Replace of headlight connector

[Charles Bradley]

My drivers' side headlight was replaced by the dealership after an accident. It has worked fine for two years since, but recently decided to stop working. I get a "check dipped beam" message on the cluster as a result. The turn signals work, as does a single little light on the outer side of the assembly. The main and high beam do not.

 

After taking it out to inspect, I noticed that the electrical harness connector on the back was the problem. When I could force it into the headlights socket, the lights all powered up and worked fine, as did the high beam. So a poor connection is the culprit.

 

One of the tabs on the side of the white connector was broken off, so the connector wiggles in its place. I imagine that the force of the headlight being pushed back wiggled it just enough that it wouldnt' seat into the headlight assembly. But getting that white connector into the socket and then back into its place without being able to get my hand in from the rear of the light was not apparent.  I also noted that the insulation on all the wires was terribly frayed and coming off in my hands as I examined it.

 

But with a new connector in hand, I don't see how to wiggle the old one out. It slides in from the side on the back of the tray holding the headlight assembly, but is blocked from sliding out all the way.

 

How do I rectify this?

Edited January 3, 2019 by Charles Bradley

[Loren]

You likely want the Sir Tools ST9025.

 

[Charles Bradley]

To remove the whole tray? or?

 

I need to see what comes out and how

Edited January 3, 2019 by Charles Bradley

[Loren]

It is an electrical pin removal tool - used to remove and replace pins in electrical connectors.

[Charles Bradley]

I dont see why i need such a tool.

 

The pin connector on the headlight is not a problem.

 

The wiring harness connector that it connects to, which also connects to the tray is the problem. How do you remove the tray holding it in place, because it won't wiggle free.

[K-man]

To remove the white plastic part on the headlight harness (#19 left side), you have to pinch the tops of the connector toward the center and wiggle it free from the plastic tray. It is also connected to the wiring on the other side via a socket (#19 right side). I removed beauty covers from under the hood and opened the air filter housing on mine to gain more access to the space, but mine is a 955 Base V-6, so yours may have a different layout. I also had to use a file to shave some of the plastic tab on the underside of the headlight to gain the leverage needed to seat it all the way back into the newly installed headlight harness using the headlight tool.

[Charles Bradley]

Ok thank you, the air filter box and housing is preventing it from being able to slide out (the black end of 19 slides to the inside of the car, but the obstruction prevents it from going all the way)

 

Does removing bolt 18 allow this to come up, and what is part 15?

[Charles Bradley]

There are 4 10mm bolts holding the tray in place, but even with their removal the whole tray doesn't come out, its blocked on the left and right by the body structure. However I was able to get it loose enough to get the harness connector replaced.

 

Unfortunately this didn't solve the problem and the drivers headlight will not turn on at all. Before, I could force the old connector to seat and the main light would come on intermittently, telling me it had to be a connection issue, but there is a tiny bulb to the outside and below the main bulb (3 in the diagram above) that was always on whenever the lights were turned on, so I was at least getting some connection on some of the pins.

 

Now, with the new harness, the tiny light (3 above) on the headlight assembly that is just below and to the outside of the main bulb does not come on at all, and there is no response from the main headlight assembly whatsoever to being pressed in to the connector and held in firmly, when the lights are turned on.  I was able to remove some of the vanity covers to get my hands around from behind and make sure it was pressed in all the way once it was in the car too, but no luck.

 

I did double check the part for the harness connector, its the factory as best I can tell. I'm pretty sure this idiot dealer will stick me for the charge of a brand new Porsche headlight assembly, but I don't know what else to do.

Edited January 15, 2019 by Charles Bradley

[Brian Krueger]

Are your headlights halogen or xenon?

[Charles Bradley]

Factory as far as I know, which i thought were xenon HIDs, is there a specific car RPO code to check to confirm

Edited January 17, 2019 by Charles Bradley

[Loren]

8BZ would be the option code.

 

[K-man]

Also, Xenon ones will have the control unit (#17 in the picture). Halogen will not. Each kind also has a specific wiring harness, so that may be the issue.

[Charles Bradley]

[Loren]

I checked your VIN - you do have Xenon headlights.

[Chris Farmer]

I have had intermittent and lost connections (check dipped beam and turn signal not working) on both of my 06 cayenne S headlights.  In my case the connectors do not seat deeply enough in the headlight due to wear/damage to the tray, headlight, and connector.  Plastics do not stay the same shape forever so rather than buying new trays and headlights to fix the tolerance issues I put some self adhesive rubber (like foam tap) behind the connector on the tray to move the connector slightly forward so it pushes it more deeply into the headlight.  I also put some deoxit on the contacts to help remove oxides and improve conductivity.  If you have a connectivity problem this is certainly your cheapest solution as the alternative -  trays are about 80$ each and the headlights range from 250$ for halogen to 1400$ for porsche zenon.

[Charles Bradley]

Yes even aftermarket Xenons are $700+ and this is not a good option.

 

Pelican Parts may end up sending me another, but I am going to take it apart again and force it to seat first.

[Charles Bradley]

So tonight I took it back out, forced it into the assembly unit and I can get everything to work except the Xenon and the directional Xenon.

