HID lights flickering

[bobcanada]

I recently went on a daytime fall colour tour and the driver in front of me complained about my headlights flickering in his rear view mirror. He also mentioned that the lights changed from a blue to white colour as they flickered. I have another car with HID headlights and have never had this complaint from other drivers. I know that HID headlights have a self-leveling system. I have checked this system on my 07 V8V and everything appears to be okay (nothing loose, etc.)

Any ideas?

[V8LM]

HID lights when viewed at the edge of the beam appear blue. It is probable that your beam line was in line with your partner's rear view so appeared to flicker from white to blue as you and/or he crossed every bump. The self levelling system isn't there to react for dumps and dips, only loaded mass in the boot.

[yeti]

Or the ballast could be on the way out... Or it could just be a loose connection!

The blue appearance is only the wavelength emitted, it's a very intense plasma light. If the ballast is going, the arc could intermittently fail; plasma may be dropping back and forth into metal salt form...

That's a theoretical problem, don't know if that happens in real life

[Tony V12V]

yeti said:

Or the ballast could be on the way out... Or it could just be a loose connection!

The blue appearance is only the wavelength emitted, it's a very intense plasma light. If the ballast is going, the arc could intermittently fail; plasma may be dropping back and forth into metal salt form...

That's a theoretical problem, don't know if that happens in real life

Had it happening on an aftermarket HID kit on a 320D this week - CANBUS system was not compatible with specific ballast so system kept dropping in and out

[steveatesh]

Flickering was the first sign of HID light failure on my Merc. Needed a new ballast eventually. Cost a fortune for the Merc, hope AM not so bad?

[peterr96]

Bob
I replaced a ballast on our 07 model V8V a couple of years ago. Cost me about £50 in total.
More details on this thread:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYZZPwJr_c&fea...

Edited by peterr96 on Friday 26th October 08:54

[woolders]

Pete, are you sure that is the right link. I was getting vertigo sitting at my desk and had to stop watching. The man is a certifiable lunatic!

[peterr96]

woolders said:

Pete, are you sure that is the right link. I was getting vertigo sitting at my desk and had to stop watching. The man is a certifiable lunatic!

Ah yes.... that does appear to be the wrong thing! Multitasking was never my strong point.
Try this link instead

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[897sma]

peterr96 said:

Bob
I replaced a ballast on our 07 model V8V a couple of years ago. Cost me about £50 in total.
More details on this thread:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCYZZPwJr_c&fea...

Edited by peterr96 on Friday 26th October 08:54

fking lunatic, my heart was thumping watching him climb.

[Arjxh56]

Crikey almighty.. I clicked the link.... kept watching... Then my D*** turned inside out!! What a nutter!

[woolders]

I got through the whole thing after a steadying sherry or two. I spotted his mate about 20 foot below him at the top. What the hell do these guys do for a bit of a adrenalin kick?

[AWV12]

peterr96 said:

Ah yes.... that does appear to be the wrong thing! Multitasking was never my strong point.
Try this link instead

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

You are very lucky it was "only" this link of climbing, and not the XXX rated movie you just watched before that you copied!