Problem with headlights...

[Snafu]

When I bought my 2006 Ram 1500 I loved it completely...except for the HID upgrade the previous owner did.

I don't like the wiring...at all. In fact I've recently discovered a problem, the passenger HID light won't come on anymore but, the bright lights both work.

I've swapped parts from one side to the other and found nothing that is burned out or broken. I've taken a voltage meter and checked for voltage across the crappy wiring and found nothing out of the ordinary.

I'm starting to think it might be a ground issue? I can't find the ground for the headlights though...

I'm trying to decide if I should even fix this stupid conversion or just find a stock headlight setup in a junkyard and redo the whole thing back to factory conditions.

Either way, I'm itching to re-wire this whole thing. I've done pieces here and there but its very hard to follow since they used different colored wire at random points as well as random gauges. It's almost as if they used whatever scrap wire they had!!

So do ya think its a ground issue?

Is it worth fixing the HID?

Or is it best to return to stock?

Or just buy a new HID conversion?

 

[74Pickup]

What don't you like about the HIDs (except the wiring)?

 

[Snafu]

Other than the wiring I think they're great for the added light and the visibility...I think I'm just having a hard time being happy since this is such a poorly installed kit.

 

[bob91yj]

DDM Tuning.com has HID conversions dirt cheap, they work great.

 

[Caoboy]

First, get a kit from DDM tuning. If it doesn't come with a separate harness to wire the lights to the battery, get one of those as well, or make one yourself. That's just to CYA and so you can be sure the wiring is correct. Basically you'll use your stock headlight plug for a signal to switch the relay on that will run the power from your battery to your headlight ballast.

Once you do that, everything should work perfectly. If it doesn't you've got some other problem within the truck.

Another thing, did they do a 'retrofit' with projectors? Or are they just using some rebased HID bulbs and ballasts in the stock headlights?

 

[herm]

HID bulbs in halogen housings is stupid. It's even worse on a pickup truck because it gets in EVERYBODY ELSE's eyes.

Return it back to stock. Get the parts you need from a junkyard or pick-a-part.

i agree, its also Illegal in most states.

 

[Caoboy]

HID bulbs in halogen housings is stupid. It's even worse on a pickup truck because it gets in EVERYBODY ELSE's eyes.

Return it back to stock. Get the parts you need from a junkyard or pick-a-part.

Well if it's a retrofit, then it can be fixed, and won't be blinding people like crazy, opposed to rebased bulbs. That's why I asked.

Also, if it's just rebased bulbs, there should be no hacking of the headlights done, and I agree he should just go back to stock headlight bulbs. I prefer retrofits myself, as the output is SO much better, and you are not blinding people, AND they look cool :drool:

 

[Snafu]

Well thanks for the help guys...I've been realizing that these lights are ridiculously bright.

I'm planning to put on a ladder rack for hauling just about everything and anything and have some ideas for wiring lights to it for the night time desert fun

The lights look like they're a whole new assembly with ballasts added to power them. The relays are the worst part...I have no pin out for them and the wire colors as I said are so random I can't even begin to decipher them!

Looks like stock is a great way to make me feel more at ease...now its time to find a pull-a-part where they speak English in El Paso!

 

[Caoboy]

Can you take pictures of the back of the headlights? Your truck looks stock as far as the lights. Are the ballasts hardwired into the bulbs or do they have male-female connectors?