Removing the levelling Motors from headlights

Hi Just bought some Xenon Boxster clear lights for my orange light 996, anyone know how to swap the motors over from my orange lights to the new lights, for levelling the beam? I think as they are Boxster ones they wont have a motor in them! Pics if possible would be great! Hope to fit this weekend! Thanks Edward

I just fitted some 996 litronics in place of halogens. But as far as I could tell they were sealed units. Do you need true automatic levelling? As without the wiring harness, control box and suspension sensors they won't self level. In which case, unless you often carry a bag of cement in either front or rear boot area, just set and forget.

Hmm, I dont think they are self levelling, I think that on my early 1998 996 I still have a dashboard knob thing by the steering wheel to do that? So presumably that conncts with a motor in the light to change it? Cheers Edward p.s I LOVE the colour of your car in the pic under your signature, its STUNNING, if I was to repaint my car thats the colour I would go for! Iris Blue

Xeons are normally self leveling. IIRC

Isnt that on the later ones? Not sure if my Xenons are factory or modified clear ones? They look like Xenons at the front, have different lens thing Thnaks Edward

Have found the attached, which I think is what I am after

Thank you for your comments on colour - it was a 993 colour that Porsche offered for 2000/2001 pre-face lift 996s and was special order. It is a dark elecric blue colour and has the body coloured transmission tunnel option as well. If you did not have self-levelling before then without adding the listed bits (another £350+fitting) they will not self level. I am a confused by your need to add motors. I did not think Porsche made any Xenons/Litronics without motors? Unfortunately, without a wiring diagram you will be hard pressed to wire up the dial wiring (manual levelling) to the Litronic motors, which expect the signals via an additional plug socket mounted on the side of the unit to the main connector which is mounted on the back on the unit. Even if you did patch wire them, I am not sure the manual and self levelling signals are compatible.

I'm not clear about what you have got either. If you have a set of clear lens Bosxter lights which have been fitted with aftermarket HID kits, then you can remove the manual levelling motors from your standard lights, and fit them to the Boxster casings. If they are genuine Porsche Litronics, they might be the retrofit ones, which weren't fitted with self-levelling motors as standard. They were plug-and-play if they didn't have motors. If they are Litronics with self-levelling motors, I don't think you will be able to fit your manual levelling motors, as they are completely different.

Do they look like this? (with projector lens "eye" at top of assembly)

I have re-read your original request, do you have the lamps yet? If you do not have them, I would wait to see them until you fret about do they / don't they have motors, as our answers and questions wont make much sense until you definitely have them and have had a look.

Ted, i wouldnt bother fitting the motors ive never had mine in a different position than in the middle anyway seems bizzare they even have them to be honest. HIDS self level anyway. - Simon

hi there yes they look like this Its the boxes at the rear which are square, i dont think they are the official "Ballasts"

If the back boxes look like this then they are OEM As I see it you have three options: 1) They are fully motorised litronics, in which case you can fit the conversion kit if you can be bothered and have the cash. Hence voiding the requirement for extra motors or the interior dial. 2) They are fully motorised litronics, just ignore the interior dial and lamp motors - no one has patched automatic levellers to a manual dial. 3) They are non-motorised (non-factory fitted model) and halogen motor will not work as two independent assemblies are controlled/moved in a litronic and they are different internal shapes and pivots to halogen units. Basically stick them in "plug and play" (if it takes you five mins you're doing it slowly!) and if necessary trim them up or down (I found brand new ones pre set perfectly). The vehicle handbook/manual tells you how. It also tells you how to remove and refit the lamp units (as this is required to change a bulb) Bear in mind that only with autolevellers will the lamps be able to track the road gradient/bumps fast enough. Also note that only fully add-on-box controlled (or factory) litronics will auto rotate up 2.5degrees on full beam to fill out pattern.

Yeah they do look exactly like that from the back, They were sold as Litronics, but i was not sure if the seller was just using that as a general term! will they pass the MOT if I dont get the levelling thing? Thanks Edward

Specifically regarding your interest in using interior dial, as remote manual levelling is an option on various cars it is not an MOT check in itself. The ability of the unit to be adjusted is the testable item (and only then if it is out of a adjustment) - the units have direct manual adjustment as well on the units (via 5mm allen key) as with any non-remote system. So adding motors and connecting dial, which was your original intention/question is not relevant. There is a small possibility that whilst testing the MOT tester tries out your dial and sees it does not work. If this occurs, then you can remove the switch/dial and click in a blanking plate (this comes will full conversion kit as dial is not required and matches the passenger side blanking plate as that is where a LHD dial would be). Although just removal would suffice, a large hole may prompt further questions! The reason this works is that a tester can only test optional equipment if it is there and the MOT does not require it there. If a rear wiper fails the MOT you could replace wiper blade or completely remove the wiper arm etc and fit a bung/blank and it would pass! (this wont work for fronts as the MOT requirement is for them to be present AND work - technically age dependent if your car is post-1931 etc). Regarding MOT and self levelling AND washer jets (a requirement for EU type approval so fitted on new cars) - the car may fail. It just depends how thorough or knowledgeable the tester is. If the tester assumes levelling and/or washing (there is no specific test/check box for these) or the lights look original and are E-marked (they are) and don't provoke additional curiosity or simply look like halogen projectors (which they do a bit as the Porsche HIDs are quite an unfashionable, but high lux, yellowy low-temperature output for HIDs) then they will not fail it. Halogen projectors require NO washers or levellers. Worst case: the solution is to have a friend with a halogen'd Boxster/996 and swap to halogens once a year if you get a fail. Take back under free retest. As I say, if it takes you 5 mins to swap out you're doing it slowly! Full details here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps