Go Back   986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners > Porsche Boxster & Cayman Forums > Boxster General Discussions

Post Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-28-2016, 07:32 PM   #1
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13
Trouble with Xenon Headlight

I hope somebody can give me some insight and advice.

I have a '98 Boxster which I just retrofitted with used Xenon headlights (996 631 15 807). The left headlight (specifically the bulb behind the projection lens) doesn't work. I switched bulbs between the left and right headlights, but the left side still didn't work, but the right did, so I don't believe the bulb is the problem..

The bulb behind the projection lens is the low beam, right? Would the other bulb in that headlight assembly work if the ballast was faulty? Does anybody have any advice? Could it simply be the ballast, which I can replace with one from eBay?

Here's a pic (sorry for the blur...my phone cam is on the blink):






Last edited by zehutiman; 02-29-2016 at 05:56 AM.
zehutiman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2016, 07:42 PM   #2
I am my own mechanic....
 
Timco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 3,432
Looks like only the marker light on driver's side.

I'll say ballast but make sure it's plugged in right with both plugs on each side.
__________________
'04 Boxster S 50 Jahre 550 Spyder Anniversary Special Edition, 851 of 1953, 6-sp, IMS/RMS, GT Metallic silver, cocoa brown leather SOLD to member Broken Linkage.
'08 VW Touareg T-3 wife's car
'13 F150 Super Crew long bed 4x4 w/ Ego Boost
Timco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2016, 08:20 PM   #3
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,498
swap ballast. If bad, they are available on ebay.
dghii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 10:22 AM   #4
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13
Ok, I switched the ballasts and had the same result -- the right headlight works, but not the left -- so it doesn't look like the ballast is at fault. I put the old halogen back in place of the left xenon headlight, and it works fine.

So, what could it be? There is no fuse for the low-beams, right? I only saw a fuse for high-beams, and it was intact. I heard somebody once mention that it could be the switch on the dash...but, does the fact that the old headlights work eliminate that possibility? Loose wire in the headlight, itself? Contacts oxidized too much on xenon headlight (only 15k miles, though)?
zehutiman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 11:51 AM   #5
Custom User Title Here
 
particlewave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Ft. Leonard Wood
Posts: 6,164
Garage
Since the halogen works, I'd start with the Lits connector, then check wiring and other connections.
Make sure that all pins (especially the low beam and common ground) are in good shape.

__________________
https://youtube.com/@UnwindTimeVintageWatchMuseum
particlewave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 01:34 PM   #6
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,498
Inspect the headlight assembly internal wiring for shorts.
Last fall I lost the lintronics on passenger side. Upon inspection, the insulation of some of the wiring had disinterested. The remaining insulators would crumble when touched.

I cleaned everything up and insulated all the wiring with heat shrink and electrical tape.
All good now!
dghii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 03:11 PM   #7
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13
Ok, so I pored over all the connections and cleaned them, with no change.

I did discover something, however. As a very new Porsche owner, I remember threads about the ignition switch. After I start my Boxster, if I don't turn the key ever-so slightly to the right (1/4"?), things like the climate control don't work -- radio too, I think. When I tested the headlights, for some reason I didn't turn the key a bit further, like I usually do, and behold, neither low-beam on either headlight worked. But, when I moved the key just a bit to the right, the low-beam of the right headlight came on, but still no low-beam on the left.

Is this the source of my problems? Need a new ignition switch?
zehutiman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 05:32 PM   #8
Registered User
 
KevinH1990's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,723
Quote:
Originally Posted by dghii View Post
Inspect the headlight assembly internal wiring for shorts.
Last fall I lost the lintronics on passenger side. Upon inspection, the insulation of some of the wiring had disinterested. The remaining insulators would crumble when touched.

I cleaned everything up and insulated all the wiring with heat shrink and electrical tape.
All good now!
Look at post #11 on this thread: http://986forum.com/forums/general-discussions/54697-advice-used-litronics.html

The wiring on these units was designed with biodegradable insulation and I've seen several posts from folks who had the wire degrade while in the car.

Make sure that the headlight is seating in the blue connector in the car. One of mine was out of alignment and I had similar problems with my headlights.

If you have access to a computer power supply that provides 12 volt DC current, you can use Particlewave's diagram to test the light while it is off the car. That would help you rule out problems in the car's wiring or switches. If you aren't familiar with computer power supplies, search on Youtube to see several videos on how to adapt one for bench use.


Good luck.
__________________
2000 Arctic Silver/Black, Hard Top, On Board Computer
PNP Rear Speakers, HAES 6-Channel Amp, Avic Z140BH,
Painted Bumperettes, 2004 (OEM) Top, Homelink integrated in dash with Targa switch, 997 Shifter, Carrera Gauge Cluster with silver gauge faces, heated 997 adaptive sports seats, Litronics, silver console

Last edited by KevinH1990; 02-29-2016 at 05:41 PM.
KevinH1990 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-29-2016, 10:38 PM   #9
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,498
Quote:
Originally Posted by zehutiman View Post
Ok, so I pored over all the connections and cleaned them, with no change.

I did discover something, however. As a very new Porsche owner, I remember threads about the ignition switch. After I start my Boxster, if I don't turn the key ever-so slightly to the right (1/4"?), things like the climate control don't work -- radio too, I think. When I tested the headlights, for some reason I didn't turn the key a bit further, like I usually do, and behold, neither low-beam on either headlight worked. But, when I moved the key just a bit to the right, the low-beam of the right headlight came on, but still no low-beam on the left.

Is this the source of my problems? Need a new ignition switch?
Replace the ignition switch! It's only $15 and you will eliminate lots of weird stuff!
dghii is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2016, 07:29 AM   #10
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by dghii View Post
Replace the ignition switch! It's only $15 and you will eliminate lots of weird stuff!
Do you think the ignition lock has anything to do with it in this case? Just the electrical part?

zehutiman is offline   Reply With Quote
Post Reply



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:56 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page