Xenons not coming on

[barry_j]

There have been a few occasions when I turn the switch and only the side lights come on. I usually switch them off, then on again and the Xenons spark up but this morning it took 4 attempts. Any idea what may be causing this?

[996 turbo]

barry_j said:

There have been a few occasions when I turn the switch and only the side lights come on. I usually switch them off, then on again and the Xenons spark up but this morning it took 4 attempts. Any idea what may be causing this?

Do you have the engine running or not? Xenons use a very high current to spark them up initially and then settle down to quite a low working current (compared to halogens). So it could be a battery issue, otherwise it might be a early sign of the start-up pack/thingy failing. It could also be a problem with the switch or wiring somewhere.

Steve, 996TT

[barry_j]

996 turbo said:

Do you have the engine running or not?

Yes, engine is running when this happens.

[Raven Flyer]

Most likely cause is moisture in the connectors. These fire at about 25,000 volts which reduces to 7,000v. If the connectors are moist, the initial spike will arc across the moisture and the 7,000v supply will not ignite the gas.

Check the cable from the ballast pack to the bulb and check the rubber seals on the bulb connection. Ensure its all dry, but do NOT put WD40 or similar on it. First this will perish the rubber seals, second it may itself get ignited by the voltage.

[barry_j]

Cheers Raven - I'll give that a go...