gregom

iTrader: (3)

I have an 2004 Touring Z, came with factory HID. I've upgraded to 2006 headlamps, which work great. I then upgraded to some Morimoto Five5 50W HID ballasts with XB35 Moromoto HID bulbs.

They've been working great for the few weeks that i've had them. However my left headlamp always flickered a bit when coming on since the beginning. The right one didn't... Anyway, today I noticed my left headlamp wasn't coming on. I turned them off and back on a couple times (over the course of about a minute) to see if I could get the left to fire up but it wouldn't.

So I got home, swapped the left bulb for my old 35W HID bulb that came with the car... didn't work. So I figured I had a dead ballast. So I put the Morimoto bulb back in and then swapped the HID ballasts. When I turned on the headlamp switch I heard what can only be described as a "zap". I thought I've killed both ballasts now... So I swapped them back again, putting each ballast back to the original side it was on to try again, neither are working. So I took the right ballast, which was working before but now isn't, and hooked it up directly to the battery, it fires up fine. I then take the ballast which was on the left side and put it on the battery, the negative lead freaking electrocutes me a little and burns some skin, and didn't fire up. The wires leading to the ballast were hot after this.

So i'm not sure what to think. Maybe that left ballast was dead all along? Maybe there is some sort of short inside it? Why the hell isn't my right headlamp turning on anymore with the ballast I just tested and confirmed works directly on the battery?

I'm done for tonight... may try both the ballasts again tomorrow in a safer fashion.

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

I'm hoping you had the bulbs plugged in when you hooked power to the ballast.

I tried that once without bulbs and it made my right arm go numb for about 15-20 minutes.

KornerCarver

iTrader: (2)

Sometimes upgrades aren't upgrades at all. Sound to me like you downgraded when you went to the new ballasts and bulbs. You have probably blown a fuse somewhere.

gregom

iTrader: (3)

Yes the bulb was plugged in.

I hope it is a fuse. It is odd that it has been working for weeks though. I may have to go back to factory parts if this turns out not to be a reliable option.

Thanks

gregom

iTrader: (3)

well it was both... the fuses were popped because the ballast shorted out. Then the other one died a day later. They are sending me two new ones, should be here tomorrow. Will try again. They are a LOT brighter than the stock though that's for sure so I hope these new ones will live longer.