Thread: High voltage Disco 3

14.7v while the motor is running should be fine.

The only thing that I can think of, is did you touch the halogen globe when installing it into the spottie?

Halogens run at very high temps, and dislike being touched - even when cold.


BTW - Welcome to the fold. Lets see some pics of your car...

Are you measuring the voltage at the light or the battery?

W

Could be the globe not earthing properly in the spottie itself (ie)bad connection in the light.

I have lightforce on my D2 with 14.5/6 when motor is running.

Baz.

Thanks for the replies, no I haven't touched the globes, always very careful. Have checked voltage in many locations, battery, globe mounts, high beam feed/switching wire. Have tried switching on the relay with a load attached (air compressor) to the driving light feed, no voltage spike. Finally hooked the light directly up to the battery, positive and negative terminals, same result. The lights run fine without the engine running, they only blow when the alternator is operating, hence the question of too much voltage. Tomorrow it's going in for a service at Ritters, will see what they think. My guess is the regulator is putting out too much power.

The problem could also be tied to the type of globe used by Lightforce.

Despite all the hype put out by Lightforce, their "Xenophot" globes were originally not designed for automotive use, and are not as robust as a conventional halogen globe, such as a H1. The means of connection for both power and earth for these globes is, in my opinion, sub-standard, and is one of the reasons why I would never buy Lightforce. I have seen many of them fail prematurely.

Having said that, there are plenty of Disco's around running Lightforce (must admit I've never seen them on a D3 / D4 though) without this problem, so not sure what the issue is, especially if you can replicate the problem with the light connected directly to the battery. Your voltages sound pretty normal.

As a suggestion, see if you can get your hands on a conventional spotlight running a H1 globe - connect it up to your wiring and see if the same problem occurs. If not, then I'd be getting rid of the Lightforce.

Hi kingo and welcome aboard.

14.7v is is around the normal starting voltage for a D3, but if you still have some globes and feel like a drive. Fit your globes but don’t use high beam or at least not with the driving lights for at least the first 30 minutes of your drive and then try your driving lights.

D3s operate at a higher operating voltage for up the first 30 minutes after starting.

After this, the voltage will usually drop below 14v and is common to see voltages as low as 13.2v.

See if your globes work at the lower voltage, whether they do or not, the globes would be the problem.

I run 4 Hella driving lights on my 08 RR, which has the same charging routines as the D3, and I’ve never blown a globe even when I’ve had start up voltages as high as 14.96v.

The problem could also be tied to the type of globe used by Lightforce.

Despite all the hype put out by Lightforce, their "Xenophot" globes were originally not designed for automotive use, and are not as robust as a conventional halogen globe, such as a H1. The means of connection for both power and earth for these globes is, in my opinion, sub-standard, and is one of the reasons why I would never buy Lightforce. I have seen many of them fail prematurely.

Who told you that????? Biggest load of bollocks I ever heard. The Xenonphot bulbs are not "theirs" they are made by Osram.

As a suggestion, see if you can get your hands on a conventional spotlight running a H1 globe - connect it up to your wiring and see if the same problem occurs. If not, then I'd be getting rid of the Lightforce.

No need to get rid of the Lightforce. Check your wiring first. If you're having a problem no one else is in the same model vehicle, you have put new bulbs in and they went too, its not the lights themselves.
Do a circuit test first without the bulbs in and check for shorts between active and earth with the relay unplugged. I assume you have the relay(s) in a base.....

Cheers

Andrew.

Thanks again for the replies. The first globes to blow were the Lightforce/Osram globes, then the next 4 were the Philips equivalent. So can't be globes. The car is in for a service today and have asked them to do a check of the electrical system. Lightforce have an upgrade kit to HID and the ballast's voltage range is 9-16volts, so this may be a solution, as I was planning to upgrade them sometime anyway. The HID kits come in a small box, so am sure my wife couldn't guess how much they cost.