Newbie12345

Alright, I have an 03 TL with Driver's side low beam out. I have already done research here and other places. I have heard warning about trying to DIY because of the HID and maybe it could be the ballast and the bulb. What do you suggest, should I replace both bulbs? Also The DIY aspect I read on here was a bit difficult, as the pictures weren't all that clear nor were the instructions very specific. Would you DIY or take it in? Thanks

Also if any of you have done please send Utube, or talk to me through I'm gladly appreciate it.

01tl4tl

its in our diy- its not that hard,get a buddy to help remove and install the plastic bumper cover

To know if bulbs- was there a pink or purple tint at first when you turned them on recently?--thats bulbs and very common at this point in the cars life

always replace in pairs- the color and brightness will be way different

see hidextra and hidconcepts- both vendor members on here
80 bucks for full replacement kit- doesnt matter whats wrong- replace it all- thats like acuras theory~
but for under a 100 bucks how do you go wrong?

other excellent bulb choice is Kaixen,,been in my car 4 years and fine light color-output
about 100 a pair for those

Karanx7

iTrader: (2)

Just switch bulbs to find out if it's the bulb.

Very easy. Once you figure 1 of them out, the other will take less than 5 minutes. I didn't have to take my bumper off. Then again, maybe that's because I have smaller hands?

kidduce

iTrader: (1)

HID extra have bulbs for less than 50 for a pair. The replacment is not to hard, removing the bubmer is easier than it sounds.

01tl4tl

bumper plastic COVER is just clips and a few bolts

doing them on the car requires working blind on the bulb retainer clip- that can be broken, or bulb can be broken on install

Newbie12345

Alright, swapped bulbs, no cigar. Ballast or Wiring? What happens is sometimes the low beam comes up on when I turn on the car. Then I switch them off, stays off. So it's working some of the time. Any Clues greatly appreciated

01tl4tl

you swapped the bulbs and the prob stayed in same side?

when you switch the lights OFF the headlight stays on? are you sure you dont have it set for that- the entry/exit feature that keeps lights on for 15-30 seconds?

if not the bulb--probably dieing ballast, many of us with this right now
Ck our sponsored sales threads for hidextra and hidconcept
they have full kits with `waterproof ballast` and wiring- you can buy without bulbs or with--whatever you need under 100 dollars no sweat!
its wayyyy cheaper than acura to go aftermarket and 10 minute diy!

01tl4tl

have any moisture inside the headlight housing lens?
thats common and drips down and out a vent onto the ballast- sizzle crackle!!
one reason Im am happy to see waterproof slimline aftermarket units
After the kit arrives for the 01 so I can drive it at night again,,getting a HID kit for the 2 wheel honda too

Newbie12345

Yes, same side the issue with the low beam light. Not the auto system, turned that off and practiced with turning on and off.

Ballast, I heard about that, sort of concerns me! I have already visited the site you suggested, looks good. Probably where I will go, I do not want to spend 300 bucks for all the parts!

I am still a little concerned about wiring. As 2 or 3 Xs now the thing has randomely come on. And no moisture at all I can see.

Newbie12345

One last thing I forget to mention, I have a friend whose a mechanic, out of town right now. He said he would run a multimeter for me on the Wire(ignitor?) to the Ballast and the Ballast itself to see if it's getting current. This way I will narrow down if I have to buy the whole kit or not. Even still I know if he puts it in for me, the kit he'd charge me....... so

The Ballast just operates the low beam? As all the other lights on the fixture work fine? I've down some reading within other reads. Putting in the ballast setup seems a little tricky. As if you should be slightly careful. It's not plug and play in other words?

01tl4tl

only the lows are HID -correct
moisture after car washing or rain? might not notice if not looking for it

safety precautions are: do not use the lights right before working on them!!
that means at least a few hours, and preferably overnight for total safety
they store a mean charge inside for a while!!

if the ignitor is bad the ballast will soon follow
I've decided- if its not bulb death of natural causes (pink tint warning)
then get a new ballast and `ignitor`- which is the connector wire from bulb to power source-ballast

hidextra kit comes with inline side wire taps- I dont like those for real amps jobs like my headlights!
they are fine for small low voltage lights, tapping into a line for led strip power etc

For the ballast I would cut off the OEM ends of the leads and use an inline splice,,
make the two power wire cuts/connections an inch or more apart for safety
wrap with electrical tape, not duct or gorilla --electrical tape
Use connectors with plastic shielding for more protection from water and arcing spark

totaledTL

Better to solder connections then use shrink tubing to insulate. Shrink tubing is less likely to fall off over time, & it looks better. Connections are weak points.

