SkyDaver

Apologies for being too tired to use searching properly, I did try.

In the 2002 models, the HIDs come on with the flash to pass (verified) and the alarm (reported)

I poked around on the web today, and found two interesting sites:

lighting consultant

and

Automotive Xenon lights

I wrote Don (the author of the second website) asking about whether the flash to pass would harm the HIDs.

He responded:

"Occasional rapid-fire blinking does only minimal damage to automotive HID lamps. I would not refrain from doing this for flash-to-pass signaling.

Brief abusive conditions just take a little life from the electrodes and are harmless to the bulb surface. These bulbs have a "halogen cycle" which will normally clean the bulb of deposits of vaporized electrode material generated by a start or restart."

This guy does seem to know what he's talking about WRT lighting.

I'm going to stop worrying about flash2pass and the auto setting (lights come on when I start in the garage, turn off shortly after pulling out into street. Lights off while driving, come on when I pull into garage, stay on a bit after turning off ignition.)

TimW

iTrader: (6)

sure... they wont outright fail. but have you seen old weak HIDs? I'm more worried about their brightness over time. if the electrodes degrade, so will the output. But I'm not losing sleep about it either. If they go after 2-3 years, oh well...

ssp34

Are you positive about the flash2pass? I can't quite recall if mine do, but I'm gonna go check after work... I'm pretty sure "flash2pass" on most cars is only the highbeams which are not HID. And in all honesty, the auto setting can get VERY annoying.

SkyDaver

100% positive about the flash2pass. Before I raised the issue, I tested it. (Rubberband around steering wheel rim, other end hooked over light stalk.) IMO, it SHOULD only be high beams, but it is both. I've looked at the FSM to see if a re-wire could be done, but don't understand the diagram well enough to say that it is (or is not) possible.

The auto setting can get annoying, and I vacillate in my opinion about using it.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

simple fix... push the stalk instead of pulling it. when you pull, highs and lows come on, when you push its just highs.. then again, I wired mine that way so I dont know what a stock 2k2 does

Y2K2Driver

iTrader: (1)

But doesn't pushing it engage the same circuit that turns on the high beams and thus turn off the low beams? If you were driving with your low beams on, this would cause them to go off for a split second. Of course, with your lowbeams off, then everything is fine. Just seems like to much to remember just to be able to flash w/o messing with the low beams.

SkyDaver

That won't help for a stock 2k2:

1. if your lights are off, pushing the stalk to the high beam position does nothing.

2. if your lights are off, pulling the stalk to the flash2pass turns on both HIDs and high beams.

3. if your lights are on, pushing the stalk turns on the high beams, leaves the HIDs on.

4. if your lights are on, pulling the stalk to the flash2pass position turns on the high beams, leaving on the HIDs.

TimW

iTrader: (6)

yeah, rrright... errr, about that...

say, did you get the memo on the TPS reports? nevermind...

I have a faux-2k2 it doesnt matter, I forget to push it instead, so I still end up flashing mine.