In detail: do-it-yourself d3s xenon lamp repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Light in the dark is an extremely necessary thing. Therefore, how to repair the xenon ignition unit with your own hands, it will be useful to know everyone who has such lamps. Spending money on a new block means punching a noticeable hole in the budget, which you want to avoid in any way you can.
Going to a car electrician is, again, to lose a certain amount, and even, possibly, to be left without a car for a while for repairs.
In addition, light can be lost even far from the benefits of civilization, in particular, from car service stations, on a long journey. And in order to get to the service station or garage, you will have to solve the issue on your own with the headlights, even if you are not very willing to decide on an independent repair of the insides of your car. Because the alternative would be to spend the night in an open field - until dawn, and there will be an opportunity to get to the repairmen without headlights.
Advice: before starting to test the ignition unit, try to screw in the operating lamp into the extinguished headlight. Perhaps your light source just burned out. You can also visually and tactilely check the lead contacts. But if these very simple measures did not help, we move on to a deeper check.
DIY xenon ignition block repair not possible in all cases. There are situations when only his replacement can help. And such circumstances also need to be able to determine. We will try to tell you how to do this correctly in this article.
There are several factors that can render this unit unusable:
Violation of the tightness of the unit itself, as a result of which dust or water penetrated into it. If the components of the electrical circuit did not have time to burn out from moisture, banal drying and cleaning can save the situation;
Corrosion, as a result of which the solders can diverge, and individual elements can move away from the solder. Cleaning will not always help: you have to solder;
Partial or complete failure of transistors;
Breakdown on the winding of a multiplier or transformer;
Absence or interruption of the control signal from the controller.
Video (click to play).
Breakdowns manifest themselves in different ways... The headlight may flicker, may not light up at all, or it may emit a burning smell. Only the situation with the covered controller is considered irreparable - then you will have to completely change the block. All other problems can be solved at low cost, although not always.
After all the procedures, the xenon ignition unit must be started again. If it was possible to find and eliminate the malfunction, the headlight will cheerfully light up. In this case, after waiting for the block to cool down, the board should be filled with paraffin.
It is better not to use silicone sealant: it hardens to the state of concrete, if again it is necessary to change the transistor (and they burn quite often, and in turn), it will be virtually impossible to open the layer. In addition, some chemical constituents of silicone, when heated, release compounds that affect the strength of contacts, and not for the better.
The issue of good roadway lighting is relevant for any driver, especially if trips are mainly made outside the city. In order not to get into an accident, you need to be confident in the reliability of the headlights, regardless of their type. However, many believe that the standard optics does not provide sufficient illumination and therefore install a xenon ignition unit with appropriate lamps (if the device is not included in the factory configuration). How does such a system work, and what are the benefits?
Xenon lighting implies the use of not only the appropriate lamp, but also the ignition unit (BR), which ensures the normal operation of the entire system.Its purpose is to generate a current of a certain strength so that the gas in the flask begins to burn and subsequently shines with a constant power. The standard electrical equipment of the car cannot produce the required voltage, which predetermined the use of the unit. It also automatically adjusts the level of light flow depending on the level of illumination of the road.
All devices are a step-up transformer enclosed in a housing. Their task is to convert pulses from the on-board network into a voltage of up to 25 thousand volts. Powerful start makes xenon glow. In the future, the unit delivers 85 V, which is necessary so that the gas does not go out. Factory-installed products are characterized by high operational stability, reliability and long service life. All of them have a special marking - OEM codes. They are needed in order to check the compatibility of the car, headlights and the ignition unit itself. The supply voltage of the unit is 12 V for cars, and 24 or 36 V for trucks or SUVs.
Universal (adaptive) ignition units are used to independently change the optics. Available in two versions:
DC. Constant current device. It is distinguished by the absence of a stabilization unit and a relatively low cost. However, the lamps working with it flicker: the combustion is not very stable.
AC. AC device. Provides a high-quality glow of the lamps. The use of a stabilizing block guarantees an even voltage - there is no flicker. The downside is the higher cost.
There are no OEM codes on the universal ignition units. All products are connected to a standard 12 V car on-board network, have a power of 35 W and output a voltage of 23 thousand volts.
If everything is clear with the factory devices: it is necessary that its code matches the characteristics of your car model. And how to buy a universal BR and what should you look at first of all?
First, make sure that the supply voltage of the unit matches the on-board network of your car. Manufacturers produce blocks designed for 12, 24 and even 36 volts. Other parameters (average data):
power: 35-75 W;
starting and operating current: 5.8 and 3.1 A;
ignition voltage: 23 thousand volts;
arc stabilization time: up to 20 seconds;
working temperature: from minus 30 to plus 105 degrees.
