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Thread: Fix for infamous LBF problem

  1. #151
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    Low Beam Failure...it shows up on the OBC when running most HID kits. How's that for some more acronyms for ya?


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    This made sound dumb, but how do you get the wire into the molex connector and lock it in there?

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  3. #153
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    Quote Originally Posted by BL4CK-OUT View Post
    This made sound dumb, but how do you get the wire into the molex connector and lock it in there?

    '09 335i - Alpine white + Coral Red | '02 M5 - Imola Red + Imola Red
    Gone, but never forgotten:
    '04 E55 AMG Brilliant Silver / Anthracite .. '96 318i Alpine White / Black .. '01 330Ci Titanium Silver / Coral Red .. '96 328i Jet Black / Black

  4. #154
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    RRSperry is offline Senior Moment Member BMW E36 M3 Expert
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    Ok, when you put the end on the wires, you push them into the connector from behind. There are barbs on the metal end part the lock into the connector. Radio Shack sells a small tool that you use to remove them, they also sell connectors.
    No matter where you go, there you are...

  5. #155
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    Will this work for a 1999 e46 sedan? Thanks

  6. #156
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    I was one of the lucky ones that didn't have a LBF, but for no apparent reason, a few weeks ago I turned on my lights, and bam, low beam failure on the OBC, and it happens all the time now. I guess my luck ran out and i'm going to be doing this mod, damn you germans

  7. #157
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    Good write up
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  8. #158
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    [ sigh ]

    the good news - i don't get the LBF thing anymore...

    the bad news - everytime i turn on the lights, the instrument cluster goes dead for a split second!

    [ laughing ]

    I'm reversing the install. I have a 1995 M3.
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  9. #159
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    bump, this thread needs to be seen
    -marcus


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  10. #160
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    Thanks Marcus...
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  11. #161
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuxoM3 View Post
    [ sigh ]

    the good news - i don't get the LBF thing anymore...

    the bad news - everytime i turn on the lights, the instrument cluster goes dead for a split second!

    [ laughing ]

    I'm reversing the install. I have a 1995 M3.
    I haven't done the LBF fix yet, however, my instrument cluster went dead for a split second (the needles all drop) too after turning on my HID's - then - all of a sudden it quit doing it. So- it may not be related to your doing the LBF fix. Let us know if reversing fixed it for you.

  12. #162
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    Reloc - yeah... I reversed the wire cutting LBF mod... I used SPADE connectors so it pretty much was unplugged them and routing them back to stock...

    So now I'm back to the LBF error on my OBC... but at least the cluster works again.

    I honestly prefer the LBF light versus my cluster going dead... even for a second. It's a second too long IMHO.
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  13. #163
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    Well some good news... under suspicion... I decided to rewire my lights.

    I had wired them directly from the stock harness to ballast. After doing some 'net poking around... I decided to re-wire as stock harness to headlight to ballast. I then dropped in 10amp fuses (per Jim Powell) and THEN did the CCM bypass per this thread.

    That seems to have done the trick in getting rid of the check control LBF and for now, no more jumpy gauges when I turn on my lights. Out of the last 10 light start-ups, I might have one split second jump of the gauges.
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    I helped a buddy do this and it works great...completely reversible to boot.

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    Works great thanks

  16. #166
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    Quote Originally Posted by LuxoM3 View Post
    Well some good news... under suspicion... I decided to rewire my lights.

    I had wired them directly from the stock harness to ballast. After doing some 'net poking around... I decided to re-wire as stock harness to headlight to ballast. I then dropped in 10amp fuses (per Jim Powell) and THEN did the CCM bypass per this thread.

    That seems to have done the trick in getting rid of the check control LBF and for now, no more jumpy gauges when I turn on my lights. Out of the last 10 light start-ups, I might have one split second jump of the gauges.
    Now I'm confused at how you did this- stock harness to headlight? how did you do this and what is the theory behind it? If you could elaborate a bit more I'd appreciate it. I'm assuming you still got the lbf after you did this and had to do the LBF fix- but I wonder why the change fixed your jumpy gauges....?

  17. #167
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    Quote Originally Posted by mreloc View Post
    I'm assuming you still got the lbf after you did this and had to do the LBF fix- but I wonder why the change fixed your jumpy gauges....?
    The stock wiring harness is too thin to comfortably handle the amperage required by the HID igniters. Thus when you turn your headlights on, you get a current spike which messes with your gauge cluster, and most likely other things that you can't see. This is also what blows the stock headlight fuses.
    Running a heavier gauge wire from the headlight relay in the fuse box (where the power is coming from) to the HID igniter/ballast allows the current to flow quasi-normally.

