flickering hids

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:19 pm

my hids seem to be flickering..what could be the problem

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:25 pm

dub2333 wrote:my hids seem to be flickering..what could be the problem

Bad ground. Bad ballast.

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:29 pm

both? or is there a way to find out which one it is?

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:59 pm

Check the ground and make sure it's good. Make sure it is grounded to bare metal, part of the frame is best. Then see if it still does it.

cbjones26 · Post by **cbjones26** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:06 pm

i had the same issue when i installed my kit yesterday, idk if im suppose to or not but i just hooked the ground wire to the - post on the battery?

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:38 pm

cbjones26 wrote:i had the same issue when i installed my kit yesterday, idk if im suppose to or not but i just hooked the ground wire to the - post on the battery?

Wire? Wires. Each ballast has a seperate ground wire(Atleast in my kit, should be in all kits)

And yes to the battery post would be fine. But frame would be ideal.

cbjones26 · Post by **cbjones26** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:22 pm

ummm.. got any pics?? bc the only ground wire i had was the one from the relay harness?

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:32 pm

cbjones26 wrote:ummm.. got any pics?? bc the only ground wire i had was the one from the relay harness?

The ground from the ballast might be ran up into the relay on yours. Mine is where it plugs into the ballast. That plug has two wires. One is red, and is power, the other is black and is ground.

cbjones26 · Post by **cbjones26** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:11 pm

hmm idk.?

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:14 am

i still have flickering. but when i move the little realy box thing they flicker and make a clicking noise??

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:37 am

dub2333 wrote:i still have flickering. but when i move the little realy box thing they flicker and make a clicking noise??

Make sure the plugs are pressed into the relax good (If you have one that can be unplugged)

Jenni · Post by **Jenni** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 8:45 am

have you installed a hid relay harness?
or are you running the hids directly on the stock headlight harness?
That would be a very very bad idea due to our weak mutifunction switches.

Read my how-to!!

viewtopic.php?t=49713

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:03 am

yeah i have a relay harness

Jenni · Post by **Jenni** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:08 am

bad ballast

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:18 am

Jenni wrote:bad ballast

Why would a bad ballast make it flicker when he moves the relay? If he is moving the relay and it is flickering it tells me bad contact at or around the relay.

Jenni · Post by **Jenni** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 9:29 am

hmm. okay, maybe i read to quick.
Makes sense!

Maybe rusted contacts, yes!

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 10:15 am

I'm sure bad ballast is a possibility but the relay connection is just much easier to check

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:03 pm

ok ive figured out that they only flicker when the car is running

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:05 pm

That would denote a bad connection somewhere if vibration is a factor.

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:27 pm

ughh ive checked it all...cant figure this out

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:33 pm

Are you pulling power for the HIDs right from the battery (with the relay in line of course)?

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:36 pm

yes sir

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:43 pm

OK then. Either the bulbs are flickering because...

1) Something is vibrating when the car is running

2) The bulbs themselves are bouncing in the housing or the ballast is vibrating

3) The power is fluxuating

Three things to do.

1) With the car off, lightly wiggle the wire path starting with the wire from the battery to the relay, from the relay to the ballast, from the ballast to the bulbs. Do the same for the grounds.

2) Place your hand against the plug for the bulbs themselves to try and steady the bulbs, and place your hand against the ballast case to try and steady it.

3) Using a volt meter, measure the possitive voltage from the battery to the relay, and from the relay to the ballast. Do not try to measure the power from the ballast to the bulb! I'm sure there is a way to do that, but I haven't tried it.

Try those things first and see what you find.

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 3:16 pm

ok im going to get a volt meter before work..thanks

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:01 am

ok i didnt get a chance to get the volt meter...but i was wondering if it could the battery itself?

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:28 am

ok i think its the battery because even my dome light flickers

Jenni · Post by **Jenni** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 9:23 am

hmmm, maybe a bad battery ground wire!!

Post by **occasional demons** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:24 am

dub2333 wrote:ok i think its the battery because even my dome light flickers

IIRC it is a '00 model year?

If all the connections/grounds check out:
Unplug the IAT sensor. (The plug in the elbow to the air filter.) This will give you a CEL, and should give you a battery light. It will now charge at a constant rate. See if the flickering remains. If so turn off the lights, and see if the dome still flickers. If so, then it might be alternator brushes bouncing. If not, then the ballasts/circuit is causing it.

Reconnect the IAT sensor, and disconnect the battery to reset the CEL, or wait for a few cycles of turning the car on and off for it to clear.

The HID ballast should only need more amperage at the initial light up to fire the bulbs. After that, they should require less than a normal bulb of the same light output. That was the whole purpose of HID lights. To get awesome light output with out needing a huge power robbing alternator. Another side benefit of off road racing.

dub2333 · Post by **dub2333** » Sat May 15, 2010 2:06 am

grr still flickering...i noticed even when i roll my windows up or down the hids flicker with each press

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Sat May 15, 2010 12:14 pm

My 1gn dome lights and hids flicker. Can't notice the hids unless you are out of the car staring at them. But I have a udp.

2GN.ORG

flickering hids

flickering hids

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