Costco HID (Apparent) Malfunction

My Costco HID isn't showing either a "Charging" or "Full" indicator when plugged into an electrical outlet. The outlet is working (I tested it with a lamp), and I've noticed this problem on multiple outlets.

Any idea why this might be happening? I don't know if my local Costco still has these, so returning it may or may not be an option.

Thanks.

How long did you leave it plugged in? Somebody else had a similar problem, but the unit worked fine. The problem was only in the indicator lights. I think the other guy's charging light never came on, but the full light eventually did. Try leaving it plugged in for while (a couple of hours or more) to see if the "Full" light comes on. You can use a multimeter to find out if the battery has charged, too.

Thanks, I'll try leaving it plugged in overnight and see what happens.

I left it plugged in overnight, and still no "Full" light.

does it work?

No, it doesn't work. It comes on for a minute or two, and then starts flickering, indicating that the battery is dying. This after leaving it plugged in all night.

Does anyone have contact information for the manufacturer? I'd like to contact them regarding a warranty repair.

Thanks.

bonvivantmike said:

No, it doesn't work. It comes on for a minute or two, and then starts flickering, indicating that the battery is dying. This after leaving it plugged in all night. Does anyone have contact information for the manufacturer? I'd like to contact them regarding a warranty repair. Thanks.

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Good luck, If Costco can't or won't, I suspect your out of luck. At the price they were sold for, your lucky they work at all. Believe me, they had no margin in the price for any warranty replacement. They probably sold the first batch to Costco for close to cost.

With any luck it may be a somewhat simple fix required of the low voltage power supply. Beyond a loose wire perhaps a blown diode, fuse, or transformer. Unless the HV circuitry/ballast is shot, and it doesn't seem that it is, it may be worthwhile to fix the charger. You could always put a jack on the case, wire the battery to that and use an external source to charge it.

Good luck.

Bonvivantmike, is it possible that the last time you actually used the light was several months ago, and it was used to the point that the battery was mostly spent, and then you forgot to charge it afterwards? Sealed lead acid batteries need to be maintained. If you did run down the battery without charging it afterwards (immediately is best), it is likely that the battery is a gonner (will no longer hold a charge) and will need to be replaced.

No, I had just used the light that same day as a work light for a home improvement project. When it started to flicker, I turned it off and plugged it in. I noticed sometime later that the charge light was not lit.

I guess I will try to take it apart and see if there is anything obvious -- loose wires, blown fuses, etc. If not, I'll try to take it back at Costco. They don't have any more, so I will no longer have my favorite large light. No way I can replace this for anything near what I can afford at the moment.

Thanks for the help everyone.

some where around here(before the change from ubb threads to v bulitin)
there is a post from the manufacturer of the costco hid with contact info.
you can have your light repaired .

Mtnbkndad has that contact info.