Is my HID problem a bad Ballast or bad Bulb??

[Jim 5]

My wife's 03 Acura 3.2 TL factory HID headlights on one side are glowing pink instead of the cool white/blue normal color.

When the headlights are turned on, they both glow the same correct color, but within about 3-5 seconds, the passenger side bulb dims and starts to glow a dim pink color. For about a week the pink color had degraded to purple, but now it is getting worse and is glowing dim pink.

Since it glows the correct color at first, I suspect the ballast rather than the bulb, but I have no idea. Can anyone help me troubleshoot this problem?

The components are pretty expensive from the dealer, but I'd likely take the ebay option especially if it's a bulb problem.

 

[JHZR2]

gee, I thought those things were supposed to last a long time especially given the "reliability" deal that honda/acura claims.

Im looking forward to hearing the results of this troubleshoot, as we're considering if the HID deal is a good choice for the wife's next car...

Good luck,

JMH

 

[Jim 5]

Yeah,

I'm not too pleased about this. I think the bulb has died from what I can see. When a failing bulb heats up, it takes more voltage to maintain the same level of gas excitation. Since the amount of voltage put out by the ballast is finite, the heated failing bulb no longer puts out the correct color or amount of light.

 

[tom slick]

can you swap the bulbs from side to side?

 

[Jim 5]

Tom,

Thanks for that tip. I embarassed to say I didn't even think of it, and I think of myself as a pretty decent wrench.

That's the fool proof way to test it, I guess I'm a fool!

 

[tom slick]

That's ok, sometimes the obvious is too obvious to see.

 

[97prizm]

Jim I PM' you.

Just as a FYI this is totally normal for a phillips hid bulb. Most D1S/D2S (R) bulbs in the earlier acura's are seeing the end of their life spans. Most HID bulbs are only good for 8 years or so depending on how they were treated. It's poor practice to turn on your headlights, then the car, as this causes voltage spikes and shortens the lifespan. Turning your HID lights off then on either on purpose or accidentally causes the ballast to "Hot Restrike" the bulb sometimes temporarilly turning it orange. One last FYI ALL Auto makers use either Osram/Sylvania 4300k bulbs, or Phillips 4100k Bulbs. There are 5000k color match bulbs on the market. "Ulnitons" are listed as 6000k actually(5800k) but are nit technically road legal in the US or Europe.

 

[Jonny Z]

How much is one of them bulbs? I reckon the color temp increases as the age, hence the 5000K version? Why not get a pair? The other one will burn out shortly.

 

[Jim 5]

From the dealer, a bulb costs $208.

Online, genuine phillips bulbs are available for $125 per pair, and generic ones are offered for as little as $79/pair. Most online vendors offer warranties for 1-2 years.

Can anyone give an opinion on whether it is worth springing for the genuine phillips bulbs?

 

[97prizm]

Jim 5,

If you find a Pair Of Osrams cheaper than the Phillips then go for those. I think GE makes HID bulbs too. Stay away from the PIAA 6500k bulbs. They claim that their bulb color is OEM, which is not true. 5000k bulbs are slightly whiter, as you might like those and you shouldn't see a lumen decrease. Ebay is a crapshoot with bulbs. Some vendors may have "New" bulbs but may not send you a matching pair ie colorshifted vs. non-colorshifted and or bulbs with different numbers stamped on the base.

 

[Jim 5]

Update:

Got a pair of Phillips D2R Xenon bulbs on eBay $85/pair brand new. Interestingly, dealer wanted $250 each bulb, and Napa wanted $160 each bulb. Replaced the burned out one to compare new with the 60k mile bulb. The old one looked more blue, and the new one looked more white. The phillips bulbs I bought were the factory style 4300k color.

Replaced in pairs to have the same color.

The burned out one appeared to covered in a smoky gray sediment on the inside. The 60k mile one has the beginnings of smoky gray deposits inside, but was still functioning correctly when replaced.