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the answer to the power "spike" question when HID bulbs fire....


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So I finally got my HID bulbs installed (well, half of them -- more of that in another thread). It took me a long time to get back to this (well over a month), but I did some testing...

I got an ammeter that's good to 60 amps without a stint, so everything is connected directly inline. I got a 9006 extender cable, and cut the + line of the cable to put the meter inline with it. Then watched the meter (I actually have a small video of it, and may put it up later, for reference) while someone else turned on the lights.

The result...the instant the bulbs turn on, the power spikes to just over 15 amps (about 16 amps), then it falls to about 10 amps and stays there. So there is a spike, but it is well within the spec of an 18 AWG cable, so there is no safety or fire risk of installing the "plug and play" type of ballasts on your Journey. Mind you, my ballasts ran like $135 a pair and have a lifetime warranty, so maybe cheaper ballasts may have different results.

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You need a 50watt canbus hid kit, mine also cost me about $120 -$140. I had a 35watt version and even after getting error decoders and inline canbus capacitors, the bulbs woudn't stop flickering until I upgraded my ballasts.

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You need a 50watt canbus hid kit, mine also cost me about $120 -$140. I had a 35watt version and even after getting error decoders and inline canbus capacitors, the bulbs woudn't stop flickering until I upgraded my ballasts.

?????? For what? He was just explaining what happened when the ballasts fired. There is a rumor out there that the firing of the ballasts creates an initial power spike that is unsafe for oem wiring...

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