How do I know if my HID bulb is bad?

Xenon HID headlight bulbs that are buzzing, dim/losing brightness, flickering, randomly turning off, changing colors, or if they are simply not turning on are not necessarily the victim of a bad ballast. In fact, the issue can be related to one or more of the other components found in lights.

Can HID bulbs burn out?

While a halogen bulb is the most likely to simply burn out and require a sudden replacement, with HID bulbs you may notice that their power begins to fade over time. HID bulbs lose approximately 70% of their power over their lifespan, meaning they will not provide the same quality of life as they did before.

How long does HID bulb last?

2,000 hours
Another great advantage to xenon headlights is their longevity. For starters, HIDs have a much longer lifespan than halogen bulbs. By most accounts, HID headlights last at least 2,000 hours, and in some cases, they can last as long as 8,000 hours.

Can a HID ballast be repaired?

If you are wondering why your HID lamp isn’t working, it could be due to the HID ballast needing replacement. It may spark but not fully light up. Fortunately, there is a way to repair it. Purchase a ballast repair kit, read the instructions and either repair or replace the wiring according to the instructions.

What causes a HID ballast to fail?

Common Causes of Ballast Failure In most cases, ballast failure occurs as a result of the surrounding environment. Heat and moisture are great enemies to your HID ballast. When it is too cold or too hot, the ballast can burn out or fail to start headlights. A slight mistake and you will be looking for a new ballast.

What to do when your HID bulb shuts off?

If your HID bulb shuts off sporadically and unpredictably; maybe just once in a 24-hr period, try this. Turn on the HID headlights and wait for the bulb to shut off by itself. Then turn off your headlight switch and immediately turn it back on. This resets the ballast. If the bulb lights with a weak pink/purple color, it’s usually a bad bulb.

How does the ballast work on a HID bulb?

An HID ballast is a boosting transformer that converts battery voltage into the approximately 75 to 110 volts needed to maintain the arc. The ballast is designed to detect bulb shut down. If the bulb turns off, the ballast will automatically restart the bulb within ½ second.

Why are HID lights being pushed out of the market?

After a few wasted days at car accessory shops getting free replacements installed, we decided to cut our losses and try the new bulb on the block. HID lights are quickly being pushed out of the market thanks to the every evolving LED technology in today’s latest and greatest products.

Why is one side of my HID light not working?

Only one side is working on my HID kit or LED kit. If one side sometimes doesn’t turn on it could be caused by a bad bulb, HID ballast, LED driver or wiring. To help identify which component is defective follow these steps. Swap the ignitors to opposing sides (not applicable for LED kits). If the problem is reversed, you might have a bad ignitor.