Hey kids. I just swapped some '02 Xenons into my '06 (originally halogen) and everything seemed happy until I actually tried to use them with the car running I did not install the leveling sensors or washers, just the light assembly, which plugged right in. It works like a charm when the car is off, but when the car is running, I get a cool headlight disco! I've read some posts on BMW boards where this same issue occurs with retrofits and is remedied with a reflash. I'm curious if anyone knows the root of this problem or has a wiring diagram for the lighting system. I haven't even begun the diagnosis, so I have no other info besides the cool symptoms which make quite a scene driving thru my neighborhood

 

Ok. I got some voltage readings and am hoping someone with factory HIDs could put a meter on their connector to compare.

What I found was this:

On the connector, there are several small pin receptacles on the top row (unused on halogens). There are 4 blade receptacles in the bottom row of which 3 are wired (1, 3, and 4 numbered left to right). If Vs=Battery voltage I read the following

Lows on:
1= Vs
3= Grnd
4= (Vs-1)volts

Highs on:
1= Vs
3= Grnd
4= Vs

Engine off Vs=~12V
Engine on Vs=~14V

My only theory is that the ballasts don't like 14V but this seems odd.
I'm also intrigued with the (Vs-1) thing on pin 4...why not just ground? Crazy Germans.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

I found this on MINI2

http://www.mini2.com/forum/exterior/...er#post2280787

There really doesn't seem to be a whole lot of additional info out there.

Keep me posted.

 

Quick question.. Does the flicker change with the RPM of the engine?

 

No... I should really call it a restrike instead of a flicker. The rate is pretty consistent at about 2/sec. Sometimes it stops trying to strike for a bit and then tries some more. It looks like I'll have some time tomorrow to rig up my o-scope to it, to see if anything else interesting is going on.

 

The reflash seems to be a logical course of action, as I've seen it mentioned a few times. The lights seem to be fed from something other than a relay (thus the (Vs-1) thing) so it is conceivable that a reflash could cause the supply voltage to the ballasts to be changed. I will call tomorrow to see if a dealer will do this for free or cheap.

 

any update on this? Are you still having a flicker problem?

In some retro kits, this is seen....but has to do with a bad ballast over a problem with the wire or power to the system. I have helped install many aftermarket kits for friends, as well as 3 kits on my other cars....and in one car, I had continued bad ballasts on the passenger side. Constant flicker, and clicking after the car was turned off. Turns out, it had to do with placement of the ballast....I had it close to the brake res....and it was somehow arcing to the ballast and it kept on frying the unit....Once moved, the flicker stopped and I have not had a problem. This is on my Subaru Daily Driver, not my MINI.

Just wondering if somehow your ballast got damaged in shipping, or there was damage to the bulb or some of the wiring.....causing a small arc or power spike.

Keep us up todate on what has happened, as I also have a set of Xenons for sale and feedback from those that switched from halogens to xenon may open the market up for the xenons I have sitting in the garage.

thanks
jon

 

Just got back from the dealership and they did a reflash/update of the LCM for the xenons and it worked! I only tested them for a few minutes but everything looks ok. I will update if there are any issues. If any dealership says it can't be done, as many have told me, tell them to call Otto's Mini in PA.

 

After 400 miles of driving with the xenons on, I think it's safe to say that they work properly after the LCM reflash. I also got to experience the scary lack of visibility while driving with these things in a snow storm Holy crap do they suck! I actually drove about 60 mi up the PA turnpike with just the parking lights on because w/ the HIDs I could see NO markings on the road, nor could I perceive the motion of the car versus the barrier wall, which I nearly pegged a few times...EEK. Looks like the next mod is fog lights.

 

Go for yellow, you won't be disappointed. Your white out conditions are similar to driving on fresh blacktop...the Xenons do nothing because the light up black as black. Yellow fogs help a lot in these situations.

 

Soo, you're saying the xenons suck? How can that be? Are they aimed wrong?

Oh wait, I missed the part about the snow storm, :-P

 

Hi guys, I recently got some 02-04 OEM xenons for my 2005 MC with halogens, and I am experiencing the similar problems as Piper.

My question is what the LCM, that was referred to, stands for? Also what kind of costs am i looking at approximately?

 

Does anyone with NCS Expert know which parameters in the FRM to change to stop the xenon flicker?