So I went to put my HID kit in today, and ran into some problems. I hooked everything up the way the directions said (constant 12V source off the battery, one ground on the battery neg-terminal, one on body ground on passanger side). When I turn them on, the lights "strobe"...you can hear the relay that came with the kit clicking on and off, almost as if it's not recieving enough voltage to keep the lights on.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I could do to get this to work? The kit didn't come with great directions (Chinese kit = Chinese directions, so I just followed the wiring diagram).

Any advice?
THanks,
Chris

 

ive heard something on here about a cancel for the ram models (has to do with the computer i think) go to diy and there aughta be an article about it and if not search for HID, i know ive read something on here about it

 

Thanks Matt. I think I found what I was looking for.

Chris

 

if you fix it please post how. im looking into getting HIDs too and want to know how to fix it

 

So I fixed the problem. The problem that is apparent in the Ram is that when you take the stock light bulb out of the pig-tail, there is not enough resistance. That causes the computer to cut the voltage to the HID's, and gives us the 'strobing' problem.

I went out today and fixed it. The HID kit I used only required you toplug into the driver's side headlight, using the a stock-type pigtail connector. What I did was tap into the factorypig-tail using Western splices. This aloud me to get the power to the HID kid, while having the stock bulb in place, to keep the resistance, allowing me to get around the computer. Turned the headlights on, and viola, HID's.

Now, since both of the stock bulbs are still in place, I needed to find a way to cover them so that A) they would not shine from underneath the hood so as to be illegal and B) they would stay away from plastic items so as not to melt. My first attempt was using hi-temp engine spray paint. Good up to 1500*. Sprayed the bulbs, put them in and replaced both housings. Started truck to see, and oh shiii! the harness is shorting. Well, that was just the 'hi-temp' paint burning off. Back to the drawing board.

***See my next post for another update***

So I go to re-install the housings, and realize the bulbs can 'wiggle' in the housings. The grey collar is not holding it in as tight as the stock bulbs would be. This could cause the bouncing sometimes associated with an HID swap. What I found was, at least with my kit, I needed to remove the retaining collar from the bulb, put that collar in the housing, place the grey collar in, and then replace the bulb. Buttoned them all up, and they work!

It's still not dark enough to really tell, but so far these things look bright as all get out. Definately worth the work and aggrivation. I'll get a good luck in a few hours when the sun goes down.

Hope this helps, and if anyone has any questions let me know.

Thanks,
Chris

 

thanks dude. i guess when i get my HID's ill know more about what your talking about more. so the regualr halogen bulbs just sit there and dangle covered in teflon tape? and you just tapped the HID into the power of the headlight instead of plugging it into the connector?

 

No offence to anyone who has/is thinking about getting a HID conversion kit, but I think it's retarded. Not only are they a pain in the *** to install, but they're just flat out not safe. When I'm driving home late at night on a two lane road, I don't really like being blinded by some ridiculously bright headlights that don't meet DOT safety requirements. You might as well just drive around with your high beams on causing accidents if you're considering buying one of these kits and your vehicle isn't strictly an off-roader. Spend the extra cash, get the real deal with the housing unit and wiring, and potentially keep yourself from killing someone.

 

RedSS, is there any way you could get some pictures of the install and with them in (both off and on) and this whole grey collar thing??? it would help me and mmstar alot

 

TheUsed801...

Apparently, you don't know what HID headlights are. They are not just a bright illegal light. They produce a light closer to natural sun light, which provides better visibility at night. They don't blind other drivers. They are actually less offensive than regular halogen high beams. Oh, by the way... they are DOT legal and come stock on many vehicles. Do some research. I do agree, however, that he should have bought a quality non slant eye kit with full instructions. It would have probably worked a lot better with less "fabrication".

 

Thanks for taking a shot at my intelligence but to quote http://orca.st.usm.edu/~jmneal/tiburon/hids.htm ...

Installing HID's into a vehicle not originally equipped with them from the factory is technically illegal. Practically speaking, you stand little chance of being cited for them provided you educate yourself on the requirements of HID lighting and take the necessary steps to ensure you have the right equipment and adjustments to keep it safe. That is, make sure your vehicle's headlight assembly uses an appropriately designed projector lense (as opposed to a reflector), and of course that your headlights are properly aligned after installation. Many newer vehicles use projector lenses because stock halogen bulbs also benefit from the "light shaping", but having just any old projector lense does not necessarily ensure that the beam pattern will be correct. It is absolutely essential for HID's to give the light output a sharp cutoff line to prevent blinding oncoming traffic. As HID's become more popular, aftermarket projector housings are being produced for some vehicles.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) states that improperly-installed HID's are getting a lot of complaints. Vendors will usually include a disclaimer that they are intended for offroad use only, but it's no secret that people don't follow this rule. Now, there are a lot of aftermarket automotive parts that qualify as illegal but aren't strictly enforced. Logically, the safety implications of blinding oncoming drivers are more serious than, say, an exhaust that exceeds the legal noise level. So the DOT has actively gone after vendors of HID conversion kits, threatening monetary fines if they continue selling them, and consequently there are now fewer places to buy them.

Not to be a jerk or to condiscend anyone here that has HIDs, I have yet to see too many people buy the aftermarket HID conversion kit and take all the necessary steps to make sure they are aligned properly to avoid blinding other drivers.