Fix for infamous LBF problem

[rustamabd]

Cool. What's wrong with the writeup you mentioned though? I did it without looking at part numbers, and it worked flawlessly. I just cut those 4 traces and it worked without any problem.

[newgsrdriver]

So it looks like before trying anything, you should simply upgrade the fuse to 15A?

This is a common practice on most other HID plug and play kits Ive used...install the kit and upgrade the fuse from 10 to 15 or 20. Im running a 20A fuse in my Integra with HIDs that has a 10A stock, and Ive had zero problems.

[uansari1]

I recently installed a set of DJ Autos with Apexcone HIDs and DDE's. They looked great, but I was getting the LBF everytime I turned the headlights on. I did the LBF fix by cutting the proper wires and splicing them together. Everything works great now, and there's no LBF, but now I'm noticing that the passenger side low beam will sometimes not ignite right away. It will flash, then go out. If I turn the lights on and off a couple of times, it will eventually ignite, but will start out pretty dim, then gradually brighten up. I don't know if it was doing this before, and maybe I just didn't notice it.

Anyone have an idea of what it could be? I'm pretty sure that the spliced wires had good contact. I'm thinking that it might be the ballast or the connections... any help is greatly appreciated. I just want them to turn on the first time, every time.

[infamous]

but now I'm noticing that the passenger side low beam will sometimes not ignite right away. It will flash, then go out. If I turn the lights on and off a couple of times, it will eventually ignite, but will start out pretty dim, then gradually brighten up. I don't know if it was doing this before, and maybe I just didn't notice it.

I got the same exact problem...

[uansari1]

I got the same exact problem...

Did it only start AFTER you did the LBF fix?

[infamous]

Did it only start AFTER you did the LBF fix?

Never did the LBF fix, but it started happening after 6 months of ownership

[JT///M3]

I recently installed a set of DJ Autos with Apexcone HIDs and DDE's. They looked great, but I was getting the LBF everytime I turned the headlights on. I did the LBF fix by cutting the proper wires and splicing them together. Everything works great now, and there's no LBF, but now I'm noticing that the passenger side low beam will sometimes not ignite right away. It will flash, then go out. If I turn the lights on and off a couple of times, it will eventually ignite, but will start out pretty dim, then gradually brighten up. I don't know if it was doing this before, and maybe I just didn't notice it.

Anyone have an idea of what it could be? I'm pretty sure that the spliced wires had good contact. I'm thinking that it might be the ballast or the connections... any help is greatly appreciated. I just want them to turn on the first time, every time.

Its not due to the LBF fix. Its just that the HID kit is cheap and the ballast igniter aren't up to par to ignite the HID. I have a now banned Katz HID kit and it NEVER has had this problem. But then again, the KATZ kit premium quality. Too bad they don't make it anylonger. I also have NEVER gotten the LBF with the KATZ kit. What a pitty...

[clumpymold]

I recently installed a set of DJ Autos with Apexcone HIDs and DDE's. They looked great, but I was getting the LBF everytime I turned the headlights on. I did the LBF fix by cutting the proper wires and splicing them together. Everything works great now, and there's no LBF, but now I'm noticing that the passenger side low beam will sometimes not ignite right away. It will flash, then go out. If I turn the lights on and off a couple of times, it will eventually ignite, but will start out pretty dim, then gradually brighten up. I don't know if it was doing this before, and maybe I just didn't notice it.

Anyone have an idea of what it could be? I'm pretty sure that the spliced wires had good contact. I'm thinking that it might be the ballast or the connections... any help is greatly appreciated. I just want them to turn on the first time, every time.

I HIGHLY doubt it has anything to do with the LBF fix. Check your connections. It happened to me several times. It even went out whenever I went over big bumps as my car's super stiff. Redid the wiring, no problem.

I'd recheck all your wiring. Make sure the connections are secure.

[uansari1]

I'll do that. Thanks for the input. If the connections are fine and it's still doing it, I'll exercise the lifetime warranty on all the HID parts and get another ballast...

[Gofast]

Help Guys. Maybe i'm doing it wrong but i can't seem to get my lbf warning off. I connected the yel/green and yel/ grey then yel/blue and yel/red on the wiring side. Now i have lbf even when i don't have the lights on. Did i do something wrong? I am running the HIDs with a relay and a fuse. I'm not sure if that causes the problem. Hope you could help. Thanks in advance.

I'm having the same issue with my 92 325is. I cut the wires at the other end though (fusebox and headlight connectors) so I'm pretty sure I cut the right wires. I put heavier gauge wires in to feed the HIDs so I wouldn't cook anything. The computer should be completely out of the circut, but mine says LBF whenever the car is on, headlights or no.

