d2Benz

I have a ZAM retro headlight.. I love them..they are about 8 years old..
the driver side light was out on Sunday night..I got repair order ticket...but when I turn the lights on yesterday, it was flickering like a flourisent light, then it changed from a bright white light to a dull orange-like light, before finally went out.
How do I determine what the issue is? bulb? and type of bulb to replace and where to get it from....

Thanks in advance for your help...

cheers!

raymond g-

method 1 - pull the bulb out of the ailing headlight housing and swap with the
bulb on the other side. turn on headlights. if the problem has shifted to the
opposite side (from before), the culprit is the bulb. if it has not, chances are
likely that the cause is the ballast.

method 2 - pull the ballast and (in similar fashion) swap with the ballast on
the opposite side. turn on headlights to see if the problem manifests on
opposite side. if so, the culprit is the ballast.

report back. D2S bulbs can be had for about $35 each. used ballasts can
be found on Ebay for about $50 each.

d2Benz

Ray, thanks for the response... i got off my lazy azz and took out the bulk, i tried to switch, but accessing the rear of the housing on the passenger side was really tight. The bulb do look like its got some white residue inside the bulb and a rust at the bottom.
Its a Phillips D2R xenon HID 25w...I think H9... Advanced auto wanted $100 (armed-robbers)
I've seen the Philips D2R's online 4 about #35...I will go the extra mile and switch the bulbs tomorrow be4 I invest in a bulb...

raymond g-

whoa....hang on sec. i would have thought it nearly impossible that Zam
would have created a HID headlight using a D2R bulb. ARE YOU SURE?
can you post a photo of the headlight standing in front of the car? am asking
because all of Zam's retrofits were Depo projector design using D2S bulbs.

d2Benz

Attached are the pictures the good and the bad. left is passenger side...the good one and the right picture is the driver's side..still flickering be4 going out...

Yes, it is D2R & 85126 aslo E513 on the one I removed..I'm such a novice in this dept.

*Also, what's the best way to remove the passenger side? its tight with the radiator reservoir and the air filter... do I have to remove the headlight to access??? ..just to troubleshoot and compare the bulbs...

**Zam replied my email and said to replace both with D2S, this was be4 I discovered that I have D2R in there....I don't know how the D2R end up there ...maybe I changed it...

are both interchangeable?

d2Benz

Back on the Road...my issue was the bulb and NOT the ballast.
I replaced both lamps with Philips D2S...no more flickering.
Picked up both on Amazon for about $82 delivered...

**....but I'm glad this happened, I'm not a novist at HID lamps and conversions anymore...
...just my $0.02

cheers!

raymond g-

you may notice a little more precision in the beam, now that you installed bulbs
with the proper design.

d2Benz

I did notice a slight brighter illumination...thanks!!!

cheers!