Litronics no go
 

My Litronics(both sides) started flickering non-stop at start up a month ago,it would take 10-15 tries to get them to fire up right...then last week after driving to the movies they didn't come on at all at start up. I had to drive home with the fog lights on,all the other headlight lights worked as well.

I replaced the ignition switch,didn't fix it. I tried taking apart the headlight switch,spraying it with electronic contact cleaner,now the light are back to flickering.

-Both litronics flicker in harmony,swapping fuses did nothing,headlights work fine otherwise.

Any other ideas before I order a new headlight switch?

Stupid car is only usable in the day time..... :troll:

Sounds like it's time to replace the headlight switch.

I guess the car realized what your username is....(bad joke)

The symptoms sound ballast related. However, there's a ballast for each headlight, so the fact that they're blinking at the same rate leads me to shared wiring.

Anyone know if the headlights share a common ground?

Do they flicker more when driving vs. parked?
Engine on vs. off?
Are they factory installed Litronics, or did you retro fit them?
Do you have the High-beam tilt harness?

Edit: Adam's comment about the switch is spot on. You can try jumping the inputs to see if it's the switch itself or the wiring going into it.

I'd replace the switch ASAP. Some HID ballasts will fail if cycled too quickly. Then you are looking at a much more expensive repair.

-james

When they flicker like that it usually means...
 

... that there's not enough current to charge up the capacitor.
I would guess that you have a bad light switch or a connector which is failing.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

bulbs
 

i just pulled a set (on my passat) where i was having problems on startup, one or the other might not fire. turned out to be a low voltage problem which was easily remedied, so check the voltage to the ballast, then try direct to battery connection to bypass all the car electrical system.

i had a bulb burn out recently too. and the only way to confirm a bulb or ballast is to swap with know good parts either side to side or with a buddies car using the same type bulb.

if these are the factory litronics its probably a D2S bulb which is common to number of OEM HID systems, you may have the same bulb in another vehicle

It doesn't matter if the car is moving,engine on/off. It's either they flicker at start up and stay like that or they start up fine.

They are Litronics,not factory installed but worked perfectly fine before this.

I'd get a jumper wire and test the leads going into the light switch.

For instructions on removing the switch, look at page 103 of this PDF: http://www.cannell.co.uk/Boxster_Manuals/986%20Group%200a%20Diagnosis%20To%2045.pdf

Wiring info is available in these PDFs:
http://www.cannell.co.uk/Boxster_Manuals/986%20Group%208-9%20AC-Electrics.pdf

http://www.cannell.co.uk/Boxster_Manuals/986%20Group%209%20Circuit%20Diagrams%20From%2000.p df

http://www.cannell.co.uk/Boxster_Manuals/986%20Group%209%20Circuit%20Diagrams%20To%2099.pdf

All that info...I really should learn electric circuitry.

$93 bucks later and my headlight switch is on it's way from Sunset Imports.

Could you just not hotwire the lights directly to the battery to test lights?

If someone were willing to tell me how exactly to do that i'd try,but I have very little knowledge with electric stuff.

$92.02 paid to Sunset for a new headlight switch shipped and my Litronics work again!

The new part isn't even the same color if that matters and Sunset says they ship them out non-stop. Another faulty Porsche part.