Porsche Headlight Retrofit [from CAD, prototyping to finish)

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

Guys, can someone help me?

I have been having some electrical problems with the headlights. They work perfect BUT have some side effects:

My low oil warning light goes off. Turning of the lights and starting the car again solves that problem.
My battery light goes off. Turning of the lights and starting the car again solves that problem.
My automatic spoiler quits being automatic. Turning off the lights solves that also.

So, can anyone help me with the above mentioned? My battery is still strong. The car starts perfectly every time (even after a 3 week vacation).

Edit:

Some cars, not all, do not like aftermarket HID kits. Well documented if you lookup for Oil/Battery/Spoiler issues (google).

Looks like I will have to refund you a set of ballasts and you'll need to try a another HID kit that works for your car "specifically". Your nearest HID guru shop should be able to identify/fit a ballast type that works for your car (request CANBUS). What causes this is unknown yet (according to my research anyway). Your car seems to be that one car out of 200 who is not aftermarket HID kit friendly. Sorry to hear that man, not sure what to say here....

Give me a call if you prefer to talk, or email (I'm on the same address). Report back here when fixed

[Edreamsz]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Edit:

Some cars, not all, do not like aftermarket HID kits. Well documented is you lookup for Oil/Battery/Spoiler issues (google).

Looks like I will have to refund you a set of ballasts and you'll need to try a another HID kit that works for your car "specifically". Your nearest HID guru shop should be able to help trying a few kits and find the model that work for your car. What causes this is unknown yet (according to my research anyway). But it seems to be one car out of 200 who is not aftermarket HID kit friendly.

Give me a call if you prefer to talk, or email (I'm on the same address). Report back here when fixed

Thanks for your answer. The problem started shortly after re-installing the headlights. I also just replaced my ignition switch (common problem). I did not suspect that it was the headlights until I read on the internet that it is a problem when retrofitting xenon headlights.

Is there any way to test the ballasts for malfunctions? I did not think that Boxsters would have this problem. (The all are basically the same,right?)

Update: The retrofit center here in the Netherlands, has a good canbus Ballast, but the cannot be 100% sure that it will cure the problem. The current one you supplied has an AMP connection right?

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

(The all are basically the same,right?)

Apparently not. I've installed little over 200 of those HID kits. The ballasts are pretty rock solid and works flawlessly. But from the look of it, clearly one car is not happy with them. Happens to be yours man (really sorry).

What we can do is I send you a ballast kit to test whether yours are faulty. Cheap to try anyway so I'll get a kit in the mail for you tomorrow.

If you are having the same issue, that would confirm my theory that some cars just doesn't like HID kits. Very few but it's there and documented

(you normally unlucky like that mate?!)

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

Update: The retrofit center here in the Netherlands, has a good canbus Ballast, but the cannot be 100% sure that it will cure the problem. The current one you supplied has an AMP connection right?

Start with the kit I'll send you. I'd like to see (and document) if this common HID/Boxster/Oil/Batter light thing is caused by a faulty ballast or, like I suspect, "some cars" simply just don't like HID kits.

Let's try the backup kit I'll send first if that's okay with you. If you are having the same problem then by all means, please visit a professional HID retrofitter and try some of their other canbus ballasts to see if this could cut it for your car.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

(The all are basically the same,right?)

Back to this: Yours is a pretty tricked car with the 3.6L and all so like I said, let's give it a go with a spare ballast kit I'll send you in a day and we'll take it from there.

Fingers crossed

Yes to your question. AMP connectors

[Edreamsz]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Apparently not. I've installed little over 200 of those HID kits. The ballasts are pretty rock solid and works flawlessly. But from the look of it, clearly one car is not happy with them. Happens to be yours man (really sorry).

What we can do is I send you a ballast kit to test whether yours are faulty. Cheap to try anyway so I'll get a kit in the mail for you tomorrow.

If you are having the same issue, that would confirm my theory that some cars just doesn't like HID kits. Very few but it's there and documented

(you normally unlucky like that mate?!)

Hahaha no man! No worries. Im a pretty lucky guy because I drive an awesome Boxster

We can try a new set of Ballast. Isn't it to much hassle for you? But thanks for your offer, I hope that this solves it!

[Nine8Six]

Hubert, your test kit. Tracking no. EE326903451CN (scheduled for pick up @ 11:15am)

[particlewave]

See here. Same issue on a 996.

This is news to me, also. Funny that the above link was posted today on the 996 forum. Not sure if his are xenon, OEM or what.

[Pdwight]

Connecting a 10W 500 Ohm resistor across the +12V in on the Ballast, this will sometimes create a feedback loop and trap the spurious RF that is being generated bye the ballast...this will sometimes trap it in a loop...like a hamster in a wheel. You might have to experiment with the resistance to get to the right value. I had to cross this bridge years ago with a BMW that had the same problem. This has nothing to dso with the Canbus funsction

[Nine8Six]

It exist yes. Found 4 or 5 documented cars on the internet after an extensive research having the very same issues. For some reason, that I don't understand, most of these pcars, if not all, had either engine/DME swaps, rebuilds or had their ECU hacked into at some stage.

