HID Retrofit lights in Stock Halogen housings.

[vbhagwan]

Hmm, opened up the assembly, took out the bulbs, put them back in etc. Was unable to locate the vent :( - looked all around the casing, and couldn't find anything that looked like a vent. Anyone with a 986 try this? Have a pic of the vent that you could point me to? Thanks!

[Westcoaster]

The DDM kit you provided the link for looks good, either 4300/5000k will provide this best match to OEM color and intensity in the 35w version. Since this is retrofit kit your only concern with bulb type is to get the H7 kit, D2S/D2R are bulb types for existing HID systems, since your housing was made for H7 that is what you need.

Maybe someone with a 986 will chime in, mine is long gone so I don't know if they have the same style of vent. But... I do believe that a lot of 986 installations were run right from the existing wires, the 35W kit doesn't draw as much as the 55w halogens that it is replacing. Either that or I see the Xenon Experts include a connection harness, maybe an email to them to ask how it works and if they expect you to modify the back cover to make all of the connections?

A review of this thread might also provide the answer, it is based on a 986 install to begin with.

[gandrade1]

Hi guys,

I have had my ICQ kit installed for over a year now (2001 Boxster) and around a month ago, I started noticing that the passenger side sometimes doesn't light up.

I then have to switch the lights off and on again and it will work. Any idea of what might've happened?

All the best,

Gus

[Westcoaster]

Hi guys,

I have had my ICQ kit installed for over a year now (2001 Boxster) and around a month ago, I started noticing that the passenger side sometimes doesn't light up.

I then have to switch the lights off and on again and it will work. Any idea of what might've happened?

All the best,

Gus

It could be a few different things, did you check for loose connections, but first I would get back to ICQ and ask them what they think...

[gandrade1]

Hi guys,

I have had my ICQ kit installed for over a year now (2001 Boxster) and around a month ago, I started noticing that the passenger side sometimes doesn't light up.

I then have to switch the lights off and on again and it will work. Any idea of what might've happened?

All the best,

Gus

It could be a few different things, did you check for loose connections, but first I would get back to ICQ and ask them what they think...

Thanks Al,

I will check for loose connectors and if that doesnt work I will contact ICQ.

Best,

Gus

[azzar0]

I will check for loose connectors and if that doesnt work I will contact ICQ.

Best,

Gus

Hi Gus, have you fixed your problem yet? I am having the same issue with my CQ lights - passenger light won't turn on. I used to be able to turn them off and back on and then the passenger light would work, but now it just flickers for a second, like it's trying to light up, then it goes out and stays out.

For the time being I took the HID out of the left side so now I have HID on the right and stock on the left! I might just take them both out and go back to stock until I figure it all out.

Also, I noticed that my side lights (blue LEDs to match the color of the HIDs) are flickering. They are on, but not solid, they have a little flicker in them. It almost looks like one of the 7 or 8 leds is rapidly going out/in, making the light look like a Christmas light...

Anybody have an idea as to why this happens? Also, it doesn't happen all the time, but it looks like the frequency of this occurrance has increased lately.

Thanks!

[Westcoaster]

The CQ kit and pretty much any HID kit needs a stable (steady) supply of 12 volts to work properly, the ballasts will have problems and could be damaged by an unstable supply. The 987 has an interesting pulse in the lighting circuit that I found will not work with the CQ I installed, the only way I could get stable power was to run it directly from the battery.

You mention flicker on the LED side lights, that would indicate a voltage fluctuation of some type and could be causing your problem azzar0. You didn't mention if you had a 986 or a 987?

[azzar0]

The CQ kit and pretty much any HID kit needs a stable (steady) supply of 12 volts to work properly, the ballasts will have problems and could be damaged by an unstable supply. The 987 has an interesting pulse in the lighting circuit that I found will not work with the CQ I installed, the only way I could get stable power was to run it directly from the battery.

You mention flicker on the LED side lights, that would indicate a voltage fluctuation of some type and could be causing your problem azzar0. You didn't mention if you had a 986 or a 987?

It's a 986 (98 base model).

