HID problem .. - United Bimmer Community

**EcianIce** · 05-08-2006, 07:34 PM

i just installed my Projector46's on friday night. they worked fine on the way home that night, and for most of the day on saturday, but that night they started flashing back and fourth when i first turned my car on, and when i drive the passenger side light doesn't seem to keep a steady beam - like it's not getting full poewr all of the time.

then tonight, i'm driving home and it they both started flashing back and fourth while on the road. and when i first turn them on they do that for a good 10 seconds before holding steady .....

i'll get a video up as soon as i can get more batteries but. it's not normal.

the halos work fine though.

.. \=

habbie · 05-08-2006, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EcianIce

i just installed my Projector46's on friday night. they worked fine on the way home that night, and for most of the day on saturday, but that night they started flashing back and fourth when i first turned my car on, and when i drive the passenger side light doesn't seem to keep a steady beam - like it's not getting full poewr all of the time.

then tonight, i'm driving home and it they both started flashing back and fourth while on the road. and when i first turn them on they do that for a good 10 seconds before holding steady .....

i'll get a video up as soon as i can get more batteries but. it's not normal.

the halos work fine though.

.. \=

a video will do nothing, describe how you connected everything in detail, from the sound of it you have a bad ground somewhere most likely due to improper install, recheck your connections, wires etc. thats where your problem more then likely is.

**EcianIce** · 05-08-2006, 10:27 PM

mkay.

the high beams for each headlight get power straight from the stock plug.
the HID's get power from the ballast, which is connected to the ignitor, which is powered by the stock plug.
the corners are powered from the stock plug.

the ignition for the eyes is the red/white and dotted power wire in the ECU box. their power comes from the relay which is hooked up to the engine bay battery terminal which is, in turn, grounded onto the passenger strut tower by one of the existing 3 bolts. the remote on is tapped into the passenger floorboard interior light.

this just hit me as i'm typing this up - my alpine headunit sometimes flashes just as the lights do when i first start up the car .. maybe my alternator is dying? i did have a pretty nice accident a year ago in which it could have been damaged.

habbie · 05-08-2006, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EcianIce

mkay.

the high beams for each headlight get power straight from the stock plug.
the HID's get power from the ballast, which is connected to the ignitor, which is powered by the stock plug.
the corners are powered from the stock plug.

the ignition for the eyes is the red/white and dotted power wire in the ECU box. their power comes from the relay which is hooked up to the engine bay battery terminal which is, in turn, grounded onto the passenger strut tower by one of the existing 3 bolts. the remote on is tapped into the passenger floorboard interior light.

this just hit me as i'm typing this up - my alpine headunit sometimes flashes just as the lights do when i first start up the car .. maybe my alternator is dying? i did have a pretty nice accident a year ago in which it could have been damaged.

still sounds like a bad main ground, have that looked at as well as your charging system.

**EcianIce** · 05-09-2006, 09:42 AM

i'll try re-grounding and double check the plugs.

charging system?

habbie · 05-09-2006, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EcianIce

i'll try re-grounding and double check the plugs.

charging system?

charging system=alternator.

**EcianIce** · 05-09-2006, 10:46 AM

alright, i'll run it by the dealer this week and have them check the alternator and grounds on everything. i'll fill you in after that.

**EcianIce** · 05-09-2006, 05:27 PM

even though you said it wouldn't help .. heres a vid of what goes on.

http://files.unitedbimmer.com/ub.c/E...e/DSCF0183.AVI

the scratching noise is my dog at the door. heh

**EcianIce** · 05-14-2006, 09:42 AM

mkay so the dealer says the alternator is fine: "there is nothing wrong with it from the tests, but if you need to upgrade then thats your call".

so anyways. after the initial flashing goes on (which doesn't always happen now?) the lights hold fine and there appears to be nothing wrong .. until you drive for a little, then the passenger side light flashes a little bit, not like on and off but brighter and dimmer.

i pulled into a parking lot, decided what the hell, and swapped the 35W amps to each HID. so

start -
headlight A headlight B
amp A amp B

new setup -
headlight A headlight B
amp B amp A

this seemed to solve the problem. almost. the passenger light started to flash again but not as frequenty, and this also proved that the amps weren't faulty as the drivers light stayed the same.

so anyways. next test is a multimeter reading of the passenger low beam plug compared to the drivers side. to see if the problem starts there.

**EcianIce** · 05-27-2006, 12:01 AM

so check it out. i'm gonna go ahead and say it's a grounding issue, like you said.

whenever i'm dead stopped, the lights work 100% and shine true.

whenever i'm cruising over about 25 - 30 the right light will "pop" on and then start to flicker as stated before.

whenever i slow back down to dead stop, the right light dims and then holds steady, 100%.

sounds exactly like a grounding problem to me. now to fix it .......

habbie · 05-27-2006, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EcianIce

so check it out. i'm gonna go ahead and say it's a grounding issue, like you said.

whenever i'm dead stopped, the lights work 100% and shine true.

whenever i'm cruising over about 25 - 30 the right light will "pop" on and then start to flicker as stated before.

whenever i slow back down to dead stop, the right light dims and then holds steady, 100%.

sounds exactly like a grounding problem to me. now to fix it .......

another though, since its an e46 witout factory xenon(?) you may have to have the dealer align the obc...

**EcianIce** · 05-28-2006, 09:44 AM

align the on board computer? like flash my ecu or something?

**ChrisWorrell** · 05-28-2006, 10:22 AM

Zak the solution is....sell the 325 and get an m3

easy enough

**scrichy84** · 05-28-2006, 10:29 AM

At least people think that your are a cop and pulled over so you can get by, with the flashing lights. J/k. Hopefully you can get it figured out.