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Thread: E36 HID troubleshooting help

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Providence, RI
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    1997 BMW 328i Sedan

    E36 HID troubleshooting help

    Hey guys,

    I purchased a 55w HID kit from bavtoys a month ago, I’m having intermittent issues with the bulbs firing. The driver side light stopped working after a day, and the passenger light stopped working the next day. Bavtoys sent me a second set of lights to try: this time they lasted 3 days then the same thing happened- driver side failed then both failed.

    When I took out the bulbs both times there was soot at the base of the bulb. I think this indicates a bad ground? I replaced the lights with H1 halogen bulbs and they work fine, every time.


    1.) Is there a way to diagnose the hid ballast to see if it’s faulty?
    2.) is there a way to diagnose the relay?
    3.) I’m almost positive it’s a grounding issue- where should I look?

    any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

    Note: in the pic the ground isn’t attached, It’s always been on while installed.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Peoria, AZ
    Posts
    7,696
    My Cars
    03 zhp, 97 e36m3, 04 zhp
    Most likely because halogen bulb has a metal base and is able to ground through that large plate, HID H1 capsules do not have this grounding. I would also advise against running 55w ballasts, they draw too much current on start up and bulbs produce a lot of heat that will kill your reflector coatings much faster. Not that 55w is THAT much brighter than 35w.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Providence, RI
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    1997 BMW 328i Sedan
    Okay. Strange that it’s trying to ground even though there’s a negative wire running to the h1 hid bulb. 55w was advised by BAVTOYS lol

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    New York
    Posts
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    My Cars
    BMW M3 - Dodge Ram - GSX
    Huh..??
    If the 55w kit isn’t much brighter why would it produce more heat???
    Any idiot knows an hid bulb, 55w or 35w produces significantly less heat then halogen then how would “the extra heat” damage the reflector coating??? Especially when it’s installed behind a low beam projector?? Smfh....
    Bad advice as usual in the lighting forum from self proclaimed “expert”...

    35w or 55w makes very little in terms of power draw and significantly less heat, a single halogen bulb draws 4.7amps where as a complete hid kit draws less then 2.5amp, the idiotic statement of start up draw Is plain false, you have 2x 7.5amp fuse for your low beams, if the draw at start up exceeded that capacity the fuse would blow......., i replaced mine with a 5amp fuse years ago when i did my install and it’s still in one piece and working as it should start up or not...
    Get your advice from the experts that actually have a clue and follow what they tell you or have them looked at by someone that has a clue.
    The hid kit gets its ground from the low beam plug, it doesn’t need a ground from the lights or anything for that matter and having loose wires in the housing is a disaster waiting to happen, if the hid works outside the headlights it will work in the headlights exactly the same.
    You should probably have a professional that has a clue do the install for you. Smfh....

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Providence, RI
    Posts
    6
    My Cars
    1997 BMW 328i Sedan
    The “experts that have a clue” have told me the same thing, if it works outside of the light it should work inside the light as well. This makes sense to me.. but once these lights are installed in the housing they are intermittent at best. What could possibly cause this issue? I’m stumped

    - - - Updated - - -

    I’ve also noticed that when the light does not activate there is a loud buzzing noise at the housing, it sounds like a short. But that doesn’t make sense, since the light is its own unit.

    BAVTOYS has been NO help diagnosing this issue and went as far as to call me an idiot for not understanding the lights. I’d advice everyone to steer clear and just make your own damn light kit, at least that way you can get a warranty! Ffs

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