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Nite Rider Firestorm Repair or buy new

3K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  wookalar 
#1 ·
Having problems with my 3 year old Firestorm and called Nite Rider. Sounds like the ballast may be going out. It'll be about $100 bucks to repair, $40 to trouble shoot and $48 to replace the ballast plus shipping, that's if this is the problem.

Should I send it in for repair, or invest the $100+ into a new light? I'm leaning toward repairing it.
 
#2 ·
I just had a problem with my Trailtech HID light (which I understand uses the same light and ballast as NiteRider), it ended up being a broken wire that I fixed myself, but before I knew that I was considering my options. I think if it broke and I needed to spend $100 to fix it, I'd just buy a Magicshine. It's got pretty much the same light output and it weighs less. I suppose there is the durability question that no one can answer yet.

John
 
#3 ·
I had same light with issue earlier this year

OldHouseMan said:
Having problems with my 3 year old Firestorm and called Nite Rider. Sounds like the ballast may be going out. It'll be about $100 bucks to repair, $40 to trouble shoot and $48 to replace the ballast plus shipping, that's if this is the problem.

Should I send it in for repair, or invest the $100+ into a new light? I'm leaning toward repairing it.
I had the N/R Firestorm 2 HID (I believe only 2 years old), failed on me at the beginning of the 12 Hours at Night in Prescott this summer. That's when I came here and found all this info on Magicshines and now am a Magicshine dealer aswell as use them myself. If you do fix your Firestorm email me and I will give you my battery and cables, I didn't bother fixing mine when N/R told me the same costs as above. The M/S IMHO is brighter and the battery pack is only 205 grams and about 1/3 the size and weight of the NiMh that the Firestorm uses.
Cheers
 
#4 ·
OldHouseMan said:
Having problems with my 3 year old Firestorm and called Nite Rider. Sounds like the ballast may be going out. It'll be about $100 bucks to repair, $40 to trouble shoot and $48 to replace the ballast plus shipping, that's if this is the problem.

Should I send it in for repair, or invest the $100+ into a new light? I'm leaning toward repairing it.
Why spend $100 to repair an older light when you can buy a complete new system (Magicshine) for less? Hell, sell your light for parts to someone and buy 2 Magicshines.
 
#6 ·
OldHouseMan said:
Thanks, This problem began a couple days ago, so haven't had a chance to look into what's new out there.
Offer for a free Firestorm battery pack still there if you fix it, take a look at the lighting forums, for $85 shipped you can't beat a Magicshine, most folks on this forum will agree with what Jisch said. Cheers
 
#8 ·
Batteryman said:
Hello everybody

If anyone has any broken Niterider HID headlights/ setups I may be interested in buying them from you.

Just let me know.
Hi Batteryman

I have a full setup, HID didn't fire up at the beginning of a race and it didn't seem to be worth hassle of repairing. What are you interested in? I have no need for it and would like to see it go somewhere instead of the dumpster, you can have it for free, just pay for shipping and we're even brother:thumbsup:

Cheers Reade
 
#9 ·
OldHouseMan said:
Having problems with my 3 year old Firestorm and called Nite Rider. Sounds like the ballast may be going out. It'll be about $100 bucks to repair, $40 to trouble shoot and $48 to replace the ballast plus shipping, that's if this is the problem.

Should I send it in for repair, or invest the $100+ into a new light? I'm leaning toward repairing it.
What exactly is it doing (or not doing)?

I have the same light and mine was having a hard time firing up a year ago and I thought it was the ballast. Called NR and got the same quote you did and I was hesitant to send it in. It occurred to me that maybe my battery wasn't fully charged so I topped it off and tried again and viola!

Here's the catch, my light will pretty much only fire up if the battery has a FULL charge. I mean full as in, if I charge the battery at night (done by 9 PM or so ) and connect it to my light at 5 AM it may or may not turn on. If I hook the battery to the charger as soon as I wake up (20 min before) so I get the green light right before I plug it in to the lamp, it will work every time.

I'm not sure what's up because this doesn't seem right and really is no way to live. I still will get 3+ hrs burn time so the battery seems to hold a charge o.k.. It just seems the light needs a completely full battery to fire up.
 
#10 ·
wookalar said:
What exactly is it doing (or not doing)?

I have the same light and mine was having a hard time firing up a year ago and I thought it was the ballast. Called NR and got the same quote you did and I was hesitant to send it in. It occurred to me that maybe my battery wasn't fully charged so I topped it off and tried again and viola!

Here's the catch, my light will pretty much only fire up if the battery has a FULL charge. I mean full as in, if I charge the battery at night (done by 9 PM or so ) and connect it to my light at 5 AM it may or may not turn on. If I hook the battery to the charger as soon as I wake up (20 min before) so I get the green light right before I plug it in to the lamp, it will work every time.

I'm not sure what's up because this doesn't seem right and really is no way to live. I still will get 3+ hrs burn time so the battery seems to hold a charge o.k.. It just seems the light needs a completely full battery to fire up.
Over the last week or so I haven't had any problems. The original problem I was having was when I would first try to turn on the light, it would flicker a little, then go out, it would eventually turn on after several times of turning it off then back on. The battery was fully charged the first time I had the problem.
 
#11 ·
OldHouseMan said:
Over the last week or so I haven't had any problems. The original problem I was having was when I would first try to turn on the light, it would flicker a little, then go out, it would eventually turn on after several times of turning it off then back on. The battery was fully charged the first time I had the problem.
Mine does a similar thing now and then even with the full battery but it has eventually always turned on. Again, not something you should have to live with especially when you pay literally hundreds of dollars for these systems.

If you do decide to have NR look at it/fix it, I'd be interested in hearing the diagnosis and how their service was.
 
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