Carbuff

When I fire up my headlights, the key symbol (immobilizer) in the dash lights for a second. It never did THAT before!

The ballasts and lamps are two month old units from HIDextra.

If the lights are warm it doesn't happen. Only when first turned on, while the ballasts are firing.

Problem or not?

sammy95

Wouldn't worry about it. Just weird I guess. Wonder if it has anything to do with starup voltage drop off the headlights.... Hmmm..

Insti Gator

Just a guess - Maybe it has always done it and you just haven't noticed until now?

Reason being: You mention it doesn't happen when the lights are "warm", but what do you mean by that? Do you turn them on for 5 minutes, then off and on again so that they're "warmed" up?

When you say, "Only when first turned on" I assumed you meant once you step into the car put the keys in the ignition startup and flick on the lights - In that case it's normal for the light to flash. It won't happen when they're "warm" because the immobilizer light really only flashes during initial entry/startup. Which, coincidentally, is the same moment you usually reach over and switch on the lights on a dark evening.

Carbuff

Thanks for the replies.

It didn't always do it (certainly not with the OE ballasts, or during the first two months after installation of the HIDExtra kit)


No... it's not when the car is initially started. I noticed it when driving down the street (it was dark) and decided to turn on the lights, after the car had been running a few minutes.

Then, if I turned the headlights off for a minute, then on, the key symbol remained off.

If the lights were off for an hour, the key symbol re-appeared.


Funny thing...last week I tried the lights out of curiosity and it didn't happen. ????


Next time I'm under the front bumper, I might try grounding the case of the new ballasts. (They are attached to the bottom of the plastic headlamp units as the OE ballasts were)

whoknows

check your blinker fluid! lol

Carbuff

HaaHaa.

I always buy my blinker fluid here:

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...&products_id=6

victus1

Is there a circuit board for the immobilizer system? If so, pull it and check the solder connections on the board. They deteriorate over time and slight cracks or cold solder connections will contact on-off with temp/humidity and possibly car motion/bumps/etc.
I found such problems with the main relay board and daytime running lights relay board. Re-soldering these bad connections fixes the problems. Hell, even lcd & plasma tv screens have these bad solder connections on their boards.

Carbuff

That's a thought. Some Honda components of that era DID suffer from poor solder joints (I'm thinking of the CRV clock 1997 - 2001)

01tl4tl

i have the same kit and no problems of immob light,,some flikker of new bulb just as it warms up a few seconds and then gets way brighter than the kaixen 6k on the other side
(too cold/lazy/testing 5k vs 6k to complete the job yet)

mounted ballast to the side of frame rail with zip ties, slipped the excess wire and capacitor under the light housing as it was put into place,,more zip ties there

ground wire a really good idea
mine came with one ground wire, but no screws that fit the ballast mounting holes...
or they are in the `spare parts` bag I tossed in the toolbox without cking.
thinking about it now,,thats probably where they are- with the brackets I didnt use
Doh!

How did you make the connection of ballast wires to oe wires?
splice-soldered-connector,,,

Carbuff

Soldered and shrink-wrapped to the OE connector and leads.

I used to road-rally and in our rally cars, we routinely hooked up extra lights and power connections for add-on gear (interior lights, route computers, driving lights)