Reply With QuoteMy money is on defective ballasts. Easy test. Rule out all scenarios. Swap ballasts on each side, then swap bulbs. If it happens no matter what is where, you're 99.99999% sure it's the ballasts.
Big Time Poster
it does seem random but i always get the 'blip' as you mentioned then about a second later one or the other goes off - try it agsain and it works?
3 Grand Master
My money is on defective ballasts. Easy test. Rule out all scenarios. Swap ballasts on each side, then swap bulbs. If it happens no matter what is where, you're 99.99999% sure it's the ballasts.
Big Time Poster
qube, just replied to your pot in the other thread
by the way, i love your sig, i asume it rained that day afterwards
s
5-10 Grand Master
I have Phillips HIDs and they ALWAYS IGNITE. I have never had them flicker, shut off, etc. I also have OEM Hella HIDs in my sisters car, hers ALWAYS IGNITE too.
2 Grand Master
How come his set up needs a kit when i see these Xenon http://cgi.ebay.com/BMW-5-SERIES-E34...QQcmdZViewItem
bulbs say they're straight swap no mod needed?
1995 540i Manual build 1/95
Big Time Poster
your mistaking regular bulbs with a blue tint / standard halogen lamps for h.i.d. (high intensity discharge) 'kits' which need ballast/ignitor a tiny bit likea household tube fitting
the hid bulbs don't have a filament like a normal bulb but burn xenon gas instead and so need a couple of thousand volts up their bottom to get them going, hence the ballast/ignitor. the result is about 10x brighter than a normal bulb depending on the k (kelvins) you go for
those 'xenon' halogen bulbs you mention usually just filter out some of the light in order to re-create the look of a hid bulb whilst claiming better performance and whilst some of them do chuck out a bit more light most of the guys on here will tell you they usually end up working worse than a normal bulb and don't last as long
s
2 Grand Master
Thanks for that.
1995 540i Manual build 1/95
4 Grand Master
I had the same problem when I first installed... one side is flaky. I traced it down to the LKM... I resoldered it... and clean the relay contacts...
The headlight switch, if you switch on rapidly, it usually catches all the time. If you switch slowly, then sometime it doesn't.
Over time, it eventually resolved itself... so no trouble now. I suspected my ballast causing the problem... but now, it is no problem. Mine is the first generation Phillips Ballast/bulb system. New one (third or 4th generation) shouldn't have any problem at all.
Last edited by Tiger; 10-01-2006 at 08:08 PM.
Big Time Poster
s
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