HID issues

[Phil]

No issues

I have installed HIDs on a 2010 RT (3 years of ryding) and now my 2014 RT. ZERO issues (3 months of ryding).

The fact is that when the bikes are manufactured, they have a known set of tested variables. Yes, there have been factory issues. WHEN any of us (me included) mess with that balance and add HIDs, LEDs, performance changes.... we ALL (including the vendors) do our best to make things work correctly. But when they don't, we have to remember that we have messed with that 'balance'. So... when and if things don't work, I take a caveat emptor attitude.

 

[Tazzel]

One word....

Relay

To me this word does not mean much. What are you saying that the relay is blowing?. You need to change to a better aftermarket relay? add a relay?

 

[va2djd]

If you have a light doesn't light up you need this item on you're kit. http://www.kbcarstuff.com/CANBUS-Fix-p/cbfix.htm

If you don't have it on you're ballast

 

[Texas]

To me this word does not mean much. What are you saying that the relay is blowing?. You need to change to a better aftermarket relay? add a relay?

To elaborate:

The juice needed to start up the HID is more than 35W. However, the stock wiring, relay, fuse, etc... is only designed to deliver 35W, as that is what the OEM bulbs require. You can purchase a kit that will deliver the power straight from the battery through a relay, thus not putting a heavy load on the stock circuitry. Also, the kit is supposed to eliminate any flickering, error messages to the ECU, etc... You can find this kit many places. Here is one of those places:

http://www.amazon.com/Kensun-Conversion-Universal-Single-Harness/dp/B00FP0G5EK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401840511&sr=8-2&keywords=kensun+relay

There are many HID kits out there, and they range in price from $30 - $300+. This is why some people have had issues, and some have not. The more expensive kits have this circuitry built in. Don't worry though, you can still make your kit work by purchasing these relays.

 

[DrewNJ]

Many of us tried running the KB lights through relays and still had issues. A good friend even had issues on an SE machine that wouldn't shift from time to time with the lights installed.
These issues we have had are all on RS and GS machines.

Also, the fit and finish..aka quality between the KB and OEM is HUGE on the RS kits! The OEM is just designed to fit and work right out of the box. The KB you have to hack up your existing light covers, grommets, bulb holders etc. And then everything "kinda" fits and "sorta" works.....

IMHO its just a ghetto rigged installation. Personally I'd rather spend the money and have it right....

Sent from my Venue 8 3830 using Tapatalk

 

[ARCTIC]

To elaborate:

The juice needed to start up the HID is more than 35W. However, the stock wiring, relay, fuse, etc... is only designed to deliver 35W, as that is what the OEM bulbs require. You can purchase a kit that will deliver the power straight from the battery through a relay, thus not putting a heavy load on the stock circuitry. Also, the kit is supposed to eliminate any flickering, error messages to the ECU, etc... You can find this kit many places. Here is one of those places:

http://www.amazon.com/Kensun-Conver...8&qid=1401840511&sr=8-2&keywords=kensun+relay

There are many HID kits out there, and they range in price from $30 - $300+. This is why some people have had issues, and some have not. The more expensive kits have this circuitry built in. Don't worry though, you can still make your kit work by purchasing these relays.

There are a couple of things in your post that show that you are defending something but don't completely understand what you are talking about. First of all... The stock bulbs are 55W and the kits that KB Car Stuff (or xenon depot ) push are 35W so there should be a cushion. Secondly, their kits come with relays and you can install it either with or without the relays. My bike didn't give a crap which way they were installed. It wasn't going to run properly with those aftermarket lights installed.

Many of us tried running the KB lights through relays and still had issues. A good friend even had issues on an SE machine that wouldn't shift from time to time with the lights installed.
These issues we have had are all on RS and GS machines.

Also, the fit and finish..aka quality between the KB and OEM is HUGE on the RS kits! The OEM is just designed to fit and work right out of the box. The KB you have to hack up your existing light covers, grommets, bulb holders etc. And then everything "kinda" fits and "sorta" works.....

