Fault bulb warning problem

[The Spanish]

***Important first****
This thread has nothing to do with any problem on the HID kit.

Two months ago I installed Martyn HID kit and everything worked perfect one week later when I got inside the car on the morning and turned lights on I got a fault bulb warning on the Instrument cluster display . After checking everything no bulb was found with a problem. Bulb problem went away within seconds, but everytime I switch the lights on the bulb warning stays on for 10-15 seconds and then disappears.

After talking to Martyn he suggested it could be the earth point I took was not good so I try alternative positions but nothing worked

Some days later while trying to solve the problem I disconected the front right headlamp unit and when I turned the lights on no fault bulb was seen

So I got inmediately a replacement ballast from Martyn to see if that was the problem but it did not work.
In desperation I disconnected the HID kit in the front light headlamp and fitted the halogen bulb and still got the fault warning so I though it could be a bad connection within the headlamp.

Yesterday morning I got to pieces the headlamp and checked/clean every connection and still have the fault bulb warning :wacked:

Showing everything to a friend he told me to try and disconnect the left headlamp and leave the right one connected to see what happened and I got no fault warning

So for summary, all bubs work perfect but I get a fault bulb warning everytime I turn lights on also I have seen it a couple of times during heavy trafic while they are on. If I disconnect one (either) of the headlamps through the big round connector with four connections I get no warning

I need some help because is driving me crazy

Rafael

[Greg_S]

Darron gets a similar problem on his car too but with a much earlier home brewed HiD kit made up of TT ballasts and custom bulbs.

On his the bulb warning comes on intermittently.

On mine which uses A6 ballasts and custom bulbs the bulb warning comes on everytime and stays on. So i wired them onto relays and put a 30amp feed upto the supply for the ballast's but the same problem exists. If you just use halogens its fine.

The theory we have is that it is because of the startup of the bulbs thru the ballasts triggers the warning and keeps it on sometimes. Or it just goes out of range for a nromal halogen bulb.

Greg

[Martynf]

I had another idea about this... someone else I was chatting to with an early A6 who fitted xenons using parts from a crashed A4 gave me another idea.

He said that his bulb check was fine, no problem at all, but when his radiator fan came on, the bulb failure light on the dash came on straight away. This happens every time the fan comes on.

What is was on his car was a bad earth which took him a long time to find! what it was in the end was the rad fan speed resistor!! the speed resistor had a very corroded earth so when the fan came in the rust created a very high resistance at the earth point!! you know what happens when you put something high powered on with the lights on? the lights dim down... when the fan came on in his car, high resistance happened, dimmed the lights and hey presto! bulb warning came up on the dash!!


The bulb warning on the dash is always created by a high resistance point somewhere on the car, it just has to be found!!

Martyn

[S2 Ant]

Fitted my kit (NOT VAGPARTS KIT) on sunday and was working fine, no bulb warnings at all

then tonight went out and as soon as i turned them on i got the warning but were all on fine, everytime i turn them on it does it now, but all the connections are fine etc.... very odd..... all bulbs are working checked everything, front and rear to be safe....


ODD!

[The Spanish]

S2 Ant, thats exactly what happened/happens to me.
Very odd :wacked:

Try to disconnect one of the headlamps and check if you get the fault bulb warning please.


Cheers and good luck solving it.

Rafael