(Yet another!) Flickering Headlight question

I know there are a lot of threads on this topic, I am hoping a new thread will make some more people chime in....

So I have 2001 330Ci with following xenon headlight related issues:

- Flickering of headlights, mostly the driver side one but both of them flicker. After few flickers either one or both turn off.

- After the headlights (one of both) are off, turning the switch to off and on again turns the light on and they stay on.

- At low beam, light is extermely dim and it makes it hard to see without turning on the high beams.


I have already checked the ground (by the tail light), though it was OK I ran an extra ground just in case. I have already changed the bulb. So I know it could be ballast/ignitor or the control module.

So the question that I have...

Are ballast and ignitor the same thing? Googling give me conflicting information. What is/are the role of both?

Thank you in advance for your help....

I also noticed that the left light takes extra second or so to come on when initially turning on the headlight.

Anyone?

I have a 2000 328i. Headlights were both flickering. Read elsewhere here that it might be a ground issue with the tail light harness. Checked and sure enough the brown ground wire pin in the harness showed discoloration from apparent heat. Soldered a wire from the ground bridge that runs to all the lights inside the assembly to the brown wire just before the female plug on the harness and the problem disappeared. Thanks to the poster who pointed out the fix.

Originally Posted by Synapse

I have a 2000 328i. Headlights were both flickering. Read elsewhere here that it might be a ground issue with the tail light harness. Checked and sure enough the brown ground wire pin in the harness showed discoloration from apparent heat. Soldered a wire from the ground bridge that runs to all the lights inside the assembly to the brown wire just before the female plug on the harness and the problem disappeared. Thanks to the poster who pointed out the fix.

Thanks for the advice. I too had the same issue with my 2001 E46 330i. Drivers side...

In my case the connector pin and plastic are melted as well as the male pin in the carrier connector. I made a jumper with a stakeon on one end and a coupler on the other. I drilled a hole in the land on the carrier, inserted a sheet metal screw and tied the stakeon to the land, I cut the brown wire from the connector and spliced it to my jumper. I'm back in business.

I will replace the assembly in the near future... I'll probably upgrade to LED's!

Thanks again guys!