Hello everyone!

Im trying to find out how to be able to determine if my headlight bulb is just gone bad or if my ballast is having an issue. Seems that recently one side( drivers) will go out after having been turned on. So they both do come on when I tune the switch, it just will go out.

Any suggestions or methods to check/test before I contact that bulbs manufacturer for warranty of the bulb.

 

Best way to check is to swap from one side to the other.

Just do the bulbs first to check. If it's not the bulbs, it's the ballast. My bet is the ballast though because bulbs aren't usually an intermittent out. They TYPICALLY color shift drastically before die. But you'll have to test to be 100% sure.

 

If the ballast was bad, would it still come on then go off? Because If I see that its off, and just cycle off then on the lights... it comes back... again I cant say how long for, but It comes right back on....

 

In my experience it is the bulb.

I have had the same problem when I bought new Morimoto 3Five 5K bulbs. Everything was good until about 1 month in. Passenger side came on just fine and a few minutes later (less than 5 minutes) it would shut off.

Turn both lights off and back on and they both turn on normally. A few minutes later passenger side would shut off again.

I trouble shooted by swapping bulbs and the problem followed the bulb. E-Mailed TheRetrofitSource and they sent me a brand new bulb for free since I was still under warranty. Used those bulbs for over 1 year later and no problems since than.

I am using Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs now.

 

Yea, I believe its just the bulb also... But I dont know how to take out the bulb and switch them around.... So i'll have to get someone to swap them out for me... before I email them for a bulb....

 

Guess I've had the opposite as viet. Everytime I've had a similar issue, it has been the ballast. Good luck OP. bulbs are pretty easy to replace, there are multiple threads.

 

Use the sticky Garage thread. It has so many guides, it would be silly to take it anywhere so they can take off your bumper for you then the bulb. It's a 30 minutes job the first time you do it then under 10 minutes every time after.

 

when my HID bulbs got switched... they didnt take the bumper off... But the fact of taking off the bumper to change a bulb is exactly why Im not going to do it myself.... Way too involved for a bulb...

 

It's your money at the end of the day. We're just who you asked for advice. We don't have the purse strings. It's stupid simple to remove the bumper and has been very well documented but if you don't mind paying someone to do it, then that's your prerogative. I don't think it's in our position to sway you to DIY and save money

 

Oh, I totally appreciate the information by all means... But I'm not going to take off the bumper 2 and 3 times... when Im sure someone fro a shop who has done it hundreds of times can do it way faster than I can for a small tip...

 

Im going to try and see how the guy just reached in and did it from the top before....

 

You can mess around by the wheel well I believe. Some people have had success doing it this way, personally I think it's more trouble than removing the bumper.

 

When I mean he went in from the Top, I literally mean he leaned in as one would assume is the normal entry path.... and got in...

Going under the car was never done at all

 

Well if it's a used car maybe the last time someone replaced it they left the security torx bit off so you can do it from the top, may be more trouble than it's worth if they're still on though.

 

I dont recall any mention of that though... It may not be there.... Ive been trying to keep an eye on how long it takes to go out, if its going out every time, and it doesnt seem to be doing so.... Again further confusion.....

 

Also are you sure you're not talking about DRL/fogs? Those can be changed from the top.

 

That which you are mentioning in our TLs is the first click on the lights handle correct? Im referring to the second click.

 

Yes, lights closer to the center is DRL/fogs.

I've never really heard of anyone replacing the HID from the top. The manual procedure is to take the bumper off and some people figured you could go by the wheel well but that's about it.

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/third-g...-004-a-598853/


There's a torx bit. Maybe the last owner took it off and never put it back on.


We're not saying it's NOT possible to do it from the top, i'm sure if your mechanic did it, it's possible. we're just saying for most people most of the time, it's not worth the headache. Bumper removal is trivial and a lot easier than it sounds.

You can do it however you want

 

Thanks... I need to keep watching it... its almost seeming to be intermittent.... until its doing it every night... I'm just keeping an eye on it....