HIDs PROBLEM NEED HELP

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:45 pm

Ok so I wired my HIDs exactly as the HID how-to said to even used a relay harness and everything... but now my dome light flashes on and off randomly when I have my HIDs on and when I turn them off the cluster seems to lose power and my car chimes a bunch of times. Is it a bad ground? or what? I can't figure out what it could be..... so to sum it up

Problems:

1) Cluster seems to lose power and chimes when I turn my HIDs off.
2) Dome Light Turns On and Off when I have HIDs on. (I have the LED dome light from SRT4store)

also sidenote Question:

1) I know the sprocket looking knobs on the back of my Halo Projectors are for adjusting the low-beams (projectors), but which one is for the UP-Down adjustment and which is for the Left-Right Adjustment b/c I have been trying to adjust them correctly and I just cant get them aimed right... very frustrating

Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks guys!

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:47 pm

Ummmm. Well. What wire are you using for 12v feed, and what wire did you use for the headlamp feed. For the headlamp signal you should have used just one wire.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 2:52 pm

just one wire.... what do you mean? picture... MS Paint ftw....?

Themaggots · Post by **Themaggots** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:00 pm

If you used a 9007 Relay harness for your HIDs you didn't need to splice in any wires so it shouldn't do anything interior related.

Check your grounds. :/

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:08 pm

That would be the question. Is this a "plug n play" 9007 kit, or a H1 style kit. I am using the H1 kit from the BRR buyout on my Caliber so my answer will be based on what kit you are using.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:18 pm

Well I had to make a custom harness from the Bi-xenon 9007 harness from retrofit source b.c theirs wouldn't work as it came but I made it just like the howto said

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:20 pm

I will need to know what wires you used for which connections. MS Paint FWL indeed

Do the parking lamps work properly and independently?

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:28 pm

Check the ecu ground on the driver's side core support. I think the cluster gets power via the ECU.

Wait, is it just the cluster lighting, or the gauges/odometer too? if its the lighting, and the dome light, that would lead me to think of a faulty MFS ground or MFS itself.

One adjuster is for high beam left/right. The other is for low beam up/down. Mark the current position on a wall with ductape (at night) so you can tell which way you're moving.

jT · Post by jT » Mon Jun 29, 2009 3:43 pm

i had this exact same problem when i installed my HIDS.

But once I put the diode in for high+low beams on at the same time the problem went away.

As for adjusting.. there is no up/down left/right, they are both up/down, one is for the projector and one is for the high beam reflector. I couldn't make any significant changes to the reflector, only the projectors would move up/down.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:17 pm

This is frustrating b.c I can't use paint either right now b.c I'm making posts from my blackberry and I am up in the catskills with no computer or internet... FML... I used a relay with 4 wires (it had 5 but u can take the 5th out with no probs...) Uhg I spliced the relay into the blue low beam wire on the projector's 9007 harness, so its spliced in on the projector side I guess is what u would say.... And for grounds on each balast I am sharing both with the ground that was already on the radiator support piece... Maybe that's the prob? And what I mean when I say the cluster loses power is when I turn the headlights off either to the parking light setting or to the off position the entire cluster shuts off then on real quick and chimes a few times(didn't count them) as if there was a CEL being thrown or somethin...so idk what's goin on...

srtgtr34 · Post by **srtgtr34** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:21 pm

Its the ground, mine does it occasionally. (the cluster)

you just need better ground connections.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 4:30 pm

Yea I'm gonna try and drill a hole and ground each balast somewhere else anyone have any suggestions?

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:36 pm

That was my first suggestion, I'm 80% sure its your problem.

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:38 pm

I would also agree with the ground being the root of the problem. It took me 3 attempt to find a suitable ground for the Caliber.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:45 pm

Yea I figured it was a ground problem myself too but wanted to make sure before pulling my hair out in frustration if it wasn't a ground... Ok so any suggestions for a good ground location?

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:01 pm

I just drilled/Tapped the same hole and put a a bigger bolt with lock washer and nut on it. Its worked great ever since. Its important you fix it quick though. That's the ecu's reference ground, so if it's not making good contact, it'll tell your alternator to work overtime.

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:29 pm

If you have it grounded somewhere that you drilled your own hole make sure you scratch all the paint around it off and down to bare metal to make sure it's getting good contact.

srtgtr34 · Post by **srtgtr34** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:33 pm

Izero, if you check out my led lighting thread, it shows pictures of where i mounted mine. to get a better connection you may need to grind some paint off to bare metal

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:24 pm

Ok... so the ground is def. not the issue.... I think its a faulty relay... did some troubleshooting with an install tech at work so yea pretty sure its a faulty relay... so I'm just gonna bite the bullet and buy the right harness... shoulda done it in the first place hahaha

jT · Post by jT » Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:43 am

put the 99 cent diode (50 cent actually, since its a pack of 2) in for high+low beams on at the same time and the problem should stop.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:39 pm

why would a Diode be the problem at the MFS? I'm looking at the wiring diagram and it just doesn't make any sense to me why if all the wiring is correctly relayed and what not why there would be this issue....? oy.... :-\ such a big freakin mess.........

jT · Post by jT » Wed Jul 08, 2009 3:54 am

i have no idea why it works.. but it does, at least for me.

and eventually you will want highs+lows on at the same time anyways, so do it up and see what happens

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:51 am

will I have to put in HID bulbs in the high beams too if I put the diode in... and I'm sorry but I'm just having trouble understanding what I have to do with the diode exactly... so explain a lil for me as I'm not as wire savy as most.....

jT · Post by jT » Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:59 am

Izero wrote:will I have to put in HID bulbs in the high beams too if I put the diode in

no. the halogen are fine.

take the diode and in whatever fashion you choose to, attach it to your wire harness on the 9007 plug from the blue low beam wire to the other high beam wire. there is a picture in the how to topic

what i did with mine was took 2 small lengths of 14ga wire or whatever i had around and stripped an inch or so of the insulation off and wrapped it around the diode a little bit and soldered it.. did that for both ends.. then i just put a length of heat shrink tubing over the entire thing and sealed it up.. then used t-taps to attach it to the harness...

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Fri Jul 10, 2009 12:06 am

oh ok... hahaha thought it was more complicated then that but no worries.. I'm gonna put the other harness on anyways just so I know everything is right.... so no worries

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:16 pm

so put the new harness on and still didn't fix the effin problem... UHGGGGGGGG freakin annoying as all hell ok time to head to radio shack......

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 12:12 pm

If it wasn't the ground, I would think its a faulty mfs.

Izero · Post by **Izero** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:24 pm

yea but I've NEVER had a problem with my factory headlights... this just started happening when I put my HID's in so yea... idk i kinda doubt the MFS is the issue just yet... Idk... im gonna give the diode bit a shot and see whats up.....

jT · Post by jT » Fri Aug 21, 2009 3:46 am

howd this turn out?