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How to upgrade your Porsche 981 Xenon Headlights, upgrade a 987, 991, 718 Spyder GT4 not LED
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 เม.ย. 2021
- In this episode we look at upgrading the low power xenon headlight ballasts and bulbs Porsche fit to the 981, 718, 991, 987, GT4 and Spyder.
This video is also useful as a guide for, 'how to change the bulbs in your Porsche Cayman 981 and Porsche Boxster 981'
The lights on the S model as 25w xenon powered by the 25w ballast, to upgrade to the PDLS spec we need to upgrade to a 35w bulb and 35w ballast.
This is a dangerous job and should only be carried out if you follow all of the safety precautions as indicated by the manufacturers of the equipment.
The parts I used are linked below, please purchase from here to support the channel.
UK links
For 981 and 718 35w ballast - amzn.to/3entCnP
For 981 and 718 35w xenon bulb d3s - amzn.to/3ecVquB
For 981 and 718 35w nightbreaker bulb d3s - amzn.to/3mRtlwJ
For 987 35w nightbreaker bulb d2s - amzn.to/3x2wtKL
USA links
For 981 35w ballast - amzn.to/3entCnP
For 981 35w xenon bulb - amzn.to/3slX9m9
For 981 35w nightbreaker bulb - amzn.to/2QvJawK
Please double check against the manufacturers recommendation for your vehicle, the above is a guide.
Please follow Test Drive Scotland on Instagram, and subscribe to the channel on youtube to ensure you are first to see our videos.
Thanks for watching and see you for the next one..
email: testdrivescotland@gmail.com
Instagram: Testdrivescotland
Facebook: Test Drive Scotland
I didn’t think I would find changing a bulb in a Porsche to be interesting.
Well done.
Ha ha thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Neither did I but it's turned out alright 👍
First class again 👍🏼👏🏼
I’m just in the throes of doing the rear diffuser mod and now I’m going to have to spend more money of the lighting upgrade 🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 I'm really sorry but thank you. Unfortunately there's still more to do I've just removed another piece of the car for upgrading!
Great video. Thanks for creating it. I have updated the bulbs and ballasts
Thanks appreciate you saying so 🙂
Thanks Test Drive Scotland! Great info here, and I just completed this upgrade on my 2014 981 Boxster S. I knew the halogen high beams were 9 years old, and my old eyes need better light these years, so I figured I'd do the whole thing. Upgraded the Xenarcs to 35W, along with the new ballasts, and then replaced the high beams with H7 Sylvania SilverStar Ultras - still 55W but I think a bit brighter than the stock units from 2014. Looking forward to a test run to see how much better they work!
Only real challenge was the silly one-way security screws on the access covers.... after quite a hassle drilling out one and using an easy-out, I tried a different approach: I took an old flat blade screwdriver, ground the blade into a sharp knife edge on my bench grinder, and found I could then push that sharp edge into the head of the screws and get enough bite to turn them out. So that's how I did the rest of them. And new Phillips screws went in on re-assembly.
Thanks again!
Thanks for letting me know, I hope that it helps you to enjoy the car even more 👍
We don't have the security screws here.
👍 a massive improvement - I’m going to give this a go on the 987, where the halogens are woeful. Really great video 🌟, enjoyed it!. Thanks
Thanks Lee, I guess you are looking at HID kits if you want a major improvement but changing the bulbs will certainly help. Bottom line is, it's worth doing! Thanks again 👍
Great write up! What a good upgrade!
Thanks Mitch, really big improvement 👍
You are definitely nailing this! The info is there and the production values are really impressive! Good work!
Thanks Newart, appreciate that. How is your channel doing?
My channel is growing, but it hasn’t hit the 1000 yet. People seem to find it helpful and sometimes humorous, which is gratifying.
