Headlight not turning on
 

Hey guys....quick question. I'm sure many of you will know the answer on top of your heads.

I have a 09 370z. For the past couple of days when I turn the lights on, the driver's side headlight doesn't turn on. It is only after various tries that the headlamp finally turns on. Indicator works fine. What's going on?

It's your ballast man. If it turns on after some tries and then shuts off again as it warms up then it's the ballast if it doesn't turn on at all then most likely the bulb. But I'd definitely say it's the ballast, I just had to switch mine like 3 months ago.


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As per FairladyZ40th, when it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't, it's usually the ballast.

Alright that was quick . Thanks guys . I'll look into it

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Exactly!
Try find good ballasts too, usually aftermarket ones won't last long and you'll end up with the same issue brotha.


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OEM ballasts from ebay?

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Headlight not turning on
 

As long as they're they're og. The good ones will be the ones with silver looking cables on them should look something like this. Saw them on eBay too. I got mine at the stealership but my mechanic hooked it up.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08...571202c1ed.jpg


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If you're still running stock bulbs and never replaced them, that's the first thing you can do. My bulbs started to flicker or become intermittent, and it's just fine now after replacing the bulbs. Plus, brightness is restored with the new bulbs. I hit up The Retrofit Source for new Morimoto bulbs for $50.

That's a freaking deal yo :o I've bought these ******* things from auto shops for like $200 each -.- now I feel like an idiot.


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It's okay. My 1st replacement bulbs for the 350Z were the Philips bulbs for about $200. Then I found TRS and tried out the Morimoto 5500K bulbs for the 370Z, and after over 4 years I'm on the 2nd set (new XB series). The output is way better than my 1st set. :tup:

In the clearance section is a pair of LED projectors from the new Murano... so tempting, it's a lot of work to retrofit.

Nice, is it just a single LED? Pictures?


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There's a separate reflector for the high beam part. The same for Q60 as well.
2015 Murano LED Projector System - Closeouts
Infiniti Q50 LED Projectors w/ LED DRL - Closeouts

Pretty sick, though.

My light's pretty bright though. How different are the Morimoto bulbs going to be?

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If your bulbs were never replaced on your '09, then it doesn't hurt to try new bulbs. I honestly haven't had a ballast fail on me.

for those that have replaced their bulbs, i'm reading of horror stories about bulbs not functioning properly. A few people have stated that their bulbs will light up, but then shut off after a few seconds or they have a constant flicker. Something about our OEM ballasts not liking aftermarket bulbs? And Morimoto was one of the brands mentioned. Granted these are older threads, but I wanted to get some input on this?

There were compatibility issues in the past. In the 370Z at some point the ballast was changed out to a different brand or spec, which I think was the culprit of compatibility issues. I actually kept my old ballast after replacing one headlight from an accident. So I'm running 2009 ballast on new Morimoto XB bulbs as of last week. It is much brighter now that I have new bulbs installed.

Just contact The Retrofit Source. I'm sure it has been resolved by now.

Unlike the other post the problem has not been fixed.

I have a 2014 with only 10k miles on it

First i tried ijdmtoy bulbs. Then morimoto bulbs from TRS... Had thr same problem with both, one light wouldnt come on for a while or both unless u turned the switch on and off a few times

The problem was the ballast connector where the light plugs in, the shop said the two little metal pieces that touch the light needed to be bent inwards...

Instead i opted to order phillips crystal vision bulbs at $250 a set... Never had a flicker or problem since.

But ur choice

mine is an 09. you mentioned that at some point the ballasts were changed out, so does this mean that the earlier models had ballasts that were aftermarket-friendly?

I spoke with diode dynamics today and the representative brought it up before i even asked. He was like "oh....what year is your 370Z?" and went on to explain that depending on the year, i may need to switch out ballasts?


yeah i was originally gonna go with ijdmtoy's bulbs, but saw more negative reviews than positive...

what temp. are your philips?

5000k. Most expensive bulbs i ever bought ... But i didnt want problems. Plus i got them at homedepot.com, so i wasnt getting fake ones off ebay

And listening to ppl go on and on for yrs about losing light output at higher kelvins from reduced lumens.. To be honest... I see better at night with these bulbs than my stock 4300k

Edit: worth every penny, they even look better than my stock mercedes ml 350 bulbs that are 5000k

oh sh*t i just realized, i could have just looked at your sig about the bulb temp lol been a long day.

IIRC, when Nissan switched to different ballasts (I think after 2010 or something), that's when there were compatibility issues with the original Morimoto bulbs. In 2011 or so I got into an accident and a brand new headlight assembly was ordered. The ballast was different (smaller). To keep things consistent on both sides I kept the old ballast and sold the new one. So I still have the same ballasts from 2009, and I'm on my 2nd pair of Morimoto (now XB series) bulbs after over 4 years with the 1st set. I've not been on the road much since my car is still down, but from some short trips the new bulbs are very nice.

Talk to the guys at The Retrofit Source to see if they have new information since then. Back then their site had a footnote warning users about compatibility issues with certain ballasts.

when you guys install your bulbs, are you applying dielectric grease on the base or no?

just got done installing my 6000K bulbs from diode dynamics and i kept them on for a while and no flickering or random shutting off.

one thing i would like to point out that hasn't been mentioned (or if it has, i totally missed it), after pulling back the inner wheel well, you have to take off the white spinning cover prior to even getting to the bulb assembly.

regarding color, i was hoping it would have a blue tint. it's just white, so i'll be ordering 8000K for the bluish look.

i think i saw some people mentioning breaking of the plastic clips. at first, i thought it was something related to the light assembly, but if they were talking about the push clips that hold the wheel well in place, those can be purchased at Nissan for 30 cents each (just be sure to specify the shorter push clips).

No grease needed, however yes the white cover comes off, and u should be able to twist the connector THEN remove the bulb, do not try to remove the bulb with the connector.

Also do not get 8000k, it is wayyy too blue plus u will be lowering ur lumens output dramatically, asthetics is not worth getting into an accident late one night on roads that have no street light.

Even with 6000k u lose alot of lumens (light output) then with 4300k. Also let thr bulbs burn a week or two to actually set in... It may look all white, but wait until there are no street lights, or u are next to halogens... U will see the tint of blue

Listen if u want... But safety is first... Just my 2 cents

yes, i twisted the connector to remove, unfastened the metal retainer, and removed the bulb.

i stand corrected, and also cancelled my order for the 8000K bulbs. during the day time, they are white, but then after going for a drive at night on roads with and without lights, they def. have that blue that i am looking for. and you weren't kidding about the output of light. i didn't think there would be that much of a difference.

for those of you that swapped without removing the wheel, i'm not sure how you guys did it. even with the wheel off, it wasn't easy getting the bulbs in/out.

Yea, reduced light output for asthetics. Thats why i was fine paying $250 for the real philips crystal vision... I also thought about it like this.. Stock HiDs cost $130-200 for just the light... Putting in a $50 bulb is just... Wrong... It works for many cars.. But for a sports car that may be going 80+mph at night at times.. U need as many lumens as possible

Edit: i changed one bulb By jacking up the car and turning the wheel, gave me alot of space, did the 2nd by taking off the wheel