fredren

hey guys anyone have any problems with hids in there fogs? i bought 2 set of bulbs thinking that was the issue but it's not. One side is working find but the right side is grounding out everytime the bulb touches the fog light housing. my first set of bulbs came with plastic h11 prongs on the bulb itself, but the next 2 sets came with metal h11 prongs.(the prongs that holds the bulb to the foglight housing). I have philips ballast and i know they're are working cause when i have the car on the left and the bulbs hanging out they both light up fine, but when i install the bulbs and turn the foglights on.. the right side turns on for a millisecond and then turns off, not sure if the broken right lens has anything to do it it. VERY FRUSTRATING. help!

phovenier

Wish I could help, what you're experiencing sounds very odd. I've not had any issues with my 2005 RL for the 3 years I've owned it. If yours is still covered under the factory warranty it would be worth seeing your dealer.

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

?? You have aftermarket HID kit on your car? Or are you just referring to aftermarket bulbs that look like HID.

neuronbob

phovenier, HID foglights are aftermarket, so he wouldn't be able to get help from the dealer under warranty, unless the stock foglights (which are not HID) were giving him trouble.

Fred, are you having the same trouble when you replace the HID foglights with the stock lights?

037

I got a good mechanic who can check it out for you, he's located around Belt Pkway exit 6 in Brooklyn.

fredren

its the hid fog i have, the first set with the plastic rings around it worked fine, but the new 3000k hids bulbs i bought has metal prongs that when they contact the oem foglight housing they cut off, on the passengers side



these are like the old ones i had that you they are all plastic, and the new ones i purchased has metal like this one

db22

Another RL owner and I were discussing the fog lights on the RL and I suggested that they are fairly useless because they do nothing for the forward vision and only light up the sides. He suggested that using them was an act of goodwill because they helped the cars in adjacent lanes who don't have HID headlights. I concur and add that adding HID foglights is extremely benevolent, others must be very thankful.
If the fog lights are for viewing in limited visibility situations e.g. fog then they should be mounted low to illuminate under the floor of the fog. Acura got the mounting position correct but unfortunately had to comply with stupid DOT regulations that do not allow them to be used without the headlights. Now the foglights work as designed but their functionality is negated by the headlights lighting up the fog so the fog lights are useless. Maybe if the DOT policy makers actually drove vehicles instead of being chauffered around Washington then they would have observed their stupidity.
Back to your original problem: HID's are polorized and therefore careful wiring polarity is required. The polarity was irrelevant with the plastic mounting tabs but it becomes important with the metal tabs. DC check continuity from the base to its destination and make sure that the tabs are not sinking the current to ground. The power supply is cutting off the current when it detects the short and that is why it is only on for what appears to be milliseconds. I agree with 037, professional help maybe required.

db22

I forgot to add a warning: Carefull when testing HID's when they turn on - the strike voltage maybe anywhere from 8000 to 36000 volts. That's enough to put gaping holes in your fingers and change the frequency of your heatbeat to zero.

fredren

I understand what you're saying abouth the polarity but its kind of weird that it's only happening on the right side, do you think the crack/fogged up lens has anything to do with it?

KB1Spec

iTrader: (4)

I didn't have any problem with my HID. And my HID bulbs are not rebased. Did you use the stock wiring/socket? I use the stock socket and it was just plug and play and nothing wrong for me. Maybe you might amp up the fuse.

db22

and "amping up the fuse" will do what? It is advice like this that needs a moderator to intervene. Firstly your suggestion implies that the fuse was blowing and that was not mentioned, secondly, most increases in fuse current ratings only serve to create a fire of the vehicle. The HID's are more efficient approx 35 watts, therefore less current, therefore a SMALLER fuse.
If your suggestion is to cause thousands of dollars of damage then it's a good one.

db22

fredren: the broken lens may change the atmospheric conditions in which the bulb resides. The bulb is self enclosed but a broken lens allows for faster changes in ambient temperature and a possibility of water entering the housing, the former will reduce the bulbs longevity while the second possibility will instantaneously kill the bulb. For your initial testing, the lens is irrelevant but you should consider the lens replacement before continued operation.

fredren

voila! i figured out the problem, the ballast was bolted down to the fr. bumper support and therefore grounded out, now i unscrewed it and all good.