Headlight flickering - '04 9-5 Aero

[niskanem]

[FONT=Tahoma]I’ve noticed that sometimes my headlights flicker... I can correlate it to anything specific and unless it's dark and/or there is something in front of me to catch the reflection I can't tell it's doing it.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Tahoma]Anyone else with the issue? I've never heard of a HID going out this way and they are not pink at all. Could it be a ballast or switch issue?[/FONT]

[Shazam]

I installed my own HID's and had a problem like that... it was caused by a loose ground.

[niskanem]

that should be fun to track down.

[nordwulf]

They are usually on their way out when they start to flicker, even without going pink first. Is it one side or both sides?

[niskanem]

I'm not sure...I don't notice it when the car is sitting at idle and I'd easly be able to see. I just notice it sometimes in my peripheral vision while driving.

[niskanem]

[FONT=Tahoma]I did notice it once this morning and it seemed to happen as the turn signal turned off automatically.[/FONT]

[nordwulf]

I noticed something similar on my 2006 9-5 when the ABS, ESP or TCS kicked in. But it seemed they got a little bit dimmer, not really flickering. I wonder if that could have something to do with the battery?

[Burnsside42]

It's often due to the ballast starting to fail - sadly the 9-5 has the ballast built into the bulb as the assembly (this why they cost $60+ each to replace). The Sport Sedan's wised up and use a replaceable ballast which the bulb plugs into. The purple color from the light means the bulb is aged and the gas in the bulb is reaching the end of it's usefull life. Checking grounds never hurts however.

[niskanem]

It's often due to the ballast starting to fail - sadly the 9-5 has the ballast built into the bulb as the assembly...

If thats true I'd say it's good news. That means I don't need to figure out which issue it is. as for the "purple color", I haven't noticed any pink or purple hue.

I know on my 9-3 they turned pink and were done. I didn't have any other issues... and yes I think those were around $75 each for DIY... dealership wanted somthing like $200 each.

[niskanem]

okay guys. I'm not great with electronics.... any advice in looking for a ground issue? really. Any advice!