986 Headlight Assembly

[bubblo]

The back of the headlights gives you access to the high and low beam bulbs, that sit in a cream looking bulb assembly.

There is a couple of screws in there, just wondered if anyone has had any experience of removing those assemblies. I'd like to replace the assembly and the lens.

Apprieciate any comments. Thanks

[bubblo]

Forty one views and nobody can help me out :rolleyes:

If anyone knows how to strip unit down to get to the bulb assemble, i'd love to hear from you.

[Loren]

Sorry, there are no instructions because Porsche sells only the whole headlight assembly.

[kabel]

IIRC past discussions revealed this assembly is not designed to come apart.

I would also like to replace just the Headlight lens, the PO installed lamps that melted/yellowed the lenses in there. Buying replacements assemblies is the recommended path.

[bubblo]

.....this assembly is not designed to come apart.

This what i thought, however if there is a reliable method to take them aprt and put them back together again....i'd settle for that. :cheers:

[mikefocke]

Accept the fact ...

that if it is to be done, you are going to have to learn how yourself and quit demanding that someone else give you what you want your way.

The good news is, if you screw them up, there are lots of cheap replacements available from people who went to Litronics.

[Tool Pants]

The headlight is made by Bosch. Bosch has sold it's lighting division. Do not know any source for parts.

[bubblo]

.......quit demanding that someone else give you what you want your way.

Your attitude sucks dude. Seems as tho' you had a bad day at work or something and wanna take it out on someone.

1. If you read my post carefully you'll find i have not demanded anyone to give me anything my way so shut up.

2. This is a forum where people who don't have the dizzying heights of "expertise" and "knowledge" as your self, can ask questions and learn.

So do me a favour, don't try and put me down for asking questions.

Edited November 15, 2006 by bubblo

[bubblo]

Nice pic toolpants...looks like that unit was cut apart!

[CJ_Boxster]

The headlight is made by Bosch. Bosch has sold it's lightig division. Do not know any source for parts.

Looks like its held together by weather proof glue that never drys and is always very sticky... Took a plastic lense off a another car and it required a high heat blow dryier to get it soft so i can pry off the lense without cracking it.

[djomlas]

i took couple other car makes headlights apart with just a heair dryer

five that a shot and see what happens

[Tool Pants]

First, I can see no way to remove the lense and reflector throught the back hatch used to replace the bulbs. Way too big. Must be put in before the assembly is put together.

Second, I have heard on some cars you can put them in an oven and separate the housing.

All I can tell you is that 3 years years ago I took a damaged headlight apart and had to destroy it to do so. There is a rubber seal and it is glued together. When I broke the seal I also broke the plastic. I did not try heat. Brute force was my method.

If someone wants to send me their headlights I'll be happy to give it another go....

[986Jim]

Most headlights are held together with a rubber glue kinda stuff and plastic clips.

I did some surgury to my Jetta light, to get them appart I put them in the oven at 250deg for 10 minutes. Just wear some mechanics gloves when you pull them out they will be sorta warm, and the glue is warmed up enough that you can pull them appart. Do whateve it is your gonna do then toss em back in the oven for 10 mins and re-assemble. You want to heat it up before you put it back together so the glue will stick again. If you don't heat them up enough during the re-assembly you will get air gaps and get condensation in the glass, so the re-assembly is the most important. My Jetta lights are Bosch as well, so almost guaranteed they are madet the same way.

The grey around was the glue I was refering too. These lights are my aftermarket cheap-o ebay lights and they came appart fine and went back together fine and they were fine in the oven as well. The better bosch stuff is also fine in the oven. It's only 250 deg for 10 mins, don't do anything to the plastic, not to worry.

[Tool Pants]

One of the local guys, Danny, took the headlights apart a few years ago. He also had burned lenses from high watt bulbs. He put in some type of projector something in the headlight. I did not ask him his method, other than he said he had to crack them open.

Someone with a trashed headlight might want to try the heat method and see if it works on a Boxster headlight.

[Jinster]

One of the local guys, Danny, took the headlights apart a few years ago. He also had burned lenses from high watt bulbs. He put in some type of projector something in the headlight. I did not ask him his method, other than he said he had to crack them open.

Someone with a trashed headlight might want to try the heat method and see if it works on a Boxster headlight.

