Halo Help

[Philcm06]

Hi I'm new here and the reason i found you guys was searching in google for headlight problems I am having.

I bought headlights like these http://cgi.ebay.ca/99-05-PONTIAC-GRA...QQcmdZViewItem from ebay about 8 months ago, and 4 days after I installed them the driver side halo rings stopped working... Sent the light back, got a replacement (6 months later ;crap )

Now after about 7 weeks, the same driver halo's are out again. WTF? I notice a box mounted underneath the headlight that ONLY the halo's are coming out of. I think it has to do with that, but I am not sure.

Any ideas?
Oh and btw both incidents were after i hit a big pothole / road work crap, which still shouldnt affect a headlight :S

[Elderas]

link doesnt work

if its the cold cathode lights then the transformer might be burnt out or the light itself.

ebay is not known for their quality of products

otherwise u just got a ****ty set again

[Philcm06]

Oh well ill take real pictures when im out of work today and try to show u what they are.
Not too fluent with the electrical terms or how these lights work either.

[Philcm06]

OK so here it is, forgot my camera at my home so got some craptastic cell pics.

The light

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d32/fotiadancers/1006081727a.jpg


The box I was speaking of... You can see the 4 wires come out of the box (white wires) and they go to the ends of the halo's. The black and green wire are the power supply for that box.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d32/fotiadancers/1006081727b-1.jpg

And here's some japanese writing on the box, not sure if anyone know's what it says (maybe the specs of it or something... no idea :< )

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d32/fotiadancers/1006081728-1.jpg


Im also thinking it could be something wrong with the wiring going to that light, since they went out after hitting pretty large bumps/holes maybe a loose wire touched and sent a jolt through that box, blowing it out or something.

[Elderas]

The box is an inverter.

If i remember correctly from my PC modding / chemistry / physics days a cold cathode is a tube filled with gas and when an electrical charge is applied it lights up.

now obviously if that tube is cracked or ruptured in any way the gas will escape so it won't light up

however that electrical charge has to be massive, so it uses a transformer that turns 12v into an obsene amount of Volts ( i have no idea how much tho)

regardless if that inverter is broken the halo won't light up

luckly... their replacable, and rather cheaply

if you search around for cold cathode inverters you might find it by itself, otherwise http://www.xoxide.com/colcatblu.html

[Philcm06]

So is it wrong of me to assume that just because i hit a big pothole, i doubt BOTH individual halo's cracked so the gas leaked out?

it seems highly unlikely that both times this happened.. both halos went out and both on the same light.

Ill try replacing the inverter (since i have a spare light that they sent me for the other side so ill just rip that one off). But if it works thats great, then i know its the inverter... but WHY does it keep blowing out? if there is a surge going through and blowing it from the wiring in the car, would installing a low amp fuse before the box prevent the box from blowing and just have to replace a fuse every now and again?

and man, thanks for all your help, been searching for days and no help anywhere else :)

(ps. car was a salvage title i picked up for $4,000 with 12,000 miles on it :D so im not sure what the wiring looks like, its entirely possible that something could be wrong or loose since its all been gutted and put back together)

[Elderas]

your wires could be at fault but i doubt it, i have a friend who drives a civic and his driver side headlight goes out every few months so i guess you can never know though right?

before you replace your inverter try hooking the halos to a 12V source (like your battery) if they work then ur wiring is messed up, if not try throwing the other inverter in and testing the leads across the battery, if it doesnt work then you will need a new inverter

The fuse would definatly work, in essense when it gets too much voltage it will blow however if it is a surge then get your wiring replaced. its not that that difficult search around the forums im sure someone has done it.

[Philcm06]

why cant things just work right? :D

[Philcm06]

for anyone that has been following this or needs a similar replacement like me, i think this is exactly what Elderas was refferring to replace

http://www.oznium.com/cathode-transformer

[Elderas]

that would be it

just make sure u test urs first.

[Philcm06]

If the working ever stops I'll get around to it :P i just want to make sure the fuse idea will prevent further blow outs of these inverters, and just blow the fuses instead.

tinting some guy's windows after work today, so lets see if i have time :D

[Elderas]

let me / us know

[Philcm06]

Fixed it !

I replaced the inverter with one from the spare headlight I had and it worked. I'm just curious to see if it lasts another month then goes out again, or if it will last this time. Any ideas on what i can do to check or monitor it to see what causes the problem next time (if there is a next time).

But in the meantime... I have halo's :P

Thanks a ton for your help :)

[9t8alti]

I got the same lights and my driverside halos went out after about 9 months i figured it was the inverter because the light would be kinda dim after a heavy rain or car wash maybe the inverters are not sealed very well from water or shock but can you use any inverter made for CCFL lights.