HID install problem

[greenbaypackfan]

I have a 1996 wing which I just installed new HID lights. My problem is when I turn them on they alternate from side to side. One side will come on for maybe 5-10 times in a row then the other side will come on a couple times, and this varies. They won't come on together. Everything was a plug and play and has a tight fit. What could be my problem?

[WingAdmin]

I have a 1996 wing which I just installed new HID lights. My problem is when I turn them on they alternate from side to side. One side will come on for maybe 5-10 times in a row then the other side will come on a couple times, and this varies. They won't come on together. Everything was a plug and play and has a tight fit. What could be my problem?

Do you mean each time you turn them on only one of them turns on, or do you mean they start flashing back and forth when you turn them on?

[greenbaypackfan]

Only one at a time comes on. not flashing

[WingAdmin]

Only one at a time comes on. not flashing

HID lights take a tremendous amount of current when they first start up, in order to "strike" the arc which creates light inside the bulb. If there is insufficient current, the arc won't strike, and the light won't come on. Current is limited by a number of factors, chiefly among them the size of wire supplying the power to them. It seems that you have something limiting the total amount of current available, which is causing one of the lights to not start up.

It's possible that you have some dirty connectors limiting the current, or it could be the wire itself. The best solution is to do what I did - run a separate (fused) wire from the battery, through a relay that turns on only when the ignition is on, directly to the headlights. I used 14 gauge wire for this, which is plenty to run the headlights.

[greenbaypackfan]

I just found out that I needed a little more charge in the battery.Also if you start the bike with high beams on it won't shorten the HID life, and it is easier to start,because the HID dosen't drain the power right away.

[greenbaypackfan]

Heres a pic of the bike when I got it I have added some stuff since.

[MikeB]

greenbaypackfan wrote
I just found out that I needed a little more charge in the battery.Also if you start the bike with high beams on it won't shorten the HID life, and it is easier to start,because the HID dosen't drain the power right away.

I don't understand how starting the bike with the high beams on won't shorten the life of the HID's. The HID's for the GL1500 are Hi/Low lamps and I'm pretty sure the ballasts will fire the HID bulbs no matter whether you have high or low beams selected. Am I missing something?

[greenbaypackfan]

mike, on my bike only the low beams are HID. The high is still halogen. So when you start on high you only engage the HID when you turn on the low beam. With the low on start it turns on when you turn the key on and again after you crank the engine over and it starts.

[MikeB]

Ahh.. that explains it. I had a set of HID bulbs like that with the piggy back halogen lamp but didn't care for them. That little halogen bulb doesn't produce enough light for my tastes. The dual HID is so much better in my opinion.