Headlight fitting

[Guest]

Does anyone know how to remove the front headlights? I've just bought some clear ones and have tried removing the old ones but am having no joy! []

When you open the bonnet and remove the inside cover, there seems to be four rubber stoppers which expose four adjustments!!

Does anyone know which one does what??

Regards

David

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Do you not have a handbook?
You can buy one from Porsche - worth it as it is very useful...

In the meantime you can use these instructions (they are for swapping from left to right dip on the litronics - but cover removing and replacing the headlights as part of the process...


These relate to pre-2005MY cars - I have not tried on the new one yet:

Iinstructions for changing the Litronic headlights from left to right dip (or vice-versa!)

You can use these to remove/replace the headlight units to change bulbs, just substitute swapping the bulbs for switching over the little switch!

Firstly, it IS best to look in the handbook the first time - much
easier to get yourself familiar with where everything is.

Here we go:

(From memory)

1. Open front boot
2. Get toolkit out from behind spare wheel
3. Find the little tool to take the headlights out. It is a tube
about 100mm long by, ohh, about 8mm diameter. It has a lever that
swivels at one end, and a hex socket moulded in to the other.
4. Undo the plastic screw retaining the top of the carpet on one side
of the boot (twist twist), and pull the carpet away (only a little,
in the area of the headlights).
5. Locate a little rubber plug in the inner wing - it is surrounded
by 3 rubber flaps, but sticks out from these.
6. Pull rubber plug out (twist and pull). Don't lose it!
7. Insert previously mentioned tool and fit onto the hex shaped
thingy in the wing.
8. Turn tool about 90 degrees (can't remember which way, you'll find
out it if it moves or not).
9. There will be an almighty bang! You will think "I've killed my
Boxster!", but don't worry it always does this - and is the light
housing unlatching.
10. Gently slide the housing out from the front of the car. Don't
scratch anything!
11. Part way out you will need to unlatch a wiring harness plug from
the headlight housing. (Litronics only).
12. Continue removing housing all the way out.
13. Put the housing down somewhere safe - I usually rest it indicator-
down on the boot floor (you need to get at the rear of the housing)

(Litronics only from this point to step 18)
14. Unlatch the rear of the housing, there is a little clip on one
side, and a matching latch on the other.
15. Pull rear of housing to one side (it has a harness attached if I
remember) and peek in the back.
16. It will not be obvious (it took me a few goes though this process
to remember where it was), but there is a little switch (more a metal
tab) that moves between two settings, O and T. Flick this switch with
a finger to the other setting than that it is already set to.
17. In the best Haynes Manual tradition, Assembly is the reverse of
the above...



Alright then, here's how to put it back together again...
First, fit the rear cover back on,
18. Slide the headlight housing back in to the wing, locating the
plastic guides in the runners.
19. Remember to re-attach the harness plug half way. (Litronics only)
Gently push housing home, and ensure it seats nicely with the rubber
gasket neatly seated.
20. Turn the funny little tool the other way, BANG! as the housing
latches again!
21. Remove tool and (I usually forget!) replace the rubber plug in
the hole.
22. Place carpet back, tuck under sealing rubber and then push the
retaining screw back (no need to twist this time, it pushes on.

Repeat for other side.
Replace tool kit in spare wheel and replace wheel.

I don't bother putting the tool back in the tool kit as I do this so
much - I keep it in the glove box.

This takes far less time to do than it sounds, very easy!

 

[Guest]

Mark,

Many thanks for your help, i'll give it ago tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

Regards

David

 

[IainCameron]

ORIGINAL: martell
Does anyone know how to remove the front headlights? I've just bought some clear ones and have tried removing the old ones but am having no joy! []
David

Watch out at step 8 of Mark's very good instruction.

"8. Turn tool about 90 degrees (can't remember which way, you'll find
out it if it moves or not). "

For the Left Hand side lighting unit you must turn the box spanner tool anticlockwise to release it and for the Right Hand lighting unit you must turn it clockwise to release it.

I learnt the hard way and turned the tool the wrong way and got a very loud bang but broke the headlight retaining plastic as I was turning it the wrong way! [&o][]

I include the handbook instructions for your use although Mark's instructions are very detailed.

Also > I found that the box spanner tool that comes with the toolkit was not up to the job (too soft and started to slip over the hex. Well it would if you are turning it in the wrong direction!) so I bought a 5mm socket that does the job very well.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Eeek!
Iain - I didn't realise that could even be done! [&o]

Really sorry.

I never remember which way - just try one then the other (it moves or it doesn't I found...) I'll be more careful myself next time [&:]
(So it's towards the front if you have the tool upright - yes?)

How did you fix it? Was it easy/cheap or difficult/expensive? Or don't I want to know?[]

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: IainCameron

ORIGINAL: martell
Does anyone know how to remove the front headlights? I've just bought some clear ones and have tried removing the old ones but am having no joy! []
David

Watch out at step 8 of Mark's very good instruction.

"8. Turn tool about 90 degrees (can't remember which way, you'll find
out it if it moves or not). "

For the Left Hand side lighting unit you must turn the box spanner tool anticlockwise to release it and for the Right Hand lighting unit you must turn it clockwise to release it.

I learnt the hard way and turned the tool the wrong way and got a very loud bang but broke the headlight retaining plastic as I was turning it the wrong way! [&o][]

I include the handbook instructions for your use although Mark's instructions are very detailed.

Also > I found that the box spanner tool that comes with the toolkit was not up to the job (too soft and started to slip over the hex. Well it would if you are turning it in the wrong direction!) so I bought a 5mm socket that does the job very well.

If put on as shown and moved to the front of the car, swinging downwards you can't go wrong! (Effectively as Iain says).. []

I found the tool OK on my MY2K.

I've only had one lamp go in 6 years - pity the tyres don't last as well!

 

[IainCameron]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett
Eeek!
Iain - I didn't realise that could even be done! [&o]
Really sorry.

I never remember which way - just try one then the other (it moves or it doesn't I found...) I'll be more careful myself next time [&:]
(So it's towards the front if you have the tool upright - yes?)

How did you fix it? Was it easy/cheap or difficult/expensive? Or don't I want to know?[]

Mark,
Yes, I found out the wrong way! [8|]Always makes sense to look in the handbook first. My brain just said that, for the nearside lamp, if I am trying to push the lamp unit out from the car I must turn the tool in a clockwise direction. I used my new socket and kept turning till I heard a very loud bang! I thought, " well it is meant to make a banging noise", and thought nothing of it until I pulled the lamp unit out and there were a few bits of broken hard plastic lying in the housing. That's when I got that "knot in the stomach" feeling and I knew I had damaged the lamp housing. I tried to glue the parts back in place but I could not get the hard plastic to stay glued. On close inspection I realised that if I put the lamp back in and gently turned the mechanism at the right moment I could coax it to hold the lamp in place. I have never touched it again! I even went to Le mans in 2004 without changing the dip lever over! I did not want to go there again. If I want my lamps removed again I will come to your place and let you do it for me. Ha ha.[][]

Also, if anyone can recommend a "hard plastic" glue that will take a tensile force please let me know as I am still in possession of the plastic bits.[&o]