Frequently asked questions

XBB Dongle® & XBB PowerUnit®

Our support is very busy so we would really appreciate it if you took the time to use our FAQ and installation guide as much as possible before contacting us via our support page. A tip is also to contact your local car workshop and ask if they use the XBB Dongle and if you can come and try out your particular car.

This may happen if the selected recipe is not compatible with your car. Therefore, it is important that your read and understand the last step in our installation manual., read below

Important! Finish the installation by switching of and lock your car. Then check in the app if the signal SYSTEM_ACTIVE listed. If so it's important that SYSTEM_ACTIVE gets highlighted with red color (0/AV/OFF) 2 minutes after exiting and locking your car. If that doesn't happen the selected recipe isn't compatible with your car and there's a risk of draining the battery. Please try a different recipe.

It may also be the case that the battery is drained if your car is equipped with a current sensor (BMS sensor) on the battery and you have connected directly to the battery terminals. In that case, the car does not detect that you have installed more power consumers and therefore cannot charge the battery correctly, causing the battery to discharge over time. This has nothing to do with XBB products, but rather with connecting additional power consumers to the car, such as lighting, car stereo, amplifiers, etc. To fix this, the connection points must be after the BMS sensor, with the positive cable ideally connected at the car's fuses and the negative cable at a good grounding point on the car's chassis.

Read the following three questions below, it should answer your question.

If you're still unsure, take advantage of the distance selling law and order a kit and try it out in your car. As long as you don't damage the packaging or the product in any way, there should be no problem returning it within 14 days.

To test the function on your car, you need to create an account in the XBB Configurator app and connect the XBB Dongle to the diagnostic port. Follow the installation guide so you don't miss anything!

If you can't find a recipe that fits your car, feel free to remove the selected recipe in the XBB Dongle and then contact your reseller.

Another option is to contact your local car workshop. If you're lucky, they use the XBB Dongle and you can go there and try it out on your car.

If your car model is not in the list, you must test with an XBB Dongle® and the XBB Configurator app to see if the signals are displayed in the app. It may be that one perticular recipe works for several car models that aren't included in the list, if the car is based on the same model platform and has the same type of headlights as another recipe. But to be sure you have to try on your car with a XBB Dongle®.

We continuously create & upload new recipes, we primarily prioritize popular car models but our goal is to add as many models as possible. You can always send a request with which model you are missing to our support so we know that there's a demand for your particular model.

Recipes can be made for almost every car model. However, we need physical access to your car model with your type of equipment such as headlight type, gearbox, facelift, etc. When we have your car or a similar model with us, it takes about 2 hours for us to read out the information we need to create a new recipe.

If you have a very common car model it´s easier for us to get a hold on an equivalent, but if it´s an unusual car it can be very hard for us to make a recipe for it.

Reason 1
Check the wiring to XBB PowerUnit®. On some relay harnesses on the market, the negative (-) connection is in the wrong place in relation to your XBB PowerUnit®. Double check that the negative cable goes to pin 6 (GND) on the XBB PowerUnit®.

When holding the XBB PowerUnit® in your hand with the text/logo facing you, the left pin should be GND. Follow this cable from the relay kit and double-check that it is grounded. Some relay sockets can easily be re-pinned with a pin removal tool to ensure that GND is in the correct place. It should be noted that we do not manufacture or sell any relay kits, so if it is wired incorrectly, please take it up with your reseller. 

Video showing how to fix the problem.

Reason 2.
If XBB PowerUnit® has previously worked, but is no longer in the app, it is usually due to one of the following.
  1. The user has updated the firmware/software in the XBB Dongle®, in connection with this, the XBB PowerUnit® and the selected recipe are removed from the system and must be added again in the app.
  2. If XBB PowerUnit® is not found in the app despite following point 1, you may have to update the software manually in XBB PowerUnit® (described in the FAQ)
  3. If it still does not work, the PowerUnit has probably not been mounted in an upright position and thus become water damaged over time and must be replaced. Another option is that you simply did not read the Installation Guide and missed adding an XBB PowerUnit® to the app.

Another option is that you simply haven't read the Installation guide and forgot to add a XBB PowerUnit in the app.

If you have been connected to the XBB Dongle ® with the phone before but more than 10 minutes have passed since you closed the app, the XBB Dongle ® stops being visible to the phone. In order to then be able to connect to the XBB Dongle ® again , you must pull it out of the OBD2 port and put it back in again. If you want it to always be visible to the phone, you must click on the main menu in the top left corner and then select Pair with the phone.

You must have Location Settings enabled on your phone. If it still doesn't work, try unplugging the XBB Dongle® from the diagnostic socket and plugging it in again.

This is because you have overloaded the output(s) of your XBB PowerUnit. To prevent it from breaking, it will automatically turn off the outputs after about 10 seconds.