Is there a voltage regulator or something I could install before the lights? And the flickering on the side LEDs doesn't happen all the time, but it is more frequent now. The battery is new, I just changed it a couple of months ago...

Thanks

[gandrade1]

The CQ kit and pretty much any HID kit needs a stable (steady) supply of 12 volts to work properly, the ballasts will have problems and could be damaged by an unstable supply. The 987 has an interesting pulse in the lighting circuit that I found will not work with the CQ I installed, the only way I could get stable power was to run it directly from the battery.

You mention flicker on the LED side lights, that would indicate a voltage fluctuation of some type and could be causing your problem azzar0. You didn't mention if you had a 986 or a 987?

It's a 986 (98 base model).

Is there a voltage regulator or something I could install before the lights? And the flickering on the side LEDs doesn't happen all the time, but it is more frequent now. The battery is new, I just changed it a couple of months ago...

Thanks

Hi guys,

Checked my connectors and nothing is loose.

Azzar0, my battery is also new...And I have been experiencing exactly the same symptoms, with the exception of the flickering...

I am seriously considering taking the kit off completely...Since I got all the lights in the dashboard going off at once last week. It happened only once but scared me!

Lets keep each other posted.

Best,

Gus

Edited October 20, 2008 by gandrade1

[Westcoaster]

I am surprised that both of you (azzzar, Gus) are having similar problems due to the kit, but that would seem the common element. Have either of you talked to ICQ?

My kit has been installed for over a year now and works every time, I have it connected directy to the battery through a relay, I doesn't affect any other electrical circuit in the car.

As for taking the kit out, all you need to do is un plug the power to the kit and reconnect the halogen bulb to see if your problems persist.

As for voltage regulators, the original in the car sould be up to the task, no need to replace it unless it is defective. If the lights continue to flicker after you go back to the stock halogen bulbs I would have a reputable shop check your electrical charging system.

Although many consider the installation iof HID kits to be a DIY project, you do need to be careful and install them correctly, if you do not understand how auto electrical systems work or the proper way to wire these kits into the car then you are asking for trouble...

[azzar0]

I am surprised that both of you (azzzar, Gus) are having similar problems due to the kit, but that would seem the common element. Have either of you talked to ICQ?

My kit has been installed for over a year now and works every time, I have it connected directy to the battery through a relay, I doesn't affect any other electrical circuit in the car.

As for taking the kit out, all you need to do is un plug the power to the kit and reconnect the halogen bulb to see if your problems persist.

As for voltage regulators, the original in the car sould be up to the task, no need to replace it unless it is defective. If the lights continue to flicker after you go back to the stock halogen bulbs I would have a reputable shop check your electrical charging system.

Although many consider the installation iof HID kits to be a DIY project, you do need to be careful and install them correctly, if you do not understand how auto electrical systems work or the proper way to wire these kits into the car then you are asking for trouble...

I sent a not to CQLights - they haven't replied yet.

You said you have yours connected directly to the battery - how did you do that and how do you control the lights? Are you using a different switch?

I followed the instructions that came with the package, everything was fine for 6 months and then the passenger light stopped working. If it was a problem with the installation don't you think it would have surfaced before? It just seems odd that 6 months later issues happen - I never had a problem with these lights until last weekend. The flickering occurs on the side lights, not the HIDs. The side lights are LEDs and sometimes they both flicker, sometimes only one (either right or left, not sure what triggers this behavior). Sometimes turning the lights off and then back on seems to solve the issue; other times it doesn't help.

I was out of town last weekend and didn't have much time to spend on the lights problem, but since I was driving the car I had to have a light so I put my stock bulb in. Now I have HID on the driver side and stock on the passenger side. I will look at the lights tonight and see if I can get the one with the problem to work. I'll switch sides to see if it does the same thing on the driver's side.

Thanks,

azzar0.

[Westcoaster]

Yes, directly to the battery, I used a relay as shown in the instructions, I have a separate switch mounted under the dash, this trggers the relay which sends power directly from the battery to each of the ballasts. This bypasses everything in the car and is gauranteed to work asuming that the kit components are all good.

If your HID kit worked before then one side just stopped working then I would guess that one of the parts on that side failed or a connection came loose.

