Replaced HID bulbs don't fire right away..WHY???!
 

Ok so I have a 2003 e53 with stock HID headlights. One of the bulbs burnt out. So I got a pair of D2S 8000k Bulbs of the web for $40 from a reputable seller on eBAY. Well I finished the replacment and when I turn on the headlights they take a few seconds to fire on. They flick on then off then it finally stays on.

I never had this issue before so I dont think its the ballast. I am going to re-check that all my connections are secure and go from there.

Any suggestions?

First piece of advice --- Stay away from ebay bulbs and anything over 6000k.

You can run into problems when combining new bulbs and old ballasts....sometimes they will fail to fire them. No name ebay specials won't help the situation either. I'd recommend using a bulb produced by a reputable manufacturer.

could it be that the bulbs need to "burn-in"? both bulbs do it simultaneously, or just one of them?

Yes it is both bulbs. I doubt even if I bought $400 bulbs from a dealer that I would get a different result. The guy above is assuming a bulb is trash because its cheaper than dealer. Well I have used cheap HID bulbs on many cars no issues...ever..... until now.

If someone wants to spend 20x more becauise it has a fancy box go ahead, But there is no need if the factory is iso 9002 certified. quality will be the same.

Is burn-in a common thing or a random thing?

I'm not assuming anything. Nor did I recommend to go spend $400 on bulbs from the dealer. All I was suggesting is that more often than not, problems like this are due to buying bulbs with generic burners and very little in the way of quality control. Morimoto's are a about the best aftermarket bulb, and are available for $45 from the retrofitsource.com. Genuine OEM bulbs can be had for under $100/pair....

Secondly, new "no-name" bulbs can fail to maintain their arc (ie stay lit) from the impurities in the salts used---it inhibits an otherwise easy ionization. The ballast can only compensate electrically for so long until it can no longer maintain its arc, at which point the bulb goes out and the ballast re-strikes it...eventually conditions inside the bulb will be sufficient to sustain the arc within the power range of the ballast ---- and the bulb will stay lit.

Just be aware after repeating the cycle mentioned above time and time again, you will eventually burn out the ballast.

I did not mean my previous post to come across as derogatory. :thumbup:

No problem. Thanks for the info. I am going to reverse my install and also install one of the oem bulbs I still have and see what happens. If it lights up instantly I can assume its the bulbs I guess.

Cheers

@ x5snd.... Off topic where did you get your rims? What size are they and tires? Looks bad ass