Did anyone ever find a fix for this? EDIT: I fixed it, see below.

[rustamabd]

The computer should be completely out of the circut, but mine says LBF whenever the car is on, headlights or no.

The goal is not to cut the computer out, the goal is to trick it into thinking the lights are okay.

[Gofast]

The goal is not to cut the computer out, the goal is to trick it into thinking the lights are okay.

Agreed, but I believe what the wire snipping at the beginning of this thread does is effectively cutting the computer out of the circut. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I can't stop that damn LBF message, so I obviously don't know everything.

Edit:
Here is the writeup I followed.
http://www.geocities.com/acetone11/Pages/xenons.htm
I'm pretty sure this just cuts the same wires at the other end. The wires in my car were the exact same colors as the ones in the beginning of this thread.

[clumpymold]

Agreed, but I believe what the wire snipping at the beginning of this thread does is effectively cutting the computer out of the circut. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
I can't stop that damn LBF message, so I obviously don't know everything.

Edit:
Here is the writeup I followed.
http://www.geocities.com/acetone11/Pages/xenons.htm
I'm pretty sure this just cuts the same wires at the other end. The wires in my car were the exact same colors as the ones in the beginning of this thread.

Maybe you should try following the write-up on THIS thread? No complaints yet from anyone on this thread.

[Zaks]

hate to sound dumb but what exactly is the LBF ?? like what do you change about your low beams, why would you do this, etc. ?? thanks

[umnitza]

LBF - Low Beam Failure.

[Zaks]

LBF - Low Beam Failure.

ok. so why would i want to do this? what does failure mean here? i assume it's not just a burnt out bulb?

[Bav///Man]

ok. so why would i want to do this? what does failure mean here? i assume it's not just a burnt out bulb?

nobody wants the LBF, it is a negative result from installing an HID kit. Not everyone gets the error, but a good amount of us do. The fix in this thread works flawlessly.

Unfortunately, my passenger side ballast suffers from the same thing. It did happen after I did the LBF fix, but it has nothing to do with it. It is only when the weather is around 35 or below.

[uansari1]

My problem turned out to be the ballast. I recently had the second ballast fail on me as well.

[Zaks]

nobody wants the LBF, it is a negative result from installing an HID kit. Not everyone gets the error, but a good amount of us do. The fix in this thread works flawlessly.

Unfortunately, my passenger side ballast suffers from the same thing. It did happen after I did the LBF fix, but it has nothing to do with it. It is only when the weather is around 35 or below.

so this problem doesn't occur with stock lighting?

[Gofast]

so this problem doesn't occur with stock lighting?

Only if your headlight is out.

Just to re-iterate in one post-

The car has a system that checks the headlights/taillights etc to make sure that all the bulbs are working.
When most people retrofit HIDs to the e36, they plug the ballasts into the stock low beam circut. In many cases, this causes an incorrect resistance in the circut, which leads the car to think that a low beam bulb is burned out.
The method discussed in this thread is a widely accepted method for stopping the car from delivering the "low beam failure" message.

[Zaks]

Only if your headlight is out.

Just to re-iterate in one post-

The car has a system that checks the headlights/taillights etc to make sure that all the bulbs are working.
When most people retrofit HIDs to the e36, they plug the ballasts into the stock low beam circut. In many cases, this causes an incorrect resistance in the circut, which leads the car to think that a low beam bulb is burned out.
The method discussed in this thread is a widely accepted method for stopping the car from delivering the "low beam failure" message.

ohh, gotcha. thanks

[Gofast]

Help Guys. Maybe i'm doing it wrong but i can't seem to get my lbf warning off. I connected the yel/green and yel/ grey then yel/blue and yel/red on the wiring side. Now i have lbf even when i don't have the lights on. Did i do something wrong? I am running the HIDs with a relay and a fuse. I'm not sure if that causes the problem. Hope you could help. Thanks in advance.

I found a way to fix this.
I ran the cut un-connected ends that come out of the computer (yel/blue and yel/green on my car) to ground.
This fixed the problem completely.

On my 1992, the computer was checking for ground through the headlight bulbs at startup, whether the headlights were on or not, so those leads need to be grounded.

[dos Santos]

just wanted to say that i just did this fix, and it works well.

[shim]

best thread evar

[BMWManiac]

Wow....what a bitch of job to get that CM out! I thought there would be more slack down there, but I managed to get some wire connectors in there. No LBF, and I'm a happy camper!!! Definite sticky!