[markymrk720]

Hello all-

I was just wondering if anyone else has had problems with their 55w HID lights failing on the 2008 Accord Coupe. My right light went out just after Christmas. Dont think it could be an electrical issue, since the high beams and turn signal still work on that side.

2 calls and voicemails to Retro-Solutions, and I have yet to receive a phone call back. Anyone else experience this type of poor customer service from them?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[ricerocket]

I've been e-mailing Todd back and forth since before New Years no problem? Maybe you should try shooting him and e-mail or PM him on here.
I'm no HID expert, but you should check your ground and clean the contacts/surface up? Do you have a relay harness?

 

[BPearl2010]

Try emailing todd..

 

[rfs830]

email or pm was always the best way to get ahold of them. How long did you have the 55w set?

edit.. while your at it why not check out my review of RS in my sig

 

[markymrk720]

Just sent along an email...thanks for the advice.

I bought the HID set about 1 1/2 years ago.

 

[BillyBalls]

ive had problems since day one. had them for over a year now. didnt install the relay harness at first. lights would flicker, one side would come on and not the other. installed the relay harness and it seemed to solve the problem at first, but every once in a while i still have to toggle the headlight switch a couple of times to get them both on. checked all connections over again. i give up.

 

[avs]

I can tell you right now he will tell you to check your ground connection and check your ground connection again. If you need to use the car, save your energy and throw the retrosolution hid kit in the garbage. Go pick up the xtreme hid kit from xenon depot.

 

[ksills]

+1 Seems to be a trend. Even least expensive kit from XD ssems to be a better build quality.

 

[DevinKato]

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24256 Here's my experiences.

 

[avs]

I love to see a forum vendor succeed, but when they put out a s* product. They should make it right by either dropping their crappy product and replace it with something that works instead of giving us constant BS sanding the ground connection.. blah blah. or it's not lighting up because the ballast is trying to protect the vehicle's electronic. My @ss.
Here's a retrosolution hid kit trying to "protect" the car's electronic blowing up.
http://www.fordedgeforum.com/index.php?/topic/4187-stay-away-from-retro-solutions-hid/

 

[Markus]

I love how RS is so quick to threaten people with libel, as they did to the guy on the Edge forum. They've accused me of bordering on libel and twice threatened to have me banned from DriveAccord, see here. They've accused another forum member of slander, in this thread, without realizing that the legal definition of slander applies only to the spoken word. They come across like school-yard bullies.

 

[rfs830]

wow I wish I would have read up about the slander stuff as I would have never even ordered from them. What a worthless company to deal with. There hid kit went right into the trash after I got my new kit.

I will say that I have not seen RS posting in the 8th gen section in a while. Most of the time the post in threads where people have HID problems.

 

[Markus]

wow I wish I would have read up about the slander stuff as I would have never even ordered from them. What a worthless company to deal with. There hid kit went right into the trash after I got my new kit.

I will say that I have not seen RS posting in the 8th gen section in a while. Most of the time the post in threads where people have HID problems.

I haven't seen their ad banner show up for quite a while. Anyone know if they're still a forum sponsor?

 

[avs]

Well while we're on the RS topic. I'm not a strong electrical person, but know the basic. Here's me trying to understand why their product is not working.

With all due respect, the problem is not the "product," it is the electrical system and what is being supplied to the "product." There is no "product" that will meet that demand of an improper supply, there are only those "products" that will tax the limits of the vehicle's system to failure. Would you rather end up replacing the multiplexer because your ballasts struggled to **** too many amps through the stock wiring?

A single beam kit is one that is not bixenon or dual beam.

If you would like us to help you out as we previously offered you can remove your posts. Just because you do not agree that you should have to supply something that was not part of the product, or because your vehicle has specific requirements does not mean we are just going to give it away free. Even less so when you specifically go to the forums to make us look like we wronged you somehow. If that is your prerogative, you are welcome buy what is needed at full price, elsewhere, or continue running the systems as you have until a ballast locks out from operation completely.

