Fixing a T5 Light Hood

[KPG007]

Here's the story. I have a basic 48" - 4 Bulb T5 Light Fixture. I replaced it this weekend with a 6 Bulb fixture. As I have the 4 Bulb up for sale, I unplugged it, put it on the floor, flipped it over, pulled out the lights and cleaned the salt off the bulbs and reflectors. When I was done, and everything was dry, I put it back together. When I plugged the 2 banks in, the first lit up as usual, but the second one flickered for a few seconds, hummed a bit, then POP! lights on that bank are dead. I tested all 4 bulbs using the other bank and all work fine. Am I safe to assume the Ballast died? There was no electrical smell, so I don't think so.
What's worse is I pulled the hood apart, couldn't find anything obvious, put it back together, fired it up again, more flickering, humming and POP! now the OTHER bank is dead! What the heck is going on?!

Are the ballasts dead? I'm not an electrician, so I don't even want to consider pulling the ballasts and replacing them myself, espcially when I was only asking $200 for the whole fixture! Anybody got some options I can try?

Thanks;
Kelly

[Bloodasp]

could be the socket too.

[bvlester]

make sure the ends of the bulbs are in the sockets and they meet up with the end of the bulbs. I had this happen to a fixture once not long ago and found that the bulb and the socket were not together close enough for the pins on the bulb to make contact with the contact in the sockets. pushed then together by holding the bulb and gently pushing the socket to wards the bulb. I say gently because you do not want to break anything the pins on the bulbs in allot of cases or held on place by epoxy some have a aluminum cap around the end and if the moves could cause a short. check that also.

Bill

[KPG007]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I fiddled around with the connectors last night with no luck. It could still be the problem, but it I couldn't make it work and it was never an issue in the past.

For Sale: 4 Bulb T5 Hood w/ 6 LED night lights (those are working!) + 5 bulbs for $50!!!