Flicker in my Xenon

[Bomi]

I have a Octy 1 vRS with factory-fitted xenons. Car has done 24k kms. One of the xenons gives off a VERY slight flicker a few seconds after being switched on. It is only noticeable, close-up against a wall or another vehicle in front. The flicker is there whether the engine is running or not. Could it be a loose connection or fuse? Please tell me where to look - all I know about the car is how to drive it.

Thanks. Bomi.

[Jon TDI]

Check all the connections are secure with the ignition OFF. The cable will be at the back of the headlight & ballast boxes fixed somewhere near (Fabia ones are behind the light on the left side & underneath the slam panel on the right side).

The headlights may adjust themselves when switched on, so there might a bit of intereference with the cables/connections.

Other thing could be ballast boxes starting to expire.

[mannyo]

Checking with the ignition OFF is very important. You dont want to get electrocuted by the huge voltage that the xenons use.

[VRSPhil]

The ballast boxes on the Octavia are screwed to the back of the light units. I would remove the unit on the offending side and clean the connection block. There's a rubber seal which is designed to stop water/dirt getting into the connection but it's quite possible that it's leaking.

[Bomi]

Thank you all for your tips. This will be my weekend chore.

[KenONeill]

All good advice, but I'd not stress too much. More than one of my colleages reports Xenons (various car types) as "going supernova" when first switched on, and then settling down once the height adjustment has done its work.

[philc]

I seem to recall that the nearside one on my Mk1 L&K used to do it -It never caused a major problem, but I think the adjustment motor was a twitchy.

Phil

[whitebakecase]

whats all this talk about xenons??? i'm using standard 3 pin halogens, i assume when you say xenon you mean HV /HID units? was this a factory option? and where can i get mine....!!!

[KenONeill]

Also AKA "Plasma discharge" units, yes.

[Jakester]

They were factory options, IIRC about £600ish? Test drove an 04 hatch with them. Didn't do masses for the used price. Nice option though - I *think* they came with headlight washers too.

[whitebakecase]

excerrrrrrlentez... learn something new every day... i wasnt aware that this was even available, so whats the cost and wher do i go

[KenONeill]

Headlight washers, and automatic headlight levelling, are both mandatory with std or factory option PD headlights. The jury's still out on whether or not you need to have them with a retro-fit.

[whitebakecase]

hmm could work out to be rather more pricy than just a case of popping a xenon tube and a ballast in there then?

[KenONeill]

I can't advocate doing something illegal, but have you ever heard of someone being done or failing an MoT for "illegally powerful lighting"? I've certainly not.

[Jon TDI]

Current MOT checks don't check washer system or self levelling, just correct alignment. New cars have to have them for regulations.

However, this is something that the big wigs have been looking into.

[Bomi]

Guys, an update to the problem I had reported on Feb. 27. I had checked that the connections to the lights were secure, but despite that the flicker would not go away. Given the high cost of a xenon bulb, I left it as is, waiting for the bulb to die completely, before replacing it. Well, two days ago, by car battery died on me and I had to replace it. With a pleasant surprise, I noted, that the flicker in my xenon is gone. So a flickering xenon may be due to a about-to-go-dead battery.

Bomi.

[KenONeill]

Makes some sort of sense to me, since xenons require a steady electricity supply, although I'd presumed that the alternator would give one with the engine running irresepctive of battery condition.

[Ic3man]

My Xenons have worked fine from day 1. You want to see them flicker when you battery is dying though - looks like a strobe light.

[KenONeill]

I don't disbelieve you guys; I just thought that the alternator supplied power directly to the car systems, rather than charging the battery whilst everything else discharged it.

[apd007]

I guess it could be the high initial ignition voltage/current required, if the battery isn't suppling a clean enough or high enough voltage/current I guess the igniter could struggle, leading to a flickering. Once the light is lit then I suspect it settles down.

Thats my thoughts anyway, I'm sure someone else will have an opinion.

[Ic3man]

I don't disbelieve you guys; I just thought that the alternator supplied power directly to the car systems, rather than charging the battery whilst everything else discharged it.

Yeah mine worked fine while the engine was running (jump started :() but with a dying battery they just flickered constantly with the ignition on.

[KenONeill]

Yeah mine worked fine while the engine was running (jump started :() but with a dying battery they just flickered constantly with the ignition on.

That's what I'd expect to happen, cos that's when you won't get the full voltage from the battery, so you might not get the voltage necessary to "strike off" the plasma arcs for your Xenons.

[150HP&counting]

Sorry to drop in on the thread but it is kinda similar....

Got HID/Xenon's on my octy LnK as standarad (car now nearly 6 yrs old-2001 Y plate).

Went out driving the other night, and didnt notice anything at first untill pulled up behind a rather shiny new BMW, then noticed that nearside xenon headlighht wasnt on.

What am needing to know is could it be anything but the HID bulb itself or not? I remember hearing somewhere that they were suppose to last the life of a car, so do they consider this to be 6 years - out of interest?

Sorry again, just thought whilst we were on the subject of Xenons..

cheers

lee

[KenONeill]

It's quite possible that it is the "bulb" that's blown; I've seen it mooted that "last the the life of the car" actually means "the life of the component is longer than the warranty, to the 3-sigma (99%) limit".

[Ic3man]

There have been times when only one of mine lights first time. A quick off-on sorts it.