I would strongly suggest that you check all connections and wires carefully, make sure no wires are pinched or damaged if that is all good then I would swap a piece from the working side to the non-working side, one at a time to determine which component is bad. They are still under warrantly so it would be nice to sort it out soon...

[azzar0]

Yes, directly to the battery, I used a relay as shown in the instructions, I have a separate switch mounted under the dash, this trggers the relay which sends power directly from the battery to each of the ballasts. This bypasses everything in the car and is gauranteed to work asuming that the kit components are all good.

If your HID kit worked before then one side just stopped working then I would guess that one of the parts on that side failed or a connection came loose.

I would strongly suggest that you check all connections and wires carefully, make sure no wires are pinched or damaged if that is all good then I would swap a piece from the working side to the non-working side, one at a time to determine which component is bad. They are still under warrantly so it would be nice to sort it out soon...

It appears that the light bulb itself is not working, the rest is fine. I swapped light bulbs with the working side and the light did the same thing. Then I took the 'good' bulb and hooked it up to the wire harness on the other side and the light worked.

I sent a note to CQLights to see what needs to be done to exchange the bad bulb.

Question: I thought these lights were supposed to last a lot longer than halogen lights. If mine went out after only 6 months, what could be the cause? Bad bulb? Something else in the electrical system that somehow caused the light to burn?

Thanks,

azzar0.

[gandrade1]

Yes, directly to the battery, I used a relay as shown in the instructions, I have a separate switch mounted under the dash, this trggers the relay which sends power directly from the battery to each of the ballasts. This bypasses everything in the car and is gauranteed to work asuming that the kit components are all good.

If your HID kit worked before then one side just stopped working then I would guess that one of the parts on that side failed or a connection came loose.

I would strongly suggest that you check all connections and wires carefully, make sure no wires are pinched or damaged if that is all good then I would swap a piece from the working side to the non-working side, one at a time to determine which component is bad. They are still under warrantly so it would be nice to sort it out soon...

It appears that the light bulb itself is not working, the rest is fine. I swapped light bulbs with the working side and the light did the same thing. Then I took the 'good' bulb and hooked it up to the wire harness on the other side and the light worked.

I sent a note to CQLights to see what needs to be done to exchange the bad bulb.

Question: I thought these lights were supposed to last a lot longer than halogen lights. If mine went out after only 6 months, what could be the cause? Bad bulb? Something else in the electrical system that somehow caused the light to burn?

Thanks,

azzar0.

Hey Azzar0

I will do the same test...Hopefuly the bulb is the problem in my case as well......

Best,

Gus

[Westcoaster]

Yes, directly to the battery, I used a relay as shown in the instructions, I have a separate switch mounted under the dash, this trggers the relay which sends power directly from the battery to each of the ballasts. This bypasses everything in the car and is gauranteed to work asuming that the kit components are all good.

If your HID kit worked before then one side just stopped working then I would guess that one of the parts on that side failed or a connection came loose.

I would strongly suggest that you check all connections and wires carefully, make sure no wires are pinched or damaged if that is all good then I would swap a piece from the working side to the non-working side, one at a time to determine which component is bad. They are still under warrantly so it would be nice to sort it out soon...

It appears that the light bulb itself is not working, the rest is fine. I swapped light bulbs with the working side and the light did the same thing. Then I took the 'good' bulb and hooked it up to the wire harness on the other side and the light worked.

I sent a note to CQLights to see what needs to be done to exchange the bad bulb.

Question: I thought these lights were supposed to last a lot longer than halogen lights. If mine went out after only 6 months, what could be the cause? Bad bulb? Something else in the electrical system that somehow caused the light to burn?

Thanks,

azzar0.

Yes the bulbs should last for a long time, many years.

I would ask CQ about the ballast and ignighter on the sude that failed, it may be possible that it caused the failure of the bulb.

Another thing could be a discharge of the Xenon gas from the bulb, caused by a defect or rough handling, these bulbs need to be handled very carefully and never touch the glass with your bare hands, the oil from your fingers can etch the glass and cause it to fail.

Keep us posted...