@@NewArt1 good stuff keep on going 👍
Great video!! I thought the balance of information and ease to watch with the music and additional driving footage was excellent! Really good work
Very kind guys and much appreciated. Hope to see you out on the road in those awesome cars again soon 👍
Another great video 👍
Thanks, appreciate that 👍
I have a 981 Cayman GTS and are you saying that no upgrades are necessary on this car? Great video & description. Keep-up the excellent presentations.
Hi Phillip, thank you for watching and thanks for the kind feedback. Your GTS already has the 35w bulb fitted, my car now has the same brightness level as the GTS.
However, if you want even more light, and a longer range on your dipped beam you can change your bulbs (bulbs only) for the D3S Osram Nightbreaker bulbs I linked in the description. In hindsight I should have put these in mine but still very happy 👍
@@TDS981 This is the lower lamp? No other electrical or otherwise adjustments required? Thank you again
@@philipwatkins8157 just exactly the same bulb as I change in the video, just a bulb change. Should be nothing else required if you don't touch the dynamic lighting mechanisms.
Excellent side by side comparison
Thanks Charles 👍
I’ve just received my xenarc nightbreaker xenon to upgrade my poor 981 gt4 lights. Thanks for those tips to DIY!! Oem lights are definitely too poor for mountain roads by night. All my friends have recent cars with led technology. This is another world ..
Awesome Giles, glad the video helped. Did you have the 35w bulbs before?
@@TDS981 you’re welcome ! No I’m on stock 25w xenon with no pdls (regrets) so far.
@@gillesalphonsine7288 Big difference then! Nice one, thanks again for getting in touch.
Nice little mod and another good video thanks. Do I have the ability as well as desire to shave the connector from standard 🤔 Be interesting to hear the longevity of the bulb as historically never found aftermarket bulbs even from Osram etc to last very long.
Shaving the connector takes 20 seconds and they are inexpensive to replace. You can of course shave the bulb but it's slightly more difficult.
Those Osram bulbs come with a 4yrs warranty .
Great video again, Sir. Love the way u show some of the pitfalls and how to avoid then on a project like this
Thanks for the feedback, I think the struggle made for a better video 👍
A couple things I ran into during my install that I thought might be worth noting in the comments.
The access hatch on my headlights had one-way security screws that requires a different bit to remove. I’ve ordered the standard philips screws that are used on the 991 for future access (PN 991-631-377-00), but be aware that your car’s lights may come with one-way screws.
The only other issue I had was that the stock DLS light is keyed to the socket on the headlight, i.e. there’s a notch cut out at the 11 o’clock position of the bulb housing (when looking at it head-on) which corresponds to a metal tab on the headlight assembly. This tab can be bent up slightly so as to clear the plastic ring on the D3S bulb.
Other than that, install was smooth. Everything works great post-install. I did a “Check left dipped headlight” warning on the dash that quickly went away, so I’m gonna go back and recheck connections at some point (and possibly replace the bulb and ballast in case I got a bad / malfunctioning part), but everything *does* function as it should 👍🏼
Thanks for sharing Jack, glad it worked out, what model year is the car and which country are you in?
@@TDS981 2016 GT4, US market
Thanks Daryl 👍 just changed my 35w to nightbreakers. Great "How to"
No worries, glad it was useful 👍
Happy with the improvement?
@@TDS981 haven't had a chance to take it out yet 🤣
Wow....what a difference 👍
@@jamiemilligan2879 making me wish I had gone the whole 9 yards now. I was happy with the difference from just 25w to 35w 😯
Main difference between 25w Xenon and PDLS (apart from the road tracking) is the washer unit. A 35w Xenon apparently needs a washer to keep the lens clean which is why you’ll see some cars with the little nozzle in front of the lens
It's an EU regulatory requirement to have a washer system with 35w xenon fitted from factory, there is no such regulation for retrofit. The 25w version was a good way to get around it, cost or weight saving you decide.
