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Headlamps issue when cold

Rikki

Rikki

New member
Hi there,

Got a small problem with my Boxster. (2004 Boxster S - 47k on clock)

If the temp outside is below 5 and I turn my headlamps on (xenon/HID factory fitted) sometimes only the side lights will pop on but as you see with a faulty started in a fluro tube light the near side headlight flickers at a rate of around once per second. Not full power but a small blip.

If I leave the side lights on for 20+ seconds and then turn the switch back and forth it seems to kick the headlamps in most of the time making me think its temperature related.

Its both sides that dont kick in but only the near side has the little flicker.

I know the switches are problematic but I dont think thats the issue in this case.

Im also not sure what it could be as I would think if one ballast pack was dead or dying then the other headlamp would work ok.

Any advice for an auto electrical newbie? :)

Thanks

Rik
 
ORIGINAL: Rikki

Hi there,

Got a small problem with my Boxster. (2004 Boxster S - 47k on clock)

If the temp outside is below 5 and I turn my headlamps on (xenon/HID factory fitted) sometimes only the side lights will pop on but as you see with a faulty started in a fluro tube light the near side headlight flickers at a rate of around once per second. Not full power but a small blip.

If I leave the side lights on for 20+ seconds and then turn the switch back and forth it seems to kick the headlamps in most of the time making me think its temperature related.

Its both sides that dont kick in but only the near side has the little flicker.

I know the switches are problematic but I dont think thats the issue in this case.

Im also not sure what it could be as I would think if one ballast pack was dead or dying then the other headlamp would work ok.

Any advice for an auto electrical newbie? :)

Thanks

Rik
Click to expand...

Likely to be the light switch (circa £90) and it would be my first part that I would look to replace as a ballast unit is around £580.
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Does it sound like the same tell tale signs of a switch going? I thought as a signal was being passed out to the ballast (making it flicker) that the switch is doing its job ? :S
 
it sounds like the switch ?, but without looking at the circuit diagram of the dipped beam headlights it will be hard to tell, is the switch powering a relay which then powers the xenons,i think you need a auto electrical person to look at this and do some checks at the switch,relay and transformer unit primary side.take care because voltages at the secondary side of the transformer are a few kv,also if it was the switch i think it would not be temperature related (if you lived near me i could have helped{electrican 21 years at ford}) if it is only happening when cold it might be the lamps are on their way out, as there is not enough gas there to strike the arc (the end of the day they are only gas discharge lights)when he side lamps are on it heats up the gases in the xenons enough to strike the arc when you turn the switch (try switching them on on a hot day[car standing in sun for a few hours] and see if the come on straight away) hope this helps
 
This could be the switch but also probably more likely to be the bulbs.
The bulbs produce light in the same way as an electric welder to explain this in simple terms- the electrodes do wear and this produces a bigger gap for the ballast to strike up - bigger gap requires a bigger current to ignite, bulbs are cheap so i would replace these first.

Both bulbs will have had the same amount of use so wear rate will be the same and likely to fail at the same time
 
Cheapest HID bulbs are on ebay at around £30 each, OPC prie is said to be in excess of £120 each although I haven't checked.

I have Xenons on my Cayman and so have looked for a spare.
 
Hi folks,

Again thank you for the replies and apologies for the late reply myself, my car had to go back to the body shop after my repairs were rushed - but back now and have a little more info.

Looks like it is the switch after all!...

After not functioning whatsoever on Saturday night (when I got the car back) I ended up so annoyed I literally punched the switch for the headlamps when I got home as noted above it was not turning them of and only getting a little flicker from the near side buld. After messing around for 20 mins turning on and off then just driving home with fogs and sidelights on I gave the switched a whack when I parked up and wa-la - the headlamps came on.

So the next question is, where is best to buy one from and are they all the same for the mk1 Boxsters? Mine is one of the last (reg'd 01/01/2004) of the 986s.

Many thanks,

Rik
 
Best place is usually the OPC, even on price plus as they are often the source of the problem they ought to have stock.
 
If you are handy with a spanner you can repair the switch.
Once out of the car the switch is held together by detents, the top half of the switch is metal, the lower half plastic, the metal top half has the metal pressed into the detents in the plastic - just lever these out with a small screwdriver and the switch seperates - dont wory about springs and stuff falling out as there are no pieces to fall out, all that is inside is bent copper which makes up the contacts- just clean with fine emery or wet and dry paper and perhaps give a little bend to the copper - easy job, then push back together and press the metal back into the detent.

To strip, clean and bend shouldnt take more than half an hour even if your very slow and methodical - then simply connect up without refitting the switch to test it - If your adjustments havent rectified the problem then simply fit a new switch.

This will sort the problem out though, but - if you have a knackered switch what have you got to loose, just delay picking up the new switch until after you have tried the repair.
 
Thought I had already replied to this but alas I had not :(

Firstly thank you to everyone who commented and posted information. I stopped meddling with my own car when I got the Boxster as I know my limits start and stop with putting fuel in and changing a wheel now and then LOL!

I ordered from the net and got the replacement switch which my local performance garage fitted in no time. The switch says Made In Italy on the back so I now know why it failed after only 8 years of use, had it said Made In France it would have been 3 :p

New switch in and headlamps are back to full working order, I also fixed the ashtray which had a habit of popping open by itself too - all by myself, gold star - while I was in there.

Thanks for the heads up everyone,

Rikki
 
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