# How to test Ballast ignitor and bulb????



## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

My HIDS are not working and I need to know how to test these three parts to find out what is the problem. All seem to visually be in working order. Bulbs look good. I have 12-14 volts going into the ballast and a good ground. How do I measure output from the ballast and how do I measure output from the ignitor and how would I test the bulbs to see if they are in working order??


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

*Re: How to test Ballast ignitor and bulb???? (niceyellowgolfdude)*

anybody?


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## A2B4guy (Dec 19, 2002)

*Re: How to test Ballast ignitor and bulb???? (niceyellowgolfdude)*

I'm pretty sure that you can only wire them up and try them. You can't really test them with a multimeter. There is no filament to ohm out and the ballast output voltage varies with the bulb. It first sends a voltage spike and then the voltage drops and continues to drop to a steady state level as the gas vaporizes and the capsule heats up. You can try different bulbs and ballasts with each other, that's all I know to do other than verifying that you have a solid 12 volts, preferably relayed directly from the battery.


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

thanks.
I do have 12-14 volts going into the ballast directly from the batter via a relay. What weird is that niether of the two sides work. I did not try swapping parts around to test and see if I could get anything to work. I believe that the ballasts are damaged


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## A2B4guy (Dec 19, 2002)

*Re: (niceyellowgolfdude)*

What car? Are these oem HID's? A drop-in kit? New parts, or used from ebay?


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

Sorry maybe should ahve stated that. These are a brand new McCulloch HID conversion kit.


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

ttt


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## dennisgli (May 17, 2003)

*Re: LightingHow to test Ballast ignitor and bulb???? (niceyellowgolfdude)*

Do you have the polarity correct going to the ballasts? If you have 12volts with the correct polarity and they still don't light then it sounds like your "kit" is bad.


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

well assuming that black is ground and grey is positive then yes I have the polarity correct. It honestly does not say in the kit instructions though which I thought weird. Anyone know which is positive and which is negative on the McCulloch kits?


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## killroy77 (May 4, 2005)

Only test with a bulb hooked up. Try swap the wires and see what happens. Hook these direclty to your car bat. Bypass any relays in the wiring it comes. 


_Modified by killroy77 at 1:13 PM 11-14-2006_


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

it wont damage it if I hook ground to 12v and 12v to ground?? I do not think I need to bypass the relays as I know I had 12v or more going into the ballast. Its somewhere between the ballast and the bulb. The bulbs look perfect so I think they are okay too. Again the ignitors look mint as well. The Ballasts the only parts that have visable damage. The new ballasts supposed to be here tomorrow so we will see then


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## niceyellowgolfdude (Aug 31, 2003)

well I just left the wiring like I had it and installed the two new ballasts and BAM HIDs and they work.. Look great, not nearly as bright as I thought they would be acutally the regular halogen bulbs really werent that much darker but the light color is just awsome. Now the PITA job of aligning the HELIX headlights. PRetty funny the low beams are a little too low but both are level. The fog lamps one is pointing to the right area the other one about 8 inchs below it and the high beams are all over the place. I didnt think that all were independantly adjustable


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