Where is the link some may ask, well apparently your guess is as good as mine.

At the minute all I can confirm is that CANBUS HID kit Charles and I offers works with the following:

1) Boxster (986) 2.5/2.7/3.2
2) 911 (996) all models

^ of course, only those models running "stock" engines, DME, immobilizers, and TMS.

[Edreamsz]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

It exist yes. Found 4 or 5 documented cars on the internet after an extensive research having the very same issues. For some reason, that I don't understand, most of these pcars, if not all, had either engine/DME swaps, rebuilds or had their ECU hacked into at some stage.

Where is the link some may ask, well apparently your guess is as good as mine.

At the minute all I can confirm is that CANBUS HID kit Charles and I offers works with the following:

1) Boxster (986) 2.5/2.7/3.2
2) 911 (996) all models

^ of course, only those models running "stock" engines, DME, immobilizers, and TMS.

Nine8Six thanks for the testkit! Funny to see that someone else has exact the same issue. I will test the new Ballast and get back to you. The second step will me using a resistor as Pdwight suggests. Let's see!

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

Nine8Six thanks for the testkit! Funny to see that someone else has exact the same issue. I will test the new Ballast and get back to you. The second step will me using a resistor as Pdwight suggests. Let's see!

I'd say the first step should to be Dwight's advice

He knows his stuff believe me, just too bad he's playing low profile (noob style lol)

[Edreamsz]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

I'd say the first step should to be Dwight's advice

He knows his stuff believe me, just too bad he's playing low profile (noob style lol)

Ok. I wil try his advice. But just to be sure: Ill try the resistor and place it between the original stock +12V connector and the Ballast. Correct? (I am not a electrical expert )

[Nine8Six]

Good timing, Hubert - I've just hung-up with an engineer working at the manufacturer of that ballast. He told me it already has a 5 ohm 50 watt resistor built-in circuit which is used apparently to fool computers by simulating the resistance of an traditional halogen bulb. This + a EMC filter (he mentioned capacitors?? RF canceller). The manufacturer also reassured us that there are both open & short circuit automatic protection that will trigger & tested within 1~2ms. So to him he is not too worried for your car

However he mentioned that whatever your problem is, to them it is not caused by their unit but more of an underlying electrical condition that your car (and some others apparently) is likely suffering of. That underlying electrical issue being amplified by the ballasts

Whatever that means mate. We change car?! I would mind a 3.6L fast Boxster

Like Dwight recommend, I'd still add some resistance on the circuit and see how things goes.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

(I am not a electrical expert )

Get a HID guru to look at the car Hubert, sure you have those experts in NL. Not expansive mate.

Looks like:


But again, apparently this is what drive the CANBUS function and it already has it built-in :/

[Edreamsz]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Get a HID guru to look at the car Hubert, sure you have those experts in NL. Not expansive mate.

Looks like:


But again, apparently this is what drive the CANBUS function and it already has it built-in :/

I just had a conversation with someone at Retrofitlab in the Netherlands. They told me that I would just have to try another Canbus ballast and see if that solves the problem (they have 2 types). I will test them and see if hope that there is a positive outcome

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Edreamsz

I just had a conversation with someone at Retrofitlab in the Netherlands. They told me that I would just have to try another Canbus ballast and see if that solves the problem (they have 2 types). I will test them and see if hope that there is a positive outcome

lol, back to my first advice I agree this is the way to go. In your case anyway, you'll possibly need to try a few until one set decide to love the car you are running there. Don't discourage buddy.

'Anything' I can do for you from this end, you have my mobby or email Hubert.

Drive safely with that 3.6! (must be mean as hell your car... I want it lol)

[Pdwight]

First let me say I am by no means an expert on this, just offering some suggestions. First try one light assembly out so you can try each side independently of each other, narrow it down to one side if possible. Second treat it like alternator whine in a stereo...it is after probably spurious AC being generated and getting back into the cars system....try attaching a .01 , .05 , .10 , .50 capacitor from +12V to ground and see if that might trap it and bleed it to ground before it gets back into the car. Next step would be to try making a LC circuit out of a inductor and a capacitor to also act as a choke. I Will try and do some research for better values. We have enough talent on this board we should be able to kill this problem

[particlewave]

Yes and no.
We first need to know what the problem is in order to solve it. Possibly AC feedback, but we don't know for sure. A capacitor to shunt any AC to ground is a good idea, but let's start with a new ballast

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Pdwight

We have enough talent on this board we should be able to kill this problem

Too kind Dwight. Sure Hubert feels so much better already

Charles is also a pretty impressive and switched-on electrical engineer - guessing he's just too busy trying to figure out how to convert potato genetics into green beans For myself, I can do nice & shinny headlight projectors but the electronic part/knowledge is sadly far-far behind yours or of Charles. Thanks x100 guys