Hids Not Powering Up?

Gryphon · March 25, 2009

I know someone is going to say this so let me preempt them. Yes, I know I've been a bit vocal in my disapproval of HID retrofits being that they are unlawful and blind drivers. Yes, I just bought myself the same kit I rally against. However it's going into my HIGH beams only which you're not supposed to have activated against oncoming traffic anyways, so there. Rationalized! ;)

Anyways, I bought this kit off eBay for $50 shipped (!!!!), 4300K 9005 35W bulbs. I wanted to try them out in the housing to see the difference before installing them as that won't be for a little while anyways. I popped the hood, pulled the plug off the high beam bulb and popped it into the ballast. I hit the high beams and......nothing. First thoughts were, "Well what do you expect for fifty bucks right?" I tried the other ballast and got the same thing.

Disappointed, I came home and took a small 12V gelcell, some 14 ga wire, and female disconnects, and rigged it up on my workbench. Surprisingly enough they fired up promptly with no problems at all.

My guess is the stock headlight wiring in the truck delivers insufficient starting current to fire the ballasts. I noticed the wiring on the headlight harness is, to put it mildly, pathetically thin. Couldn't be more than 16 gauge, looked even thinner. I would have thought for a high current circuit like a headlamp GM would have put a much beefier wire in there. I can only imagine how much brighter my lights would be if they were given a proper wiring harness of 12 or 14 ga and weren't losing all that current to resistance!

I had planned to use a relay with this system anyhow and I'm guessing this will cure the problem?

dlewis1111 · March 25, 2009

read somewhere about installing capacitors to fire the ballasts

reddedsilvy05 · March 25, 2009

i have a relay on my lows and they work perfectly but on my fogs i did not use a relay and did exactly what you did and got the same result....i had no idea what was wrong, so i thought lets just put the ballast plug into the OEM harness the other way around (which would be upside down) and it worked...sometimes kits are made like that...give that a try and see what happens before buying a relay or capacitor...

Griptruk · March 25, 2009

I know someone is going to say this so let me preempt them. Yes, I know I've been a bit vocal in my disapproval of HID retrofits being that they are unlawful and blind drivers. Yes, I just bought myself the same kit I rally against. However it's going into my HIGH beams only which you're not supposed to have activated against oncoming traffic anyways, so there. Rationalized! ;)

Well, if they don't have projectors they're going to be useless in the highbeams because they're not going to project light where the highbeams should, it will just make your truck have really bright headlights when you look at them, but not shine any useable light where you need it.

[/soapbox]

-Jer

Gryphon · March 25, 2009

Hmm interesting, hadn't considered that. I figured brighter = better. Anyone here done GMT800 Sierra high beams and noticed this? I suppose it will have a lot to do with how well the HID bulb positions itself into the same focal point as the stock 9005 bulb.

Gryphon · March 25, 2009

i have a relay on my lows and they work perfectly but on my fogs i did not use a relay and did exactly what you did and got the same result....i had no idea what was wrong, so i thought lets just put the ballast plug into the OEM harness the other way around (which would be upside down) and it worked...sometimes kits are made like that...give that a try and see what happens before buying a relay or capacitor...

I'll double check but the ballasts have the polarity marked where the OEM harness plugs in. When I bench tested it and put positive/negative where they ought to be it worked fine, but I doubt that the OEM harness would be reverse polarity especially since the plug has that clip that mates with a stud on the ballast. There should only really be one way to put it on.

pwall · March 25, 2009

When I installed HID's in my '02 yukon, I had to flip the electrical connected around.

Could try that.

15002NV · March 25, 2009

Check the positive and negative wire some companys have them in the wrong pin. Also check the plug on the ballast can plug in wrong on some kits, but you said you tried them on the bench.

2 things with hids the first time you turn on the hid it needs to run for a period of time to burn in.

And relays should always be used. Many times on your type truck the drivers side will work but the passenger (farther from power source) and taped into the power for the drivers side will not work.

Hids pull 30-40amps when they start and then drop quick down. I have seen many 30amp fuses after a year melt the fuses plastic.

Also when HIDs are in the high beam it is not a good idea to flash them rather turn them on when needed for longer drives.

I would also check the plugs on the truck for dirty contacts that would change your current.

Gryphon · March 26, 2009

Sounds like polarity may definitely be the case then. Once this Colorado low finishes dumping its 10" of snow on us, I'll take the multitester out to the truck and give it a look-see!

jrrod2004 · March 26, 2009

it was a polarity issue for me...I just flipped the connector upside down and it worked. the connector does not lock on the tab but I didnt care since I had zip ties lying around and I zip tied the connectors together...

dwhults · March 26, 2009

Ditto. I bought HIDs from HIDGATE on ebay (for both Hi's and Lo's) and both times the polarity was reverse. Switch them around and it works.

BTW, I have an OBS but the HIDs in the high beams definitely make a difference. I have the 4-Hi mod as well and its like daytime with all 4 HIDs on!

mfennema · March 26, 2009

Not trying to jack the thread, but just wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to leave your high and low the way they are and maybe add another switch to have the 4-hi mod work? So then you have the Low, Hi, and HiHi? Thanks.

dwhults · March 26, 2009

With a relay you can.

KDertz21 · March 26, 2009

When I installed HID's in my '02 yukon, I had to flip the electrical connected around.
Could try that.

Yeah I had the same problem with my fogs, flipped the connectors around and they fired right up.

Gryphon · March 27, 2009

Did you guys all use a relay harness or just straight in with the OEM wiring? The ballasts I have say they draw 10A max which seems low for startup current. If it's accurate I don't think a relay harness might even be necessary with these units.

(constant current draw is listed as 3.2A, FWIW)