8ch Eye Dee Ignitor (Ballast)

[danewilson77]

Soooo....A while back I installed 6K HID bulbs that I purchased from www.jlevisw.com

I am just now getting around to asking this question...but its starting to bug me.

The passenger side HID bulb seems dimmer than the drivers side (not by much though).

Question I. What can cause this other than the ZKW bowl issue?

Back when one of the bulbs blew (and I went with the bulbs above), I also purchased a brand new ignitor (ballast), from Tischer. It's still sitting on my tool box....just looking at me.

Question II. Do ignitor (ballasts) fail all at once or can they also make the bulb burn dim?
I would think they are an "all or nothing" item...but maybe not.

Thanks for any help.

:pimp

[az3579]

It's my understanding that the ballasts are all-or-nothing items. My driver's side fog light randomly doesn't work, and it's an HID setup. I suspect the ballast, because sometimes I turn the fogs on and only the right side illuminates. If I turn them off and back on again a couple of times, sometimes the driver's side will come back on and it will stay on the entire way until I turn the car off. Other times, it will start up the first time, and whenever it starts up, it stays on until the car gets shut off again. At that point, it's hit-or-miss whether it'll start up the first time when they're turned on again.

[pyreguy]

Okay this is all new to me. I'm soaking it all up like a sponge. So is HID and Xenons the same thing?

[az3579]

Okay this is all new to me. I'm soaking it all up like a sponge. So is HID and Xenons the same thing?

HID = High Intensity Discharge. Xenon is the gas in the HID lights.

[pyreguy]

Groovy, thanks.

[Mtnman]

Well, interesting question. I believe you have more parts that you think. Ignitors are part of the ballast, but not necessarily the ballast itself. I used to run a hydroponic store which sold HID lighting (yeah, bring on the hippie jokes..) Ignitor actually fires the bulb, but the ballast maintains the current. Basically, bad ignitor means you get no light. bad ballast could mean you get dim light. I dont know if xenons act light HPS or halide bulbs, but if they do, you may just have a ballast going bad. I know this is full of ifs and shoulds, but take it for what it is.

[pyreguy]

I lack the willpower to resist.

A hippie walks into a bar.... :biggrin

[danewilson77]

Yes...its 2300 and I don't have a headlight in my car....and reading the above...I may be wasting my time....

Got a nice pic for you guys to show where the "ZKW" is labeled....

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101216_225139.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/IMG_20101216_225203.jpg

[danewilson77]

Interesting. The new ignitor fixed the issue.

[kayger12]

Interesting. The new ignitor fixed the issue.

Good solve. And you can still be in bed by midnight ftw.

[danewilson77]

ftw. And..we're on a 3 hour delay.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz z

[Mtnman]

was it an ignitor, or a ballast? I dont remember if xenons have separate ignitor and ballast, or they are all in one parts.

[danewilson77]

PC 16...

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=EV53&mospid=47725&btnr=63_0550&hg=63&fg=05

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/307.png

[jjcools]

How the crap did you figure that was your problem??? Nice work.

Thanks for the pic, I was wondering how people knew if they had ZKW or not. I fear the day my lights get too dim and I have to throw $$$ at them to get them to work as they should!!!! I guess I will wait and just add A/Es then. :)

[danewilson77]

How the crap did you figure that was your problem??? Nice work.

Thanks for the pic, I was wondering how people knew if they had ZKW or not. I fear the day my lights get too dim and I have to throw $$$ at them to get them to work as they should!!!! I guess I will wait and just add A/Es then. :)

Magic

[LivesNearCostco]

Reviving Dane's old thread. I have the same problem as BP but for my passenger side (AL) HID headlight. Sometimes it fires late, sometimes it doesn't fire at all, but once it's burning it burns nice and bright until I shut them down (just replaced both HID bulbs). I was thinking I'd have to buy the igniter/ignitor and ballast together, but thanks to Dane's RealOEM link, I see the part is available separately for $96 from ECS tuning, $132 from Pelican, or $108 from BavAuto. Used one on eBay for like $89.

Can I be confident given my symptoms that I only need replace the igniter?


It's my understanding that the ballasts are all-or-nothing items. My driver's side fog light randomly doesn't work, and it's an HID setup. I suspect the ballast, because sometimes I turn the fogs on and only the right side illuminates. If I turn them off and back on again a couple of times, sometimes the driver's side will come back on and it will stay on the entire way until I turn the car off. Other times, it will start up the first time, and whenever it starts up, it stays on until the car gets shut off again. At that point, it's hit-or-miss whether it'll start up the first time when they're turned on again.

[nike001]

Reviving Dane's old thread. I have the same problem as BP but for my passenger side (AL) HID headlight. Sometimes it fires late, sometimes it doesn't fire at all, but once it's burning it burns nice and bright until I shut them down (just replaced both HID bulbs). I was thinking I'd have to buy the igniter/ignitor and ballast together, but thanks to Dane's RealOEM link, I see the part is available separately for $96 from ECS tuning, $132 from Pelican, or $108 from BavAuto. Used one on eBay for like $89.

Can I be confident given my symptoms that I only need replace the igniter?

There's an easy way to figure it out. Swap ballasts.

I replaced one of my AL ballasts after using some cheap chinese bulbs (for a week) that I got for $40. Have since ordered proper bulbs and have had 0 problems.

[HokieZHP]

Same thing is happening to me. BTW the igniters for ZKW and AL are different! I found that out the other day. I'll need to buy a new igniter here shortly as mine fires if it has been fired recently but past 12 hours or so it takes several minutes to fire up.

[LivesNearCostco]

My left headlight is ZKW while the right is AL, so I don't think I can swap ballasts. Left igniter is fine but projector bowl is burnt. Right projector bowl is fine but igniter is sketchy.