HID Flicker, DRL's

[10nix]

My Sonic is a 2012 LT Hatchback.

I did an HID conversion with the ebay aftermarket housings with projectors. I went with mirimoto 3five ballasts, and the HD relay. Everything works very well except that when the daytime running lights are on the headlights flicker like crazy. More accurately they strobe.

The odd thing is that I am using the Retrofit source HD Relay. I wired things up as per the instructions. The stock wiring connects to the headlight housings, and on one side the headlight connector serves as the input to trigger the relay. The relays then feed the ballasts which power the bulbs. I'm going to go through it to ensure that the polarity of everything is correct, though, because it works properly at night, I'm fairly certain that it is. The only thing I can think of is that the voltage of the DRL's is either at the cusp of triggering the relays with the DRL's, causing them to flicker, or that the voltage is pulsed, causing them to flicker. My solution is to turn the lights off when getting into the car during the day by turning the light knob counter clockwise once, but I'd like to sort it out so that it just works.

I contacted TRS, and they said that I need a capacitor link because the DRL's on the sonic are pulsed. That certainly sounds plausible, but I think it's odd that no one else has run into this. I'm just wondering if it is possible that I hooked something up wrong, causing it to work fine, except with the DRL's

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SonicTumor]

DRL and HID issue Fix (Keep your DRL's) NO FLICKERING.

That should explain.

 

[laborsmith]

I ended up using two, one for each light. I also used the Retrosource kit.

Laborsmith

 

[10nix]

Wouldn't the capacitor go between the stock wiring and the relay harness? What is the advantage of installing them to the lights themselves? Or is each of the lights on a relay with a separate trigger?

 

[ShawnB]

I have relay and capacitors on mine. Capacitors are right before the balasts. My DRLs work fine, just my balasts make a clicking noise, so i turn them off. Not sure if the clicking will wear out the ballasts prematurely.

 

[laborsmith]

TRS said to install between the relays and the stock wiring after my install was completed, so you could be right. My capacitors are i9nstalled as ShawnB described, I see I was not clear. I have read a lot about the ballast clicking and it does seem to be normal.

Laborsmith

 

[SonicTumor]

Is the clicking any of you who hear it unbearable. Or do you even hear while driving?

 

[ShawnB]

Ok my setup is Relay (Positive and Negative Battery terminal with inline fuse, then Capacitors, then Ballasts then bulbs.

The instructions and illustrations that came with my kit showed it to go that way. I have HIDextra.com kit (79.99 for complete kit w/ relay and plug and play capacitors).

Is this the correct installation? Also, is the clicking noise OK? for the ballasts when the DRL's are on?

I can only hear the clicking when outside the car.. Can't be heard from the cabin over the loud injectors LOL

 

[laborsmith]

I do not hear it. That may be due to other options that do not suppress engine sound.

Laborsmith

 

[ShawnB]

Here is my drivers side setup, kinda shows almost all the wiring..

Other than the "clicking" noise from the Ballasts I have ZERO Issues.. have a flicker with one bulb, but HIDExtra is sending me new bulbs. 1year replacement warranty on bulbs/ballasts!

 

[10nix]

Just an update on this:

I installed the capacitor in between the relay and the "oem" headlight output. The DLR's stay off, no flicker, and the HIDs work just fine. Problem solved.