2004 TL low beam issues

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Old Feb 18, 2017 | 10:48 PM
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2004 TL low beam issues

Alright so I've been having issues with my low beams, I just bought this car a few weeks ago. At first when I switch the headlights on the drivers side headlight comes on but the passenger side comes on for about 30sec-1min then shuts off. I replaced the ballast & igniter on the passenger side but still does the same thing. I thought it was maybe the bulb itself since the color was blueish/purpleish so I could tell they were worn out. Bought new 8000k d2s bulbs and installed them, at first everything looked good since both bulbs came on and the passenger side wasn't acting up like it was previously, later that day when I went to turn the lights on neither side would turn on.

Long story short, when I had the worn out bulbs installed both lights came on everytime except the passenger side would shut itself off after about a minute. I install new bulbs and now they won't come on at all, any suggestions? Yes I've tried swapping ballasts/igniters
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Old Feb 19, 2017 | 10:28 PM
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From: KCMO Burbs
1.) Return the 8000k bulbs....you will thank me later the first time you attempt to drive in the rain at night.
2.) What ballast/igniter did you get? OEM?
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Old Feb 20, 2017 | 12:52 AM
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Originally Posted by Jackass
1.) Return the 8000k bulbs....you will thank me later the first time you attempt to drive in the rain at night.
2.) What ballast/igniter did you get? OEM?
This
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Old Feb 21, 2017 | 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Jackass
1.) Return the 8000k bulbs....you will thank me later the first time you attempt to drive in the rain at night.
2.) What ballast/igniter did you get? OEM?
whats wrong with 8000k? I've been driving on 6000k fogs. And yes I bought oem igniter and ballast
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Old Feb 22, 2017 | 08:59 AM
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What's wrong with 8000K? They are dim and the wrong color. The higher the K, generally the lower the actual light output. The higher the K, generally the worse it will be in the rain and snow due to the reflection/dispersion of the shorter wavelength light bouncing back to the driver. It's all personal preference and if you like the 8K....it is your car, you do what makes you happy....we are just the Internet a-holes who like to poke fun.

As for your actual functional issue....With neither side working now, you need to continue working your way back up through the electrical path. Check your grounds and fuses...I think there are some relays involved somewhere but not positive on this...there have been some threads on here in the past that talk about the electrical paths all the way to the switch stalk.
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Old Feb 22, 2017 | 09:01 AM
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higher kelvin bulbs are purely marketing bullshit from companies. Color temperature is dictated by different salts compound in the bulbs themselves and generally anything more than 5000 -6000K color temps are made by shitty fly by night Chinese companies who don't give a crap about quality. Buy a quality bulb from Phillips, Osram, Morimoto, etc. and thank us later.
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Old Feb 22, 2017 | 12:21 PM
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I understand, I just find it weird how the old worn out bulbs when installed come on just fine, but these new bulbs won't come on at all. Brand of the bulbs I bought is GP Thunder, maybe if I buy oem bulbs it'll work
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Old Feb 22, 2017 | 05:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Andylove
Alright so I've been having issues with my low beams, I just bought this car a few weeks ago. At first when I switch the headlights on the drivers side headlight comes on but the passenger side comes on for about 30sec-1min then shuts off. I replaced the ballast & igniter on the passenger side but still does the same thing. I thought it was maybe the bulb itself since the color was blueish/purpleish so I could tell they were worn out. Bought new 8000k d2s bulbs and installed them, at first everything looked good since both bulbs came on and the passenger side wasn't acting up like it was previously, later that day when I went to turn the lights on neither side would turn on.

Long story short, when I had the worn out bulbs installed both lights came on everytime except the passenger side would shut itself off after about a minute. I install new bulbs and now they won't come on at all, any suggestions? Yes I've tried swapping ballasts/igniters
Sounds like an issue with the ballast rather than a bulb. A bad bulb would turn pink. You can swap parts 1 by 1 from driver to passenger side and vice-versa to figure out which part is the bad one! You can buy used ballasts or ignitors for a decent price compared to a new OEM one.

You are going to hate life once you drive with 8000K bulbs. The higher the kelvin rating is (color temp), the lower the light output as there is more tint on the bulb to change the color. On top of that, cheaper bulbs run much hotter risking the start of a fire!

Stick with good bulb makers such as OSRAM! Be sure to buy from a reputable place as many fake bulbs are being sold!
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