HID Headlight Issue

ArgonSr · Aug 13, 2015

Hello,
For the last month or so I my "check lights" warning has been coming on and off. I know that my Driver side front headlight is going on and off as if the bulb is getting ready to burn out.

Both headlights will be working just fine, then the warning will come on and I loose the one light. Or sometimes the warning will come on but both headlights are still on. They do dim down however, and then get brighter right away. It's really weird.

I am wondering if anyone could tell me if I need to simply get new bulbs? Ballasts? Or do I need to replace the entire headlight assembly? Or do all 3? I have not had codes run on it yet for this, so I am pretty much flying blind.

Also, looking through the site and looking online at replacement HID bulbs, I am wondering if someone can tell me if the following bulbs would work?

1. 2 Philips 4300K D1S HID Xenon Bulbs Set Dot Germany | eBay

Or could I use these?
2X New Authentic Philips x Treme Vision 50 5000K D1S HID Xenon Bulbs Germany | eBay

If I can find bulbs somewhere other then the Dealerships, that would be great.

One other note, my headlights seem to be rather dim making it hard to see at night. The headlight assemblies do have some kind of film on them which I have tried to clean off with a cleaning kit, but that didn't do much.

So what should I do? Should I try getting new bulbs first and see what happens? Or should I do something else? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Scubacruiser · Aug 13, 2015

Either of those bulbs will work. The 5000K bulbs will be slightly more blue, and therefore slightly more dim. Usually HID bulbs will turn orange or pink when they are starting to fail. They also get more dim with age. New ones will seem quite a bit brighter.

For cleaning your plastic lenses, you can try baking soda or toothpaste. Google is your friend.

Moonyock · Aug 13, 2015

For replacement parts I always go and check ECStuning.com They usually have the OEM part less than the dealer and then give a couple other options too. They are located in Ohio, have great service, and shipping is pretty fast and sometimes free.

I would try bulbs first then ballasts.

As for the lens, when you say cleaning kit, was it like a Meguiar's or 3M kit that has different sanding pads, or was it just one of those wipe kits?

Can you post a pic of your headlights? Is it possible they have Xpel or Laminx on them for protection?

ArgonSr · Aug 13, 2015

Moonyock said:
For replacement parts I always go and check ECStuning.com They usually have the OEM part less than the dealer and then give a couple other options too. They are located in Ohio, have great service, and shipping is pretty fast and sometimes free.

I would try bulbs first then ballasts.

As for the lens, when you say cleaning kit, was it like a Meguiar's or 3M kit that has different sanding pads, or was it just one of those wipe kits?

Can you post a pic of your headlights? Is it possible they have Xpel or Laminx on them for protection?

I would have to double check, but yes it was like the Meguiar's kit with the sanding pads. I will try and take a couple photos after work and get them posted. The previous owner did have a 6" wide 3m clear bra on part of the hood and just above the headlights. So I suppose the film on the lights could be from this or something similar.

noobytoogy · Aug 14, 2015

Xenon bulbs age. Change them in pairs with genuine good quality bulbs - 4300K - every two or three years.

EulessDave · Aug 14, 2015

There is a big business out there selling counterfeit D1S bulbs on the Internet, so BEWARE. Here's a link to help you identify the fakes:
HIDbulbsRus | Identifying Counterfeits

I got mine from Pep Boys - had them in hand to verify that they were real BEFORE paying - and had a location to take them back if there were issues. Currently (Aug 2015) you can use the code 813WEB25 to get a 25% discount, making the bulbs $75 each. That's more than the Internet price but better protection against fakes.

The bulbs will go on and off before they totally burn out. My warning indictor would go on, then not be on the next time I started the car, then the bulb would go out, then come back. I finally replaced both.

As for the plastic lenses, you need to use something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/3M-39045-Head...dp/B004GFTC0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439574464&sr=8-1&keywords=3m+lens+renewal

It goes in your drill and sands the lens down past all the yellowed plastic, then you polish it back to clear. Takes about 30 to 35 minutes per headlight but if you follow the directions, take your time, and do it right, your headlights will be like new. Watch the videos from 3M before starting so that you'll know when you've sanded enough (or more commonly, not enough).

I had one headlight that had been replaced, and one original from 2004. Now they both look brand new. This is a before and after of the passenger side headlight - I just slid the whole unit out so that I didn't have to worry about scratching the paint. It's been 8 months or so and it still looks new.

noobytoogy · Aug 14, 2015

x2 on making sure you get the GENUINE bulbs.

And x2 on the headlight sanding. I removed mine and gave them to a guy who sands helicopter screens.

ArgonSr · Aug 17, 2015

EulessDave,
Thank you for the advice. I do believe that I have that 3M kit. Or one very similar to it. I guess I will have to give it another shot and see what happens. And I will take a look at PepBoy's for the bulbs to see what they have.

ArgonSr · Oct 30, 2015

So I finally replaced my bulbs. No they are not from the dealer, but I got the ones from Advance Auto Parts (the exact same ones that you would get from Pep Boys). Once I figured out how to get the headlight assembly out, the bulbs went in super easy. But they still seem to be really dim compared to other vehicles from that era with HID's.

I remember my 2002 Chrysler 300M Special's HID headlights were amazing. Threw light out probably twice as far as the Touareg does.

I have cleaned the lenses the best that I can (may have to see about getting new ones some day) and it hasn't seemed to help. And my halogen fog lights seem to produce more light and cast the light a bit further then the main headlights.

So I am not sure what I should look into next? I would love to connect with someone that has a Rosstech cable and see if that says anything. But to me they are still really dim.

Does anyone have any other ideas or suggestions?

Thanks,
Peter

HID Headlight Issue

ArgonSr

Scubacruiser

Moonyock

ArgonSr

noobytoogy

EulessDave

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