amber indicators - production time frame

Question: does anyone know definitively when the amber light production was stopped on the 996? I know they were stopped after 'about a year' but wonder if there is anymore exact information like a production date or chassis number? The aim of my question is to allow the identification of a car that should and shouldn't have amber lights from factory.

They changed for the 1999 MY

Thank you, interesting, so is it correct to say that anything with a '99' vin number will not have them? Hence late 1998 cars that carry a '99' vin would no longer have ambers despite being a throttle cable car?

The "99" is part of the VDS number and does not indicate the year build...

1999 model year, "X" chassis, as Peter said 99 in the VIN denotes 99 6

Copied and pasted from an official doc I have: History and Variants of the 996 Carrera MY1998 The 996 was introduced to the world at the Frankfurt Motor show in September 1997. It was a radical redesign of the 911 concept with a completely new body shell, and for the first time the engine was water cooled. Designers Pinky Lai and Harm Lagaay produced a svelte new form which was 30mm wider and 173mm longer than its predecessor, the 993. Structural stiffness of the new bodyshell was up by 45% in torsion, and 50% in flexure. Drag coefficient was down to 0.3 from 0.33, and the extra internal dimensions gave the car a roomier and luxurious feel. But it remained instantly recognisable as a 911. The 996 shared many components of the 986 Boxster, and the cars were visually virtually identical from the nose to the 'A' pillar. The car was much cheaper to produce than the 993, as a result of bringing in Japanese consultants to assist with production techniques. The engine was also the same basic design as the Boxster, albeit enlarged to 3.4 litres. Emission and noise regulations determined the unavoidable necessity for the new engine to be water cooled. The engine used four-valve technology with a new variocam system for adjusting the camshaft timing to produce an increase in torque and reduction of hydrocarbon emissions. The engine also featured what can only be described as a 'semi-wet' sump, as the oil reservoir was incorporated within the crankcase. Transmission was provided by either a manual 6-speed transmission manufactured by Getrag, or a 5-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox supplied by ZF. The chassis and suspension was the work of Carrera Project Manager Bernd Kahnau, with a McPherson strut design at the front and a cast aluminium multi-link design at the rear corners. The longer wheelbase and more rigid structure proved to be an excellent platform for the new suspension arrangement. On the inside the transformation was also extensive. Gone was the seemingly haphazard arrangement of switchgear and instruments which had been carried over from previous models to the 993. A much more practical and ergonomic layout took its place, yet retained some of the trademark Porsche features, such as the large central revcounter. The driving position improved with wider spaced pedals which were more centrally mounted in the footwell. Water cooling also had a big advantage in providing a far superior heating system, and a true climate control system was introduced using a control system from Audi. The cabin was a much more refined place to be than ever before. MY1999 The cabriolet and four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 versions of the 996 were unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1998 for the 1999 model year. The Porsche Side Impact Protection System (POSIP) was introduced, as were clear indicator lenses front and rear to distinguish the car from the Boxster, and to counter criticism of the 'fried egg' look of the front lights. The cabriolet mechanism was fast, and could lower or raise in just 20 seconds. Cabriolets came with a removable hardtop, colour-coded to the bodywork. The cabriolet was around £6000 more to purchase than the Coupe equivalent. The 4 wheel drive system was available for both Coupe and Cabriolet, and was nearly £4000 more than the 2 wheel drive model. Various modifications to the front end were required to make room for the front axle final drive, which resulted in a smaller front luggage compartment, and the use of a deflated space-saver wheel under the floor of the compartment. The C4 was also available in tiptronic transmission for the first time. Engine management was by Bosch Motronic 7.2, which introduced drive-by-wire throttle control, often referred to as eGas. The four wheel drive system added 55kg to the overall weight, but performance figures were quoted identical to the C2 equivalent due to improved traction. The extra weight at the front end gave a weight balance of 40-60, compared with 38-62 for the C2. The 4-piston calipers manufactured for Porsche by Brembo were painted in a 'titanium' (silver) colour for the C4, as opposed to black for the C2. Perhaps the most significant introduction on the C4 was Porsche Stability Management (PSM). To quote the Porsche Service Information Document of the time: 'PSM is an active control system for stabilising a vehicle at the limit of its driving dynamics capability. PSM includes functions such as ABS, ABD, ASR (traction-slip control), EBV (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), as well as a longitudinal dynamics control system MSR (engine drag torque control). In addition to this, the vehicle is stabilised at the limit of its driving dynamics capability within the transverse dynamics control system by FDR (driving dynamics control system)." From the outside there is virtually no difference in appearance, other than the Carrera 4 engine compartment badge, silver calipers, and a new design of 17" alloy wheels. MY2000 & 2001 Changes for Model Year 2000 Porsche included the adoption of Motronic 7.2 (eGas) to all Carrera models, and the option of PSM on C2 models, which had previously been offered with a basic traction control system based on ABS 5.3. In 2001 the luggage and engine compartment lids became electrically operated.

Wouldnt take for granted it's on its original lights as some amber lights would have been swapped out for clears for the more modern look and then more recently some would have fitted Amber's as they prefer the more retro amber look

Sorry I was a bit misleading there - I didn't mean the '99' in the VIN i just meant on a 1999 VIN year Thanks Billy Bumpsteer, yes mine is an 'X' Yes this exactly; hence wondering the cut off by VIN as mine being a throttle cable car on a 1999/X VIN, it is right on the cut off - a colour to sample car with clear lights