HID going bad?

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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 02:19 PM
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HID going bad?

Car is a 07 Type-S.

I noticed the other day that my passengers headlight was starting to change a weird color. It was a pink then changed to a purple. Is this a sign that the bulb is ready to go? Also recently my car has been prompting me to input the radio code when i start the car meaning that it lost power which is weird ( i need to check the terminals.)

What do you do you think about the headlight. If its not going bad I think I have a loose neutral somewhere in the system.

I have a broken foot right now so im trying to get a game plan before I start messing around outside.
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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 02:31 PM
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Pink eye is a classic symptom of a bad HID bulb.
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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 02:40 PM
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Okay thanks. Are they 35w or 55w. I want 55w but i dont want to melt things.
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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 03:20 PM
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They're 35w. There are a couple experts on lights on this board, they could probably help out. I've also thought about the 55w as long as they don't hurt anything and have a decent life expectancy. My lenses rarely get warm to the touch with the stock HIDs. No idea how much more heat the 55w would make.
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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 07:53 PM
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Also, since no one has mentioned it yet, replace both of them together. If you replace just the bad one, you'll have a brightness and color mismatch.
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Old Dec 14, 2013 | 09:35 PM
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The bulb itself does not control its power consumption, the ballast does. You could run 50W bulbs, but it won't be brighter unless the bulb is more efficient. What you really want is a quality 35W bulb, or a quality higher power ballast with a real high power bulb, like a Phillips DL50. Running a HID capsule at a power other than its rated one will affect its color temp, just something to be aware of.

I would recommend Phillips 85122+ or OSRAM XENARC 66240 SVS.

Replace both headlights, even with halogens. HID capsules do dim as they age. They last a very long time, so most people just run them until the voltage required to strike is above what the ballast can provide, and they don't 'work' anymore. It's best to replace them before this, or before they start to turn really odd colors. If one is acting up, its most likely the other one isn't in great shape as well.
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 07:56 PM
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Okay awesome thanks guys. I was looking at the two bulbs that you recommended. What makes one bulb of this caliber better than the next? The osram are almost double. Is it just color and reliability?
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Old Dec 15, 2013 | 08:00 PM
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Disregard that lol I just noticed the thread in the 3G section. I came straight to this before i went there lol
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 01:27 AM
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Welp got a repair order last night for my head light which means I have to act. I was thinking... Recently I got into an accident (October I think) and one headlight was replaced. Do you think the bulb was replaced with it? Im going to call and ask but if I dont have to buy two im not going to (money is super tight right now).

Since the replacement is so recent do you think there will be much if any of color mismatch?
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 07:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Gnargasim
Welp got a repair order last night for my head light which means I have to act. I was thinking... Recently I got into an accident (October I think) and one headlight was replaced. Do you think the bulb was replaced with it? Im going to call and ask but if I dont have to buy two im not going to (money is super tight right now).

Since the replacement is so recent do you think there will be much if any of color mismatch?
There shouldn't be a problem in just a few months. You probably want to figure out which brand they used and go with the same.

For what its worth I replaced just one at 100,000 miles (Mine are always on because drivers suck around here). Money was tight and so was time. Now 2-3 years later I still haven't gotten around to replacing the other and I'll likely do both with some kind of upgrade when the other side finally goes. The color and intensity difference is not noticeable from the drivers seat. If you stand back and look at them, there is a slight difference but it's not something other drivers are likely to notice. Now I'm curious just how far the original bulb will go.
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 08:56 AM
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From: New Friggin Jerzy
Can't tell if mine are suffering from pink eye, but I notice my headlights aren't as bright as they used to be. The plastic lenses aren't clouded up. Does that mean after 9½ years, the HID bulbs should be replaced?
.
.
.
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 09:18 AM
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You would know it if you had pink eye, there's no doubt. Output falls off with age but I would not worry about it unless you're having trouble seeing. With a new one and a 6yr old one side by side it's hard to see a difference.
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 09:26 AM
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From: New Friggin Jerzy
Originally Posted by I hate cars
You would know it if you had pink eye, there's no doubt. Output falls off with age but I would not worry about it unless you're having trouble seeing. With a new one and a 6yr old one side by side it's hard to see a difference.
Not really having trouble seeing, but there's definitely a difference. The low beams from my GF's 2012 Infinity M37X make mine look like they're not even on.
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 02:29 PM
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What is our stock bulb?
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 09:11 PM
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Osram D2S 60404
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Old Jan 2, 2014 | 11:36 PM
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My first post yayyyy. My problem is my passenger side HID won't turn on when it's very cold unless I go to the head light and bang it a lil. Is that a bulb, igniter, or ballast problem ?
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Old Jan 4, 2014 | 02:11 PM
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Sounds like it might be going bad. Mine will ignite, flicker, then shut off and Ive tried banging it but that doesnt work. Might have a loose connection?
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Old Jan 4, 2014 | 02:15 PM
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I have to oreder them today so they get here beofre my registration is suspended. Money is crazy tight right now and I was wondering if I buy some super cheap D2S bulbs if there is any adverse problems with them beside looking horrible. I just need something to hold me over a few months
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Old Jan 4, 2014 | 06:49 PM
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I don't know much about cheap bulbs except going to Amazon or eBay but watch out I have heard of a lot of fakes out there
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Old Jan 4, 2014 | 09:48 PM
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My ballast crapped out when the weather became cold.
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Old Jan 5, 2014 | 11:52 AM
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How much is that gonna run you?
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