I'm wondering about the generalized failure mode of an HID system where the following conditions are met.
1) Of the two headlights, the right side headlight no longer comes on every time.
2) When the headlight won't come on, it stays that way. It won't turn on later with the light switch still turned ON.
3) On several occasions, I was able to get the bad light to turn on by cycling the light switch through on/off cycles several times.
4) When the faulty headlight does turn on, the light output is normal, and it stays on and works properly until it is shut down again.
The system is the headlight setup of a 2002 Acura TL-S. Factory HID lights.
I verified that the electrical connections are clean, secure, and that +12v is being supplied to the bad headlight's interface point at the electrical transformer box. (I think that's the one, the ballast.)
Long story short, I am leaning towards just ordering a replacement ballast. I don't have the means to test whether the ballast is providing +25,000V to the headlamp for obvious reasons, and I am not inclined to do any left to right switcheroo diagnosis to narrow out the bad parts.
So, anyone who has had any experience or anecdotal knowledge of the failure mode of an HID system, regarding which component is likely the culprit among the several components that are involved - what say you? Any reason for me not to just order a ballast?
In the time it took for me to type out this rambling nonsense, I could have had a ballast already ordered and on the way. But I wanted to bend some ears first.
1) Of the two headlights, the right side headlight no longer comes on every time.
2) When the headlight won't come on, it stays that way. It won't turn on later with the light switch still turned ON.
3) On several occasions, I was able to get the bad light to turn on by cycling the light switch through on/off cycles several times.
4) When the faulty headlight does turn on, the light output is normal, and it stays on and works properly until it is shut down again.
The system is the headlight setup of a 2002 Acura TL-S. Factory HID lights.
I verified that the electrical connections are clean, secure, and that +12v is being supplied to the bad headlight's interface point at the electrical transformer box. (I think that's the one, the ballast.)
Long story short, I am leaning towards just ordering a replacement ballast. I don't have the means to test whether the ballast is providing +25,000V to the headlamp for obvious reasons, and I am not inclined to do any left to right switcheroo diagnosis to narrow out the bad parts.
So, anyone who has had any experience or anecdotal knowledge of the failure mode of an HID system, regarding which component is likely the culprit among the several components that are involved - what say you? Any reason for me not to just order a ballast?
In the time it took for me to type out this rambling nonsense, I could have had a ballast already ordered and on the way. But I wanted to bend some ears first.