I have a trashed light. I will give it a go when I get a chance. I have been wanting some different looking lights for a while, without going down the standard Litronic route. That pic looks very interesting, TP. I like what he has done. Do you know what sort of projector setup he put in there? If I am going to go thru the whole oven thing, I might as well experiment with putting something new together.

[europwr]

Hey Jeff,

Long time no talk!

Let me try to shine some light on the situation.

When I took my headlights apart. I baked them in the oven for about 10-15 min. at 250 degrees. Watch them carefully. You have to unscrew and remove the rubber seal that lines the headlight. Then use a screwdriver and slow start to pry the headlight apart.

There honestly is no point of trying to change the inside lens unless you plan on doing a heavy mod as I did. One thing you can do it remove the burn lens and just run them lenseless.

Danny

[Tool Pants]

Long time, Danny.

Come on over some day and we can bake car parts, but it will not fit in my microwave oven. :rolleyes:

[Tool Pants]

Baked headlight, with a side order of tail light....

[Jinster]

Hey Jeff,

Long time no talk!

Let me try to shine some light on the situation.

When I took my headlights apart. I baked them in the oven for about 10-15 min. at 250 degrees. Watch them carefully. You have to unscrew and remove the rubber seal that lines the headlight. Then use a screwdriver and slow start to pry the headlight apart.

There honestly is no point of trying to change the inside lens unless you plan on doing a heavy mod as I did. One thing you can do it remove the burn lens and just run them lenseless.

Danny

Danny, my plan was to buy a set of cheap chrome HID headlight assemblies like those Civic or BMW units on Ebay and cut and "paste" the projector parts of of the assembly into a empty Boxster headlight unit. I imagine the parts would need to be small to fit. Your fitment seems very good. Care to shed some light on which parts you used? Thanks.

[bubblo]

Wow thanks guys for all of your responses. This is turning to be a very interesting thread...it's even re-united old acquaintances...nice to hear from you Danny.

Toolpants,986Jim and Danny baking them seems the way to go. Jinster i'd like to know how you got on with baking yours.

Danny i just bought a pair of clears and the lenses were scorched be those "xenon" bulbs and i'd like to swap out my amber lenses into the clears. But boy i'm drooling at the piccy Toolpants put up on your projector mod. :clapping: Looks sweet. How did you do it and where did you get the parts.

The weekend is just around the corner perfect time to do some baking!!

Edited November 16, 2006 by bubblo

[kabel]

Well now... I have successfully baked other car light assemblies apart, but since I never found any posts here that mentioned that method I assumed our headlights were put together differently... I find it hard to believe no one else ever tried this up till now! Off to find a second set of headlamps... :D

[europwr]

I did this project back in 2000 so it has been a while.

I have more pictures that I will try to find and post later.

I first took the headlight apart as discused in earlier threads. Then all you need to do is pop off the burnt lens on top. Since I wanted to run the driving/fog light combo I had to rip out the dome part as well. I believe they are just screws and clips.

I think mounted the light units to the sides of the dome using their supplied screws. I wanted to be able to adjust the angle of the lights, so I drill a hole in the bottom under the dome area, and placed a bolt in there, to tilt the lights up and down.

After that you just run your wires to the already stock harness inside the light. Seal everything back up and throw them back in!

Sorry if its too brief. Hopefully I can find pics and post more later.

TP, do you still have any other pics?

I lost my pics on 986host.com

[bubblo]

Kabel...sounds like you got some expertise in baking bud....i'd love to hear about your techniques, temperatures, duration and method.....if you have got time.

Europwr nice to hear from you again bud, hope you track down those piccies and offer a fully description of your method including those projectors you added for that nice effect. Sure there will be a lot of grateful people, me included, wanting to know how. :notworthy:

Edited November 17, 2006 by bubblo

[Tool Pants]

This is all I could find from the old Danny days.

[kabel]

It just takes time and an understanding of how they come apart prior to heating them up so you know what your doing while the adhesive is soft.

I take the low and slow approach. I set the oven at 225-250 F, place the lamp assembly on a towel on a cookie sheet. After ten about ten minuets, start checking the pliability of the adhesive. There really is not a lot of open time to work with so you have to work efficiently when the glue is soft. A well fitting pair of heavy leather/suede gloves helps too, oven mitts don't offer a whole lot of dexterity :P