Fixed my HIDs to work on Auto

[bigmoose15]

I'm currently running EVOX-R projectors, Morimoto 50W ballasts, and matching D2S bulbs in my '13 Sport. I got all this from TRS along with their relay harness.

I've had an issue with my passenger side bulb not igniting when I start the car in the dark. This is with my light switch on "auto". I've contacted TRS and the consensus is that auto mode is basically not supported and not expected to work. However, it works for some.

I played around with timed relays which worked for me. However, the common relay online has a 10 second delay which i find to be way to long, so i ditched that solution.

Since it was always the passenger side, I figured it was the harness since the ballast was furthest from the battery. I didn't feel like bring out my oscilloscope and proving this, so i just went ahead and made a new harness myself. I speculated the TRS relay harness had these two problems:
1. Insufficient wire gauge used, causing a voltage drop during the startup surge.
2. Both relays being activated by just the driver side headlamp

The TRS harness appears to be 16 gauge, possibly 14. I made my new harness using a short 10ga at the battery with fuse, which then splits to two sections of 12ga, one for each relay. I moved the relays so each are right next to the respective headlamp.

I also have each relay being activated by their respective headlamp harness. I don't know if this makes any difference, but the thought is if the ECU has discrete control of each maybe it could be staggering the startup, even if its milliseconds difference.

I did this modification a month ago and since i've had zero issues starting my car in the dark and having the HID ignite in AUTO mode.

My conclusion is the TRS relay harness is insufficient at least for the 50W ballasts. It might work fine for those using the 35W ballasts.

 

[13Sport]

My conclusion is the TRS relay harness is insufficient at least for the 50W ballasts. It might work fine for those using the 35W ballasts.

I'm curious, if you park the car toward a window so you can see the reflection of the lights, when you start the car, do the lights fire up, shut off, then re-fire? The stock lights do. If this is the case you're causing a lot of unnecessary stress on the ballasts (and bulbs) by having them fire twice every time.

This is the reason a delay relay is a better solution.

If they aren't flickering then maybe your relays being closer to the stock harness don't see the drop in voltage as significant enough to close the circuit and reopen it. If thats the case you're fine, as long as the ballasts are only firing once.

If they are firing twice you'll burn a ballasts out within 12 months guaranteed.

 

[BoSox13]

How long after the retrofit did you start experiencing problems with the passenger side headlight?

 

[peterk9]

13Sport, if by "stock lights" you mean the OEM lights then I can say that I have never experienced what you described. I don't park facing a window but I do park in the garage. With both the 2011 Explorer and the current MKT, when I start the vehicle the lights come on bright right away. Have not noticed any dimming or 're-firing' at all with either vehicle. The vehicle sits just a few feet away from the wall so it is easy to see.

Peter

 

[13Sport]

13Sport, if by "stock lights" you mean the OEM lights then I can say that I have never experienced what you described. I don't park facing a window but I do park in the garage. With both the 2011 Explorer and the current MKT, when I start the vehicle the lights come on bright right away. Have not noticed any dimming or 're-firing' at all with either vehicle. The vehicle sits just a few feet away from the wall so it is easy to see.

Peter

I determined my issue was my battery. Actually since purchasing the vehicle I experienced this, until my battery boiled over last week. I replaced it with an optima yellow top and now I have no flickering, and the HID's will fire without fail every time (with relay harness unmodified, as well as on stock wiring). Cold starting is instant, and it just seems to all around run smoother now. The stock battery tested fine before boiling over, it just wasn't powerful enough for the massive electronics in our vehicles. I recommend a yellow top to anyone having any electrical nuances with the car.

 

[peterk9]

I agree that the batteries installed in the Explorers may be of questionable capacity. Due to not driving my vehicle constantly and sometimes not for 2 or 3 days, I find that I'm having to charge the battery a couple of times a month. This was the same experience I went through with the 2011 Limited. The notice comes by way of the MFT screen when the radio shuts off before the door is opened and the message saying the Battery Saver Program has been shut off. Since it is a lease, it is something I can live with.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Peter

 

[13Sport]

I agree that the batteries installed in the Explorers may be of questionable capacity. Due to not driving my vehicle constantly and sometimes not for 2 or 3 days, I find that I'm having to charge the battery a couple of times a month. This was the same experience I went through with the 2011 Limited. The notice comes by way of the MFT screen when the radio shuts off before the door is opened and the message saying the Battery Saver Program has been shut off. Since it is a lease, it is something I can live with.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Peter

I never had to charge it, and never received that message until the cell died last week, but I definitely think the battery is underrated for the vehicle. I typically do stereo modifications so I only expect a year to 2 out of stock batteries, but I haven't done any modifications to this one and I only eeked 2 years out of it. The sulfur smell still lingers from the boil over, nothing like driving a carton of rotten eggs to work in the morning