Lets talk HID and their issues

[golgo13]

OK so I am a huge fan specially when I found IMO the best color that imitates oem xenon. 6500 which is what I have. anyways dipped left headlight has come and gone this couple of days and i keep thinking is the bulb. I turn them off and then turn them back on and sometimes they work again. I wont even drive at night with one headlight THAnk God i have fogs cause thats what I roll if one is not working.
The more I think about it I think it might be the ballast cause 1/20 times when the left light goes out after a couple of min it takes the other out too.

I checked the bulbs and they look a bit strange kind of corroded but IDK. anyways since it is an HID kit. is it possible to change by buying a ballast or bulbs alone?


help would be appreciated.

[A4SoftWalker]

Haaa my left headlight dipped and stayed dipped a lil over a year ago. I drive with my brights now. Tried fixing them following the steps on A4mods.com but it didn't work for me it might work for u. I think I need a new housing with levelling motor. The procedure requires VAG-COM though...

[golgo13]

show me link please.

[pOrKcHoP07]

its prob the ballast. Just swap the ballast from the pass headlight onto the drivers. If all checks out, its the ballast....if not its the bulb.

My driver's side went out, swapped it over to confirm.

[fitch303]

Is this the vvme kit?

[aaaudiprotein]

Prolly the ballast.. When it overheats (takes about 2-5 min) it turns off

[IronAudi]

mine do that from time to time, usually when its raining out or really moist in the air, i dont get it. But all i do is turn them on and off a couple times and they work fine. 35 dollar HID kit im not going to complain.

[Undisputed]

Are you running them on the "auto" setting?

[golgo13]

^nope. All the [places tell me I cant replace just the ballast I have to buy the whole damn kit again. They are Valeo

[pOrKcHoP07]

^ nah check on ebay. You should be able to find something. Also, check out hidconcept.com...

[aaaudiprotein]

You can replace only one ballast if u find it... But your "old headlight" will be warming up a bit slower comparing to the new one.
usually all these places sell them in pairs.

[golgo13]

Do the ballast matter on the output? Im sure it does so do i have to look at a ballast for 6500?

[Charlescrs6]

Do the ballast matter on the output? Im sure it does so do i have to look at a ballast for 6500?

No, if I understand correctly the ballasts are for the wattage, and the bulb depends on the color. You should be able to buy any ballast and use it for that bulb... i think, but don't take my word on it!

[kovachian]

The main problem is that your xenon system is aftermarket. This'll sound harsh, but aftermarket HID kits are piles of shit. Some may be more reliable than others, a small number of people may even luck out and rarely experience any problems but other than that, they're complete and utter shit.

[Charlescrs6]

hey that's not exactly true, my VVME kit works pretty damn well, and was easy to install into my fogs. Not sure about the actual headlights though.

[aaaudiprotein]

Do the ballast matter on the output? Im sure it does so do i have to look at a ballast for 6500?

if your old ballast is 35w, than u better get the same one.
But u can have any bulbs u want, dont matter.
VVME works plug/play for our headlights, but you might need to follow the DIY here for the fog lights though.

[golgo13]

I have the non xenon most regular headlights that can be found on the a4. The hid kit worked great until now which is almost 2 years . i just dont want to buy a whole other kit.

[aaaudiprotein]

I dont know about other HID kits, cause i've only used vvme so far.
u can buy 2 ballasts like for 10 bucks i think, but u gonna have to pay $25 shipping. Same for bulbs $5+25.
You can buy the whole kit from them for about $67 shipped, usually takes about 3 bz days.
Dont matter where u buy the kit from, u can always install it, and keep your old working ballast as a spare.

[golgo13]

I dont know about other HID kits, cause i've only used vvme so far.
u can buy 2 ballasts like for 10 bucks i think, but u gonna have to pay $25 shipping. Same for bulbs $5+25.
You can buy the whole kit from them for about $67 shipped, usually takes about 3 bz days.
Dont matter where u buy the kit from, u can always install it, and keep your old working ballast as a spare.

protein give me a link please. quality HID for 65 bucks???? do they have 65oo
NVM already found the website. sounds good but they dont have 6500.

