Anyone had HID issues?

[Nutty]

Right, I'll try and make sense! I fitted an HID kit from Les of this parish a year ago. It's been working without a problem for nearly a year on my 2010 1200. The bike has now done 6500 miles since I fitted the kit. I went on a 2500 mile trip round the UK 2 weeks ago, with no issues, but this weekend on a trip to the cotswolds, it failed.

We went for a bimble yesterday, and all was fine. Parked up outside a pub for a cream tea, and activated the alarm on the key fob as usual. Half an hour later, I tried de-activating the alarm on the remote, and it didn't work, so I turned on the ignition, and the alarm deactivated, but I had a LAMPF message on the dash, and no headlight.

I put the bike to bed, and thought it just needed a little sleep, but when I fired it up this morning to move it out of the garage, the light still didn't work. I then parked up and activated the alarm on the remote, then 15 minutes later deactivated it on the remote with no issues, and the headlight has worked fine all day.

Les said it could be a low battery, but the bike was serviced by Vines last week, so I'm sure the battery is fine.

Has anyone else had any issues like this, or does anyone know what this could be? Although it now works, I'd like to know what the issues is/ was.

 

[PaulW21781]

I had an issue after about 6 weeks where the main beam stopped working and I got LAMPF myself. I diagnosed it as a dodgy ballast by swapping it over for the high beam unit, and the main beam worked fine then but high beam didn't.

Got that swapped out no problem.

However, now the two ballasts for the spots are splitting open. The screws which hold them together have sheared and there is about 1mm gap between the two halves. Not sure how long they will last, but hopefully a bit longer. Not even had the kit a year yet

 

[Reckless]

Hi - Had a similar problem on my K1200S. Traced the problem to the connectors where they fit into the bike's headlamp bulb connector. Vibration etc was making the connectors come apart and produced an intermittent HID. Once secured using a bit of non-tech string - knot around neck of spade connector and then tie around back of headlamp bulb connector - no problems ever since.

However, if HID fails and won't come on atall - suspect the ballast. I think the alarm fob issue is a coincidsence rather than a factor - can't see how there can be any interaction.

 

[littleredrooster]

Yeah - once in a blue moon mine will fail to activate the headlight properly at startup. I believe it's to do with the bikes lamp-test function where it fires a brief pulse to each lamp to measure resistance during the startup sequence. This seems to confuse the ballast sometimes.

Treating it like a Windows PC cures it (turn it off and back on again...)

 

[Nutty]

Yeah - once in a blue moon mine will fail to activate the headlight properly at startup. I believe it's to do with the bikes lamp-test function where it fires a brief pulse to each lamp to measure resistance during the startup sequence. This seems to confuse the ballast sometimes.

Treating it like a Windows PC cures it (turn it off and back on again...)

OK, good to know that it's not just my bike then. I thought it was strange that it worked OK the next day. I'll keep an eye on it.

 

[IJGser]

Dont rule out the Batt

Had the same problem and it started happening more and more so i tested it on a 'reliable 12v source' no problem so changed my battery and it was fixed.

Good pre warning to a knacked battery well in my case anyway

 

[tallgug-09]

Right, I'll try and make sense! I fitted an HID kit from Les of this parish a year ago. It's been working without a problem for nearly a year on my 2010 1200. The bike has now done 6500 miles since I fitted the kit. I went on a 2500 mile trip round the UK 2 weeks ago, with no issues, but this weekend on a trip to the cotswolds, it failed.

We went for a bimble yesterday, and all was fine. Parked up outside a pub for a cream tea, and activated the alarm on the key fob as usual. Half an hour later, I tried de-activating the alarm on the remote, and it didn't work, so I turned on the ignition, and the alarm deactivated, but I had a LAMPF message on the dash, and no headlight.

I put the bike to bed, and thought it just needed a little sleep, but when I fired it up this morning to move it out of the garage, the light still didn't work. I then parked up and activated the alarm on the remote, then 15 minutes later deactivated it on the remote with no issues, and the headlight has worked fine all day.

Les said it could be a low battery, but the bike was serviced by Vines last week, so I'm sure the battery is fine.

Has anyone else had any issues like this, or does anyone know what this could be? Although it now works, I'd like to know what the issues is/ was.