Output 1 can handle 15 Amps, i.e. about 180 W. However, some online stores lack the knowledge to calculate the power/current, which leads them to sell XBB PowerUnit together with ready-made lighting packages that will never work if you do not use an extra power relay. How to connect with an extra relay, you can see in our XBB PowerUnit® wiring guide but also in this video clip..

Tip: contact the company you bought the light kit from and point this out to them and they might take action.

På ett fåtal bilmodeller kan det förekomma en viss fördröjning av både tillslag och frånslag. Fördröjningen brukar i så fall ligga mellan 30 – 80 ms och beror på en kombination av att XBB PowerUnit inte aktiverar utgångarna förens bilens helljus är 100% aktiverat/avaktiverat samt att datasignalerna från bilen – XBB Dongle – XBB PowerUnit tar ca 10-30 ms.

En del LED belysningar har också en “inbyggd” fördröjning på ca 100 – 150 ms från det att lampan/LED-rampen får ström tills det att den faktiskt lyser och det är oavsett hur lampan kopplas in.

Yes, it is possible to take advantage of the XBB Dongle® & XBB PowerUnit®, but you need to use an extra relay to handle the higher current. Wiring guide is found on our website www.xbb.se, then click XBB Dongle to proceed. There is also a video clip that shows how to do it.

Most car manufacturers are constantly working to improve the software in their cars. Some car models are automatically updated online, but it is also common for your authorized workshop to take the opportunity to update the software in your car while it is being serviced without you knowing.

In a few cases, this update can lead to our XBB Dongle no longer working as desired. This is because ex. Volvo has changed something in their software and then the data information does not match what our XBB Dongle expects. In the best case, this can be solved by trying to update your recipe to the latest version via the app, but if the error persists, you must contact our support so that we are aware of the problem and can work on a solution. Please use our support form here on the website.

To update the firmware in the XBB Dongle, click on the Main Menu (the three lines in the upper left corner) and select "Update firmware". It will then retrieve the current program version and suggest an upgrade if available.

XBB PowerUnit
To update the firmware in the PowerUnit, you first need to unplug the XBB Dongle from the diagnostic port. After removing the XBB Dongle from the port, click on the Main Menu (the three lines in the upper left corner) and select "Update firmware", then click on the PowerUnit you want to update. It will then retrieve the current program version and suggest an upgrade if available.

When you update the firmware version in the XBB Dongle, you must select the recipe again and add the XBB PowerUnit as all settings are reset to zero during the update.

Yes, it works. However, the recipe in question must have been developed for adaptive high beam, this is stated in the recipe description if/how this is available.

However, if you have very powerful auxiliary lights or a powerful LED bar, the road signs may reflect back so much light that the car wants to turn off the high beam or redirect it, and then the XBB PowerUnit® output will also be turned off.

It's worth considering that the risk of dazzling other road users increases when you install more lighting on your car than what the automation is adapted for, i.e. your auxiliary lights/LED bar shine much further than what the car's camera system can see.

You have most likely connected the cables to the XBB PowerUnit incorrectly and confused the cable from the battery and the cable to the lighting. The positive (+) must be connected to pin 2.

Since Tesla is a pure electric car, they do not have to follow the same standards as fossil fuel cars. This means, among other things, that on some of the models there is a diagnostic socket (OBD2) at the driver's seat, but the data available there is not enough to control your lighting via the XBB Dongle. In these cases, a special cable must be used to connect the XBB Dongle in another location in the car. More about that further down in the answer.

On some models (S & X), during a certain period of time (2012 - 2021) you have the right data in the diagnostic socket but then Tesla has instead placed the pins for data communication (CAN-H & CAN-L) on other pins compared to all other car models, this means that you need a special XBB Dongle that is simply adapted for these models. It looks like a regular XBB Dongle but is marked with a label on the side and comes in a red/black package instead of the standard XBB Dongle which comes in a blue/black package.

Yes, it is true that a special cable is needed, but it is not something we sell. The cable is for "creating" a new OBD2 connector as the one sitting by the driver's legroom does not contain the CAN-bus information needed for the XBB Dongle® to function. You can find more information about the type of cable on various Tesla forums . Some retailers also have ready kits complete with XBB Dongle & cable so take a look there.

Har du en Tesla model S eller X så behöver du ha en speciell Tesla Dongle, denna levereras i en röd förpackning istället för den blåa som är standard varianten. Observera att övriga Teslamodeller ska ha standardvarianten. Detta gäller modeller mellan 2012-2021.

No, a phone is only needed during installation and if you want to change recipes, settings or update the software.

Yes it must sit there all the time due to that it reads the car status on headlights etc. continuously and controls XBB PowerUnit®

Your XBB Dongle® has been removed from the diagnostic socket by the inspector/mechanic and they forgot to put it back. They use the same socket to read out error codes etc. from the car when they inspect it, so just put the XBB Dongle® back in the socket and it works as it should again after a few seconds.

