Hi all.

So - prize banana - left my lights on the other night - car was safely in her garage but the alarm sounded so I went to investigate.

Managed to get into the car via the known method as the central locking was not working. Put the battery on charge.

All OK except I had a headlight bulb out.

Booked the car in for a new headlight bulb - was supposed to be today - but it's now working again !!!!

Anyone know how/why?

Steve

 

I might not have enough S2K experience to answer your question - but what I can add, is that I've had HIDs on previous cars where I've had the same problems, occasionally I would turn the lights on and only one side be working, turn them off and back on and hey-presto both back up and running - I replaced the one which was temperamental and had no further issues, I think it's a sign that the bulb is on it's way out.

 

I think these lights rely on a capacitor which has to be charged up before the lights will switch on (a bit like a flourescent tube). If your battery had gone absolutely flat whilst the lights were switched on, then the capacitor would not have been recharged. You've now charged the battery, and "cycled" the headlights, and my guess is that the capacitor has now recharged, and the system is effectively reset.