HID Grounding question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
From: Lexington, KY
HID Grounding question
Hi all.
Received my HID kit and was working through the rewiring. I was attempting to NOT use any splices and I accomplished this by NOT tapping the ground and instead using a homemade "bullet" end for the HID ground.
However, I then thought that this probably will not work because there is no reference to ground now-just a connection from the ballast to the OE grounding point which is not hooked back to the harness i.e. a chassis ground.
I assume this is the case i.e. that the harness ground is THE ground because it connects back to a ground point on the harness.
Yes or No?
Does it make more sense to ground the ballast/bulb IN the trunk right by the ballast if you are trying to avoid any splices?
Thanks.
Received my HID kit and was working through the rewiring. I was attempting to NOT use any splices and I accomplished this by NOT tapping the ground and instead using a homemade "bullet" end for the HID ground.
However, I then thought that this probably will not work because there is no reference to ground now-just a connection from the ballast to the OE grounding point which is not hooked back to the harness i.e. a chassis ground.
I assume this is the case i.e. that the harness ground is THE ground because it connects back to a ground point on the harness.
Yes or No?
Does it make more sense to ground the ballast/bulb IN the trunk right by the ballast if you are trying to avoid any splices?
Thanks.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 105
Likes: 9
The original H1 lamp sources it's power through a single switched positive feed wire (yellow?) and grounds itself through it's seat in the headlight casing, which is in turn grounded by a brown wire (chassis ground in harness). On my set-up, the igniter box uses the yellow wire and brown wire as it's power source, and the new HID lamp is fed by a dedicated pair of wires from the igniter, so there is no need to ground the headlight casing (the HID lamp body is plastic, anyway). ie no need to splice into the ground wire, just unplug from the casing and plug into the igniter ground feed. The high beam lamp has it's own ground wire so no worries about affecting that.
Trev
Trev
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
From: Lexington, KY
Hi.
Thanks BUT I don't understand how the HID can be "powered" by a chassis ground i.e. the brown wire. I would assume that the HID kit needs a ground as well. Is this not the case?
Anyway, I wired it up last night tapping into the ground/chassis. Worked perfectly and what a difference!!!
Thanks all.
Thanks BUT I don't understand how the HID can be "powered" by a chassis ground i.e. the brown wire. I would assume that the HID kit needs a ground as well. Is this not the case?
Anyway, I wired it up last night tapping into the ground/chassis. Worked perfectly and what a difference!!!
Thanks all.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,654
Likes: 93
From: Torrance, CA USA
Voltage is just a relative difference between two points, the ballast needs 12V of relative difference, which is what is between two wires previously feeding the H1 bulb. Voltage does not have to be referenced from ground, although it typically is done so as it keeps things cleaner. and prevents ground loops and weird things from happening.
Wow! you work fast, I have had my kit for about 3 weeks, and I still need to grind the little plastic things off my headlight backing plates to get the ballasts to fit. I was hoping to do it this weekend, but my son has soccer games all weekend.
My motivation is not that high since we are heading into summer, and thus I do not drive at night nearly as much.
Wow! you work fast, I have had my kit for about 3 weeks, and I still need to grind the little plastic things off my headlight backing plates to get the ballasts to fit. I was hoping to do it this weekend, but my son has soccer games all weekend.
My motivation is not that high since we are heading into summer, and thus I do not drive at night nearly as much.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
From: Lexington, KY
Yes, I follow you.
That was the basis of my question i.e. there MUST be a reference to ground in an automotive circuit (at least in all the cars I know of) and that is why I figured you must tap the ground for the ballast-somewhere. Just trying to figure out where in order to NOT splice. In this case, I don't see how unless you choose to splice the ballast wiring and not the oe harness in the housing.
Strange enough, I only had to grind down one projector base. The other was fine. Go figure.
Apart from that, pretty simple. The only thing I thought of to do that I didn't see mentioned is going ahead and taking out the grommets in the trunk prior to feeding the wores. That way, you have MUCH more flexibility in getting the wires to feed.
All in all, a VERY good mod for the cost and consequence.
My kit was 135 shipped. Came within three days of ordering.
That was the basis of my question i.e. there MUST be a reference to ground in an automotive circuit (at least in all the cars I know of) and that is why I figured you must tap the ground for the ballast-somewhere. Just trying to figure out where in order to NOT splice. In this case, I don't see how unless you choose to splice the ballast wiring and not the oe harness in the housing.
Strange enough, I only had to grind down one projector base. The other was fine. Go figure.
Apart from that, pretty simple. The only thing I thought of to do that I didn't see mentioned is going ahead and taking out the grommets in the trunk prior to feeding the wores. That way, you have MUCH more flexibility in getting the wires to feed.
All in all, a VERY good mod for the cost and consequence.
My kit was 135 shipped. Came within three days of ordering.
Nordschleife Master
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,654
Likes: 93
From: Torrance, CA USA
I think that the brown wire connects to chasis ground on the other end of the connection, i.e the headlight plug side, I don't think it HAS to be for the ballasts to work, but I am pretty sure the factory would have grounded it at that side anyway, in anyevent, the battery is grounded to the chasis, so ultimately it connects to ground and negative side of battery.
did you mount the ballasts inside the headlight? I only took the driver side out, and I need to grind that post down. so the passanger side just dropped in?
I may be able to do this before dinner!
Kika
did you mount the ballasts inside the headlight? I only took the driver side out, and I need to grind that post down. so the passanger side just dropped in?
I may be able to do this before dinner!
Kika
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 331
Likes: 0
From: Lexington, KY
Kika:
No, I mounted in the trunk. There was 0 way of mounting these ballasts (my kit) in the housing. So, no big deal. The kit came with a grommet that worked very well on the stock housing after I hole sawed them.
I don't really see any issues with moisture/debris.
I used the mounting brackets that came with them and used the chassis ground points in the trunk to serve as the first mounting tab. Then I used velcro for the other end. 0 movement, concealed and works ( :
I used the 6000k lights and I am happy I did. 0 blue tint and great projection.
No, I mounted in the trunk. There was 0 way of mounting these ballasts (my kit) in the housing. So, no big deal. The kit came with a grommet that worked very well on the stock housing after I hole sawed them.
I don't really see any issues with moisture/debris.
I used the mounting brackets that came with them and used the chassis ground points in the trunk to serve as the first mounting tab. Then I used velcro for the other end. 0 movement, concealed and works ( :
I used the 6000k lights and I am happy I did. 0 blue tint and great projection.
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Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,394
Likes: 3
From: Tampa, FL
Juke, do you have a link to the ones you purchased or can you tell me what your search criteria were?
Any cool pics of your install?
For 135 shipped I might be able to get it below the Minster of Finance's radar screen.
Thanks.
Any cool pics of your install?
For 135 shipped I might be able to get it below the Minster of Finance's radar screen.
Thanks.
