US Ellipsoids/HID issues

[BMWManiac]

'91 325i with US Ellipsoids. For about 5 years, I have been running HIDs for my low beams.

I went to turn on the lights as it was night and my low beam light on the check panel lights up....my passenger side is out.

Usually, wiggling the wires fixes the issue. Not today. Swapped ballast from working driver's side. Still doesn't light up. Swapped over ballast and bulb from passenger side, both work fine!

Go to recheck to make sure and now NONE of the low beams/bulbs/ballasts fire up! Check fuse 13/14 and both seem good. Next step?

I saw in another thread to remove the fuses and use a test light to see if I am getting 12v from the light switch....will do. If the switch is good and both fuses are getting power, what next....the relay? I figured one lamp would light and one wouldn't if the relay was bad.

Lastly, I would replace the ballast, hit the light switch, turn off switch, change bulb, etc.....perhaps the constant on/off caused another issue altogether wit the first

What next?

[BMWManiac]

Disregard, it was a simple, easy, stupid fix......

First, tested the low beam relay by touching it and pulling the light switch...felt the click, check....

Second, took out the light tester and tested the connector for the low beams...both lit the light up, so were both ballasts now bad?

Third, looked at the ignitor...I bet I plugged the low beam connector wrong, success!!! So, the ignitor has a thick and thin stub and you would think that the low beam connector snaps over the thicker stub....and you and I would be both wrong, and I was wrong.....

So, I see this as a successful failure for me....fail because I spent countless hours researching low beam failures on E30s....success because I hate troubleshooting electrical issues and any time I can identify an electrical fault, or lack there of, it is a success in my book

[Das Delfin]