Headlight issue

xweaponx · 03-07-2012, 01:08 AM

So a little over a month ago I painted the inside of my headlights. I've washed my plenty of times since with no issues. Today as I got out of my car and started walking away I saw that one of my headlights was out. I looked closer and there was condensation inside. So I took the headlight out and started drying everything out with a hair dryer. I took out the bulb for the main light and made sure everything was dry. The light still didn't work. So I went with my car half apart to AutoZone and tried a brand new light bulb. Still didn't work. Could it be a fuse or something? What should I check? Its the only bulb that won't work. The other two are fine.

quagmire87 · 03-07-2012, 02:02 AM

Since water got in the ballast probably corroded. Only way to fix it is to get a new headlight or get a new ballast and replace the part. After that seal the headlight and pray it does not leak again. I've done this once luckily I had extra parts.

xweaponx · 03-07-2012, 07:36 AM

Where can I get the parts I need? The water wasn't in there that long so I don't know if it had a chance to corrode. Couldn't be a fuse or something?

cheshirecat · 03-07-2012, 09:13 AM

Yeah, it's the ballast. Remove the ballast from the very bottom of the housing and dry out the plug. The ballast inside is filled with silicone and cannot "corrode", but the ballast can short out from current going through the light for extended periods of time.

Usually the ballasts will be fine once the water is removed from around the plug area.

The water inside the light will just drip down into it via gravity. Really nothing you can do against it if your lights are leaking.

also, here's the ballast if yours is blown:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-Muran...-/230538739251

modme · 03-07-2012, 09:25 AM

I'd check the fuse first to make sure, since it is easy and free to do anyways. The fuse should be behind the battery in the IPDM box. Look for the low beam headlight fuse.

cheshirecat · 03-07-2012, 09:52 AM

Are there two fuses- one for each headlight? I've never looked.

xweaponx · 03-07-2012, 10:08 AM

I'll try drying out the ballast. I think the bulb might have blown somehow though. The little bulb in the middle has a foggy look to it. Does anyone have a diagram of where the fuse is located and is it specifically for the passenger side low beam? Because the turn signal bulb and the other one still work. I resealed around the housing last night so it shouldn't leak again.

cheshirecat · 03-07-2012, 11:53 AM

The bulb may be bad, but there's an easy way to check- just swap the bulbs in the headlights and see which work.

xweaponx · 03-09-2012, 07:04 AM

It was the ballast/ballast connection. Thanks chesirecat. I dried everything out and resealed it.

DIGItonium · 03-09-2012, 09:05 AM

Let me know if you need a new ballast. Got mine with a brand new headlight last year.

cheshirecat · 03-09-2012, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xweaponx

It was the ballast/ballast connection. Thanks chesirecat. I dried everything out and resealed it.

Great- I'm glad to hear it worked out. If this happens again, just try to keep the lights off as much as possible until you can get to the ballast and dry it out.

Thanks for the followup also.

xweaponx · 03-09-2012, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheshirecat

Great- I'm glad to hear it worked out. If this happens again, just try to keep the lights off as much as possible until you can get to the ballast and dry it out.

Thanks for the followup also.

Alright. Yeah I'm happy! Didn't have to buy anything new. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again because I put a lot of sealannt

03-07-2012, 01:08 AM	#1 (permalink)
xweaponx Base Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: North Carolina Age: 33 Posts: 100 Drives: 2011 370Z Rep Power: 14	Headlight issue So a little over a month ago I painted the inside of my headlights. I've washed my plenty of times since with no issues. Today as I got out of my car and started walking away I saw that one of my headlights was out. I looked closer and there was condensation inside. So I took the headlight out and started drying everything out with a hair dryer. I took out the bulb for the main light and made sure everything was dry. The light still didn't work. So I went with my car half apart to AutoZone and tried a brand new light bulb. Still didn't work. Could it be a fuse or something? What should I check? Its the only bulb that won't work. The other two are fine.

03-07-2012, 09:13 AM	#4 (permalink)
cheshirecat A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 1,428 Drives: N54 135i Rep Power: 292	Yeah, it's the ballast. Remove the ballast from the very bottom of the housing and dry out the plug. The ballast inside is filled with silicone and cannot "corrode", but the ballast can short out from current going through the light for extended periods of time. Usually the ballasts will be fine once the water is removed from around the plug area. The water inside the light will just drip down into it via gravity. Really nothing you can do against it if your lights are leaking. also, here's the ballast if yours is blown: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-Muran...-/230538739251 Last edited by cheshirecat; 03-07-2012 at 09:26 AM.

03-07-2012, 09:25 AM	#5 (permalink)
modme Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: NY Posts: 345 Drives: G37 Rep Power: 16	I'd check the fuse first to make sure, since it is easy and free to do anyways. The fuse should be behind the battery in the IPDM box. Look for the low beam headlight fuse. __________________ GTM Twin Turbo Stage 2\|GTR Turbo/Engine Gauges\|KW V3 Coilovers\|HKS Exhaust\|Oil Cooler\| Vossen CV1

03-09-2012, 09:05 AM	#10 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 42	Let me know if you need a new ballast. Got mine with a brand new headlight last year. __________________

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03-07-2012, 02:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
quagmire87 Enthusiast Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: chicago illinois Posts: 428 Drives: 09 370z Bs Mt Rep Power: 16	Since water got in the ballast probably corroded. Only way to fix it is to get a new headlight or get a new ballast and replace the part. After that seal the headlight and pray it does not leak again. I've done this once luckily I had extra parts.

03-07-2012, 07:36 AM	#3 (permalink)
xweaponx Base Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: North Carolina Age: 33 Posts: 100 Drives: 2011 370Z Rep Power: 14	Where can I get the parts I need? The water wasn't in there that long so I don't know if it had a chance to corrode. Couldn't be a fuse or something?

03-07-2012, 09:52 AM	#6 (permalink)
cheshirecat A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 1,428 Drives: N54 135i Rep Power: 292	Are there two fuses- one for each headlight? I've never looked.

03-07-2012, 10:08 AM	#7 (permalink)
xweaponx Base Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: North Carolina Age: 33 Posts: 100 Drives: 2011 370Z Rep Power: 14	I'll try drying out the ballast. I think the bulb might have blown somehow though. The little bulb in the middle has a foggy look to it. Does anyone have a diagram of where the fuse is located and is it specifically for the passenger side low beam? Because the turn signal bulb and the other one still work. I resealed around the housing last night so it shouldn't leak again.

03-07-2012, 11:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
cheshirecat A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 1,428 Drives: N54 135i Rep Power: 292	The bulb may be bad, but there's an easy way to check- just swap the bulbs in the headlights and see which work.

03-09-2012, 07:04 AM	#9 (permalink)
xweaponx Base Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: North Carolina Age: 33 Posts: 100 Drives: 2011 370Z Rep Power: 14	It was the ballast/ballast connection. Thanks chesirecat. I dried everything out and resealed it.