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View Full Version : problem with PIAA super plasma h4s



wtfOO
02-22-2004, 01:34 PM
ok, so i had these bulbs for probably a year. they were fine but all of a sudden, this weekend, i turn them on at night, and my right passenger bulb does not have a low beam. the high beam works fine but the low beam is dead. the problem is only on one side. is the bulb dead or could it be the wiring? thanks for your help.

labelhunter
02-22-2004, 03:39 PM
Its most likely dead. Take the bulb out and look at it, i bet the wires arent still in tacked. The brights are a different set of wires in the bulbs.

dofu
02-22-2004, 03:50 PM
try tapping the headlight from the engine compartment, the cover for the bulb... that should get it back, but is only a temperary fix. your bulbs are almost gone... piaas only last me five months max, so the fact that you've had yours for a year says a lot...

what it is, is the inside little wire lookin thing (the part that breaks and you can hear if the bulb is dead) is fallin apart... by tapping it, you knock it back into place... if that doesnt work, then you cant squeeze any more life out of em no more...

SiRman
02-22-2004, 07:23 PM
There is two wire fillements in each bulb, one for the low beam, and one for the highbeam. I have never heard of tappping the bulb to get a little more life out of them. But if it works go for it.
Usually once the filament breaks, thats it.

I have frustratingly gone through 3 Super Plasma bulbs in less then 1 year.

My current setup is a PIAA super plasma that I have left over in the left headlight. And a PIAA Ion Crystal (glows yellow) in the right headlight. The Ion crystal is excellent in rain or fog(plenty of rain here, and lights up the shoulder nicely. The Ion crystal provides good close range light while the Super Plasma provides good long range light. Some might think it looks silly, but I don't care.

wtfOO
02-22-2004, 07:36 PM
i guess its out. im about to order some hids to replace them. well, they were good while they lasted i guess.

Surprise
02-22-2004, 10:10 PM
I had some PIAAs that went out a month past a year of ownership. I emailed the company and received new bulbs in less than a week. Even though they were out of warrenty PIAA still replaced them. Good company. Give it a try you have nothing to lose.

dofu
02-23-2004, 12:35 AM
Originally posted by SiRman
There is two wire fillements in each bulb, one for the low beam, and one for the highbeam. I have never heard of tappping the bulb to get a little more life out of them. But if it works go for it.
Usually once the filament breaks, thats it.

yea... once it breaks, its gone, but it'll usually come loose before that happens, and tapping it can get a few weeks of extra life out of em, or until you replace em...

wtfOO
03-07-2004, 11:54 AM
well, 2 weeks after one died, the other died. and yes, its the filament. i checked when i put the stockies back in. that sucks, i dont think ill be getting a replacement either since my 1 year ended around 1 month ago, so that sucks. if all goes well, my hid kit will arrive by friday.