 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Problems with xenon spotlights |
 
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| XS Pete Member Since: 13 Jan 2011 Location: Suffolk Posts: 632   
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I would guess that the igniters have been mounted close to some existing cabling which goes to something which is sensitive to EMC. When these igniters strike they can create a large amount of electical interference which can radiate out into their immediate surroundings. If there is something sensitive close by it could be affected.
Pete |
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24th Jan 2012 11:53pm |
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| ken Member Since: 18 Aug 2009 Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !! Posts: 4328 
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One of the reasons I changed to LEDs not quite the same mine knocked out my iPod and resetting on the move was fun
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25th Jan 2012 6:27am |
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| FG Member Since: 01 Apr 2011 Location: Somewhere on the Swedish East Coast Posts: 63  
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@XS Pete
I had the igniters relocated as far from anything essential I could find, they're in front. right beside the radiator now, but still seem to interfere with something. Strange though how the problem occurs when the engine just been started and normally not when driving. @ken Truth be told, since i got the 40" ledbar on the roof the xenon spots has hardly been used, the leds output just make everything else pale in comparison. Still irritating to have something on the car that doesn't work 100% /FG |
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25th Jan 2012 10:21am |
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| XS Pete Member Since: 13 Jan 2011 Location: Suffolk Posts: 632
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Immediately after starting, the alternator is usually working very hard to replace the battery energy just consumed in starting the engine. Part of this process is the regulation/rectification done by the pack on the back of the alternator, which is also an electrically noisy process. So, maybe your igniters are simply increasing the background noise threshold to the point where something can't cope. My guess would be that these spikes are finding their way back to the ECU. The main thing to check would be that the igniter ground is properly connected to the vehicle earth, and that is properly connected back to the battery neg. You could then try putting smoothing capacitors across the supplies to the ignitors to minimise spikes on the supply, and ferrite rings around the cables to provide some supression. A useful test if you've got the factory radio would be to tune it to somewhere in the middle of the MW or LW band (you might have to experiment a bit), and listen while turning these lights on. If you hear a massive pop or a succession of switching noise, then that's almost certainly what it is. Pete[/quote] |
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25th Jan 2012 1:55pm |
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| bpman Member Since: 21 May 2008 Location: Oslo Posts: 8069 
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Ken - so you are saying there is no Electrical inteference with LED lights ? good to know  |
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25th Jan 2012 8:16pm |
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| Paul_1978 Member Since: 08 Nov 2009 Location: South Yorkshire Posts: 384 
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None that i can think of, there solid state. HID's have a ballast, notorious for emc issues. |
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25th Jan 2012 8:35pm |
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| SteveS Member Since: 05 Oct 2010 Location: Devon & Berkshire Posts: 388 
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Re LED noisy or not......my experience is that they draw far less current and don't have the starting current problem with other systems. I have a 40" light bar.
They are NOT completely niose free however as when mine are running I have to move the squelch on my CB up a little - no real effect as it is not significant. Not sure if this is a single channel or across the band (I'll try to do some tests when I get time). In my case the power cable and the CB antenna cable take the same route up the snorkel - this may be exacerbating the effect - but in any case the increase in squelch is very small and doesn't cause a problem in normal conversation. I may also play with rack earthing at some point There has been no impact to any other vehicle electrical systems EDIT - yes LEDS are solid state (a mechnical description) but they may be very fast switching (faster than your eye persistence) - I was told in the case of my system they were continuously on - but there may be other control electronics causing the RF noise affecting my CB - either way its minor |
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25th Jan 2012 8:45pm |
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| XS Pete Member Since: 13 Jan 2011 Location: Suffolk Posts: 632
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You're right there Steve, these high powered LED arrays are usually pulsed very fast. In some cases using peak currents way above the maximum reccommended by the LED manufacturers, as it's an easy way to get massive light out of them without causing short term damage as the duty cycle is vey short. Pete |
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25th Jan 2012 11:36pm |
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| FG Member Since: 01 Apr 2011 Location: Somewhere on the Swedish East Coast Posts: 63
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[/quote] I think you are right on the money here! I have had problems with pops in the radio reception, although on the FM band, that wasn't there before the installation. This is when the lights are switched off however; there is no reception at all when the xenons are on. Many thanks Pete, you've given me an angle to investigate! /FG |
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26th Jan 2012 8:20am |
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| XS Pete Member Since: 13 Jan 2011 Location: Suffolk Posts: 632
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No problem and good luck. This sort of issue can be a real nightmare to track down. Hopefully it's an obvious poor earth or similar.
Pete |
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26th Jan 2012 1:43pm |
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