HID's messed with my truck. now no DS lights

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
i absoutly hate electrical, had a buddy install my hids for me while i was doing my grille about a month ago, well instead of fallowing instruction (they were in chinnese) he went ahead and tapped the wires together rather then using the plug's. well last night driving home i noticed my drive side low beam wasnt working, so i flipped to brights (i have HID hi/low and fogs) and the DS bright wasnt coming one either.
so today i went out and checked the 4 fuses (4 10amp in a row bottom left of fusebox) and all are good, so i pulled the ballest off and checked for power their, it had power, hooked it back up and it stated "buzzing" then quit. now i have no power to the light socket pigtails and all fuses are good.
now im left scrathing my heas trying to figure out where to look to see what/where is bad so i can fix it so i can have headlights again...
someone got any idea on this?
 

Forever

This 1 time, at band camp
Jan 4, 2009
363
4
16
Utah
Just my opinion, but HID's in Hi's are a bad idea.

Check your wires/ground.
 

Dozerboy

Well-known member
Jun 23, 2009
4,892
470
83
TX of course
x2 and fogs too
My ballast buzzed when I took the hid bulbs out and turned the lights on. Maybe you have a bad bulb or the connection is bad.
 

smkndmax05

"Smoked Out"
Feb 17, 2011
479
0
0
Indiana
Put a 20 amp fuse instead of a 10. Sometimes the ballast draw more. My installation instructions recommended it
 

tinman22

Member
Feb 17, 2007
715
0
16
48
Stillwater NJ
you probably dont have enough current to fire up the ballasts correctly, the factory truck wiring is probably too small to carry enough start up power. you will most likely need a relay harness. I have a similar issue with my drivers side low beam. if I flip it on and off a few times it usually comes on unless its below 55 degrees. then it really doesnt want to fire up. I have the harness just havent had time to install.
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
Since your saying you lost both the low and high beam on that side I would definitely suspect a ground. Either that, or if you don't have battery positive at the light sockets then you may have something funky going on in your fuse block.

I agree about the cheep HID kits as well. Bought my first kit off ebay, six months down the road the wiring from the ballast to the bulb caught fire...
 

crzycowboy

New member
May 21, 2012
116
0
0
Buddy of mine tried installing a set on a 2011 or 2012 Wrangler, and had similar issues. What he found was the lights were controlled by the computer. When the Jeep was off, the lights would turn on just fine, however, if they tried to turn it on after the Jeep was started they didn't light up, and the balast would buzz like crazy. He had to install a relay I believe, and it fixed the problem.

Not sure if your truck is needing a similar solution or not, but thought I would share the information I learned just a few weeks ago.

Good luck man...
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
I think it's bad ballast, I got power still. My pos habor freight volt meter (it was free & I see why) took a dump on me lol.
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
you probably dont have enough current to fire up the ballasts correctly, the factory truck wiring is probably too small to carry enough start up power. you will most likely need a relay harness. I have a similar issue with my drivers side low beam. if I flip it on and off a few times it usually comes on unless its below 55 degrees. then it really doesnt want to fire up. I have the harness just havent had time to install.
you got any more info on where to get/how to do this? mine fire(ed) up fine before but maybe they still need this.
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
Yup they absolutely are. The stock halogen pulled 50w a piece the 35w h i d kits only draw like 18 or 20 i dont remember exactly but its way less than the halogens. Fyi you can get your high beams to run with your fogs and lo beams for like 2 bucks? There is a current inducer resistor thingy i cant remember i got the info so long ago. Radio shack is where you can find the component i found the info on this site i think several years ago.
thanks guys!

yeah i know about the all on mod, its next on the list!
 

bigmackmiller

Active member
Nov 30, 2008
1,046
2
38
Kokomo, IN
I'd get a relay harness, I killed a balast on my last set in two days of having them on, doing it right this time, relay harness, and a jatronx voltage sensing relay
 

baggedLB7

Goer
May 1, 2011
688
4
18
Utah
I have installed many many hid kits on everything from wheelers to trucks and what ever inbetween. I have found if the lights dont want to fire or only fire sometimes that if I check disconect then reconect all conections then check the grounds depending on the kit and if that didnt fix it for me it was usually the ballest switch it out with new and have always been good to go.
 

chevyburnout1

Fixing it till it breaks
Aug 25, 2008
2,368
1
38
Berthoud, CO
55 watt HID's in mine with all on mod for about a year with no issues here. Besides the whole ebay cheapos catching fire in the fogs... I think the electrical system can handle it. Relay kit is never a bad idea though.
 

TRUBBS

Member
Jul 6, 2011
461
0
16
anyone got some more info on adding a relay? i sent the old ones out for waranty and bought another set (just to make sure im covered and will have lights again soon)

what kind/size relay are you guys using? how are you wirirng it up ect... thanks! :thumb: