I recently bit the bullet and bought some HIDS, a nice set too, thinking I would avoid all the issues I've read other people having. But, they do not play nice with my auto-headlight feature. When I start the truck at night, both headlights turn on, but when the engine turns over the passenger side cuts out. I can turn them off, then back on again, and everything is fine.

I've written the company (Retro Solutions) several times, and they sold me a capacitor to wire in to the wiring harness, but that had no effect. Then they asked me on three separate occasions how good my grounds were. To prove my point, I wired all of the grounds directly to the negative terminal and get the same result.

Here's a video of what's happening:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOb_noL-ld8

So, I'm curious, does anyone's aftermarket HIDs work with their auto-headlight feature?

Thanks,
James

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ap...p-feature.html

relay harness and/or disable autolamp ...

MGD

 

I would think that even a relay wouldn't fix this issue. Sounds to me like the ballast is getting a split second of power and then it is taken away as you start the vehicle. I paid about $800 for my retrofit of HIDs, and they will suffer the same result if left on auto. Start your truck and then turn on the lights, or go back to halogen bulbs. I really think that those are your only two options.

 

I turned off my auto when I switched to HIDs. I haven't tried it with it on.

 

fireman137 I dont know if you fixed this or not put i had the excact problem.

You need a can bus HID balast.

I have a 07 supercrew and I went to two different Companies and finaly found one that could help..


HIDcountry.com ask for mike and tell him Jerry sent you.

Oh by the way my wife has remote start on her 05 expedition and it was doin the same thing ....but not know.

 

Can you elaborate? I am curious, is all.

For these MY trucks AFAIK, there is no CANBUS involvement in the lighting circuits. It's just simple switching, unlike the '09+ trucks.

If it is as solution, how does one go about tying into that bus (short of plugging into the OBDII port, lol).

HID Canada sell CANBUS-enabled kits ( fyi).

Thanks!
MGD

 

mine work perfect with the auto lights. if you don't have a relay then thats it. the truck can't supply enough power to the bulbs when the engine is starting.

 

I have hid kit from Retro Solutions. I have no problems with auto on. I also have the relay harness that attaches to the battery for power as mentioned above. It should have came with the H13 kit. Why isn't your drivers light as bright as your passengers light? and what is that loud noise when the lights first turn on?

 

I can't see your vid right now, but I use auto head lamps with my hids, I just had to install an anti-flicker capacitor they sell. Now they come on just fine with the auto head lamps. Is that what they sold you, an anti-flicker deal? I'm running cheap-o ebay hids for 4 years now with no issues other than a ballast taking a dump last year and they sent me a new one free of charge.

 

Crazy. I just turned the auto-headlight feature off to save wear and tear on the ballasts when I installed the HIDs.

- NCSU

 

I am using the relay harness that came with the kit from Retro Solutions. The difference in brightness is just where I was sitting with the camera, more in front of one beam than the other. As far as the other noise, could have been anything, I was at the fire house that day.

Did you have to install a capacitor in addition to the relay kit, or did yours work with nothing additional?

Mine is also a bi-xenon hi/lo kit if that makes any difference.

Yup, same thing, except they sold it to me for $10.20. Felt ripped off to0 if it was something needed to make it work. A capacitor doesn't cost that much money either...

 

Ok guys from my understanding is that our headlights run a 55watt bulb. when you change out the headlights to HID system the bulb is 35 watt bulb your computer thinks that there is a bulb out and so that is why it flickers when you start your truck. I know our truck do not run the can bus system. The can bus balast has everything in the balast like the capasitor and it even tells your computer that it is running a 55watt when your running a 35. Like I said I have been fighting this for about 3 months now. The wife got this set up for my birthday and believe me a lot of fighting about stupid light. I told her if this doesn't work then I will take them out. Well not only do they work fine I did her 05 expedition highs lows and fogs.



Just call HIDcountry.com and ask for mike tell him Jerry sent you

I also changed out all my lights to LED inside and out...

 

I'm sorry Buck - but the PCM in a 04-08 F150 truck does not know anything about what wattage bulbs you run, nor can it detect a bulb failure. That is a fact, sir. That's why a Canbus-aware kit isn't gainful in this case.

You needn't believe me though But - you should trust SSCULLY

==> https://www.f150online.com/forums/4361214-post16.html

MGD

 

Mgdfan I'm just telling what I have learded in the bast 3months with HID.

If it is so simple then why don't the dealers offer HID?

This is the only system that I have no problem with that's all.

 

What you learned or what Mike told you at HIDcountry.com to get you to buy something from him?

Dealers don't offer HID because HIDs are illegal in cars not designed to have them from the factory. Proper, legal, HID lights are too expensive for Ford to put in the F-150s. I think Saleen made a set years ago for the Mustang, but that's about the only "Factory" Ford HIDs that I know of.

I never had this problem when I installed my set. The reason I disabled my auto-headlights was to make the ballasts last longer.

- NCSU