It's supposed to be like that, it enables the XBB PowerUnit® to detect short circuit on the outputs.

If possible, you can connect directly to the car battery, but on many modern cars the battery has a current monitoring, then it is important that you connect the Power or GND after it and not between the current monitoring and the battery pole. If you have a battery with current monitoring and connect directly to the battery pole, it can result in the battery being drained when driving with the auxiliary light / LED ramp activated, due to that the car doesn't calculate with the higher power consumption.

Vad är en BMS sensor?
I detta klipp går Kalle igenom och förklarar vad det är.  Till Youtube!

Contact your brand workshop, they should be able to find out what type of headlight you have. You can also try visiting https://www.car.info/ and see what kind of lighting is listed there.

1. There is a wireless push button (XBB Smart Button) that can be added to the system, which can be used to switch on or off the outputs.

Remove the XBB Dongle® from the diagnostic socket, then the XBB PowerUnit is switched off. If you put the XBB Dongle® back in the socket again, everything works as it should after a few seconds, turn off the ignition before disconnecting & plugging in the XBB Dongle®.

There is a wiring (Y-splitter) that you can put in the socket, this way you can have two modules connected at the same time. There is also an extension cable if you only need to move the XBB Dongle® a bit.

Note! We can not guarantee function together with other types of devices that are in the OBD2 socket, but this must be tested, both so that the XBB Dongle works correctly and also the other device.

You have probably disconnected the battery during the installation and on many modern cars that can result in many different error messages. They often disappear after a drivning for a while. If they don't disappear contact a workshop or use some kind off OBD2 device that can delete error codes.

It may also be that you have chosen a recipe that does not suit your car. Try another recipe, it is important that you follow the manual and check the status of the signal SYSTEM_ACTIVE via the app.

Varje recept är unikt för respektive bilmodell och kan därmed se olika ut! I vissa recept finns bara ett fåtal signaler att välja på medans andra recept kan innehålla betydligt fler signaler. Nedan följer några exempel på signaler som kan finnas i ett recept.
 HIGHBEAM: Lyser med fast grönt sken (PÅ) när XBB Dongle® detekterar att helljuset på bilen är aktivt.
– LOWBEAM: Lyser med fast grönt sken (PÅ) när XBB Dongle® detekterar att halvljuset på bilen är aktivt.
– REVERSELIGHT: Lyser med fast grönt sken (PÅ) när XBB Dongle® detekterar att backljuset på bilen är aktivt.
– IGNITION: Lyser med fast grönt sken (PÅ) när XBB Dongle® detekterar att tändningen på bilen är aktiverad.
– SYSTEM_ACTIVE: Fast grön = XBB Dongle® är aktiverad (Tändningen tillslagen eller motsvarande signal). Denna signal måste bli röd (AV/Sleep mode) ca 2 minuter efter att bilen är låst & ev. larmad. Växlar den mellan AV/PÅ så betyder det att den är på väg ner i Sleep mode.
– LOW_BATT: Låg batterispänning detekterad, lyser den med fast grönt sken (PÅ) eller växlar färg mellan rött & grönt kommer inte utgångarna på XBB PowerUnit® att aktiveras. Ladda batteriet eller starta bilen för att åtgärda.
– VOLTAGE: Här kan du se batterispänning genom att ändra reglaget (visa utgångsvärdet). Är värdet exempelvis 127 innebär det att det är ca 12,7 volt i batteriet.
– SYSTEM_ON: Se SYSTEM_ACTIVE

Volvo's diagnostic socket differs from other car brands, which means that the XBB Dongle® is very hard to get in, but it works. It fits well on all other car models.

Vi har under våren 2022 bytt till en annan kontakt som passar bättre i Volvos diagnosuttag så detta bekymmer är löst med XBB Dongle producerade efter 2022-05-01.

Try unplugging the XBB Dongle® from the diagnostic socket and plugging it back in. Also take the opportunity to update the software (Firmware) and the recipe as we are constantly working on improving it and working out bugs in the system.

First you must an XBB PowerUnit® to the system after that the procedure is almost the same. In the app under the PowerUnit tab, click  addbutton and select Add XBB Button and follow the on-screen instructions. When it is added, you go into its settings and choose what will happen when you click once or when you doubleclick.

Our way of designing recipes is constantly evolving and getting better and better. Try deleting your existing recipe and reinstalling it, you can also check if there is a new variant of recipe for your car.

XBB Dongle® reads the CAN-bus system just like our competitors in the market. However, we have chosen to do it in a way that makes your job much easier while you do not have to make any interventions on the car's wiring and risk incorrect connections, error codes etc.

Link to our installation manual.

Link to Installation Video.

Link to the website

If you need help, please use our support site.

Good luck!

www.xbb.se / www.innoware.se