2008 dodge ram hid headlights

Ok I was just wondering if someone could offer a little insight here. I have a 2008 dodge ram 1500 that I installed HID low beams with halogen high and HID fogs into. The fog lights are a 9006 bulb and they work fine.

The headlights are a H13/9008 bulb and i'm uncertain if they are working properly or not. I understand chrysler vehicles use a canbus system that detects a halogen bulb on the end of the circuit and will fluctuate power and cause HID's to flicker. When I installed these I used a 40 amp relay that would basically use the factory harness as the switch and I then got power off the battery directly and grounded to the battery as well. For the location of the ballasts and the relay the battery was the easiest ground. From the battery the factory has three grounds coming off of that. One directly over to the body on the inside of the fender.. One down to the block and one to the frame. All within less than 2 feet of the battery.

Every once in awhile when i'm driving down the road both headlights do a slight flicker simultaneously. I don't notice that they actually shut off but it just looks like when you turn them on they brighten up really fast then kick back down.

I have searched online and find tons of info about HID's and chargers and just the general LX platform. Their solution is to put anywhere from a 470 uf cap to a 4700uf cap in the relay to smooth out voltage. I figured ok go to the radio shack and grab a few try it out. If i put the cap in the problem gets worse. The lights will turn on and then literally shut off not flicker shut off and then back on after a few seconds. It doesn't stop after a few minutes it will continue to happen. So obviously the capacitor isn't the fix. So someone else said put a 8 ohm 20 watt resistor inline before the relay.. So I was leary of that I figured that resistor would get wayy too hot and be a danger. But i wired it up and tried it and let it go for 5 min with a zip tie around the resistor to see what would happen. After a few min that resistor melted the zip tie. In those few mins the lights didn't flicker or do what will happen when i'm going down the road. but that isn't a confirmed fix because sometimes I go days without seeing them do the little flicker.

If the resistor is the fix can anyone recommend one in particular that has like a heat shield or something on it and that is meant for continued use so that i wouldn't have to worry about it.

Or if anyone has any other insight about this all. I am 100 % on all my connections i have grabbed the relay and the connections around it and shook it and can't get them to flicker. I have tried moving the ground and over time it will still happen so it isn't the ground.

I didn't buy the cheapest kit i could find these were about 100 bucks each. Maybe in the HID world that is cheap but if so can someone point me in the direction of something high end. I've got the money and I don't mind spending it if they'll be more reliable.

Appreciate the help guys no one here has ever steered me wrong.

-------------
2008 Dodge Ram 1500
MECP Certified Advanced Installer CEA 191700

Well i can't edit this so i'll just apologize for the double post.

I forgot to mention I decided to try an Anti flicker cancellor harness from intense HID
https://www.intensehid.com/flicker_h.html here's the link.

I hooked that up today and I tried multiple ways. One I put it in before the relay on the switch side as in it was between factory wiring and the relay. This had the same result as putting a capacitor in. Tried it plug and play with elminating the relay and powering ballasts off factory wiring. same result as well. Tried putting the second cancellor on the factory harness side that is not used since the relay powers both HID ballasts and then repeating the process and still same result.

From some sources I find the dodge ram is different than the LX platform and doesn't like the capacitor. And it seems that it has to be a newer ram 06-up because I talk to guys with previous models and it seems ok.

-------------
2008 Dodge Ram 1500
MECP Certified Advanced Installer CEA 191700

All you need are the proper ballasts! too easy! pm for details

-------------
Liquid Audio Styling & Sound Ltd.
Red Deer, AB, Canada
403-352-2224

Ok to start I have been all over the Internet looking for a solid fix for the flickering. I have a 08 ram 2500 I installed a set of HID headlights and fog lights. The fog lights work great but the headlights flicker. I have bought and built the relay pack and that fixed the shutting off but that's it. I've tried the 470uf cap and blew 2 plus a fuse. What was I doing wrong their I had the positive to the 86 pin on relay and negative on 85 pin but still blew it. I've seen the harness online that is suppose to fix this problem but is it really a fix if it's just the same parts that I have tried? Also will this harness mess up the computer in my truck? I really like the lights and don't understand why the fog lights don't do this. Is it just the H13/9008? I've tried useing the parking lamps for the switch and still got the same problem. Any help on this would be great like I said I like the lights just can't get use to the flickering. Thanks

You need the new CANBUS ballasts. This will explain some problems you are having. We have dealt with many Dodge vehicles in the past and have had some successes and some interesting fixes to get some of the problems resolved.

-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

i had problems with the new dodge's too.

Pick up a 35volt 10000micro farad cap and place that across the terminal of the relay.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Will either of those cause damage to the trucks computer? And where at on the relay do I place the cap. I tried the first time with positive on 86 and negative on 85 but it blew as soon as I turned on the switch. And where can I get the canbus Ballasts at?

also why would the headlights be the only ones that are doing this? my 9006 fog light HIDs are working fine.

paynefire812 wrote:

---

also why would the headlights be the only ones that are doing this? my 9006 fog light HIDs are working fine.

---

The headlights are multiplexed while the fog lights are normal (+) triggered.

-------------
Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

you had the cap in the wrong way if it blew on you.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

I tried with the again with the negative on 86 and positive on 85 and the cap didn't blow but the headlight just flashed off and on then. Would it be possible to get the power from the fog lights switch? Also does anyone have a link to the harness that would fix this?

https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp~TID~120189~PN~1

the capacitor on one side has a strip to indicate negative. I have tried this and it works fine.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

I have the side that is marked negative on 86 and the other (positve) on 85 and now it doesn't blow but the headlight blinks off and on. Before when I had it reversed it would blow the cap so I know it's on right now. Also this time I used a 1000uf 35v would that be a reason for this? Would it be better to use a 1amp diode?

1000 will not do anything for you. you need a cap 4700uf or greater.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Ok thanks I had seen that some was useing a 470uf so I thought the 1000uf would be better.

Ok I must have something else wrong. I put a 4700uf negative on 86 and positive on 85. I still have the flicker and they blink off and on. Also the lights still flicker when the truck isn't running and before they only did it with it running. I also tried using the foglights power but still flickered. What else could I try o does anyone think there is something else wrong. Thanks guys.

that's exactly what mine do payne if you read my OP if I add a capacitor mine act exactly the same.  I have looked into doing the resistor fix some people post but I don't like it.  I think the best you can do is the relay how often do your's flicker mine do it like once every couple weeks.

-------------
2008 Dodge Ram 1500
MECP Certified Advanced Installer CEA 191700