89HatchbackLxi
01-14-2014, 07:47 PM
Ok, so this last weekend I installed some new HID's I got from DDM tuning onto my 95 SL. The install was easy minus the fact that it took me 45 minutes to get the bulbs out of the ridiculously tight fitting connectors. Anyways, I tested out the lights by driving around the neighborhood for a few minutes and all was well. The lights operated exactly as they should. No problems at all. Well great, sounds like I'm all set then right? Apparently not. Yesterday, on my first actual drive anywhere since installing the lights, I go get gas at costco. it's about 5:30pm, around sunset time, so I turn my lights on. New HIDs operate perfectly on the way there. i sit in park in line at costco and my car idles as it should. Finally get gas after about 10 minutes of waiting in line, start the car, turn on the hids, no problem. Exit the costco lot, all is well. I turn into the street and hit a red light a few seconds later. Upon the light turning green, I take my foot off the brake, and begin my way thru the 8 or so stop lights between costco and my house. Another red light, so I hit the brakes and slow down as usual. Upon hitting the brake, I notice my driver side HID shuts off. Lovely. Switch the lights off and on a few times, no luck. Driver light remains dark. Figure i'll take a look at it when I get home, see if maybe something is lose (although with connections that tight, I'm pretty sure that is not the issue). After driving a little bit, maybe 15-20 seconds later, my driverside HID lights back up. Maybe it is a faulty connection? Another stop light. I Hit the blinker to change lanes, hit the brakes and.... click, driver side HID shuts off. Crappy ballast? Maybe. Green light. Then, 15-20 seconds after accelerating the light again comes back on. I go over a bumpy area of road, light remains on, I look at the built in voltage meter and I realize it's probably not a connection issue, but an alternator problem. The meter is reading exactly 12 when I'm stopped at a light.
By now I'm eying the voltage meter the rest of the way home. After a few more stop lights, the HID now stays on, and the voltage meter goes back up to 13 range. I activate the turn signal to make a turn into my neighborhood? voltage drops to about 12, maybe 11.75 with each turn signal flash. HID stays on though, and after the turn signal disengages, the needle goes back up to about 12.5. I get home, check the HID connections. Everything is connected fine.
A few hours later I decide to do some additional troubleshooting, I drive around the neighborhood for about 20 minutes stopping to allow the car to idle for a few minutes a copule times, while engaging everything but the wipers to throw a load at my alternator. HID lights stay on, and I can't get the needle to drop past 13. What gives? I thought my alternator was bad?
I realized in the past the voltage has went around 12 sometimes when I'm idling but I never thought anything of it since it didn't seem to effect anything until now. I realize I could always just put my halogen bulbs back in, but it seems no one else has problems running HIDs, so I'm gonna keep that as my last option.
I found a thread about the same issue on a different 3000gt forum, and apparently a bunch of people ran into the same situation I'm in with the voltage being picky but only sometimes, not constantly, but there was never a solution found, and it was a thread from 4 years ago, so I was hoping maybe someone has figured out a solution by now...
By now I'm eying the voltage meter the rest of the way home. After a few more stop lights, the HID now stays on, and the voltage meter goes back up to 13 range. I activate the turn signal to make a turn into my neighborhood? voltage drops to about 12, maybe 11.75 with each turn signal flash. HID stays on though, and after the turn signal disengages, the needle goes back up to about 12.5. I get home, check the HID connections. Everything is connected fine.
A few hours later I decide to do some additional troubleshooting, I drive around the neighborhood for about 20 minutes stopping to allow the car to idle for a few minutes a copule times, while engaging everything but the wipers to throw a load at my alternator. HID lights stay on, and I can't get the needle to drop past 13. What gives? I thought my alternator was bad?
I realized in the past the voltage has went around 12 sometimes when I'm idling but I never thought anything of it since it didn't seem to effect anything until now. I realize I could always just put my halogen bulbs back in, but it seems no one else has problems running HIDs, so I'm gonna keep that as my last option.
I found a thread about the same issue on a different 3000gt forum, and apparently a bunch of people ran into the same situation I'm in with the voltage being picky but only sometimes, not constantly, but there was never a solution found, and it was a thread from 4 years ago, so I was hoping maybe someone has figured out a solution by now...