996 newbie and bulb/lights upgrade query

Hi all, I have been on the forum on and off for a few years now and have managed to obtain some very useful information particularly when recently purchasing my long awaited 996 C4S so thanks for all the valuable info. I have never actually posted on the forum so this is my first..... I have an '03 996 C4S which has standard/non-litronic headlights. This is the only car I have had for some years that has not had xenon lights so I am finding the lights are too dim at night. One of my headlamp bulbs has just failed so I am needing to purchase a replacement and at the same time am wondering if there is a recommended bulb replacement out there that will provide a better output. I may consider a HID kit but I have budget constraints due to having to replace both rads and rear brakes last month as well as a new house purchse :-( Your recommendations will be much appreciated. Cheers, Shaun.

I'd just bite the bullet and get a HID kit if I were you.

I put a set of the Philips X-Treme power H7 (autoexpress product of the year) from an eBay shop http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Power-Bulbs-Direct have a look at item 380178512336 for £20.90 delivered They've been in a while now and I'm happy with them. I also picked up a set of H6W LED side lights for £9.95 from Was aceparts.com now Xenons.biz which look quite good not too chav.

Thanks for your responses chaps. I have ordered the Philips bulbs as per Watlina's recommendation and will hopefully upgrade to HIDs next year.

I also cannot believe how dim the lights are for a car of this standard, so am looking for something brighter.

I thought exactly the same when i got my 996. Standard lights are awful compared with previous budget cars I have owned... I have upgraded to Philips H7 Power bulbs and they have certainly improved the crispness and directness of the light, but I guess the HID Xenon kits are the best way but they are not cheap including fitting... I am also curious if original inner glass headlamp remains with HID or if they look more like 997 headlamps which are much nicer to look at and are apparently very effective. Does anyone know? Thanks, Steve

It can be a bit relative. I had an Audi A6 at the same time as my C4 (Xenons) and the Porsche was a million times better. I sold the A6 and bought a Range Rover (Xenons) which essentially does daylight at the flick of a switch. The Turbo (Bi-xenon), whilst better than the C4 is dim by comparison to the Rangie.

Would thoroughly recommend HID upgrade from Alan at Aceparts. Only about 120GBP and excellent upgrade. Not too tricky to fit either.

With Acerparts HID kit, do you remove the front glass headlight until as part of the kit which on standard headlights sit in front of the bulb itself? Or does it remain? On 997 factory Litronics I have notice no such front glass headlight exists... Thanks, Steve

I have fitted the Philips X-Treme power H7 bulbs and confirm that they have made quite an improvement on the standard lights. My standard side lights still give off a bit of a yellow light so I will hopefully change these too to try and get a whiter light/look. Cheers, Shaun.

I am considering a HID upgrade as the Philips H7 power bulbs help but are still poor in my opinion. Has anyone got a picture of their 911 with the HID upgrade kit fitted into the headlamps during daylight? I would be curious to see how they look and if the original glass lense remains in place... Thanks, Steve

Hi, I read a post on another forum with a link to the Ministry of Transport which could imply that HID kits are illegal. If there is no wash mechanism or auto level ability then it states you are breaking the law. I was considering a HID upgrade. Can anyone offer any clarity on this? Back to the OP, I have gone for the better quality bulbs and bought from HIDs4U Osram silver H7. I am very pleased with them, subjectively at least 30% improvement and a whiter light. However after reading all the talk on HID kits thought it may be the way to go until I read the other forum post. Regards Alan.

All the details are here ... "HID Retrofit [DIY]" in the technical articles section.... http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=253934 No probs with MOT btw - had mine for 2+ years.