hey guys so for almost a year now my lights turn on at start up but if i turn them off and turn back on my driverside wont turn on. with quite a few flicks on and off it turns on. def not the bulb as i have had different color temps in with the same result. does this sound like the ignitor or the ballast?

 

Igniter!
But ,to confirm swap the good side to the bad side.

 

several of us with similar issue are leaning towards ballast as the root cause
the ignitor is just the wire from ballast to bulb

last night- both sides went out together! yikes!! and would not come back on till rested a minute,,at freeway speed~

 

had the same problem and decide to get a after market hid ignitor but searching on cl found a wreck tl and got the oem ignitor and that fixed my problem..............but check ebay for an hid kit buld 9006 will fit great on the low beam socket!!

GOO LUCK!!

 

there are 2 trusted sellers on here of hid parts
hidextra and hidconcepts ck them out

was there an obvious problem with the old part? burn marks, loose fit??
what is causing us to have this issue?

 

just had a great experience with hidextra

 

were you having our prob-- with intermittant light off while driving- then back on with cycle of switch?

which part looked bad?-any help you can offer in figuring out a root cause- is this a ballast defect or ones that had moisture in headlights in the past...

 

Unrelated actually just giving a vote for that company. I was having this issue at one point but I went to a 55w bulb and haven't had any problems since. No facts behind it but it is working so I am good with it.

 

I had the same problem.
Changed the igniter ,all is well for a few years now.
I kept the igniter with the hope, I will get some free time and open it to see what is going on inside. To date I have done nothing,
One of these days!! Who knows what idle hands can do!

 

but mine doesnt go out by itself, its only if i like run into a store or something and come back out and get into the car. when the lights are on they run perfect.

 

that sounds like ballast to me,,not able to make power on demand for startup

it takes way more juice to start these lights than to run them
See: capacitor for information

 

for the people that have retro'd an aftermarket ballast was it difficult?

 

The function of the igniter is to turn the light on.
The function of the ballast is to keep the light on.
The function of the bulb is to tell you everything is okay/not okay.
The function of the OP is to determine which/what is not working properly.
The function of the adviser (me) is to tell you to swap a known good part to the troubled area and report back.
Hope this helps.

 

you didnt mention the capacitor that creates the mega voltage required to start the bulb gas
ballast keeps it running
ignitor is the wire connect from ballast to light

for the time to remove the bumper cover, remove the ballast from the housing and swap parts side to side,
versus the low cost of good aftermarket complete kits,,why bother even swapping to test anymore
If its bulbs you need 2 anyway
if its ballast or ignitor- the other side cant be far behind
with our headlight leak prob, ballast are at risk every day!

are there still people on the OE bulbs? thats amazing lifespan!!
watch for pink or purple tint at startup- point car at wall before turning on lights
thats bulb death warning

 

the aftermarket ballast from hidextra requires cutting the OE connector off, splice in the new power wires with inline connectors and electrical tape well

Ballast attaches with good double sided tape,peel and slap--done

recent member installs say its very easy,,kits are complete and well made

 

where is the DIY to remove the bumper and headlights?

 

Also, I think running an old bulb puts extra strain on our already old ballasts. Incandescent and halogen light bulbs are more resistant to being run until their fail point.

Its best to replace HID bulbs before they fail, and in pairs.

 

plus they lose color and brightness as they age

just ordered my kit today--when it doubt- rip it all out!!
hidextra running a special now- 59.99 for our setup---sweeeeet
should arrive in 2 days,,2 ballast, 2 ignitor wires, 2 5k bulbs
I have the $100 kaixen bulbs now, so a comparison will be made on quality

here is the diy master list- https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-tl-1999-2003-98/new-official-2nd-gen-tl-diy-thread-706083/
save to your favorites

ck youtube also- plenty of info on removing the few clips and hidden bolts at the ends.
lay down a blanket to protect the part while off car, a buddy helps to keep it easy-
so both sides slide back in place evenly

dont forget the torx #20 SECURITY tip screwdriver/bit to remove the lights rear covers
or use dremel cutting disc to make them into flatblades!!