Aftermarket HID is stock HID housing

shagdrum

shagdrum

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I have a 1996 Mark that I added the factory HID kit (new) to not quite two years ago (with about a 9-10 month window where the car wasn't driven at all). I installed them per the online tech articles; additional relays, splice in high and low beam wires in steering column, etc. Now the passenger side HID sometimes doesn't ignite, and when it does turn on, seems to take a little longer to reach full brightness. So...whats wrong here? Ballast bad? Bulb bad? Maybe a relay (I wired the lights up with a relay for each light)?

What are my options? What aftermarket kits will work out there for the stock HID housing? Not just fit, but be at least close to the correct aiming?
 
What do you mean? Replace the bulb! Its not as easy as just plugging one in because they don't make the bulbs with first gen plugs, so you need to clip off the plug and splice it in. Its still easy though. Search the forums. I've done it twice so far, once for each side, with no problems.
 
seanklsc said:
What do you mean? Replace the bulb! Its not as easy as just plugging one in because they don't make the bulbs with first gen plugs, so you need to clip off the plug and splice it in. Its still easy though. Search the forums. I've done it twice so far, once for each side, with no problems.
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I doubt I can find a stock HID bulb for these cars as new as the one in there (it was one of the last HID kits made by Ford). If this one is goin out, I don't wanna replace it with a used stock one. I would rather go aftermarket. So what are my options in regards to that?
 
You doubt it? They are still available from Ford. Who the hell buys used light bulbs? Yeah they are expensive, but you knew that when you retrofitted your HIDs didn't you ? Don't buy a used bulb. Its too much of a pain to splice them every 2 years. I don't know what aftermarket bulbs are good for our cars but maybe someone else can comment. The two I used were OEM and they are still going strong. Maybe you do a lot of night driving, maybe you like to turn the lights on/off quickly without letting them get hot (the bulbs hate that), maybe yours was defective from the factory, who knows?
 
hey sean where do you get your info? the stock hid bulbs have been obsolete for a few years now, walk into your local ford dealer and tell them you want one and see if you can find one. they are not available from ford anymore, if they were, sylvania wouldnt have come out with the brand new redesigned headlight housings with regular 9006 low beam bulbs. the hid's are long gone from ford's shelf.
 
jamie97lsc said:
hey sean where do you get your info? the stock hid bulbs have been obsolete for a few years now, walk into your local ford dealer and tell them you want one and see if you can find one. they are not available from ford anymore, if they were, sylvania wouldnt have come out with the brand new redesigned headlight housings with regular 9006 low beam bulbs. the hid's are long gone from ford's shelf.
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I last purchased one from Max maybe 1-2 years ago so maybe the situation has changed. I'm sure they are still around somewhere. You got me nervous now, maybe I should find a few new ones to hold on to.
 
seanklsc said:
I last purchased one from Max maybe 1-2 years ago so maybe the situation has changed. I'm sure they are still around somewhere. You got me nervous now, maybe I should find a few new ones to hold on to.
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The bulbs are not around (new) anywhere, that much is pretty well confirmed by Ford. People are selling them used, but I am interested in an aftermarket conversion for my stock HID housings.
 
unity said:
If you have existing factory HID setup, this is your BEST option and the most practical.
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Is this one aimed correctly for the headlights and all that? or does it throw an aftermarket bulb in there?
 
shagdrum said:
Is this one aimed correctly for the headlights and all that? or does it throw an aftermarket bulb in there?
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I dont follow, its a conversion kit so of course it uses an after-market lamp. But it does indeed align everything, hence the higher cost versus a regular kit. But its a one-time buy, after you get the kit, which includes ballasts, all you need to do is buy inexpensive HID lamps in the future. More than a few have gone with that kit, mainly on Gen IIs, and its worked very well.
 
Actually. Guys. I had this exact problem. My light wouldn't work some nights at all, next night same symptoms listed. Not quite as bright and eventually come on bright. Next day wouldn't work at all. I went a whole week without it working. That was 2 years ago, and that same bulb is still in my car working great with no problems since. I checked ballasts by swithching light wires I changed the bulbs around and nothing did any good.

The car just "fixed itself." It's crazy, but, from my experience, he does not need a new bulb. The bulb is fine. Besides, when these bulbs go out they're out. No back and forth bs. The car has a different problem. My connections are soldered, everything by the book. I'm sorry I can't list the problem, but, it's something other than the bulb. Don't waste your time and money getting a new one. Like I said when they're out they're out there's no question about it. These bulbs don't pull the ""on and off -but I'm burnt out-"" sht.
 
Well all one has to do is swap lamps around to help isolate the problem.
 
True. But when I switched it around it was just my luck that the 'trouble' bulb would work then wouldn't work with both ballasts. I thought "yeah, bulb on the way out"..... but, obviously not.
 
On another note, I guess it would appear that the bulb was in fact the problem. But mine miraculously came out of it, for two years, SO far. Crazy eh.
 
Who's the guy that sells the adapter plate on the forums so you can buy a cheap hid kit to replace the factory hids?
 
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