I got a 35W kit from Les for my 2010 GS a year ago and it stopped working after a few days. I had to restart the engine for it to come on, sent it back and got money refunded. Got a cheap slim ballast 35W kit from DDM Tuning and that works without any issues since then.

 

[Les Wassall]

I got a 35W kit from Les for my 2010 GS a year ago and it stopped working after a few days. I had to restart the engine for it to come on, sent it back and got money refunded. Got a cheap slim ballast 35W kit from DDM Tuning and that works without any issues since then.

as with the 2010 models canbus is an issue and the ballasts have been altered to accommodate, RT001's problem looks more battery or connection and his unit is a 50 watt which are Canbus friendly now, it could be a connection problem, they can get dry, or just a hick up, as Richard said to me,

"It has been working fine ever since I purchased it from you last year, so I can't understand what the issue was. It seems to maybe be related to the activation of the alarm, but saying that, the alarm hasn't caused any issues all year."

i do not think alarm is the issue but the battery may have been a little low,

 

[cookie]

Les,

I have a couple of original slimline HID ballasts (from colbatch), will they work with my 2011 bike, or do I need new ones?

 

[ChasMill]

Les,

I have a couple of original slimline HID ballasts (from colbatch), will they work with my 2011 bike, or do I need new ones?

If they don't, I would be interested ...

 

[cookie]

I'll bear that in mind

 

[Nutty]

I had a chat with Vines to see if they'd heard of the issue (not that they would as they don't get involved with HID upgrades), and they hadn't come across it before.

As it hasn't happened since I got back, I'll keep an eye on it. Vines said that they'd be more than happy to take a look at it (at no charge), and make sure the connections/ battery are all fine.

It's annoying that after nearly a year of no issues with the HID, that it stopped working while I was away from home.

 

[Les Wassall]

Les,

I have a couple of original slimline HID ballasts (from colbatch), will they work with my 2011 bike, or do I need new ones?

Most proberbly new ones, but give them a try, I don't have any of the earlier ones to test.

 

[Beemerman59]

I have had two 35watt ballasts die on me, the first came with the bike when I bought it and was secondhand before the previous owner got it. The second was fiited to the Aux light so rarely on and that failed after 14 months or so. Both 50 watt HID's which are on Dip & Main have been 100% reliable for the last 2 years.

 

[cookie]

Most proberbly new ones, but give them a try, I don't have any of the earlier ones to test.

thanks.

so if they don't work, i might as well flog them on and buy a whole new kit then? that's a pity.

 

[Toad]

IMHO alot of these issues can be resolved by lowering the draw on startup.

Turn off your fogs, heated grips etc.

Then wait until the bike has finished it's checks on startup.

Then fire the bike up.

If I follow this I rarely get LAMPF, however if I rush it, it's quite frequent.

 

[Packer]

It's annoying that after nearly a year of no issues with the HID, that it stopped working while I was away from home.

Always carry a standard lamp as a spare. Disconnect feed HT from lamp terminals, disconnect feed to ballast and reconnect to lamp holder, insert standard lamp and jobs agoodun.

Unless the wiring was hacked about when the HID's were installed

 

[Andy B]

I've got 50W HiDs in the main and dipped plus 35W HiDs in the aux lights on a 2008 GSA. I've been through 3 ballasts in 3 years (12,000 miles). Both the 35W ballasts went and then one of the 50's. Not what I expected!

More recently I had problems with the dipped not coming on. No lampf warning - just didn't work. Would work eventually if I kept stopping and starting the engine. Les diagnosed a weak battery but I've stopped it by swapping the ballasts for dipped and main beam and no problem since. Toad's suggestion is a good one.

 

[Bobster]

Lamps

Toad ius spot on. Turn off spot lights etc. Allow bike to go through test sequence, wait until orange triangle goes off then start the bike. If you do not do this head lamp often will not light and/or lamp f fault code comes on. To be honest ive got no faith in mine at all. Now on third set of ballasts in twelve months.

 

[cookie]

Turn off spot lights etc. Allow bike to go through test sequence, wait until orange triangle goes off then start the bike.

life's too short for all that pissing about.


think i'll stick with my OEMs.