Headlight electrical wires bare, insulation falling off - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

paulb · 12-11-2022, 11:30 AM

Hi. I went to change hid headlight bulbs in my ‘04 today & I see all the wiring insulation is brittle & crumbling off. Has anyone experienced this, what was your fix? I thought I may try Gardner bender liquid electrical tape (LTB-400) & wanted to know if anyone here with experience in these things has any advice or cautions for me first.

(I’m on mobile platform & can’t upload pics. I’ll try to add some later when I’m at a computer)

JFP in PA · 12-11-2022, 01:00 PM

You and about another million or so owners. Time to rewire them.

Hasdrubal · 12-11-2022, 02:36 PM

I pulled the entire harness out on my headlights and replaced it wire by wire. I don't have the pin removal tools, so I cut each one and crimped a new section on, then used heat shrink tubing to cover the connector. If you go that route, my main regret is I used the color of wiring I had without any thought on if it would be visible once the lights were put back on the car.

KevinH1990 · 12-11-2022, 05:59 PM

Advice on Used Litronics

This thread has information about opening the headlight and replacing the wiring. As JFP says, it is a common issue. Allegedly, the German auto manufacturers were using a biodegradable wire insulation during the time period in which our cars were built. In some conditions, it degrades faster than they expected.

paulb · 12-12-2022, 06:25 AM

Thanks guys. Guess I’ve got yet another project on deck. Been going that way lately, last month I moved a couple shrubs around the house & that turned into a renovation of my irrigation system.

dghii · 12-16-2022, 06:40 PM

Down and dirty fix is electrical tape or liquid electrical tape on exposed wires. Not pretty and certainly not the final fix but it'll get you back on the road. Mine was still going strong a few years after the repair when the car was sold.

BrakeExpert · 01-06-2023, 11:41 AM

I'd go with rewire. german wires suck, they just do.

lkchris · 01-06-2023, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrakeExpert

I'd go with rewire. german wires suck, they just do.

No, in Germany auto parts are required to be biodegradable beginning in the 1990s.

These are performing as designed.

Same reason your radiator grilles ( non S) have biodegraded from black to gray