Litronic Headlight FLICKER? Intermittent at Startup? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

chaudanova · 04-03-2007, 07:42 PM

Hey guys, I installed a new pair of Litronics a few weeks ago, and the first time I turned them on, the lights just flickered as if there wasn't enough power going to them or something. Then turned the switch to off, and the 2nd time, they worked perfectly.

I notice this happens almost every time I turn them on, maybe 9/10 times. And will work perfectly normal the 2nd switch-on attempt.

Today, I turned on the headlight switch, and it would flicker and not fully ignite, and then kept on doing that on subsequent attemps. After giving up for awhile, I came back and tried again and they fired right up perfectly.

(both sides always work in unison, whether it be both doing the flickering, or both operating normally, so I don't think it has to do with a connection/plug issue on a particular side).

Any ideas on what the culprit might be? Maybe headlight switch connector?

wetstuff · 04-04-2007, 04:38 AM

Mine - both on the 986 and 997 - pop like old fashion lightbulbs when first starting. You didn't say if you left them on, or quickly turned them off, before you hit the switch a second time...

No only do I love the better light they offer - I like the quirky way they start up. It reminds me they're something special.

...nothing technical to add. Sorry.

j i m

Boxtaboy · 04-04-2007, 05:30 AM

I had a flickering of one of my litronic headlights once when I turned them on, and it turned out is was due to a poorly seated connection with the receiving socket. Once I removed and re-secured my headlight in place, it didn't happen again. You, however, are saying that the flicker happens with both headlights, so either they're both seated loosely, or you may have a headlight switch going out.

FrayAdjacent · 04-04-2007, 07:50 AM

Definitely sounds like a bad connection somewhere...

Disassemble and reassemble. Or your headlight switch could be the problem...

denverpete · 04-04-2007, 08:55 AM

Loose connections are always a possibility, particularly if any of the wires are tapped.

If none of those suggestions work: It could be a faulty ignitor, the ballast assembly was placed too far away from the lamps, incorrectly wired ballast/ignitoror, incorrect (reversed) wiring to the lamp, or the lamps are failing. Each of these tends to produce the flickering you are talking about.