HID failure on TC GSA

[sethmopp]

Has anyone experienced a succession of failures of HID lamps on a TC model. In the space of three months, I've had two HID lamps fail and a normal bulb (used when the first HID failed in Germany). The last HID survived just 5 weeks. These aren't ebay cheapo jobs, but were bought from Les.

I did a search but it didn't offer anything obvious, just wondering if anyone has had similar experience and what they found the root cause to be.

Might have to try the LED ones over the winter if they are more robust assuming they put out enough light to see by.

 

[stever1]

Not had it personally, but a mate has. Tell you the same as I told him, it doesn't matter who you got the bulbs off. They are made by the cheapest bidder IE Chinese.

 

[G5RJO]

Try to see if the HIDs and bulb really failed.

I've had this happen. hook the bulb and the HID to a battery and see what happens... my ones lit up straight away.

If your battery is the slightest bit weak the HID and even the bulb will fail to illuminate, its a canbus thing.

Fitted a new battery and away it went, no problems.

Strange but true.

Roger.

 

[TLSgazza]

I've had a couple of hid failures and the missus has on hers, headlight and spots, each time it hasn't been the bulbs that were the problem, it was the ballasts, I replaced them each time and they were fine again.

 

[Fanum]

Try to see if the HIDs and bulb really failed.

I've had this happen. hook the bulb and the HID to a battery and see what happens... my ones lit up straight away.

If your battery is the slightest bit weak the HID and even the bulb will fail to illuminate, its a canbus thing.

Fitted a new battery and away it went, no problems.

Strange but true.

Roger.

That makes most sense

HIDs rarely go wrong......Canbus rarely (if ever) goes wrong.......but the two don't play together very well.

Unless you have a bad vibration thing going on, or an intermittent earthing problem that's tripping out the HIDs or their ballasts, I agree with the geezer whose monicker I really can't be arsed to copy out..........A battery problem is more likely to be behind your woes

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

That makes most sense

HIDs rarely go wrong......Canbus rarely (if ever) goes wrong.......but the two don't play together very well.

Unless you have a bad vibration thing going on, or an intermittent earthing problem that's tripping out the HIDs or their ballasts, I agree with the geezer whose monicker I really can't be arsed to copy out..........A battery problem is more likely to be behind your woes

Wot he said

 

[sethmopp]

Thanks for the answers, the first one to fail was just under nine months old, the bulb as temp replacement lasted six weeks and had failed - the filament was toast. The replacement HID is sitting in my kitchen so can be tested apart from the ballast being on the bike, but will check battery. Bike is used regularly and is only 17 months old. I did have a headlamp protector on, but at Les's suggestion removed it as he thought the heat build up might be responsible.

 

[Bendy toy]

HIDs dont have a filament (so I thought anyways).

What's Les got to say about the issue?

 

[Fanum]

HIDs dont have a filament (so I thought anyways).

What's Les got to say about the issue?

........he thought the heat build up might be responsible.

 

[Bendy toy]

Oops missed that (blame the Mac's default micro font)

But really? how can a headlight protector cause excessive heat build up on a bike headlight? HIDs work fine in cars surrounded in metal and sat next to the radiator.

 

[sethmopp]

As I removed the protector when the most recent HID went in, I think it's ruled that out. I do find the bike quite vibey especially at the legal speeds I ride at.

When the second HID lamp went in, the original ballast was retained and worked fine so don't think ballast is faulty, unless it spikes occasionally.

Looked at some Cree LEDs on fleabay, the most powerful seem to have as much wiring as a HID, but how good are they?

 

[Mr Bean]

I've got cheap (£40.00 pair) ones in both my RT and car - both supposedly for canbus systems.

Rarely - say less than once a month one of the RT's will fail to light first time so I switch off and re-start and all is OK.

Both have been on for two years or so and I'm happy.

Came from a company in Plymouth from EBay.

 

[Les Wassall]

Been away, so not had chance to sort this one yet, but there has been a few points still need to look at, the ballast was a good possibility fail, so replaced straight away, it may have been OK but new one went on, the bulb problem could be that when the fail happened, it was removed by Jason (who admits he has fat fingers lol) and very possibly contaminated, this has now probably failed, wont know till I see it, was re installed when ballast replaced.
reason for the cover removal, it was heavily marked holding dirt and the lens holding dirt, as Jason said he felt the HiD's could be better, on removal they were, also a lot of condensation in the light pod, which had the corners drying out from the bulb warm, assessing it looked the best option for the cover removal, this also could contribute to bulb fails.

battery is the biggest problem most of the time with HiD, bulb I think at the moment is just poor storage or moisture, that could have caused a problem also with the other Halogen bulbs blowing, not sure yet, but something I will get onto now.

 

[sethmopp]

Have tried the usual re-starting to see if that's an issue, this time it isn't. The first ballast that was on would quite regularly fail to ignite the lamp after the bike had been stopped. This ballast was replaced and all was well for months till the first one lamp failed. I was hamfisted in taking it out, but it was under an shelter at a German hotel, so didn't have access to any tools other than BMW provide. The second time I removed the lamp it was with tools and care. Would be interesting to see if contamination has caused it, but could easily be vibration as mine does seem to be quite a vibey engine.