Hid lights car?

HID Lights flicker, car died, weak battery?

• I bought this used car, a Scion XB 2006. Secondly, I am a girl, I sound like I know a little about what I'm talking about, but please have patience with me i'm not a pro at any of this. The owner before me put in HID lights, which I hate, i'll probably get the factory ones installed back in because he only installed the low beam model. Anyway, I drove the car from Phoenix to where I live 5 hours away. It seemed fine (besides it kept running hot, thats another issue) ONLY, the HID lights both work on high beam, only the right works on low beam. Though, keep in mind both high and low beam have the same brightness as they are only one intensity regardless. So the left would not work on low and on high the right one would sometimes work and sometimes not the whole way back. One morning it was cold, so I was going to drive to the bus stop instead of walk (to get to work) and I got in and the right just flickered almost like a strobe light. I turned it off and walked. I googled it and found that with HID sometimes you have to rev over 2500 to get them to work. So I tried that the next day and it worked after revving it i drove to the bus stop and on the way home I stalled (i'm still learning stick) and I went to start it and it didn't start. I though it was the starter, but it was the battery. I had a friend jump me and it ran again, got it home and let it run 20 min to let the alternator charge it more. We turned it off for 10 then started it again and everything lit up like a champ. I didn't use it for 2 days and then went to run it and it would start but the radio, lights, nor anything else would stay on at the same time. Turned the lights on the radio went off. Turned on the heat and the lights went out. Turned the heat off and the left flickered and right did not turn on, even after revving. Low battery. Now that it's the weekend I've had some time to dig under the hood. Firstly, all of the lights were spliced in there and all the wires exposed, so while cursing the kids name who sold it to me I wrapped all of the wires with electrical tape so nothing was exposed. What impact could the exposed wires have on the battery and the flickering? Can the battery be drained if one of those sets of exposed wires were touching the frame or other wires? (they were) Water poured out of one of the insulators too, wires were spliced and exposed within that insulator in the water. So I dried it out, wrapped the wires and then taped off the top and bottom of the insulator. What impact could that have? I went to put the battery back into the car and noticed that the battery was sweating on all sides. Not from the top, but just off of the sides. I did have it stored in the back of my car, and it was hot, is that why? Or is the battery bad? I didn't plug it in to test the lighting because the sweating concerned me. I notice the car starts better when it is warm and dry out, when it is cold and wet is when I have the troubles. I've read a little that that is a sign of a weak battery (the sweat too) but that it would still test as "good" at a car store. I do plan to get it tested (though I'll have to get a ride). Should I just get it replaced? Also, it drove fine from Phoenix and the day after. it was after I let it sit that it started acting up. Beyond that I'm only driving it around the corner and back, no real time for the alternator to charge it, could it be that I'm really only running it off the battery and not letting the alternator do it's job? Everyone keeps saying the alternator, but with the car sitting the whole time and its dying while sitting I just don't think the alternator has anything to do with it. Also, regarding the over heating. I noticed that the mechanic put regular Blue antifreeze in the car. I read that the Scion's need a pink colored anti freeze. How much of an impact would that have? It overheats after about 20 minutes, is it that or could it be something more serious? The fan is working and I just replaced the radiator.

• Answer:

  Cant really be bothered to read all of that but the HID's flickering is 100% the battery.. BUUUTTTT, there is another problem because the car does not need the battery to run... i think you need a new batter and an alternator and work from there.. P.S. Nearly all HID's have problems when you first start the car up.. sometimes one wont come on or sometimes they both wont cam on.. you need the car looking at by a professionally.