got a BRG MCS whenever i got it. coolest thing i ever drove, love it, still love it. i have the mods listed below (in sig) as well as, i guess cold weather package (heated seats), automatic HVAC, HK stereo, XENON headlights, and im sure some other stuff i havent even seen yet but this isnt about all that, its about my AWESOME (and let me tell you they ARE awesome...) XENON headlights. did you know that when they go out, it could cost anywhere from like $130 to like $600, depending on if its just the bulb, just the ballast, or both. this almost makes me wanna change them to regular bulbs and get some sort of white bubls to replace the Xenons with.

so far i dont know if its the lights crapping out (in my mind unlikly cuz it came back on once) or if its the ballast (starter... whatever you call it) but im not looking forward to replacing either one.


/rant.

 

Xenons don't burn out like normal bulbs do (at least not as often).

 

i kno this but i have less than 30K miles.

 

Think aftermarket instead of OEM parts.
For instance, Xenon bulbs at half price: http://www.plasmagarage.com/info_MiniXenonHIDBulbs.html

If it's a ballast issue, it's pretty easy to hook up an aftermarket ballast (though it may not be a pretty-looking install, if you need to keep everything in the headlight assembly itself). I've helped friends with Japanese imports install HIDs, and it's a simple wiring job.

 

hmmm. never thought of that.

 

^ I love the Xenons myself, and expect them to last longer than the car itself, based on typical bulb lifespans. However, sometimes field failures happen... It's just luck of the draw.

BTW, since you've had the bulb come on at least once since the failure, you may want to check the wiring in addition to the ballast. Sometimes
(hopefully) it's just a simple wire coming loose that causes the intermittent operation. When installing HIDs, the #1 problem was caused by faulty wiring, and for some reason from what I've seen, improper grounding is a major failure mode. It's a PITA to trace down the issue, but you may be rewarded without having to replace any components at all. Best of luck!

 

i was gonna do this when it got warmer/brighter outside. its <30 degrees and almost 9 pm

 

Wuss.

j/k!

 

I agree with you about wiring issues. I install these mods on airplanes and have never seen a lamp or ballast failure but numerous faulty wiring harnesses!

 

so where would i i start to try and find the wiring issue?

 

LOOK FOR SIGNS OF ARCING FIRST AT THE WIRING CONNECTIONS AT THE LAMP END, THE BALLAST END IS TYPICALY A HIGHER QUALITY CONNECTOR. PPOR TERMINAL CONNECTIONS AND LOW QUALITY CONNECTORS ARE THE NORMAL CULPRIT. SOMETIMES THE QUALITY OF THE WIRE USED IN THE HIGH DISCHARGE LIGHTING HARNESS IS QUITE POOR AND ARCING CAN OCCUR UDER THE SHIELDING. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND WITH AN OHM METER, BUT AN INDUCTIVE FIELD SENSOR CAN ISOLATE THE SHORT.

 

wow. caps off much? but thanks for the info.

 

Check all the stock connections too. Open up the back of the housing and check the ignitor (block that twists onto the back of the bulb) isn't loose. It is designed to pop the harness out of itself when it is taken off so you don't electrocute yourself.

I personally would not replace the stock ballast with an aftermarket one. Just me but I'd rather not rig up something in a system that has 2 digits before the comma in the voltage reading.

 

PM me if you end up needing a ballast. I have a spare OEM one from my 04.