Weird HID issue

TechieTruckGuy

3.5 EcoHell
Apr 10, 2013
4,761
518
0
Bakersfield , CA
For the past year my brother's truck (06 ccsb) has had a weird HID problem. For some reason the passenger side HID doesn't always want to fire. I've tried changing the bulbs and the ballasts. I've ran the HIDs on both the stock headlight harness as well as a relay kit. Anyone have an idea of what could be causing this? or Have a similar a problem? I'm tempted to just rip them out and throw some HIRs in.
 
My friend has this problem with his xentec hids. Figured they were just a cheap set and threw them away. Lol
 
My buddy's got a pair of DDMs that do something similar in his fogs. One won't hardly ever fire, and the only way you can get it to fire is to click the button a million times and it'll sit there and flicker the whole time it's on. We've tried everything, he's just gonna order some VVME HIDs now. That's what I run and I've never had an issue whatsoever except for one bulb giving up, and I don't even have a relay harness on this truck. I'd honestly try a better set of HIDs, you've pretty much already done everything you can
 
My DDM's do this also. What is a good, but cost effective alternate to DDM?

VVME. About the same price, wayyy better quality. I don't even have to run relay harnesses, never had any issues and I've had 5 or 6 sets now. Only had 1 bulb burn out and that was just a fluke
 
Here's what I've found over the years.

It's directly related to the auto-headlight feature trying to ignite the HID's while you're turning the truck over. Basically the fact that the truck is drawing so much to turn the engine over, very little is left for the HID's and it starves the ballasts. That's a sure fire way of KILLING an HID ballast over time.

2 fixes:

1. Disable AHL. There's a how-to on that IIRC. But that way YOU control when the HID's ignite, meaning the truck will be running, and you won't starve the fuckers when you go to start the truck.

2. (And this one I use) park the truck with the parking brake. Even if you just push it down enough for the truck to realize the P-Brake is on. When you start the truck the headlights won't come on. Just pop the P-Brake off once you're set to go and your HID's will have full power for ignition.

My 05 Blazer I had back when I was a teenager had HID's, and the pass side never ignited one winter when my P-Brake had seized and I couldn't use it. (was a 5spd as well... so that was fun. :nomegusta:) Not long after the pass side went out. I put DDM's in the Sierra the first time around and I noticed that happening too. Basically I've used my parking brake on this truck since day 1 of me owning it. I've only ever replaced my DDM ballasts due to failure (road salt got to the contacts on the ballasts). Last set I changed is because I upgraded to Morimoto 3Five ballasts, instead of generic stuff.

It's usually ALWAYS The passenger side that acts up. Why? I dunno. My theory is it having something to do with being further away from the power source, resistances in the harness due to length of wire, etc. etc.

So try the parking brake trick first before that ballast goes kafuckingboom and see if it helps.
 
Change your ground. My driver doesnt always fire if its raining or super humid outside, but after 1 or 2 manual attempts it will come on. Pretty sure the ground i have it attached to is the problem.