@@TDS981 cheers!! I’m no expert and not knocking what you’ve done 👍
@@furqcity no worries just clarifying 👍🏼
@@TDS981 helps me understand better too so thanks
OK, so I bought the bulbs and installed them and the EXACT SAME BALLAST that is shown in this video, down to every single number on the ballast's data sticker you see at 4:59. Identical. And I found them from a seller in the United States for about US $30. The "nightbreaker" bulbs I installed are noticeably brighter [haven't driven them at night yet but on the garage wall it was obvious!], but do ballast's have serial numbers?
I guess it doesn't matter, they apparently work quite well. And after I got those fucking screws out, this turned out to be one of the easiest upgrades I've ever seen. I literally did both headlights in 20 minutes.
GREAT upgrade, thanx for the advice! I am 200% subscribed to your channel and I owe you a beer or 12!
Glad to hear you got there in the end and congratulations for now being able to see where you are going at night 😂
They have part numbers if that's what you mean, but looks like you bought the right units if they are working.
Thanks again for watching and taking the time to update 👍
OK, it is 2158 and I just took my 981CS up around the cul de sac in my neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale and the lights are amazing! Just like you said. They were average before [on a $76,000 car?] but now they work right. Come to Florida and I'll buy you some beers!
Awesome! I certainly need a holiday ! 😎
Another great video, thanks! Are these bulbs plug and play in all 981 scenarios? I have a base 981 with very poor halogens.
Hi Matthew, thanks for watching and glad you found it interesting. Unfortunately not, this upgrade is for the Xenon lights only. If you want to upgrade the halogens the easiest thing to do is a bulb upgrade. You could also retrofit the xenon lights from the S if you can find a set for sale which are not broken.
@@TDS981 Thanks for taking the time to reply, makes sense. Cheers
Can you add EU links please? Thanks for the video, looks much brighter with these lights!
Yes I'll do so later this evening thanks for watching, which country?
@@TDS981 I'm in Estonia
@@riippumattomuus Hi, I've checked and in the links I provided you can change your delivery address to Estonia, postage is about €6.
Here are some German links but the delivery is the same.
www.amazon.de/Osram-Xenon-Brenner-Entladungslampe-Erstausr%C3%BCsterqualit%C3%A4t-66340/dp/B007A0UW2E
www.amazon.de/FEZZ-Scheinwerfer-Steuerger%C3%A4t-Vorschaltsteuerger%C3%A4t-8K0941597C/dp/B0788V1KMY
Great video, really useful. Definitely going to do this. 👍 Cheers Jase
Glad to hear it 👍
Thx for the excellent job !
👌👍
Great video ! Thanks ! Why do you give links for UK and US ? Is there a difference of equipment ? I'm in France, What link do I have to use ? Thanks for your help Rgds
Hi Benjamin, thanks for watching 👍 I give different links for shipping and lead time, the parts are the same. Use the UK link I have provided and it should be fine for you I think it's coming from the EU anyway
@@TDS981 thanks !
@@benjamimgal1294 no worries, nice to hear from you 👍
You really should include the year models this works with. The new 2021 models don't have the "quick release" headlights or tools anymore I believe.
Norm thanks for watching, it works on the 981 models and 718 models of all years with the 25w xenons, as I included within the video the procedure on the 718 is a bit more challenging as you have to go in via the wheel arch to access the rear of the headlight.
Other viewers have noted safety screws on the back of the headlights in the US market also.
Hi, I've got a 2013 Boxster with PDLS. The high beams use the Xenon as well as a halogen bulb (located underneath) Do you know if I can upgrade that halogen bulb to a LED ? And if so, would you have a ref ? Thanks !
@@mikeg6210 yes you can, I didn't as I didn't have a problem with the full beam so don't have a reference but if you match the existing bulb type I don't see a problem. Google it or see the manual.
All cayman or boxter which is Produced in Germany still have HID Xenon serial
At 3:22 you said to make sure the ballast is discharged, how do you do that?
