Xenon and a fried on-board computer: prevention beats cure

We regularly hear from xenon owners about faulty on-board computers, or interference with them. Newer cars from 2012 onwards in particular are a problem for almost all aftermarket xenon kits. Don't get caught out by a sky-high bill for a fried on-board computer. For your car or motorbike, choose only the best-quality xenon kit.

On-board computer damaged by xenon: the causes

Here are a few reasons why a xenon kit interferes with the on-board computer and then fries it.

• Poorly shielded components
• Low-quality ballasts/igniters that send the wrong signal back to the on-board computer

You can spot these xenon kits by their low price and by the xenon bulbs supplied with them.

Prevention beats cure

How do you stop your valuable car from breaking down because of a xenon kit? Quite simply: buy a quality product that does what it says on the tin...

The Digital Line xenon kit was developed in the Netherlands, and we can say with 100% certainty that it causes no faults or damage on any car or motorbike. The price is higher than the average xenon kit online, but when you consider that replacing a fried on-board computer can cost up to around a thousand euros, it is absolutely worth the investment.

We even guarantee that you will not experience any kind of fault with the Pilot Digital Line. Find out here what makes this xenon kit so unique.

How do I know which xenon kit I need?

For the Digital Line we have drawn the line at cars from 2012 onwards. On cars older than that you are safe with a Pilot Pro Line. Rather be safe than sorry? You can also fit a Digital Line xenon kit to older cars built before 2012. Then you get not only the benefit of an on-board computer that does not fry, but also 10% more light than the Pro Line and a lifespan that is 1,000 hours longer!

So:

• Digital Line: works on all cars
• Pro Line: on cars up to 2012

Want to know which fitting or bulb you need? Take a look at our fitting selector, or get in touch.

What is CAN-bus and why does it react to xenon?

CAN-bus stands for Controller Area Network: a network that lets the computers and control units in your car talk to each other. For lighting, that means the on-board computer switches the bulbs on and at the same time measures whether the expected current is flowing through them. That is how the car knows a bulb has failed and can show a warning on the dashboard.

A halogen bulb draws a fixed, predictable current. A xenon kit works differently: at ignition the ballast briefly demands a lot of current, then less. If the kit is not built for that, the on-board computer sees something it does not expect. The result can be a warning message, a bulb that flashes or cuts out, or, in the worst case, damage to the electronics.

A good kit deals with this. The ballasts of the Hilox Evolution II Black kits have a CAN-bus II module for this, intended for vehicles with CAN-bus or lighting monitoring. An IC chip keeps the current steady and prevents overheating and flickering bulbs.

How to spot a xenon kit you can trust

A low price is not the only warning sign. When choosing, look at these points:

• CAN-bus module. If your car monitors its lighting, you need a kit made for that.
• Shielded cabling. Poorly shielded components are one of the causes of interference. According to the specifications, the H7 xenon bulb Evolution II Black has double-shielded cabling.
• A stable ballast. The ballast decides how the kit behaves towards the car. The Hilox Evolution II Black ballast has an IC chip and a CAN-bus II module.
• Warranty. The Hilox Evolution II Black kits come with a 2-year warranty on both the bulbs and the ballasts.
• Clear specifications. A reliable supplier states wattage, light output and lifespan. The H7 xenon bulb in this series, for example, is 35W, 4,200 lumen per bulb and has a stated lifespan of 3,600 hours.

Note: according to the product information, these kits have no ECE or E-mark approval and are not intended for public roads, but for racetrack and private land.

Signs that a xenon kit does not get along with your car

A kit that does not play nicely with the electronics usually makes that known fairly quickly. Keep an eye out for these signs:

• A dashboard warning about a faulty bulb, even though the bulb is working fine.
• A bulb that flashes when you start the car or switch the lights on, or goes out after a few seconds.
• A bulb that flickers while driving.
• Other faults in the lighting or electronics that only started after fitting.

Notice any of these? Don't keep driving like that. Disconnect the kit, put the original halogen bulbs back and, if needed, have the car read out by a garage. Then get in touch with your supplier to find a kit that does suit your car.

Still not sure which fitting you need or which kit suits your car? Read xenon in your car: here's how to pull it off.