 

High beam and turn signal do work. Anyone have any ideas, what about a continuity test on the harness connector?

 

The old connector had been giving sporadic/sputtering light up of the Xenon last weekend when I pulled it initially, when being forced into the assembly, not constant light-up.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Charles Bradley

[Dino Roussetos]

18 hours ago, Chris Farmer said:

I have had intermittent and lost connections (check dipped beam and turn signal not working) on both of my 06 cayenne S headlights.  In my case the connectors do not seat deeply enough in the headlight due to wear/damage to the tray, headlight, and connector.  Plastics do not stay the same shape forever so rather than buying new trays and headlights to fix the tolerance issues I put some self adhesive rubber (like foam tap) behind the connector on the tray to move the connector slightly forward so it pushes it more deeply into the headlight.  I also put some deoxit on the contacts to help remove oxides and improve conductivity.  If you have a connectivity problem this is certainly your cheapest solution as the alternative -  trays are about 80$ each and the headlights range from 250$ for halogen to 1400$ for porsche zenon.

This seems like the wise choice to start. Having issues with mine as well. I will try tighten up the connectors and the actual tray guides. Have to get creative!

[neoplanet]

I had intermittent problems with headlights all the time until I replaced those harnesses. Then all problems ceased. I didn’t have much trouble getting them out of there but I did crack one holder a bit. Still seems ok. Just slide them to the side if I remember correctly. No special tools needed.


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[ciaka]

From my experience on CTT headlights there are a couple places to look.

1.  Harness - #23 on parts diagram.  Simple to replace.  Sometimes resolves issues.

2.  ECU - #17 on parts diagram, mounted on bottom of headlight assembly.  Simple to replace with Torx bit.  This one would cause dipped headlight errors if it craps out.

3.  Internal wiring of headlight connector that mates with #23 harness.

This one, item 3, is most likely why folks get errors etc.  After years of working, the wiring insulation becomes brittle, and starts flaking off.  Combined with the fact that folks replace bulbs often through life of car, moving wires, accelerating the insulation flaking off process.

After some time, the wires become exposed and that is when you start seeing all sorts of funny stuff happen.  Battery discharged, components not work, fuses blowing, etc.

 

I looked into there and the only way to solve is the replace the internal headlight connector, or buy new headlight.  I was unable to find any part or process for replacing only the connector.  Dont want to spend 500 bucks on new headlight, so what I plan to do is do slight modification of internal headlight, to access internal wires, and replace each wire with new wires, that will be heat shrink tubed to ensure no wires touch.  Started doing this but now playing with a different issue, putting the headlight one on back burner.  

 

If you want to eliminate the dipped beam due to the ecu for it (#17), remove both headlights, and swap the ECU, the dipped beam will follow the bad ecu.  I did that and had to order another ecu.  Once in, all was great.  However, I challenge all of you to take out headlight, open the covers, and look inside the headlight at the small wires as near the inside of headlight connector as you can.  You will see all sorts of cracking on wires there - that is the source of many issues electrically here.

 

[Chris Farmer]

On 1/23/2019 at 6:34 AM, Dino Roussetos said:

This seems like the wise choice to start. Having issues with mine as well. I will try tighten up the connectors and the actual tray guides. Have to get creative!

I went back into the headlight again last weekend and found the short harness that sits in the cradle had the insulation falling off all of the wires.  This is likely the cause of my right headlight check indicator problem.  I removed the harness cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol and coated the whole think in a few coats of liquid electrical tape.  Haven't have any problems with it since.

[K-man]

If anyone is looking for new headlights, make sure to include Rock Auto in your retailer price quotes. They had the best pricing I could find on the Valeo brand ones when I replaced mine about 18 months ago.

[Dino Roussetos]

8 hours ago, Chris Farmer said:

I went back into the headlight again last weekend and found the short harness that sits in the cradle had the insulation falling off all of the wires.  This is likely the cause of my right headlight check indicator problem.  I removed the harness cleaned it with isopropyl alcohol and coated the whole think in a few coats of liquid electrical tape.  Haven't have any problems with it since.

I took both headlights out, brought them indoors (-20 Celsius), cleaned the connectors, cleaned the contacts for both indicator bulbs, slapped them back in, and viola! worked until an hour later, bummer, right indicator failed. I will have to wait until milder weather to look at the harnesses and assess..good information thx! 

[ciaka]

3 hours ago, Dino Roussetos said:

I took both headlights out, brought them indoors (-20 Celsius), cleaned the connectors, cleaned the contacts for both indicator bulbs, slapped them back in, and viola! worked until an hour later, bummer, right indicator failed. I will have to wait until milder weather to look at the harnesses and assess..good information thx! 

 

The harness to assess is the one inside the headlight itself.  Once you open cover, look down, all the wires coming out of that connector (which mates with harness outside headlight), most get brittle and flake off due to heat/age.

[Charles Bradley]

Unfortunately the headlight i have was a brand new factory Porsche lamp that was replaced after a minor sideswipe accident cracked the original, about 2 years ago now. Seems quite unlikely the brain inside the assembly would die after 2 years.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by Charles Bradley