Thanks for the video. Change my halogen light to a xenon on the low beam. Looking to change the high beam to LED. Next question, how do you adjust the beam height?
Hi thanks for watching, please tell us more about switching the halogen to Xenon I think a lot of owners would be interested in hearing more!
To adjust the beam height you move the turn the adjustment screws which are within the frunk leading to the inside of the headlight. You will need specialist equipment to get this exactly right and about 75kg in the driving seat 👍
Hey, great video! Thank you. I’ve noticed you didn’t link to a ballast for the 987. Do they not need a replacement? Can I replace the bulb only?
Sorry I don't know much about the 987.
Still happy with the D3S a year on, or would you do something different? Time to change them in my BS.
Great video, really informative and entertaining. Cheers!
Yes happy enough, but I suppose you might as well go for the night breaker bulbs.
Is it the same ballast do you know?
Yes the ballast is for the wattage and both are 35w instead of 25w
Thank you.
👍 Great tip once again.....Tight Ar$e though 🤣 ...you should have gone the whole hog and got the Night Breakers !!
You doing this one too?
I know, I know... Was being conservative after the Ducktail and the next upgrade also wasn't cheap!
@@TDS981 Well you've certainly spent some money on it this year already. Getting my Ducktail fitted after respray in the next week or two..
Daryl, how do I adjust the headlights beam height. I replaced the halogen with a xenon light on my low beam. Looks fantastic. Looking to change the high beam to LED
Sorry Dennis I'm not sure. You can turn the adjustment screw for the dipped beam
can you retrofit xenon bulbs on a halogen car?
👎🏼
Just went to do this but my 981 cayman has H7 globes and the Osram ones I’ve purchased after watching this video have a different connection fitting. Suggestions?
Bad news this video was about upgrading xenon lights which were already fitted. It sounds like you have halogen lights, you either need to buy new headlights or you could try an led upgrade.
Great job, my car comes with xenon headlights and I am going to change the bulbs to Osram. Do I need to change the ballast or I can only change the bulbs with the oem ballast?
I explain at the beginning of the video that there are two types of xenon lights so if you have the 25w ones then you need to upgrade the ballast and bulb.
Coming from the standard 25W Bi-Xenon lights, I noted that the full beam lights are weak/very yellow in comparison to the Osram D3S night breaker. Do you have any suggestions how to upgrade those and with what ideally to match the new xenons?
Hi, I didn't feel the need but I think the main beam is an h7 so you could upgrade it also if you wanted.
On my '14 CS the fucking screws that hold the cover plate in place are one-use tamper proofs! I had to drill the damned things out and replace them with items from my screw collection.
What were they thinking~?
GREAT video!
Oh really, wonder if that's a US market feature. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it 👍
hi if i have a PDLS do I still need the ballast 35w or can use existing one? thanks
You can use the existing one you just.upgrade your bulbs if you want an improvement 👍🏼
Did this on my 981 GT4 - but I’ve noticed some jiggling in the beam pattern over rough roads. Did you notice this as well? I guess I’ll have to take it apart and make sure it’s all tight this weekend….
No I didn't, bulb perhaps isn't seated properly by the sound of it.
@@TDS981 That was it! Both headlights had a little pin that was bent inwards that wouldn't let the bulbs sit all the way in. Perfect now, SO much brighter!
Thanks for the walkthroughs!
@@ash4390 awesome news had me worried for a second!
Is there any led bulb for the high beam yet? The osram won’t fit
Not sure I'm pleased with my main beam.
@@TDS981 ok thanks I may just replace them with white halogens. They’re yelllow at the moment
Out of curiosity, any idea what the OEM ballast part number is?
Hi, it's shown on the part in the video and in the link in the description 👍 8K0941597
@@TDS981 Gotcha, thanks-I wasn't sure if that was simply an aftermarket PN. Thanks for putting this how-to together! Went ahead and purchased everything for this upgrade because the stock bulbs are hot garbage; looking forward to finally being able to see at night.
