HID kit retrofit playing up - what the flip????

[Pete Ansbro]

Yesterday I finally got round to fitting the 35W H7 HID conversion kit - CANBUS which I bought back in November.

The instructions were clear and fitting the kit was simple. The only issues were (1) studying the instructions and the component parts prior, (2) finding the location to house the ballast and drilling a hole in the back of the dust cover on the headlight unit to pass the wiring through. Much reading of "how to" posts here to instil confidence.

On fitting the kit it fired up straight away.

I then drove the car about a mile to fill up with petrol, switched everything off, started up, switched the headlights on again and nothing happened. I was able to get home on side lights.

Since then I've found that the HIDs will not fire up straight away unless I have literally just switched them off (ie warm) and through trial and error I think I've established that I need to switch on full beam first and then go "back" to dipped beam.

I only ever switch on my headlights with the engine running.

I have no problems with the OEM 55W lamps or with the multiswitch which controls the lights.

My "trial and error" discovery of "main beam first" is no more than half a dozen experiences last night and this morning.

When working the HIDs provide plenty of light so are functional in that respect.

This doesn't seem like a perfect solution and I don't want to have to go through full beam to get to dipped beam. Nor do I want to face the prospect of a darkness journey without any dipped beam.

Short of taking the kit out and replacing the OE 55w bulbs I've emailed the vendor for technical support and will await their response.

TODAY'S UPDATE

Been out again, and now think that the "full beam first" thing was a red herring/coincidence in that the two events are not 100% linked.

But - and I've not noticed this before - dipped HID stays on with full beam. Is that normal?

I know it's the kind of tweak which got Paddy Hopkirk's mini thrown out of its first Monte Carlo rally win.


I can fit things but I'm not an electronics wizard!

What do we think chaps?

 

[Pete Ansbro]

No ideas? Well I'll keep you posted!

 

[thirteeneast]

Have you checked the behaviour straight from the battery?

If they behaved like that straight off the battery I would say the ballast are to blame.

 

[Pete Ansbro]

ORIGINAL: thirteeneast

Have you checked the behaviour straight from the battery?

If they behaved like that straight off the battery I would say the ballast are to blame.

That's a good suggestion.

Meantime, what's changed? Well I posted this
"I have this week - and encouraged by this excellent "How to" fitted a HID kit to my facelift Carrera 3.6 Cab.

I'm having delayed "lighting up" issues which the kit suppplier is trying to resolve for me. In essence the dipped beam HIDs sometimes fire up straight away, sometimes spend second flickering like a domestic fluorescent tube might but always when I pop the OEM full beam on that brings the dipped beam HIDs up to full strength and they look pretty good.

By the way until fitting the HIDS I had H7 dipped beam bulbs and H9 fullbeam bulbs (the latter still in place).

I'd like to change the main beams for HIDs but I'm minded to resolve the issue with dip first.

Here's the thing though, when I select full/main beam the dipped beam HIDs stay on and the owners manual refers to "Main Beam or Additional main beam for Bi-Xenons". What does that mean exactly?"

here:

https://www.porscheclubgb.com/forum/tm.asp?m=253934&mpage=1&key=&#885594

and I've found that even if the HIDs are in that start-up flickerin phase if I put the front fogs on that brings the HIDs straight up to full power. I'm thinking I might change the rotary light switch.