HID Upgrade Info? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Bud · 07-31-2008, 10:31 PM

OK, I finished the install and it looks great. I stuffed everything inside the housing, I'm a bit concerned that things might get too hot in there and melt something, otherwise I think it's all good. The kit came with 25 amp fuses though and I thought current draw would be less not more, any info here would be nice. Actually I can't even locate the headlight fuse? so I ran it for 5 min, even with hibeam nothing popped. Thanks for the input guys.

Cheers,

Bud

fragdude · 07-31-2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bud

OK, I finished the install and it looks great. I stuffed everything inside the housing, I'm a bit concerned that things might get too hot in there and melt something, otherwise I think it's all good. The kit came with 25 amp fuses though and I thought current draw would be less not more, any info here would be nice. Actually I can't even locate the headlight fuse? so I ran it for 5 min, even with hibeam nothing popped. Thanks for the input guys.

Cheers,

Bud

HIDs draw less except for when they turn on/ignite. I know mine can draw up to 16 amps (I had stock 15 amp fuses and put 20s in). On the 986 the low beam fuses are the last two on row A (all the way to the right). High beams run off different fuses so they shouldn't blow, if fuses do blow, they would do so when you turn them on. So I guess for now you don't have to change them if you don't want to...

I had a larger ballast that I couldn't fit into the housing, so I don't really know about how hot it gets in the housing itself..

Bud · 08-01-2008, 10:54 AM

So you cut a hole I assume and put the ballast where exactly, I have no idea where to put it; and the wiring so that it wouldn't interfer with the removal, replacement of the headlight housing. Did you cut into the metal inner fender? Just want to know because I was told that the wiring in the housing with the ballast may melt! I'ld hate to bring the kit back but cooking wires isn't an option.

Cheers,

Bud

fragdude · 08-01-2008, 11:07 AM

yeah, i cut a hole in the headlight housing cover (something like 26mm for me, but i had to cut another small nub out so i could fit a connector through). I placed the ballast right beside the headlight housing (to the right of it on the drivers side, to the left of it on the passenger side). I think this is not the best place to put it, but I don't want to drill a fairly large hole in the body and so far no water has gotten to it. I used molding tape, I was hesitant to drill mounting holes here too. I didn't know how permanent it would be there and I didn't want another place for water to get in.

Wiring it so it doesn't get in the way with headlamp removal just means leaving enough slack so that you can remove the head lamp assembly enough to disconnect the ballast wires. Another reason why I just placed the ballasts right next to the assembly

lucky_topher · 08-01-2008, 11:13 AM

yeah, i cut a hole too... my kit came with a weatherproof grommet already installed on the wires so it fit right in... i put the ballast inside the fender area and ziptied it in 2 places so it doesn't move, but i still have enough slack to pull the light out and disconnect the wires

stateofidleness · 11-02-2008, 10:49 AM

gentlemen, can you help me diagnose my lack of light problem...
i just installed this kit, got everything hooked up correctly, went to test it, and i can't seem to get my low beam light to come on at all...

after rereading the instructions a few times i saw it mentioned replacing the stock fuse to a 20A fuse... do i need to do this? can i get these at radio shack or autozone?

is there something else i can look at to test why they aren't coming on?

no matter how i twist the headlight knob, i get nothing... when i turn them to 'on', all i see is that "standy" light in the middle of the housing, but no lows...

HELP!

EDIT: ok after some googling, i found it might be a "polarity" issue, so i went out and rotated the connector to the ballast, tried her out and ...!

HID!!!.. but now my new problem is that they only come on with the high beams selected.. they are off while the low beams are selected... what is the deal?

bigb · 11-03-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stateofidleness

gentlemen, can you help me diagnose my lack of light problem...
i just installed this kit, got everything hooked up correctly, went to test it, and i can't seem to get my low beam light to come on at all...

after rereading the instructions a few times i saw it mentioned replacing the stock fuse to a 20A fuse... do i need to do this? can i get these at radio shack or autozone?

is there something else i can look at to test why they aren't coming on?

no matter how i twist the headlight knob, i get nothing... when i turn them to 'on', all i see is that "standy" light in the middle of the housing, but no lows...

HELP!

EDIT: ok after some googling, i found it might be a "polarity" issue, so i went out and rotated the connector to the ballast, tried her out and ...!

HID!!!.. but now my new problem is that they only come on with the high beams selected.. they are off while the low beams are selected... what is the deal?

Are you sure you did not change your hi-beam instead of your low-beam? Note that on the 986, the low-beam is the bulb on the top, and the hi-beam is the one below. Can be confusing.

If that isn't the problem, then I wonder if you inadvertently switched the wiring between hi and low beams?