  18. #168
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    Yep what he said...

    Quote Originally Posted by Gofast View Post
    The stock wiring harness is too thin to comfortably handle the amperage required by the HID igniters. Thus when you turn your headlights on, you get a current spike which messes with your gauge cluster, and most likely other things that you can't see. This is also what blows the stock headlight fuses.
    Running a heavier gauge wire from the headlight relay in the fuse box (where the power is coming from) to the HID igniter/ballast allows the current to flow quasi-normally.
    Beforehand I plugged the stock wiring harness DIRECTLY into the HID ballast.
    THEN did the LBF re-wire per the OP. This t=got rid of the LBF error BUT killed my gauge power whenever I turned on my lights.

    I REWIRED the HID set-up to go from stock harness TO HEADLIGHTS then to the HID Ballast. I also ran a 10AMP fuse. LBF rewire in place. Now when I turn on my HIDs my gauges don't jump.

    Now caveat, I did get them to jump with the 7.5 fuse like once every cold start, and with the 10 fuse once in a handful of cold starts. I'm running the 15 fuse now and it looks like the jumpy gauges has gone away for now...
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  19. #169
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    I also have the jumpy guages (Prolumen Digital 55w on '95 325i) and LBF. I am trying to decide what my next course of action should be... I don't like the whole power spike robbing my cluster business and I'd certainly like the OBC to stop displaying the message (have begun ignoring now entirely.. bad).

    Luxo I'm still not sure I understand what you mean by to the headlight first. The ballast wires to the bulb in the enclosure... why would you want to introduce an additional wiring harness...? How exactly does this fix things?

    Go fast- are you suggesting the wiring harness is not robust enough??

    What does the rating of the fuses have to do with this?? If in no situation you are blowing fuses... are you just slightly increasing resistance then...?

    Hellllpp..... I can't believe this was all written today.. I had found this thread forever ago and was just looking to see the details and wanted to see if anyone commented on the dropping gauge needles.

  20. #170
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    psu...

    Well the wiring set-up for the DDM is probably different from the pro lumen... but bear with... and I'll try to explain...

    in this pic, you'll see the DDM set-up right out of the box...

    from what I gather MOST people just plug in the stock wiring connector right into the ballast (Green Circle). Thus the ballast is getting a direct power/link from the stock connector.

    I ORIGINALLY had this set-up. With the LBF mod, my gauges would jump every time I turned on the headlights. (Although the LBF light would stay off the OBC - so maybe you wired it wrong on your side?)

    After studying this image, which I pulled off the Mercedes board...it occurred to me to TRY leaving my HID set-up plugged in as it is BUT... where you see the connectors in the ORANGE circle? Those plug into the headlights - normally these plug into the H1 bulb.

    So basically, you let the stock connector, plug into the headlights, then plug the HID connectors (in the orange circle) into your old H1 connections on the headlights. The idea is, instead of getting a direct plug in form the stock connector to the ballast, you are almost making a full circle power-wise - see the blue arrows, they represent current.

    OK so why does it work for me? It relates to Go Fast's post. Thinner wiring (and maybe the routing of it all in this case) offers some resistance to current. And I assume the DDM designers put this kit together with this type of routing in mind. Otherwise, why bother with the Orange connectors if the ballast gets power directly from the stock connector?

    Anyway, for me a 10amp fuse keeps the gauge jumpiness to a minimum. MY drive home tonight was jump free. The 7.5a and 15a fuses made the gauges jump on my 1995 M3. And something tells me, given our 2 cars are 95 model years, we might have the exact same electronics.





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  21. #171
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    RRSperry is offline Senior Moment Member BMW E36 M3 Expert
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    Ok, I'm confused now. Jumpy instrument cluster gauges, caused by installing HID's?
    I would tend to think not.

    I'm not saying they aren't jumpy, you are seeing it... Just that you are assuming the HID's caused it.

    My 95 has hid's, the CCM lbf wire mod, and has no issues. Usually, when you are having instrument cluster problems, you can look for 2 problems. Low voltage, (dead or dieing battery, or alternator, or voltage regulator,) or intermittent grounding problems.
    No matter where you go, there you are...

