Does my HID need a relay?
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Former Sponsor
Joined: Aug 2005
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Does my HID need a relay?
I added an HID to my bike last weekend and it seemed to work fine for a bit. It is a low beam 35w 6000K and wiring it up was simple, or so I thought. It worked fine for a day, then the next day it was acting like it did not have enough to power up sometimes. This is very intermittent. It would light up for a second and then go out leading me to believe that the ballast is not getting enough juice to power the bulb for some reason. The power for the HID is plugged directly into my headlight wiring. It seems as if I run a relay directly off the battery with a switch the ballast will get plenty of juice and that should alleviate this problem. Any thoughts?
Here is how I would run the relay. Any regular bulb works fine, I have tried two ballasts and bulbs and both behave exactly the same way. Connections are soldered and shrink wrapped etc.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ependant-Relay
Here is how I would run the relay. Any regular bulb works fine, I have tried two ballasts and bulbs and both behave exactly the same way. Connections are soldered and shrink wrapped etc.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...ependant-Relay
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Colorado
I added hid projectors to my old sportbike and had to run wire from the battery to the balast. The balast used the old headlight wire as a trigger to turn on and draw power from the battery via the wire I had run.
The stock wiring on most bikes is not meant for the current draw of a hid. You are lucky you are not burning up your stock wire harness or blowing a fuse on ballast start up.
The stock wiring on most bikes is not meant for the current draw of a hid. You are lucky you are not burning up your stock wire harness or blowing a fuse on ballast start up.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 382
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From: Colorado
Oh, also I would use a switch on the stock wire going to the relay. That will let you turn off the light completely. With the draw of the ballast you can potentially reduce the battery's ability to crank over the engine.
U sed to turn the key on, start the bike, then flick the switch to start up the low beams. If the switch is turned off or the bike was shutoff the relay shuts down and the lights go out.
U sed to turn the key on, start the bike, then flick the switch to start up the low beams. If the switch is turned off or the bike was shutoff the relay shuts down and the lights go out.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: USA
What kind of Ballast do you have? The AC version is better than the DC I think. The AC one I have is completely sealed where the DC one I had was not. The DC one was getting condensation inside it when it was cold out and would burn up my bulbs. I have not had to run a relay with either set up.
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Former Sponsor
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I have a Xentec ballast and the strange thing is another forum member has had no issues which is why I got it. So I figured maybe that was the issue, tried the second one I had and the same thing. Maybe I'll just order another ballast from another brand and see what happens. I spent hours on this yesterday trying all possible was to connect it without a relay and the results were the same every time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.
Here is what I have. http://www.ebay.com/itm/270407261624...84.m1497.l2649
I ran an extension and put the ballast under the seat so I figured maybe it's the extension and tired it without and still the same. There are no issues with power to crank the bike whether or not the light is turned on which I can control from, hi/lo beam switch. I guess I'll run a relay with a switch today and see if that cures it. It's raining here anyway so no riding.
Here is what I have. http://www.ebay.com/itm/270407261624...84.m1497.l2649
I ran an extension and put the ballast under the seat so I figured maybe it's the extension and tired it without and still the same. There are no issues with power to crank the bike whether or not the light is turned on which I can control from, hi/lo beam switch. I guess I'll run a relay with a switch today and see if that cures it. It's raining here anyway so no riding.
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harleybob
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Feb 6, 2006 08:42 PM
