Factory low beam HID issue

[sasquatch]

I wanted some feedback on a small problem I'm having with my factory low beam HID headlights. 2002 4.4i model with 120K miles. Pretty sure it still has the original battery, so that might be the root cause.

I recently replaced the low beam xenon lamps (bulbs) because the driver's side color shifted badly and burned out. The new lamps, I thought, were legit Philips D2S 85122 but I suspect they are the cheaper aftermarket clones. There is a noticeable color difference between the two lamps. I suspect the gas tube salts are of poor quality.

But here's the strange thing.....the ballasts seems to have a hard time igniting the lamp only on the driver's side. I have not tried swapping lamps to see if it is only the lamp but I'm pretty sure it isn't. Maybe a faulty ballast?

How sensitive is the HID system to battery issues like a dying battery? I've noticed my radio has been buggy as of late with the radio unit amp shutting down randomly. I also noticed the interior lights will pulsate from time to time. Measured battery voltage while running and it appears to be rock solid at about 14.3VDC.