Fuse question - HID lights

[mikeN]

I have had some hid lights installed for some time. When it got cold (30f) my light were having problems. They started flikering and ended up shutting off. After a while, I'm guessing once the car got warmed up they stayed on. Then it got warm and they have been fine. Now we just had a cold front and it's back in the 30s and my lights again are flickering. I have a wire harness and read that the flickering is because they don't have enough power. Also they tend to start flicking once I shift gears or when my doors lock. Or when I turn off the tart defroster. Could bumping up the light fuse? Any help would be appreciated.

[danager]

Changing to a higher rated fuse will not have the effect you are going for. That only restricts the max current being drawn by the component connected. If you needed a larger fuse, the one you have would have blown. From what I have read, HID kits in the Fusion are like a marriage, be patient, takes lots of time, and sometimes the only fix is money.

[Cary28]

Changing to a higher rated fuse will not have the effect you are going for. That only restricts the max current being drawn by the component connected. If you needed a larger fuse, the one you have would have blown. From what I have read, HID kits in the Fusion are like a marriage, be patient, takes lots of time, and sometimes the only fix is money.

 

As explained to me by my installer, the FFH electrical system design is similar to the ones used by European cars, which means the working voltage varies considerably depending on the electrical load. The flicker you see is caused by insufficient voltage reaching the ballast, so they will eventually shutdown to protect the circuit. There is a harness or BOW jumper which will act as a giant capacitor to ensure the ballast is always getting 12VDC, or some threshold to avoid the flicker. I think some of the newer digital ballast has that build in, but the jumper only cost $20, so it may be an easier option for you.

 

Good luck :shift: