Removing the Amber on the Headlights

[Parker]

does anyone have any suggestions regarding the subtleties of removing the amber lense when implementing the soldering iron trick?

I have instructions from a few sources, but I was wondering if there were any extra finess moves to prevent screwing it up.

Thanks,

Parker

[Tool Pants]

My friend Henry did it on his litronics and then did it on Raman's lits. You need a hot soldering iron and a steady hand. We put foil around the plastic bulb opening. Foil is not the best thing since it can transfer heat, but I could not think of anything better. I named the procedure "amberectomy." Jeff

[Parker]

Jeff, GREAT pics. Peforming surgery this weekend. Thanks to you and Henry :D

[Gundo]

Any chance you have a before and after pic of this operation?

And as a newbie, am I correct in assuming the solder iron trick gets all the amber out of the lenses? If so, this looks like a sweet hack indeed!

And one last question, what is the part number for the little triangles that aren't part of the main light? They need to be clear too....

Thanks!

[Tool Pants]

This hack is only for litronics, 996 or 2003 Boxster 'clear' lights, which have clear triangles. If you have lights with the amber on the headlight cover then this hack is not for you as you cannot remove the amber. Only on the clear lights with an internal amber lense.

Once the internal amber lense is removed then you must replace the clear turn signal bulb with an amber bulb, or one of those bulbs that look silver but flash amber.

Henry's before and after picture of his lits.

[Gundo]

Thanks man! Especially for the quick response.

I was thinking this looked a bit too easy.

Gundo

[porsche986]

I removed the orange from my headlights a while ago, i didnt have any trouble at all, its very easy. Once you remove the orange you can pick up a set of clear bulbs from ebay that flash orange. They are about £4.00 a set or $6.00

also i didnt use any soldering irons just a pair of pliers.. it just came out if 4 or 5 bits. It was very simple and took around 15 mins for each light.

here are a few pics i took...

I love them!

Edited August 19, 2004 by porsche986

[porscheneer]

DANGIT that looks sweet, I guess I'm S.O.L with my 00 boxster right?

Great hack Bravo :clapping:

Edited August 19, 2004 by porscheneer

[mrmickeymouse]

The year is not indicative of the clear light vis-a-vis the amber imbedded light.

If your light looks like the top one but with a little orange in it, You may have what they call clears.

The best idea is to pop a light and get the Porsche number, unless you can compare your's to a litronic light [eye ball] or a for sure set of clears.

I have seen a set of clears that looked like a stock [amber imbedded] light [could of been a bad picture, looked really close though].

[Tool Pants]

It gets confusing because we talk about amber lights but then talk about removing the amber.

The Boxster standard halogen headlight were amber until 2003, when the Boxster got clear. Litronics are clear. Some us us old Boxster owners would buy 996 lights since they are clear, unless it is a very early 996.

The turn signal bulb in an amber headlight is clear. It flashes amber from the outside because the surface plastic headlight cover is amber. Inside the headlight and just in front of the bulb is a clear plastic light diffuser. The diffuser can be clear because the surface plastic is amber.

The bulb in clear or lits is also clear, but the internal diffuser is amber. So it also flashes amber from the outside. If you remove the amber diffuser like in the pictures then you need to replace the clear bulb with an amber bulb, or one of those silver bulbs that flash amber.

On the left is my standard amber Boxster light. On the right is a clear 996, but the amber diffuser has not been removed.

[HenryV]

Before and after pic. Left with the orange filter present. Right after it is removed.

The image on the right needs a silvervision bulb to maintain the effect. See below:

With an orange bulb:

With a silvervision bulb:

Please note that, as Jeff points out, this only applies to headlights with the orange filter insert. Not to those with the orange coating underneath the outside plastic.

[valcax]

I want to do, but I am frightening to take off headlights........ is it difficult??

Regards.

[0586slb]

Its extremely easy and detailed in your owner's manual. Just a half turn with the designated headlight removal tool you'll find in the toolkit.

[valcax]

Its extremely easy and detailed in your owner's manual. Just a half turn with the designated headlight removal tool you'll find in the toolkit.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

toolkit? are you refering to tools in spare wheel?

Edited May 17, 2005 by valcax

[valcax]

Another question......... is necessary adjusting headlights position after reinstalling?

[Loren]

Another question......... is necessary adjusting headlights position after reinstalling?

Not usually. The headlight is fixed - the mounting base in the car is what is moved by the adjusters.

[valcax]

Thanks Loren!..... where is toolkit to remove headlight?

[Loren]

Inside your spare tire tool kit.

Instructions are in your Owner's Manual.

[valcax]

Inside your spare tire tool kit.

Instructions are in your Owner's Manual.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thanks again,,,, :notworthy:

[valcax]

Inside your spare tire tool kit.

Instructions are in your Owner's Manual.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

thanks again,,,, :notworthy:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

please show me a pic of remove tool.......I am not sure which is......

Edited May 21, 2005 by valcax

[valcax]

Now I know how to remove headlights but I am not sure if I should remove amber lights....

would you do it?

Regards.

[SPR]

So I did the orange removal mod today. The instructions other than the use of the soldering iron and the protection of the bulb housing stink, so I will post the best way I found to do it with minimally scratching the reflector inside- very easy to do. There are really two methods that I did for removal. The first was to burn out the orange section in half. (It is like a U channel and I slit it across leaving a top and bottom. Make sure to do it all the way around. From here you can grab the bottom section from one of the corners and yank it out while twisting with a set of needle nose pliers (large). I got both out in one piece. I then tried doing the same technique along with cutting the corners of the U, up and down out, which if you have the patients should have a better result and less scratching of the inner reflector. The results are the same and came out fine either way if you take your time.

Also when I put the lights back in test all lights turn, headlight, and fog, becasue my left turnsignal wasn't engaged all the way. Aslo after clicking them in it seems like the tops of the headlights sit down a bit below the fender even though they are in all the way- normal? It appears that is the only way as there are the tracks, and locks. BTW I had to lock and unlock the car to allow the lights to go in and out, unless i am nutz there is a lock on them too so you can't steal them??? In any event advice for reinsertion- on the outside of the units is a stick that slides in a grove and makes the alignment and insertion simple to go back in- make sure your locks are oriented the right way and that the car is unlocked.

[boxs2000]

I have been thinking about doing this proceedure and was worried about the hot soldering iron touching the sides and melting the wrong piece. Has anyone used a dremmel tool for this process? I wonder if that would be safer and easier?

[savinor]

does anyone have any suggestions regarding the subtleties of removing the amber lense when implementing the soldering iron trick?

I have instructions from a few sources, but I was wondering if there were any extra finess moves to prevent screwing it up.

Parker,

I have done it on two sets of lights. The second time I made some heat shields out of thin aluminum flashing in place of foil. This approach was much more effective in preventing the melting of the areas around the hole. With the shield in place it is an easy job.

Good Luck,

Rich

BTW I have an extra set.

[Tool Pants]

The internal lense has 3 sides to it.

These are pictures of the lense from an AMBER headlight. That is why the pictures of the lense show a CLEAR, not amber, lense.

These pictures are from the broken headlight on my 1997 with standard halogen amber headlights. You do not do the modification on this type of headlight.

The pictures are for illustration purposes only.

The headlight in the pictures was destroyed to get the 3-sided lense out in one piece. I do not know any other way to get the lense out in one piece.

The internal lense is way to big to pull out through the exterior bulb holder. You need to melt it, cut it, or otherwise break it into smaller pieces so it can be pulled out of the bulb holder opening.

A dremel tool will work, instead of the heat method.