MH lights don't work

[LGB76]

I recently purchased a tank and stand. The tank came with some MH lights. Bc I'm an idiot. I didn't ask him to fire the fixtures up. So I'm unaware if they worked to begin with or not. Month later I got around to working on the lights. They of course do not turn on. So I tried a new bulb. After screwing it in and fiddling it around, it fired up briefly. No idea why or how. 2 hours later I try new plug and everything else you can think of, for these 2 hours I'm trying everything to get them to fire up.... It fired up!!!! Let it run for a few minutes. Turned it off. Tried to fire it back on... Nothing. Been screwing with it for a few days and both MH fixtures will not fire (should mention that one of them has never fired up). I've also cleaned the contact in the socket with an eraser after googling.

HELP BEFORE I START SMASHING

 

[shifty51008]

Magnetic or electronic ballasts?

Se or de bulbs?

Are these reteofit or a fixture? If it is a fixture what brand?

 

[LGB76]

it is an electronic ballast. thats all the info I got for ya haha... i bought the tank and they came with it... he swears that they worked before I came and picked it up.

 

[power boat jim]

Are you sure the outlet you plugged the ballast into is not a GFCI? Sometimes electronic ballasts will pop the GFCI on start up. Also once they do fire you can not refire them until the bulb has cooled down.

 

[shifty51008]

If they are double ended bulbs try to pry out the metal connectors in the fixture so the bulbs make a tighter contact.

If its a screw in bulb check in the part where the blub screws into and make sure it is clean or take a very fine piece of sand paper and rub it a little to clean up the connector.

Be sure to unplug the unit before doing anything though