IMHO its just a ghetto rigged installation. Personally I'd rather spend the money and have it right....

Sent from my Venue 8 3830 using Tapatalk

It's CRAZY how much better the OEM setup is. I've preached it on many threads. Drew is 100% on target. The OEM HID kit comes with complete light housings that have everything wired into them and they plug directly into the headlight wiring harness (kinda blows the theory about needing relays). :2thumbs:

 

[Texas]

There are a couple of things in your post that show that you are defending something but don't completely understand what you are talking about. First of all... The stock bulbs are 55W and the kits that KB Car Stuff (or xenon depot ) push are 35W so there should be a cushion. Secondly, their kits come with relays and you can install it either with or without the relays. My bike didn't give a crap which way they were installed. It wasn't going to run properly with those aftermarket lights installed.



It's CRAZY how much better the OEM setup is. I've preached it on many threads. Drew is 100% on target. The OEM HID kit comes with complete light housings that have everything wired into them and they plug directly into the headlight wiring harness (kinda blows the theory about needing relays). :2thumbs:

I never spoke of a specific brand. I was speaking in general terms. Secondly, you are not accurate on your information. The fog lights (which what I was referencing, but did not know someone was going to be picking apart my every sentence) are 35W. I know this for a fact because I just changed mine out a few days ago and I am looking right at the bulb (OSRAM H8 12V 35W). Other people have also made them work, but again, I don't know what brands people are using. I used Kensun. I've installed them in five vehicles now with no issues.

If you couldn't get them to work, then you did not know what parts to use. All of this being said, yes, going OEM is plug-n-play for most people. However, there are many people here that are more than capable of making a non-OEM system work. A little patience and some troubleshooting skills can take you a long way.

I always enjoy making something work that someone says can't be done.

 

[ARCTIC]

I never spoke of a specific brand. I was speaking in general terms. Secondly, you are not accurate on your information. The fog lights (which what I was referencing, but did not know someone was going to be picking apart my every sentence) are 35W. I know this for a fact because I just changed mine out a few days ago and I am looking right at the bulb (OSRAM H8 12V 35W). Other people have also made them work, but again, I don't know what brands people are using. I used Kensun. I've installed them in five vehicles now with no issues.

If you couldn't get them to work, then you did not know what parts to use. All of this being said, yes, going OEM is plug-n-play for most people. However, there are many people here that are more than capable of making a non-OEM system work. A little patience and some troubleshooting skills can take you a long way.

I always enjoy making something work that someone says can't be done.

The person whom you quoted and divulged your knowledge to about purchasing a relay kit stated they purchased a kit from KB car stuff. And YES we're talking about the headlights. Not the fog lights, not the license plate light and not the blinkers. I'm happy that your fog lights are 35w and you can verify that for us.
It's one thing to accept a challenge and accomplish something difficult or said to be impossible. But USUALLY when someone purchases a kit said to be "plug and play", they aren't looking for a challenge to test their skills (myself included). KB car stuff sells their kit advertised as plug and play

 

[jcthorne]

The person whom you quoted and divulged your knowledge to about purchasing a relay kit stated they purchased a kit from KB car stuff. And YES we're talking about the headlights. Not the fog lights, not the license plate light and not the blinkers. I'm happy that your fog lights are 35w and you can verify that for us.
It's one thing to accept a challenge and accomplish something difficult or said to be impossible. But USUALLY when someone purchases a kit said to be "plug and play", they aren't looking for a challenge to test their skills (myself included). KB car stuff sells their kit advertised as plug and play

This part I completely agree with. They are NOT plug n play. They are generic HID kits even if they are high quality. They are not specific to the Spyder and require some work to install.

Then again, NONE of the parts I have purchased from Custom Dynamics billed as plug n play for my RT were either.