Hello, I have a 2003 Audi A4 that I just upgraded the factory halogen bulbs to HID. The HID look great... mostly due to Audi's amazingly designed projectors... but none the less... after I installed them and turned the car on for the first time I noticed that the "ESP, ABS, and emergency break light" were all on! "the emergency break light was flashing" I thought this was strange so I turned the car off. I turned the car back on and only the "ESP" light was on... strange again I repeated the process and this time around there were no lights at all. I tried this once more hoping for the best only to find out that this is a repeating cycle. 1st time all 3 lights appear, 2nd only ESP, and 3rd no lights at all! I toyed around with it a little more and this doesn't happen when I turn the car on... only if the car is started and I turn the lights on... Can somebody PLEASE help me! I am new to this and would REALLY appreciate some insight t[/font]o my problem!!!

 

This is perfectly normal.

usually it is cuz the kit was installed without battery relay kit.

Once you turn Aftermarket HID on, the first few sec it requires large amount of voltage draw and this confuses the on-board computer and thus triggers ESP, ABS, and Flashing E-brake lights at same time meaning ESP ABS are both disabled at the moment (unstable voltage)


There are 3 solutions:

1. install relay ( but possible front dipped warning light even though both lights are workin properly )

2. install latest generation of HID blasts (best solution)
those new gen of blasts produce stable voltage accepting wide voltage from 6-32V, it digitally stabilizes for constant voltage drawing.
will 100% not trigger any warning light or confuses on-board computer.

3. you can stay with your current kit without doing any further mod. (no more ESP/ABS/flashing E-brake)
however, you WILL have to turn ON hid lights every time After you turn your engine ON.
Before your turn your engine OFF, you will NEED to turn OFF your HID lights first, too.

 

Congrats on the HIDs! The ESP light will almost always come on, and stay on, after you've toyed with the battery a little bit. Once you drive for a mile or less, it will go away. If you end up with the "Left/Right Dipped Head Light" warning, and can get it fixed, let me know what you did! I put my HIDs in a few months ago and still have that problem, though it doesn't always happen. Whatever, I don't know, but it's pissing me off! Anyway, hope that helps.

 

I did some research on it and there isn't much info about this topic so I didn't know if it was a rare occurance or my string of bad luck just seemed to follow me to this car as well! lol I found a kit that is supposed to correct this problem. It's like $25 and it is supposed to stop these lights in most occurances... I dont remember off hand where it is.. I saved it in my book marks but I was wondering what you meant "monkey323i" when you said that I can continue further without any mods but I will have to turn the lights on every time after I turn my engine on, and turn them ofbefore i shut my engine off? I have already tried 2 different brand new balasts and the 2nd pair seemed to work great at first but after having them installed for about 30 min. or so the lights started right back up. so I guess the only thing I can really do is to try those harnesses that I found online.

 

cuz I had the same problem as you did.

I went to the local aftermarket HID shop, they said the situation was normal.
one of the installer had the same problem, too.

If you turn on your aftermarket HID first, then you start engine.
the moment of unstable voltage drawing when you start engine will not only shorten your aftermarket hid life, but also trigger warning lights.

and always turn aftermarket hid off, then turn turn engine off, too.

I've been using this method ever since for monthes. ( did not have battery harness installed )
warning lights never got trigger again.

 

See that's the thing... I thought that same thing... so I started starting the engine first and let all of the electrical things get started and running smoothly and then I would turn them on and it STILL does it! I even tried starting the car and driving for a little bit before turning them on and it doesn't make any difference. no matter what I do it still follows the same pattern and the only way not to get the lights is to start it and shut it off twice and the 3rd time starting turning on the lights is a charm and that's when there are no lights... I've got to figure something out because I do not like driving with all 3 lights on... the car physically drives different... I can feel it as soon as I start driving it.

 

strange that didnt work out for you. It's been fine for me for months.

Well, it is time to go to local aftermarket HID installer shop and let them do analysis on what is causing it.

Dont go to dealer or regular auto maintenance/repair shop, cuz I went there and they are NOT familiar with aftermarket hid kits and asked me to seek help from those aftermarket hid kit shops as they are pro at this field.

please keep me updated on your issue.

good luck!