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Xenon headlights flickering:(

101K views 79 replies 39 participants last post by  TheGolden1 
#1 ·
I have xenon headlights and they are flickering. When they flicker it is both of them, not just one side so that leads me to look somewhere other than a ballast. It is like they turn off and back on in a blink of the eye. If anybody has any insight it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
#7 ·
mine flashes time to time, gets on my nerves. I dont have a bulb light flashing out though...I'm thinking ground, but figured i'd get around to it when I change my icv and oil..
 
#12 ·
#14 ·
I have since replaced both fron bulbs and my lights still flicker. I looked at my tail lamp housing and they are different than the ones that there is a fix mentioned for above. I have a 2000 and that fix is for 2001+. I examined the connectors and they showed no signs of corrosion or burnt connectors. I was hoping maybe someone eles with a pre-01 car might have had this problem and fixed it. Any insight is much appreciated.
 
#15 ·
That would be me!

I had the same problem, and also have the same housing as you. For me it was as simple as taking each bulb out of the socket in the taillights and putting them back in. Problem solved-no more flicker.
Two months later the problem came back. This time I went to autozone and bought new bulbs. ($12 for all six bulbs)
Havent had a problem since..........
 
#16 ·
Flickering lights is a sign your transformer is on the fritz.
I'd suggest getting it looked at, shouldn't cost much to replace.
 
#21 ·
bad ground is not always true. i have been workin on hid systems for over 3 years on different cars. yes it can be a bad ground but can also be a bad ballast. as for your case it doesn't sound like a ballast because its both of them. but i'm just saying flickering CAN be caused by a ballast going bad
 
#29 ·
Xenon bad ground Thanks!!!

To Dan and everyone on the threads that said a bad ground in the tailights would make the xenons flicker you were right and your suggestions certainly helped me out. I was a non believer but a piece of new wire and about 10mins. proved it was right. I did a simple fix but will make it more permanent later. I tightly twisted a wire to the ground strap in the tailight housing and then connected it directly to ground via a nut in the truck. I did this on both sides. Not only no flicker but the headlights seemed brighter also! This was to prove that was the problem. Will do something more perm. later. I would like to add that the connection on the tailight housing had a very slight discoloration only on the drivers side. I had to look close to see it. The passengers side was liike brand new. Also when the lights would flicker sometimes the drivers headlight would go out. BMW certainly does not go overboard on their wire sizes!
 
#31 ·
i was going through the same thing as you are on my prefacelift coupe, my xenons would just randomly flicker until i resolved it by tracing a bad ground from the resistors on my tailight housing ( the black thing that holds the bulbs for your tailights ) i had replaced the one that had the burt resistor, next i bought a new xenon for the one that was out and everything has been fine.
 
#32 ·
ok so I am getting this problem and it all started when I changed my rear driver side blinker. My headlights will flicker. Also It still says the I need to replace the bulb. But when I turn on the head lights that indicator goes away.

Should I make a new ground wire for the rear brown wire?
 
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