cold weather (around 20 degrees F in NJ y'day and today) or something else?


Also, I am not sure, but Ill add pics later. The right headlight seems less blue than my left headlight. It was not this way y'day. However, I saw this once again in my garage and the two lights were on two different surfaces.

Thanks for all the help!

*edit* picture is in post 14

[db8typer]

I would say that the cold weather will definitely have something to do with your problems that you are having.

[trehouse]

A lot of people seem to have this kind of problem. The usual answer from DDM is to check your connections and if the problem persists swap the sides the ballasts are on to see if the problem follows to that side pointing to a bad ballast.

BTW, reading your install thread if you have stock 9006 bulbs are you using the jumpers which came with the kit and if not perhaps you can try them to see if you can get a more solid connection? If you are using them, is the ballast mounted close enough on the left side to take it out? For me however, I couldn't do the install w/o the jumper due to connector issues. As I think someone may have mentioned, this problem you are having with the connection is not typical.

Also, I'm curious if these are full size ballasts or slim. I have DDM full sized ballasts and I haven't seen this problem so far. I'm in CT so it's also like Antarctica here.

[striker_1818]

That's a bad ballast

[Dat fiyahhh]

Originally Posted by striker_1818

That's a bad ballast

is that really the case...cause my driver side light started to turn off but once i turn off the lights and turn them back on its good but will turn off 2 mins lata..now tonight both lights turn on but starts to turn off...if thats the case time to go back to stock

[striker_1818]

thats a sign of a dying ignitor.
Its happened to me before. thought they were the bulbs but nope. Ballast died.

[Dat fiyahhh]

ahhh kk thanks...guess i will go back to stock lights then wait till spring or summer time to invest in a good hid kit..oh well the ebay one lasted longer than expected..waffles lol

[striker_1818]

Nah, keep the HIDs without the relay harness. Thats when you will notice the huge difference(they will start to blink when they're about die).

[Chip]

Striker, I think you may be right. If the cold really was effecting it, wouldn't the passenger side ballast turn off as well? However, going against what I just said, the passenger ballast is closer to the engine, while the driver side ballast is on the fuse box.

[Chip]

Originally Posted by trehouse

A lot of people seem to have this kind of problem. The usual answer from DDM is to check your connections and if the problem persists swap the sides the ballasts are on to see if the problem follows to that side pointing to a bad ballast.

BTW, reading your install thread if you have stock 9006 bulbs are you using the jumpers which came with the kit and if not perhaps you can try them to see if you can get a more solid connection? If you are using them, is the ballast mounted close enough on the left side to take it out? For me however, I couldn't do the install w/o the jumper due to connector issues. As I think someone may have mentioned, this problem you are having with the connection is not typical.

Also, I'm curious if these are full size ballasts or slim. I have DDM full sized ballasts and I haven't seen this problem so far. I'm in CT so it's also like Antarctica here.

I have the slim ballasts. I do not understand what "jumper" you are talking about. I just connected the bulbs ballast and harness together with my friend, and he did most of the actual hookup.

[striker_1818]

get rid of the harness.
Sometimes, the relay they come with is REALLY cheap so that will affect everything

[Chip]

Ok, but if it was the harness, wouldn't that mean both lights would turn off?

edit: how do i know if it is the ballast or the harness?

Plus, is there a guide here that tells you which clips to take off? We took off a bunch of them, and since I will be doing this alone, I need to know which ones. Also, we had an extra clip ast time and it was hard to see at night. Is there a guide anywhere that tells which clips go where? Thanks.

[striker_1818]

well i don't have the ddm kit so i have no clue otherwise i'd tell you which wire goes where.

[Chip]

Ok, this is how we wired the car together. Sorry for the poor drawing.

[striker_1818]

hook the ballast power wires to the stock harness.
Remember to match the colors...

[trehouse]

Chip the jumper I was talking about is the extra red / black wire jumper which comes inside of the DDM 0-ring (at least on the Apexcone kits) which isn't many times needed for 9006 lights. It is needed on a 2009 sedan as I have however. It goes btwn the red wires on your drawing and the ballast. If you can make the connections without it its not required but can be used simply as a jumper. Your buddy whom helped you probably just used if you don't see it laying around however to me it fits very snugly into the ballast and the lamp connection.

BTW, Striker is always on the money when it comes to diagnosing these things so perhaps you should contact DDM and tell em what you have here. I know that it's a pain messing with the connections and this may be the easiest thing. It also concerns me that the connections don't hold tight. I'm a newbie here but I haven't seen anyone else mention that.

I personally wonder if the slim ballasts are more suscetpable to showing issues when it's cold. Striker, whats your thought? I saw some comment by the guy in charge of DDM and it makes me wonder.

[striker_1818]

DMM is good as they are what they are for the price and the lifetime warranty.
However I never go aftermarket because of issues like this lol
3 yrs and my matsushitas are still going strong even at -24F last week.

[Chip]

striker, wouldn't that bypass the accessory harness?

I tried contacting DDM today, but the phone keeps ringing and then a recording says that call later.

[albanz35]

i also live in nj and i have had my hid (from xenondepot) for about 3 weeks and havent had a problem with the cold

[Chip]

Yeah, I think it may be the ballast. However, the problem is not consistent. I just went out for 10 minutes to pick up some groceries and both lights stayed on fine. Is there any way to check specifically if I have a bad ballast?

DDM is not picking up, I am guessing they are closed on the weekend.