TheMixer

So I bought my CL 25,000 miles ago, never had a single problem with the headlights. Then, one day, my right headlight went out. Two days later, my left went out.

Figured it was normal, who knows how old those bulbs are.

So I bought some new bulbs and installed them. Everything worked perfectly. Two days later, my left bulb went out. I half expected this, though, as the fillament of the bulb was slightly cracked (manufacturer defect).

I got it replaced and installed the new bulb. But, it didn't work. The other bulb and the two brights started working again, though. But not the new bulb. So I opened the hood, check the wire, re-plugged everything in... And now, the OTHER one doesn't work either. The only one that consistently works is the one bright.

And it changes depending on whether I have my brights on. If I turn my brights on, sometimes only my right bright works. Sometimes only my left bright works. Sometimes they both work. Sometimes BOTH and one headlight work. If I turn my brights off, nothing works.

Basically, its a crapshoot. The left bulb (the one I replaced twice) is the only one that never works. But my right headlight and the two brights will turn on and off randomly it seems.

I'm not really sure whats going on. When the bulbs went out, I replaced them, and they worked again... it seems like it was a basic bulb situation. But now it seems like something much more sinister.

Any ideas? I am beginning to venture past my basic automotive knowledge, and I fear how much it will cost to get this fixed in a shop.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

The ballasts are on their way out.

TheMixer

Had a feeling. Is this a guarantee? Is there other possibilities? Is there anything I can do to be sure?

I hate to even ask, but... how much would a ballast install cost? I wouldn't go to a dealer, I'd just go to my local mechanic.

civicdrivr

iTrader: (9)

Save hundreds, follow this:

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/diy-ballast-oem-aftermarket-conversion-716617/

hotclick56

Go to http://www.theretrofitsource.com & get yourself a set of Morimoto ballast & 5000K HID bulbs. Or call Andrew or Nate, 404-220-7940. I believe the whole set should be less than $225.

Here are some pictures to guide you.
https://acurazine.com/forums/members/hotclick56-209843-albums-acura-03-cl-hid-9790/

Pictures shown above are the passenger side. You'll have to remove the bumper the first time. Once you get these ballast installed outside (you may want extra length cable running out of the ballast) & away from the lens assembly, you'll never have to worry about removing the bumper anymore the next time around.

If need more help, just send me a message.

TheMixer

Thanks for all the info, and it led me to find some AMAZING news.

I was looking under the hood just to try to get an idea of the wiring, and tucked down below was the ballast, which I could easily grab and pull out.

Long story short: the guy who owned this car before me has apparently already one this, and the ballast has a lot of extra cable and is easily accessible.

I am pretty excited about this. Thanks again for the info guys!

dfv3.2CL-S

iTrader: (1)

Just change the ballast units out

TheMixer

Time for a dumb question:

There are two of them, right? Do they both need to be replace, or can one of them being bad cause this problem? If so, how do I know which one it is?

Thanks for any help. First car with Xenons for me.

hotclick56

I believe they are independent of each other. So, if the passenger side needs replacement, then just replace the passenger side ballast.

TheMixer

But... wouldn't that mean its probably not the ballasts?

They both started acting wonky at the very same moment, as soon as I replaced the bulbs.

hotclick56

As far as I know, they are independent of each other. Plus, they have independent 20A fuse each (one left & one right) in the fuse box. If both are acting strange, I would tend to think both need replacements. Just replace the passenger side ballast & see if the driver side still acts flaky - process of elimination.

This is just a guess but do they have a common ground wire somewhere? If so, this could be the problem. It is just a hunch about the common ground wire. See if you can find more threads in this site about ground wire.

Good Luck!

dfv3.2CL-S

iTrader: (1)

Yes! there are two ballast that work independently of each other. check fuses first. The one that flickers is the bad one. If both come on and off intermittently both need to be replaced. BTW, your brightliights/High beam are not HID and will work regardless of what is going on with the HID. I had my ballast replaced individually by dealer within a 3-4 mths from the 1st one being done.