HID headlight help

[hannibal]

Trying to get some help on an HID headlight issue.

A headlight on my sister's 2006 Murano has been having issues. The bulb will come on when the lights are turned on. But within a few seconds (10-15 secs), the light begins flickering on and off. After 60 seconds or so, the light goes out completely and stays off. If you turn off the headlight switch and turn it back on, the light will repeat the same scenario: steady for a few seconds, flicker for awhile, then go out completely. This went on for a few weeks, and now it's worsened. The light flickers, then goes out within seconds. It will repeat this faster cycle if she switches the lights off and back on.

I'm going to attempt to fix this for her when I visit next weekend. I already found what I believe is a genuine Philips D2S bulb (apparently there are lotsa fakes out there). Her local Firestone that does her regular maintenance told her it may be the ballast but they wouldnt know unless they replaced the bulb.

My question is whether this flickering and dying issue seems like a ballast problem or a dead/dying bulb. And if this is the ballast, any ideas where to find a OEM (or at least high quality) ballast for a good price? The ballast goes for $300+ from Everything Nissan. From what I've read, the HID equipped Nissan/Infiniti vehicles are pretty similar. I believe the Altima, Maxima, FX, etc use the same ballast and bulb.

[float_6969]

It sounds like a ballast issue to me. It could be a bulb though as well. If there is an issue with the bulb, it could make the ballast shut down to protect itself. Unfortunately, the Firestone shop is right. You have to replace the bulb and see if it fixes it. Fortunately, you have another, known, good bulb on the other headlight. Swap the bulbs and see if the problem follows the bulb or stays with the ballast. If it follows the bulb, the bulb is bad. If it stays with that ballast, the ballast is bad.

IDK enough about factory HID setups to say anything for sure, but my primary concern would be that a non-Nissan ballast may have to be wired in using the existing plugs, whereas one from Nissan will be PnP. I could be wrong about that part though, it's just something that I would be wary of.

[Dattebayo]

The problem with HID systems (not just in cars, either) is that letting an issue with the bulb go on for a while without fixing it can affect the ballast as well as it gets on. So now it may be both!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Swap the bulbs and see if the problem follows the bulb or stays with the ballast. If it follows the bulb, the bulb is bad. If it stays with that ballast, the ballast is bad.

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[IanS]

Either the Ballast is shot, or there is High resistance in the ground circuit for the Ballast. If the bulb lights at all, then the ignitor is working, if it then faulters, flickers, or dims, then the ballast is overheating.

[hannibal]

Thanks. Time to find a ballast.

[skydragoness]

If this helps, I pointed Land Rover owners here in the past for replacement bulbs, they sell Osram:

http://www.theretrofitsource.com/components/bulbs.html