xenon aftermarket

[brukutu]

Finally got sometime to install my xenon. Did left light. All good...works fine when ignition is on engine off. Soon as I started the car they stay on for 5 seconds then go off with light error on dash.

What can I do to stop this?
2004 z4.

Heard if put a resistor it will stop it? What ohm and wats? Thanks guys

 

[Sankekur]

You need to put a 4700uF (rated at higher than 12V) capacitor in parallel with the input of each of the control units, that should sort your issue out.

 

[brukutu]

Should I just put it across 12 v and ground on the 12v input in the ballast?
4700uF rated at lets say 24v?
Is that what you got on yours?

 

[Sankekur]

I did it like so: (Negative of the capacitor goes to the brown ground wire)

Yup 25V will be fine, just so long as it is higher than the 12V the car is running at.

 

[Peejay]

And the cap will solve the error on the dash as well? What if one of the blubs should fail will the OBD still register that there's an error?

 

[Sankekur]

To the best of my knowledge and experience (on my 2004 e46) this will solve the startup issues (only on later models) the warning lights in the cluster (it will be off), and the bulb-out warning lights will still work as they are supposed too, ie when one of the bulbs die it will show that the bulb is out.

 

[Peejay]

Cool. Something to think about when I try to install the HID kit on my e36.

 

[Sankekur]

Cool, I hope it works for the e36's as well

 

[Peejay]

Don't know how the headlights OBD work but the number plate lights seem to work with resistance manage to fool my cars OBD by connecting LEDs in parallel.

 

[brukutu]

Don't know how the headlights OBD work but the number plate lights seem to work with resistance manage to fool my cars OBD by connecting LEDs in parallel.

From what I gether they work on current draw or voltage drop...

---

WOw. long day.
fitted other side, picked up caps as instructed.
One light works perfect. Other works, and goes off and trow error when engine goes on. They both work with engine off.

However, i swapped the balalst around and problem also swapped.

One of my ballist seems to be very fussy with its power. When light error goes on the dash, 12v and ground still on on the light. Light just goes in failsafe and switches off.

I think i am gonna have to to do a relay harness?

that is, car wires to coil (will get a big enough relay to draw enought current so error doesnt come on), Normally open to light, common to 12v from battery. Ground connected to ballast.

Sankeour, think that will solve my problem?

(i am aware that lights out will always be off in this case and not function in case of lamp failure)

 

[P1000]

You could use Bossman's circuit from here: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=7609

 

[brukutu]

So i though of trying a relay harness. First wanted to make sure that connected straight to the bat would work.


Well it works....but as soon as engine goes on, light goes off........even straight to the Jump terminals on the front of the car.............\

Help please!

 

[Legacy]

If the one xenon works fine and the other one doesn't then the most probable cause is that the one xenon ballast is busted. Where did you buy the kit? They usually come with a one-year warranty so they should just swop the busted one out for a working one.

Take the car to the guy/place that you bought it and show them the problem as well as when you swop the ballasts the problem swops.

 

[P1000]

There are sometimes issues with the cheap chinese HID kits. I know of one case on an e46 where the car electronics seemingly crashed after the guy switched on his aftermarket HID fogs, luckily when he switched it on again, everything still worked, only the mileage was set back to 4000, with no tamper lights. But the amount of noise injected back into the power lines could wreak havoc with these kits that don't comply with any (EMI/RFI) regulations. Best would be to try a CLC filter arrangement.