[aaaudiprotein]

http://vvme.com/catalog/list-s-10145-10146.html $40.99 +$25 shipping
Like i said, i've only used vvme, so cant say anything about others.
My first bulb went bad after 1.5yrs of driving with headlights on all the time.
Then about 2 month after my first ballast went out- maybe there got some water though

[A4 KiDD 810]

I have a new issue I've been meaning to bring up:

It's kinda weird - Every once and a while when I turn my headlights on, they'll go on but on my dashboard my brake light will flash and my traction control light will come on and they wont go off. I have to shut the car off twice - one time turns the brake light off, the 2nd time turns the traction control light off. Its weird cuz idk what's causing it, maybe if i press the brake at the same time when i'm turning my lights on there is a short or something that makes it happen idk its completely random it seems and its fucking annoying to turn my car off twice then back on. Just wondering what this could be. I know it's the HIDs because it never happened before, and it only happens at random times exactly as i switch them on. I literally pray it doesnt happen every time i need to turn my lights on lol.

[aaaudiprotein]

^^^Do u have hid fogs installed?
Anyways, it is one of those "common" problems with aftermarket hid kits.
Try searching

[golgo13]

weird i thought that the HIDS were making my sidemarkers go crazy.

they screw up our radio signal god only knows what else they do : )

[A4 KiDD 810]

^^^Do u have hid fogs installed?
Anyways, it is one of those "common" problems with aftermarket hid kits.
Try searching

No i dont have HID fogs, only headlights. I have super white bulbs in my fogs .

[aaaudiprotein]

weird i thought that the HIDS were making my sidemarkers go crazy.

they screw up our radio signal god only knows what else they do : )

buy a new set, your problem should be gone.

[aaaudiprotein]

No i dont have HID fogs, only headlights. I have super white bulbs in my fogs .

Like i said, search button helps a lot
TRy this http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...=hid+abs+light

[A4 KiDD 810]

Thanks

[pOrKcHoP07]

yea about that radio signal...its awful when they are on.

:( fail.

[aaaudiprotein]

yea about that radio signal...its awful when they are on.

:( fail.

Where did u mount your ballasts?

[diagnosticator]

I have a new issue I've been meaning to bring up:

It's kinda weird - Every once and a while when I turn my headlights on, they'll go on but on my dashboard my brake light will flash and my traction control light will come on and they wont go off. I have to shut the car off twice - one time turns the brake light off, the 2nd time turns the traction control light off. Its weird cuz idk what's causing it, maybe if i press the brake at the same time when i'm turning my lights on there is a short or something that makes it happen idk its completely random it seems and its fucking annoying to turn my car off twice then back on. Just wondering what this could be. I know it's the HIDs because it never happened before, and it only happens at random times exactly as i switch them on. I literally pray it doesnt happen every time i need to turn my lights on lol.

Cheap aftermarket HID kits, often are poorly designed and constructed and don't have adequate EMI shielding and other protective measures against EMI causing problems with strange behavior of the other controllers like you are experiencing with your Kit. When you turn ON the headlights, the ballast/lamp igniter generates a pulse of very high voltage to start the arc discharge in the lamp capsule. Associated with the high voltage starting pulse, is a Electromagnetic pulse that must be shielded to limit interfering with the operation of nearby electronics devices like the various controllers used on your Audi. Besides shielding, the connected power supply circuits must be filtered to prevent Electromagnetic noise and high voltage spikes from escaping from the ballast/lamp and back feeding into the rest of the electrical system. When EMI is not adequately controlled, the effects on other electronics devices is evidenced by the strange malfunctions and odd operation of the effected controllers. The symptoms are random, and when they happen, are typically unique symptoms that are different for each car, due to the variation in the severity of the EMI, and exactly how the EMI couples with the other electrical system components with differences in installation details like placement locations etc. The effected devices are sensitive to EMI variously as well, with some controllers more susceptible to EMI than others, each device being individually sensitive compared to another.

The solution for EMI glitches is to dump the cheap kit and use OEM HID parts only.

[diagnosticator]

OK so I am a huge fan specially when I found IMO the best color that imitates oem xenon. 6500 which is what I have. anyways dipped left headlight has come and gone this couple of days and i keep thinking is the bulb. I turn them off and then turn them back on and sometimes they work again. I wont even drive at night with one headlight THAnk God i have fogs cause thats what I roll if one is not working.
The more I think about it I think it might be the ballast cause 1/20 times when the left light goes out after a couple of min it takes the other out too.

I checked the bulbs and they look a bit strange kind of corroded but IDK. anyways since it is an HID kit. is it possible to change by buying a ballast or bulbs alone?


help would be appreciated.