  22. #172
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    Quote Originally Posted by RRSperry View Post
    Ok, I'm confused now. Jumpy instrument cluster gauges, caused by installing HID's?
    I would tend to think not.
    It is the HIDs. That's why the gauges jump when you turn the headlights on.
    The steady-state running of the HIDs isn't really a problem, but the high amperage required for a split second to power the HID igniter is a problem.

    Quote Originally Posted by psu325i View Post
    Go fast- are you suggesting the wiring harness is not robust enough??

    What does the rating of the fuses have to do with this?? If in no situation you are blowing fuses... are you just slightly increasing resistance then...?
    It isn't really a matter of "robustness", but rather a matter of wire gauge. A certain gauge wire is required to carry a given current, and this is magnified as the wire gets longer. The stock harness isn't heavy enough to comfortably carry the current required to ignite the HIDs, and the long wire from the fusebox to the headlights exacerbates the problem. So when you turn the HIDs on, you get a current spike as the system attempts to push too much current through the long, thin stock harness. Even if you aren't blowing fuses, the gauge jump is a symptom of pushing the system too hard. Some people don't even have the gauge jump initially, but develop it over time as the OE harness begins to wear. If you keep running the stock wiring, odds are that you will get the gauge jump, and then start blowing fuses, and eventually burn up your harness. Remember that a blown fuse is the system trying to save itself from damage.
    In my case, I solved this by running a heavier gauge wire from the headlight fuse in the fusebox to the HID ballast. There is still a short length of the original gauge wire between the headlight relay and the fuse, and another in the OE headlight connector that plugs into the igniter/ballast, but both are very short, so it doesn't matter much.
    Now that there is heavy wire in the long circuit, viola! no more gauge jump. Also, keep in mind that the current spike is across the entire system, so while the gauge cluster is the only immediately visible symptom, the ECU and other electronics are also seeing the spike and possibly sustaining damage.
    Last edited by Gofast; 04-03-2008 at 10:30 AM.

  23. #173
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    [QUOTE=In my case, I solved this by running a heavier gauge wire from the headlight fuse in the fusebox to the HID ballast. There is still a short length of the original gauge wire between the headlight relay and the fuse, and another in the OE headlight connector that plugs into the igniter/ballast, but both are very short, so it doesn't matter much.[/QUOTE]

    So, what guage wire would be reasonable to run? Was it a PITA to do and route so it didn't look ghetto? I agree that the stress on the electronics are worrisome so it would be good to get sorted out. I've actually reduced my fuses to 5A with the stock wiring harness and nothing blows (this was a recommended fix for LBF from Habbie - hasn't worked tho). I got the guage jump initially, but it has since calmed down (but it was independent of changing to 5A fuses).

    I must be extra thick this morning, but I still don't understand what Luxo did- what H1 headlights are those extra connetors being plugged into?
    Last edited by mreloc; 04-03-2008 at 11:22 AM.

  24. #174
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    Quote Originally Posted by mreloc View Post
    So, what guage wire would be reasonable to run? Was it a PITA to do and route so it didn't look ghetto?
    I believe I used 16 gauge, but I'm honestly not sure off the top of my head. I'll try to get some pictures tonight. The hardest part is opening up the rat's nest inside the fuse box, and it's always a bit nerve-wracking to start cutting and soldering in there.

  25. #175
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gofast View Post
    I believe I used 16 gauge, but I'm honestly not sure off the top of my head. I'll try to get some pictures tonight. The hardest part is opening up the rat's nest inside the fuse box, and it's always a bit nerve-wracking to start cutting and soldering in there.
    The guage dropping is definitely due to the conditions mentioned above. A spike in current for the igniter...

    This has me more and more wanting to uninstall my HIDs now. If my guage cluster is getting current spikes (or robbed of power actually)... and the concensus is that other electronics are as well (DME)... Argh.

    Gofast - it sounds like you have done the issue good justice... but I'm not about to start hacking up the wiring behind my fuse box! You are much braver than I am.

    Any other solutions??

    Where are the vendors when stuff like this comes up??

    When I contact Umnitza all I get is pushback. They actually send you to *this thread* as their product support for LBF!!!

    Meanwhile we are all waiting and wondering if our cars electronics are getting toasted. My last email back and forth with Umnitza was sad.. he said I gave them unjust hate.

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