Todd Strong - Retro-Solutions, LLC

Todd,

From what I understand, HID ballast draws almost twice the amount of
current as the stock halogen headlight setup. I don't have the exact
number for my vehicles, but that figures is pretty typically for most
cars. The relay acts like a switch. If the relay harness is installed,
in normal operation it will try to draw power directly from the
headlight wire. If the headlight wire does not provide enough current
it will then draw power from the battery directly.
That's how I understand it. Am I correct?

Close, but with a relayed wiring harness installed the stock wiring only provides the signal to energize the relay coil, 9v-16v at a very minimal amperage. That removes all the demand off the stock wiring and the relayed circuit then provides all the power from the battery directly. So in other words, its not in addition to the stock wiring, it is in place of it completely.
Depending on the ballast you are looking at and the supply voltage while under that load, it could be from the same amperage draw to something 4x as much. Our ballasts are limited to about the same in-rush amperage as a 55w halogen bulb pulls. There is just one big difference, filament bulbs are just a resistive element, they really have no minimum operation parameters other than dimming as voltage decreases. With a large voltage drop, they simply drop in amperage draw as well. If they do not get their in-rush power, they still work, just warm up slower. HID ballasts can't do any of that really, , with a drop in supply voltage, they can can start to draw amperage that is just not safe for the vehicle, even that which exceeds the fuse rating. Most ballasts do not have safety features to halt operation in such circumstances.


Todd Strong - Retro-Solutions, LLC

 

[Aviography]

Well while we're on the RS topic. I'm not a strong electrical person, but know the basic. Here's me trying to understand why their product is working.

I'm not going to comment on the first quote since it's just a pi$$ing match.

The second quote is totally wrong, HID kits draws high current only momentarily during initial turn on phase, perhaps twice or slightly more of the normal current halogen lights would draw continiously, but then the current drops off to about 60% of what the normal halogen bulb would draw.

The third quote is accurate.

 

[avs]

I'm not going to comment on the first quote since it's just a pi$$ing match.

The second quote is totally wrong, HID kits draws high current only momentarily during initial turn on phase, perhaps twice or slightly more of the normal current halogen lights would draw continiously, but then the current drops off to about 60% of what the normal halogen bulb would draw.

The third quote is accurate.

Got you, but why do people have so much problem with their product vs Xenon Depot HID kit.

 

[Aviography]

Got you, but why do people have so much problem with their product vs Xenon Depot HID kit.

It can be as simple as poorly designed and/or manufacturered ballasts, ignitors etc. from where RS is sourcing their supply from.

My 35W DDM kit has been working flawlessly and without the relay kit for 3 years of nearly daily use, actually twice each day since I drive with full headlights on all the time.

 

[Aviography]

I haven't seen their ad banner show up for quite a while. Anyone know if they're still a forum sponsor?

I don't know if that is the case, although refreshing the browser about 50 times brought up all the other site vendors execept Retro Solutions in the upper right hand corner of the Drive Accord banner.

 

[ksills]

I haven't seen their ad banner show up for quite a while. Anyone know if they're still a forum sponsor?

Not sure sure, but they are still listed in the sponsor section. :dunno: I am sure they also have a loyal following as well. I have seen personally the Economy XD kit v the mainstream RS kit and I will second what everyone else has said.

 

[Markus]

Wow.

With all due respect, the problem is not the "product," it is the electrical system and what is being supplied to the "product." There is no "product" that will meet that demand of an improper supply, there are only those "products" that will tax the limits of the vehicle's system to failure. Would you rather end up replacing the multiplexer because your ballasts struggled to **** too many amps through the stock wiring?

A single beam kit is one that is not bixenon or dual beam.

If you would like us to help you out as we previously offered you can remove your posts. Just because you do not agree that you should have to supply something that was not part of the product, or because your vehicle has specific requirements does not mean we are just going to give it away free. Even less so when you specifically go to the forums to make us look like we wronged you somehow. If that is your prerogative, you are welcome buy what is needed at full price, elsewhere, or continue running the systems as you have until a ballast locks out from operation completely.

Todd Strong - Retro-Solutions, LLC

If the bolded part is not bullying then I don't know what is.