HID lights, problems in cold weather, looking for answers

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ramstein

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So I've noticed that my HID headlights will flicker off, one will turn on and the other will be off, or one will go out and the other will turn on......this problem just started as the temperature started to get below freezing. When I cycle them off then back on, both will turn back on but it happens again. I also noticed that when one does flicker, my radio will turn off, I lose my heat, and some of the lights on the dashboard blink. I thought it also coincided with when my traction control would kick in too. I know there's a lot of variables in this post but I'm having a hard time figuring out if the HID lights are the cause or the effect of the problem. The lights have been working great for 2 years, I just noticed it since the weather has changed. Are they drawing too much power and shorting out my other accessories? Do I have a bad ground? I haven't touched anything with the lights in a long time. Does the cold metal just not conduct as well?? Thanks for any help!


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adurm

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Assuming you ran a relay harness, I would start by checking all the connections for rust or corrosion.
 
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ramstein

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I bought the kit from JJ at retroshop, I've had no problems up until now. So a little update. I parked in the driveway today turned the truck off, tried to turn it back on but had zero power. As i was switching gears and turning the wheel to pull in, the radio flashed on and off, the dash lights flickered again and the reverse lights were flickering, everything kept going off and on almost as if the truck kept dying and coming back as i was backing in. It never stalled. So I guess now the question becomes, is my alternator bad? Took the battery to be tested and it tested out OK. It's too dark and cold out to look at connections right now so I'm just trying to narrow it down as much as I can. Does it sound like my charging system?
 
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ramstein

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This is probably an issue bigger than the HID's, it may have just been a coincidence that all this is happening at once. I don't want to bad mouth the retroshop, they've been great lights. Just making that clear.
 

JGBimle

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Sounds to me like it's more than the lights and the lights are just a result of the bigger issue.
 

smiley

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Tuned in always had this issue with HID on Durango.
 
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scotts2012ram

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Sounds like what happened to a wreaker at work ended up being the cab module
 
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ramstein

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So i ended up replacing the battery, seems to have solved the problem. I thought 4 years may have been a little early for it to crap out, but apparently not. I used a volt meter to test the alternator and it worked fine. I don't think I'll be trusting the battery testers at advanced auto anymore.
 
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