Why does my Hi beams flip on from time to time?

[martin]

Hi

I have xenon in foglights, low beam and high beam.

Usually I use the xenon in the foglights as "running lights". When I enter a (dark) tunnel I turn on the low beams.

Several times the high beams comes on after a small amount of time for no apparent reason. I can not turn them off other than flip down the headlights again.

I can flip them up again and I can't turn them off. Then at a later time things work as normal.

Has anyone any suggestions to why this happens? I am not sure if the 3*xenon are to blame.

Xenon*3 is not that nice to have on with oncoming traffic.

Arg maybe posted in the wrong place. Moderator please move if not correct.

Regards

 

[DRIFTER]

You have the MCCULLOCH HIDs correct.

The ballast is grounding out on your headlight bracket. The switch interrupts the ground to turn the high beams OFF, so it is completing the circuit and not allowing them to turn OFF. When you flip the head lights off the ballast is moving and disconnecting the circuit. To fix remount the ballast so its not grounding it self out. The double side tape must have come off try ZipTies they worked great on my car.

 

[Hugh]

Isn't using standard HID bulbs in your high beams not the brightest idea since they don't light immediately? (pun intended)

 

[DRIFTER]

Isn't using standard HID bulbs in your high beams not the brightest idea since they don't light immediately? (pun intended)

It takes approximately 2-3 more seconds to fully heat up to temp. However they are just as good as the standard bulbs when they first spark up. :wink:

 

[martin]

Isn't using standard HID bulbs in your high beams not the brightest idea since they don't light immediately? (pun intended)

Hi

First thanks Drifter I will check out my grounding and see what's up.

And Hugh I have minimal problem when I use the high beams. The bulbs use some time to cool down, but they are usually powered up again before they are cold again. And the light they give is way superior than the OEM.

I live in a part of the world where it is light all night long in the summertime. So using a lot of $ on HID's all over the place is probably not the smartest thing. But they look damn good and I look forward to late summer when I can drive around really shining :smile:

Regards

 

[martin]

Hi again

I finally found out what the problem was. It was a grounding problem.

Based on what I read here I thought that the ballast should not be grounded.

So I changed the double side tape and mounted them again. Things did not go well. I could not turn the high beams off at all.

Then today my father and me had a look. According to him the ballast should be grounded. But I guess since the NSX is special with plus on the edge and negative in the middle it was the other way around.

http://www.nsxprime.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=10605&ppuser=6711

When I mounted the ballast's again I "forced" one next to the other making it ground itself on the top as the bottom was okey. That was the reason that it went wrong again.

Now I have a custom made bracket where the two*2 ballast's are mounted which does not go to ground.

Tonight I will drive in the dark and use my xenon lights like a kid with his new flashlights.

Regards

 

[DRIFTER]

Now I have a custom made bracket where the two*2 ballast's are mounted which does not go to ground.

I think you got confused with what I was saying?

The (+) for you high beams are always hot and the switch interrupts the (-) so if your ballast is hitting on your headlight bracket it will complete the circuit and not alow you to turn your high beams off. Simple fix is to, do what you have done and relocate the high beam ballasts so they are not touching the headlight housing. I wrapped mine in electrical tape and reinstalled using zip ties. This only has to be done on the high beams due to the way the switch is wired into the car. There is no need to change any wires or mod anything.

 

[martin]

I think you got confused with what I was saying?

The (+) for you high beams are always hot and the switch interrupts the (-) so if your ballast is hitting on your headlight bracket it will complete the circuit and not alow you to turn your high beams off. Simple fix is to, do what you have done and relocate the high beam ballasts so they are not touching the headlight housing. I wrapped mine in electrical tape and reinstalled using zip ties. This only has to be done on the high beams due to the way the switch is wired into the car. There is no need to change any wires or mod anything.

Hi

Yes, I was confused. I still am. But it is better now :smile:

So what happend was that the high beam ballast on my first attempt was hitting the headlight bracket all the time compared to once in a while before.

I thought that by changing the double side tape made them not grounded. And then the problem was solved. But when reinstalling them the top was hitting the housing all the time and things was even worse than before.

So by me having the ballasts mounted on the custom made bracket away from the headlight housing I have done what you suggest.

I thought that it was me not grouding them that was the solution. But keeping it away from the headlight bracket was the solution. I have done both now with the placement on that custom made bracket.

Have I understood things now? Rereading your first post I see that I had a language problem. I thought that grounding the ballasts would solve the problem, but all the time the problem was that headlight bracket which I did not understand the importance of.

Regards

 

[DRIFTER]

So what happend was that the high beam ballast on my first attempt was hitting the headlight bracket all the time compared to once in a while before.

YES

keeping it away from the headlight bracket was the solution. I have done both now with the placement on that custom made bracket.

YES

but all the time the problem was that headlight bracket which I did not understand the importance of.

YES you got it!:smile: They should not give you any more issues