Poor battery affecting HIDs

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
I have has issues recently with intermittent headlights working then not working. I know the fuses / relays / bulbs are working, so have been putting it down to the dreaded intermittent electrical connection problem. I've occasions when they work, then they don't More recently had the odd starting issue and decided to change the unknown age Honda battery for a new Yuasa 5053. I know nothing about HID bulbs and their associated blast packs, but I wondered whether a battery on its way out could affect these bulbs? Anyone knowledgeable about this matter? Thanks.
 

Vteccin_teg

Advanced Member
Messages
166
Does anything else electrical get affected (this could be battery or alternstor related).
If not then its something to do with the lighting circuit.
Do both lights flicker/go off at same time? If so then it'll be at a point in the circuit before the headlights that could cause an issue (relay, loose connection on fuseboard, corroded/ loose earth point)
Is it just 1 light ? Then it could be a ballast. You could be unlucky and it be 2 ballasts lol.
It could be a fault light switch on steering column.

You've literally just got to eliminate things 1 by 1 and try and isolate the problem then go from there.
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
Both are affected. New battery not solving things as it happens. I've got an auto electrician looking at it now this week so hoping they can find the issue. I'll update after diagnosis / fix. Cheers.
 

Vteccin_teg

Advanced Member
Messages
166
Believe it or not, I'm actually an auto electrician haha.
But fingers crossed he can solve the issue.
More than likely it'll be the power feeding the headlights or the earth to the lights.
Could also be a faulty light switch.

If theyre flickering then its a loose connection somewhere in the circuit.

I've heard if the lights have a purplish color to them then the ballast is on the way out.

Let us know how you get on though mate.
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
Where would the earthing for the headlights be? Would this be the same place on every DC5? Perhaps I can check? The high beam, side lights and indicators work no problem. No purple colour (when they do randomly work...)
 

Vteccin_teg

Advanced Member
Messages
166
If all the other bulbs are working then its the dipped beam circuit.
As its happening to both lights and not just 1 it won't be the ballast.
Imagine you have 2 ballasts going into 1 wire then that 1 wire goes to the output of a relay, then the relay goes to the power source and an earth then wiper switch.
So it sounds like its not the ballast.
so from the ballasts back in the circuit thats causing the issue.
Main beam, dipped beam etc are all on diffrent circuits and have diffrent fuses.

Is there anyway you can replicate the flicker or is it totally random?

Whats the mileage ?
Is it a daily?
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
No flicker, they either work on start up, or they don't, that's both. I've had one occasion where I had them turned on and noted they hadn't lit up, left them on as I wanted rear lights, then when I parked up noted they had come on. I had gone over a cattle grid just before stopping, made me think of something like a loose connection possibly. I switched off, started up again and they worked ok. Went to start up and drive off about 10 minmin later, didn't come on....
This is a play car, so used every few days or not at all for a week. Car has done 95k.
 

Vteccin_teg

Advanced Member
Messages
166
thats definitly a loose connection of some sort.
Id check connections at the ballast and plugs
Check connection at Back of the fusebox (wire might not be crimped onto pin properly or isn't touching fuse properly)
Check you dont have a dogey fuse (I've worked on a vehicle before and a fuse had blown but not fully and was causing a bridge within the fuse and causing an intermittent power fault)
Relays.
Pin 30 should be +12v battery feed input
Pin 85 should be earth
Pin 86 should be 12v feed from headlight switch
Pin 87 will be the wire going to the headlight fuse, then from the other side of the fuse to your headlights).
Light switch
Check battery terminals are tight.
Check plugs into headlights are clipped in properly.
Try wiggling all the plugs to replicate you driving it.
Could also be all the above but with the earth and not the power.

Its literally trial and error.
My ethos to approaching vehicle electrics and stuff not working:
It can only be 3 things
Faulty earth - (rusty or not switching if its a switched earth but headlights are normally switched power)
Faulty power ( loose/poor connection to power pick up somewhere in the circuit)
Faulty product (faulty component I.e. headlight switch, headlight ballasts).

Where are you located?
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
I'm really appreciating your detail, thank you. I'm pretty certain the connection from stalk to fuse box is OK after some checks. I've got a local company looking at it tomorrow, their electrics fix it guru I'm told so we'll see how it goes. I'm in Cheltenham. I'll update after its been looked at tomorrow.
 

Matt @ Torque GT

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
4
thats definitly a loose connection of some sort.
Id check connections at the ballast and plugs
Check connection at Back of the fusebox (wire might not be crimped onto pin properly or isn't touching fuse properly)
Check you dont have a dogey fuse (I've worked on a vehicle before and a fuse had blown but not fully and was causing a bridge within the fuse and causing an intermittent power fault)
Relays.
Pin 30 should be +12v battery feed input
Pin 85 should be earth
Pin 86 should be 12v feed from headlight switch
Pin 87 will be the wire going to the headlight fuse, then from the other side of the fuse to your headlights).
Light switch
Check battery terminals are tight.
Check plugs into headlights are clipped in properly.
Try wiggling all the plugs to replicate you driving it.
Could also be all the above but with the earth and not the power.

Its literally trial and error.
My ethos to approaching vehicle electrics and stuff not working:
It can only be 3 things
Faulty earth - (rusty or not switching if its a switched earth but headlights are normally switched power)
Faulty power ( loose/poor connection to power pick up somewhere in the circuit)
Faulty product (faulty component I.e. headlight switch, headlight ballasts).

Where are you located?
Major kudos for this level of technical detail.
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
So, there was a HID relay somewhere that I didn't see. Also a comment about about some wires rubbing against fan belt. Yikes.
Bad news, found I don't have a working alarm, just immobiliser so not a disaster. Negotiating with the seller for some compensation to support a new one.
If I want to sell it on, I'll need to get that sorted too. Old cars eh....
 

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Vteccin_teg

Advanced Member
Messages
166
So, there was a HID relay somewhere that I didn't see. Also a comment about about some wires rubbing against fan belt. Yikes.
Bad news, found I don't have a working alarm, just immobiliser so not a disaster. Negotiating with the seller for some compensation to support a new one.
If I want to sell it on, I'll need to get that sorted too. Old cars eh....
Had a feeling it was relay or an intermittent power fault (hence the frayed/rubbed wire)
Don't waste your money on an alarm mate. End of the day if someone wants the car, this day and age your door will come off and keys are taken.
Get yourself a tracker with remote cutout. Got it on mine.
You could get 1 for about 400ish.
Use an app to see where your car is.
If someone takes your keys, Call the tracker guys up (subscription required i paid about 200 for lifetime of the tracker) they then deactivate the car and call police to retrieve it.
Worth well more than an alarm in my opinion.
 

R07ARY

Member
Messages
19
My insurance company stated to me when enquiring, Green light, that I need a Thatcham system but I need to confirm if this is alarm and immobiliser or just immobiliser only. A bit peeved being sold a car without a working alarm, something I'm uncertain I can claim they pay for this fully or I just suck the cost up of whatever I need. Doesn't everyone's DC5 insurance insist on Cat 1s?
 
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