01tl4tl

I agree- braid the wires together, add solder and shrink wrap cover it
but most diyrs do not have the correct tools for that-
so we help them with common tools that will get the job done
how many vehicles over the years have we bandaged together with black tape and a jumper wire
those were part of my road trip kit for the old chevy truck and trailer! always fixing a wire along the way

Someone who can solder wires... doesnt worry about doing it~

totaledTL

Maybe, but- you can get solder and an iron many places (prob. even Wally World), for cheap. So if you want it to be trouble free for years then that's how it should be done. Get some scrap wire & practice soldering if that's an issue.

01tl4tl

What color is the sky in your world totld? we should all live there!!!

we are lucky to get some ziners to use more than just tape on these wires!!!
and you want them to purchase a tool and practice--unsupervised.. so they never get it right???
at that point a connector is a safer bet- in my opinion

AlanW

I just LOVE applying that shrink wrap tubing and hitting it with a heat gun....something very satisfying about it.....that and pop rivets....something's probably wrong with me....

phaze

Yo guys,

Just wanted some input from you guys. So I wanted to change the hid light (lowbeam) on my passengers side, and my lack of DIY skills shined today. When I took the bulb out, I removed the screw and the round metal thing that helps hold in , all in one swoop and the top screw and round metal thing fell out and into the car.

They did not fall on the ground, so they are stuck somewhere inside the car. What do you guys think I should do to hold it in place?

I wished one of you DIY'ers lived in Houston

phaze

So I couldn't find that metal round holder thing to hold the bulb in place, so I had to resort to a lot of electrical tape.

This isn't a permanent solution, as it may not be that safe. However, I wanted to ask you guys if it is normal to hear a humming/low buzz sound emitting from the bulb area when you turn on the bulb? Is this like a break-in period for the bulb, or am I drawing too much power?

I bought the kit from hid extra, with 6000k temperature bulbs, but I only replaced one bulb in the passenger side, I didn't do anything with the extra parts (ballasts and what not)

01tl4tl

ballast tend to make noise when they are about to fail
get the other bulb installed soon- driving with 2 way different colors and brightness of bulbs is not a good plan

there is a burn in period of ~50 hours use on the bulbs

you are not drawing any more power- all you did was change colors on the bulb.
no sweat there

01tl4tl

now you know why its suggested to remove the front bumper cover and the entire headlight housing to replace the ballast and bulb

its difficult to work blind and backwards getting the bulbs in or out safely and secure

totaledTL

That really does not sound like a good idea. Is the tape on or near anything that might get hot, i. e. the bulb or ballast? Did you try one of those magnets on a stick to fish around for the parts?

phaze

You're right, not the best idea I will be visiting some junk yards this weekend, and avoiding driving at night.

I thought about the heat issue, so I only applied a few strips of electrical tape on the outside of the of the bulb connector. The best way I can describe is that put a few strips on the red plastic part in the picture shown. I put a few on that and the plastic housing.





edit; I wonder if buying the whole assembly will include the metal ring clip that I lost. I know it's extreme to replace the whole headlight assembly for that, but actually I could use it. My headlights are fogged up and faded. After cleaning them, they get only last a month or two before becoming faded again

I see "oem style" assemblies on ebay for 95 shipped. At this point I don't mind after market - I plan to change cars soon within a year

01tl4tl

I have blacked out housings from ebay- they were double what you saw, unless thats price for 1
mine didnt come with the little clip or screws ,,had to transfer everything

ck other cars with HID lights at junkyard, we are not alone in the wire arm setup- very common

polish the outside of lens on current lights with plastic or metal polish for amazing results.
If they fog inside thats a seal problem --get new housings and be done with it

note to all!! stay away from high pressure hose car washes!!

01tl4tl

lens cleaning tip- use plastic or metal polish,, then seal with synthetic car wax

The Noodle

Better yet.... go to Auto Zone and get the Turtle Wax kit. Damn easy. Great results! They use a wet sanding application with a sealer and its worked nice on a few cars I did it on. If they really arent toooooooo bad then just $7 deoxidizer polish will help a lot.