Nice one Jack, you'll be satisfied with them now 👍
Great video and very helpful to me. Can you tell us the supplier of the new ballast? The marked is flooded with so many misrepresented parts. Some of these parts are even sold at high enough prices as to just differentiate ordinary liars from great liars. Thank you.
P.S. When OEM partners sell a $40 part for $400 we don't call them thieves and that in turn invites many thieves to the party. Elon Musk is right about one thing, too many unnecessary mouths to feed in the automotive pipeline. In the US, car care follows our health care business model.
I personally wouldn't worry about an aftermarket ballast but you can go Audi or VW OEM. D3S ballast.
Will upgrading from 25w to 35w cause ay lasting damage to lenses?
They use the same lenses for the 35w lights.
Going to do this for my mums 911 and change both the full beam and dlr. She was complaining her visibility isn’t as good as my 458 and went drove her 911 yday and boy she was right!
Would you happen to have a link for the bull beams too? May aswell do that since I’ll be in there
Hi try these
amzn.to/3ZGk5yg
@@TDS981 thanks. I’m from the uk but I’ll put that into my amazon
@@torquesporttv9078
Sorry this one then
amzn.to/3GMzYL0
@@TDS981 hey man - sorry to be a pain but two things…
1) the links you sent - have to order everything x 2?
2) possible to send me the links on eBay as they’re normally a fair bit cheaper but I tried to look myself and don’t want to get it wrong because the descriptions vary for the car - some advert says Audi etc
Thanks a bunch
@@torquesporttv9078 yes you need two bulbs, sorry I don't have time to prepare links for you on another platform 🤣
Is this ok for UK MoT?
If in doubt look up the regs and decide for yourself.
Can I ask you a few questions-I have 2014 Cayman S, and have had it connected to a CTEK conditioner.Had it off the road since early Dec -next year I want to put it into storage but will ahve no power supply, so is it OK to leave the battery disconnected?-would there be any adverse effects. Also, I'm about to start it soon, but this would what I think is termed a "dry start"-do you know which fuse anthanks d it's location in the car?-thanks indeed for any possible advice if you can find the time to answer !
Probably a good idea to disconnect your battery for long term storage make sure it's fully charged first. Not sure what you mean on the other point 🤔
@@TDS981 thanks-I wanted to turn the engine over for a short time , (10 seconds or so) without it firing up because it will save wear on the cylinders because it has been lying for 4 months ?
@@Dackah ok I understand, sorry I'm not sure.
@@TDS981 ok thanks anyway-I used to have a 993 and pulled a solenoid after the storage period and the engine just turned over without firing. There must be a fuse that does the same in the 981-thanks anyway, quick reply appreciated!
@@TDS981 yes think you are right-btw found the fuse to stop the engine firing up-fuse B4 in the rear boot (trunk?)
I have a base 981 with halogen. I’m guessing there’s no ballast mount there so I’ll have to find a way to attach the ballast to the headlight cover?
Where do I get the connector that goes from ballast to bulb?
Hi, bad news but if you have halogen lights you will need to look at an alternative solution as you don't have the projector either. You can upgrade the bulbs, switch to LED or buy two new headlights from an s model.
I see. Cheers appreciate the info and love your videos!
@@TDS981 I just had a look at my headlight and it does seem to have a projector lens. It looks the same as yours?
I'd have to see it do you have a link to a picture?
I had no idea some of the 981s only have halogen bulbs...
Sad but true, I can't believe anyone would have accepted that if they had known on teh day of order 😂. Which lights does yours have Stefan?
@@TDS981 by complete chance mine has PDLS (which is a God send coming from a VW polo). But I was initially looking at base a 981 and assumed it had the xenon headlamps. Close one!
Looks good on your Boxster!
@@mamigagi indeed! Thanks for watching 👍