[azzar0]

Received the replacement bulb and put the HIDs back in. They've been working fine for the past couple of days, no problem. I don't know if the problem is deeper than a bad bulb or not, and unfortunately winter is coming so I won't be able to replace parts under warranty should something else go wrong, because I won't be driving the car for the next few months. Luckily the replacement bulbs are not that expensive, but if one of the light bulbs burns again I'll have to look deeper for the cause.

In any event, all is well again with the HIDs, at least for the time being.

Now, as far as the LEDs on the sides - they still flicker, either one or the other, none, or both... I think the problem is that LEDs are much more sensitive to incoming current than regular bulbs. I also think that main lights have better current regulators than side lights and that's why I see flickering only on the sides. I did a search and found out that a lot of people have issues with LEDs because they are so sensitive. In many cases, even adding an in-line voltage regulator didn't help. On the bright side, it doesn't look like a flaw to those who don't know, but rather like a 'feature' :) I even got compliments on the flickers from various people, hehehe.

[Westcoaster]

Received the replacement bulb and put the HIDs back in. They've been working fine for the past couple of days, no problem. I don't know if the problem is deeper than a bad bulb or not, and unfortunately winter is coming so I won't be able to replace parts under warranty should something else go wrong, because I won't be driving the car for the next few months. Luckily the replacement bulbs are not that expensive, but if one of the light bulbs burns again I'll have to look deeper for the cause.

In any event, all is well again with the HIDs, at least for the time being.

Now, as far as the LEDs on the sides - they still flicker, either one or the other, none, or both... I think the problem is that LEDs are much more sensitive to incoming current than regular bulbs. I also think that main lights have better current regulators than side lights and that's why I see flickering only on the sides. I did a search and found out that a lot of people have issues with LEDs because they are so sensitive. In many cases, even adding an in-line voltage regulator didn't help. On the bright side, it doesn't look like a flaw to those who don't know, but rather like a 'feature' :) I even got compliments on the flickers from various people, hehehe.

Good to hear that the replacement bulb has done the trick (fingers crossed).

As for the LED flickering, that too is interesting, the voltage going to the lights on the car should all come from the same source. Although I don't currently have any none OEM LED bulbs installed on the Boxster, I did on my RX-7, they never flickered at all, solid constant light. As for their sensitivity, they by nature are able to react to change in supply power because they can switch on/off so fast where as a heated filament bulb would smooth out a changing voltage much more.

At one point I had a LED high mount brake light on my 2003, and of course there is a LED highmount brake light on my 2006, I have never noticed that either of them flickers, not that I follow my own car much (I prefer to be the driver! :P ).

Edited November 4, 2008 by Westcoaster

[gary996]

Well I have been watching this DIY thread for a long time now and I am getting ready to do my HID upgrade. I have two questions...

1) has anyone had any experience, positive or negative with any of the many other HID kit suppliers? The good people at CQ are going to be around $180 for me (that included the privilege of living in the Golden State surcharge, no shopping charges) and they won't let me pick it up even though they are within easy driving range. On ebay they range form $60 up, including shipping.

2) my lenses have some burnt marks on them. Has anyone dealt with that? Once I open everything up I was thinking about getting a bottle brush or something in there to clean it off. Other ideas, suggestion? Don't do it?

Thanks,

Gary996

[niebyl2002]

remove the lens completely. it will look great.

Edited February 4, 2009 by niebyl2002

[gary996]

remove the lens completely. it will look great.

Okay, sounds like a winner, thanks.

G

[zman1858]

Getting ready to order from CQ...what are people doing for the fog light....I might go with the 6000 and figure the the stock fog lights will look funny....

[juniinc]

using a pair xenon filled bulbs

[zman1858]

using a pair xenon filled bulbs

Do you mind telling from where or what kind...

[juniinc]

Euro Dezigns H7 8500K 55W

[azzar0]

Euro Dezigns H7 8500K 55W

These look interesting - how bright are they compared to stock / halogen and/or compared to HID lights?

I had H7 blue lights in my fogs but took them out because they were not bright enough (worse than stock).

Edited February 10, 2009 by azzar0