Availability of kit spare parts varies with the individual sellers of the kits.
Despite the lower cost, the hassels often experienced with the cheap kits shifts the cost/benefit toward the increased cost for lower performance of the cheap aftermarket HID kits compared to the higher cost of OEM parts with the reliability and error free operation the OEM parts provide.

You can convert one headlight to OEM parts, then do the other side when the kit parts on the other side fail later. The OEM HID parts typically operate for the life of the car. If your current headlights are H7 halogen, either buy OE Xenon housings, or swap the halogen projectors with OE Xenon projectors in you existing housings. The OE ballasts will fit the housings perfectly, but a pass through hole for the wires from the ballast needs to be cut in the housing. The hole is cut at the factory on OE xenon housings. OE xenon HID projectors, and ballasts with connection wires for use with D1S or D2S HID lamps can be bought on eBay, D2S HID lamps are usually cheaper to buy, and are available in more color temps. There is also a D1 type ignitor base available that adapts a D2 type burner for use as a D1 so there is a lot of different ways to put together reliable high performance OEM quality HID setups.

[pOrKcHoP07]

Where did u mount your ballasts?

Well, glad you brought that up. My driver's side is ziptied on the little metal black box near the power steering. I've speculated this mounting location may have caused interference. Luckily, my ballast blew out, so now I have a reason to move it and test it before I mount it there :) haha

I've read reviews of Xentec Hid kits causing radio signal loss, but again I never took the liberty to move them.

[aaaudiprotein]

Well, glad you brought that up. My driver's side is ziptied on the little metal black box near the power steering. I've speculated this mounting location may have caused interference. Luckily, my ballast blew out, so now I have a reason to move it and test it before I mount it there :) haha

I've read reviews of Xentec Hid kits causing radio signal loss, but again I never took the liberty to move them.

Maybe, like diagnosticator some aftermarket kits are poorly designed...
anyways, i think the best place for the ballasts would be in in the fenders.
There are a plenty of space there + pretty safe

[golgo13]

Availability of kit spare parts varies with the individual sellers of the kits.
Despite the lower cost, the hassels often experienced with the cheap kits shifts the cost/benefit toward the increased cost for lower performance of the cheap aftermarket HID kits compared to the higher cost of OEM parts with the reliability and error free operation the OEM parts provide.

You can convert one headlight to OEM parts, then do the other side when the kit parts on the other side fail later. The OEM HID parts typically operate for the life of the car. If your current headlights are H7 halogen, either buy OE Xenon housings, or swap the halogen projectors with OE Xenon projectors in you existing housings. The OE ballasts will fit the housings perfectly, but a pass through hole for the wires from the ballast needs to be cut in the housing. The hole is cut at the factory on OE xenon housings. OE xenon HID projectors, and ballasts with connection wires for use with D1S or D2S HID lamps can be bought on eBay, D2S HID lamps are usually cheaper to buy, and are available in more color temps. There is also a D1 type ignitor base available that adapts a D2 type burner for use as a D1 so there is a lot of different ways to put together reliable high performance OEM quality HID setups.

whata a fair price to go OEM HId kit? and where can i get this? i know its a broad question but i know very little besides the output i want is 6500

[aaaudiprotein]

whata a fair price to go OEM HId kit? and where can i get this? i know its a broad question but i know very little besides the output i want is 6500

I think about $300-400 brand new.
u can use any ballast and keep your 6500k bulbs

[golgo13]

word i think this is what im going to end up doing. Thanx guys.

[KPC1.8TQuat]

The only relative problem with going OEM is cost and lack of bulb options.

This OEM xenon housing from ECS Valeo European Headlight Kit will only take D1S bulbs. D1S is pretty much the most expensive kit to buy and pretty much only comes in 4300k.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure there is no reliable way to put a D2S kit in those housings.

As for going with cheap, Chinese aftermarket kits....That's not for me. I don't want to have to deal with the bulb out warning lights or the radio EMI for that matter.

[aaaudiprotein]

word i think this is what im going to end up doing. Thanx guys.

sorry man, totally forgot that OEM kit uses different type of bulbs

[diagnosticator]

yea about that radio signal...its awful when they are on.

:( fail.

Interference with the radio signals is another symptom of stray EMI* from cheap HID kits.

*Electromagnetic Interference

[kovachian]

Cheap aftermarket HID kits, often are poorly designed and constructed...<snip>...The solution for EMI glitches is to dump the cheap kit and use OEM HID parts only.

This is what I said earlier (albeit without going into detail) but some people just refuse to accept the ugly truth.