Editions, incl. and on the Internet, regularly publish ratings of companies producing xenon kits. Among the most frequently included in the "tops" are several manufacturers:
MTF. Differs in high quality products - the percentage of rejects does not exceed 1%. Most popular kits: MTF-Light Slim Line, MTF-Light Slim Line MSP with noise suppressor. Of the minuses, one can note the original connectors (they do not fit the blocks of other companies) and the high (5500 - 5900 rubles) cost.
Optima. The ARX304 units manufactured by the company belong to the 5th generation of devices. The average price for a set is 3300 rubles. (maximum for trucks - 4800 rubles). It is advisable to change lamps every year and a half.
SHO-Me. The most widespread set in the Russian Federation. There is a standard design and slim. It is recommended to replace lamps after 12 months. The average cost is 2800 rubles.
APP Digital Ultra Slim. Japanese manufacturer specializing in the production of lighting devices for cars. It has an extended operating temperature range suitable for Russian conditions: from minus 40 to plus 125 degrees. Average price 4000 rubles.
Interpowre. High quality and reliable unit. Lamps last up to 2 years. The cost of the set is 2500 rubles.
Xenotex. This is a product in the creation of which 3 countries participated at once: Japan, China and South Korea. The set is characterized by an affordable price - an average of 2300 rubles.
In most cases, especially if a standard xenon unit is used, the reason lies in the failure of the lamps (they gradually change color and fade away). They can be restored using special equipment - an automatic corrector, or simply buy new ones.What signs indicate that the device of the xenon ignition unit is out of order? They can be:
The glow of the lamps is interrupted. The reason lies in the deterioration of the car wiring or the power supply circuit of the ignition unit.
Constant flashing of lamps (can be weak or bright, interfering with seeing the road). This indicates a poor contact of the unit with the "mass" of the car, or a wiring malfunction. Ballast can also corrode.
Headlights fogging. It can occur in cold weather or frost. Here the whole thing is in the absence of cold air inside the headlight housing, which is heated by the engine. To remove the temperature difference, thin long tubes can be put on the intake channels, which are led out behind the front bumper.
When the unit is turned on, the motor may stall or slow down. You can solve the problem by installing a relay between the lamps and the unit.
If the lamps are in order, but the light still does not correspond to the parameters declared by the manufacturer, the problem may lie in the ignition unit itself. The most typical reasons for its failure:
Ingress of dirt or moisture, which is caused by poor tightness of the ignition unit. As a result, the lamps start blinking or there will be no ignition at all.
Malfunction (breakdown) of the unit transistor or its transformer.
Corrosion. The junction points of the electronic components of the ignition unit are oxidized. The poor-quality assembly at the factory and constant humidity are “to blame” for this.
It should be noted right away that a full check is possible only with an oscilloscope and a tester. In a garage, you need to inspect the block body for cracks. If you smell burning, then the device will have to be replaced. You can also remove the cover and look at the transistor, other electronic components: their blackening indicates the need to purchase a new device.
First, make sure that the corresponding fuse is intact, then disconnect the negative terminal from the battery and the ignition unit itself. Remove the cover from it. If there are traces of moisture or rust, wash the electronic board with alcohol. If you see that some components are loose, you will have to remove the sealant from the back and solder the problem leads. Further verification is possible if you have experience with electronic components and a tester. In this case, check the transistors and resistors. After soldering the parts, fill the board with molten paraffin.
In conclusion, we can say that xenon lamps guarantee better illumination compared to conventional halogen lamps. However, if you decide to install the system on your car, you should give preference to the factory kit, which works better and lasts longer. And the second point: a complete repair of the xenon ignition unit with your own hands is possible only with special equipment and experience. Otherwise, buying new equipment is inevitable.
The ignition unit is a high-voltage device that is the starting device for xenon and bi-xenon lamps. Since gas-filled lamps contain xenon gas, they need a high voltage - about 23,000 - 25,000 V. This voltage is needed only at the start, then the ballast maintains stable operation (xenon combustion inside the bulb) throughout the entire operation of the lamp.
For those who want to save material resources, step-by-step instructions for installing ballast:
To begin with, it is worth choosing a suitable place where the ignition unit will be reliably protected from moisture, dirt and strong heating.
It is best to place the device near the light bulbs so that the wires are not taut.
The place of the ignition unit must be level.
We securely fix the ballast, it should not fidget on the surface. This can be done with bolts or clamps.
Then we connect the devices to xenon / bi-xenon lamps.