I recently purchased a 2007 Navigator I am having issues with the HID headlamps. They will be on and then shut off without warning. You need to flip the switch to off and then back on and they will light back up for a few minutes.

Needless to say this needs to be fixed, I don't like relying on the Fog lamps as my primary form of light.

So far as far as troubleshooting I've done the following with no improvement:
-Swapped relays
-Checked for DC voltage at the plug going into the lamp, it held steady at 14vdc will running even when the lights dropped out.
-Ground wire in the headlamp plug had continunity back to the battery ground
-Replaced the ballasts

So I haven't done anything with the bulbs yet, there is also a cylindrical silver object with two wires under the bulb. Not sure if it is a solenoid or what.

I'd really like to avoid paying $380ea for new lamp assemblies or for a dealer to help troubleshoot.

Any ideas for me to try?

thanks

Brent

 

I'd consider getting an aftermarket HID set up. Probably less than $100.

 

OP.

Are these what yer factroy HID headlights look like?


If 'yes', you may need to replace the D3S bulb/igniter assemblies, if you are certain all other compontents were checked / replaced with known good units.

If 'no', then what you have in there now may not be factory at all. Best if you could post pics of exactly what you have installed. Some previous owner may have shoehorned a cheap PnP kit in there.

Closeups of the ballasts, bulbs, headlight housings, etc would help immensely. Should not say anything other than Osram or Philips if factory.

Lastly - if it IS a factroy HID setup, yer best bet is to retain it, NOT install some cheap inferior unreliable aftermarket PnP kit. That would be a tragedy.

Conversely, if it is a shoehorned PnP kit in there now, at least buy good quality replacement components from here: www.theretrofitsource.com. They are also very helpful folks and can offer excellent assistance if you call them / contact them via the website.

BTW - perhaps ask a Mod to move this thread to the 'Illumination & Lighting' forum - more help / exposure there I reckon. Don't think Alex trolls the Expy forum too often

Good luck!

MGD

 

MGD, I don't have photos handy right now but both the ballasts and the bulbs are Osram D3S, I actually tried a new set up ballasts which did not help.

 

Hi.

OK - that does help - as now we know it IS an OEM factory system.

You can buy OEM D3S bulb/igniter assemblies (ignitors are separate from ballasts) from the folks I linked to earlier, for much less than Dealer pricing. Be advised that, yes, you can find 'D3S' assemblies for less on the Web-at-large - however many of these are fake knockoffs of suspect quality. Counterfeit OEM HID's are big business and are pervasive. TRS will NOT sell you a fake bulb. It IS up to you, though. Just saying 'buyer beware' is all.

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


I urge you to call/contact them first, though, to discuss BEFORE purchase - they can assist with troubleshooting in detail. It is odd that BOTH assemblies failed at the same time, but I suppose anything is possible. If there is an additional 'controller' in the system, that would also be on the suspect list. Tell TRS the complete story - they will get you squared away, for much less than a dealer visit. ( you can refer them to this thread if you wish ).

To good ol' DMP: Shame on you, buddy

Best of luck!


MGD

 

Ok guys I have a 2007 Lincoln Navigator my right headlight will turn off then eventually turn back on after I turn lights off and on please help

 

Justjoshinu, I ended up replacing the bulb/ignitor assemblies and the lights have been working problem free for over a year. I'm sorry I do not remember where I bought the bulbs but they were NOT OEM. I believe the company was out of CA.

 

Hi, I have a 2008 Lincoln Navigator L. The HID's turn on most of the time, but sometimes only one will turn on. If I turn the switch off and back on, usually they will both come on for a while, on long trips sometimes for 30 min-60min then one will shut off then the other will as well. bheeres, can you clarify what parts you needed (bulbs and igniters-is this the ballast?) and approximately what you paid?

 

I try not to bring threads back from the dead but a lot of the advice here is terrible and it shows up in the first page of Google results.
If you have HID headlights that are shutting off after 2-5 minutes, it's the bulb, not the ballast. The ballast going bad would make them not light up at all or just light up with a faint glow. It's not surprising at all that they would both fail around the same time because both bulbs are subject to the same conditions, and the underlying cause is physics related rather than an actual failure.

The light shutting off after 5 minutes is caused by enough Xenon gas escaping over the years that it no longer completes the circuit after it warms up, which cause the light to go out as soon as it gets to full brightness. It will eventually stop working completely, but this is a sure sign you need a new bulb.

As the gas escapes over the life of the bulb, it will gradually get dimmer. You'll know it's time to replace them long before they get to the point of automatically shutting off because they'll be noticeably dimmer than other cars on the road. Note that just about every single Ford and GM vehicle ever made that uses HID bulbs uses the exact same D3S bulb (The Ford Escape and Lincoln Navigator use the same bulb, to give you an idea of how widely used this thing is), so just compare it to other HID cars from Ford, Lincoln or GM to see if you need to replace the bulb. If it's noticeably dimmer than a new car, it's probably time to swap the bulb.