FS: FX-R / Mini RETROFITS and BHLM (NO DOWN TIME!)

I believe there is only one motocontrol box. Didnt meant to put "ones"

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/motocontrol-bi-xenon-h4-9003.html

 

That looks like mine. Been years since I laid it out on my kitchen counter and thought it all through.

 

Swap the ballasts from side to side and see if the problem follows the ballast.

If it does than the ballast is bad. If not it will be a bulb or the Motocontrol.

You can unplug both the ballasts, turn light switch on and check voltage on the 9005/9006 connectors that plug into the ballast. If voltage is good at both them probably the bulb is bad, if voltage is no good then its the motocontrol.

Dont forget to double check your grounds.

If the motocontrol is bad call TRS and give them the number on it, they will send a new one.

You will only swap the motocontrol box out, not the wiring.

 

Could a bulb flash briefly and still be bad?

 

Yes

 

Yes.. the bulb can flash or make a sound but not ignite, so it can be a bad bulb, but you can swap the bulb from the other side and test that. You can also do what hyper15125 said and swap the ballast from the other side to test it out. I had the same kit as you and recently one of my lights wouldn't fire up. Turns out it was not the controller or ballast, but was the wire from the ballast to the light bulb that was the culprit. Simple deduction by swapping the other side to test and some spares you can determine the issue. Good luck!

 

Swapped ballasts. Swapped igniters. Nope. I’d upload the video from my phone, but I think I have to upload to YouTube first. Shows one side blinking on then off.

Wire from the ballast to the bulb... that’s a PITA.

 

Did you check the voltage on the motocontrol connector that plugs into the ballast?

 

Burt came through. We texted last night and I sent him the video. He's sending me a new controller and harness. Said it's the third one he's seen this year so far.

 

I had the same issue in the past..turned out I had a bad controller so trs sent another one

 

I just really like the lights. It's probably good for me to have to mess with them once in a while so I remember how it all works. Now, getting those light bulbs out is a PITA. Mr. T could have given us a bit more room between the lights and the battery and the washer reservoir. Changing bulbs on my 80 series was much easier.

 

I may need some help with my setup... both headlights stopped working last night. I get nothing when I turn the switch on. I double checked the power connection at the battery, all fuses (truck and motocontrol harness) and checked the connection to the factory harness. Everything is good but only my DTRLs and fogs work right now. I can hear the solenoid in the projectors click when I engage the high beams but that’s it. I’m thinking my control box might be dead.

 

thats what it sounds like, have you unpluged it to see if maybe the pins are rusted and or damaged? (ive have that happen to me once, water got to it )

 

That’s the plan for tonight after work... it was snowing here last night and I had to leave the truck and go back and get it this morning. I’m gonna remove the control box and bring it in the house to investigate. I went ahead and ordered a replacement from TRS and I submitted an email ticket to them explaining the issue.

My kit is a little over three years old and this is the first issue I’ve had. However, I did recently trim a fair amount of plastic out of my front fender liners and bumper to fit my 33” tires and I suspect more water than usual got into the engine bay where the control box was mounted. If this is in fact my issue, I’ll likely be looking to relocate the control box to a “dryer” area.

 

Where do you have the Moto control box mounted?

 

Originally I had it connected to the battery tie down. But the metal mounting piece broke off so I double sided taped it to the front of the battery. And when I was checking fuses and wiring last night I noticed it was awfully wet all around down there. I may move it to the side of the battery closest to the engine. Or, if I replace it, find a screw or bolt to mount it closer to the center of the engine bay.

 

Ah ok.

 

Hiding it inside the radiator shroud or tucking it somewhere less prone to water from the front wheel well will be my goal. The harness isn’t difficult to remove or reinstall so when I replace the control box I will likely find a new home for most of the stuff, ballasts included.

 

Check for power at the motocontrol harness. If there is power it’s likely the motocontrol box is bad.

 

So... update on my headlight situation.

And before I get into it, a little bit of backstory, as I think it’s definitely a factor. The other night, Monday, when I last drove the truck with the headlights working, it was snowing pretty hard. The roads were wet and slushy and it snowed on me for the entire hour or so I drove. It kept snowing on the truck while it was parked and when I tried to leave a few hours later to go home, no lights.

Fast forward to today. My new MotoControl Harness arrived so I removed the control box from the harness and headed out to the truck. I popped the hood but before I opened it, I figured I’d try my headlights again just to see what happened. Those bastards both came right on. As if nothing had ever happened...

I’m extremely happy but highly skeptical right now. The truck has been parked in the driveway since Tuesday morning and it’s been dry here since about Wednesday morning. At this point I have to assume all the water played a part in the lights not working. The question is, where did the water get in and if so, why didn’t it blow any fuses? For now, I’m going to leave the truck parked since I don’t trust that the headlights will continue working and then this weekend I’m going to pull the old harness and control box and swap in the new one. In the process I’m definitely going to relocate everything, including the ballasts to the least water prone areas I can find.