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YOUR RESEARCHHeadlight lens
Leading reported evidence
Replace bulbs recently, got em
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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0
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0
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1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
Just replaced the bulbs recently, got em from Advance Auto.
Leading evidence: 'Replace bulbs recently, got em' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'best bet' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Recommend wattage bulbs' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Just prior to picking up the car, the battery was changed out for a new one.
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nearly impossible to find the part, can be changed with the use of an oven @ ~250 for 10-15 minutes the front will loosen....
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Suspected cause
I've seen this issue in several Canadian 996 with the halogen headlights where the American 996 with the halogent headlights didn't, almost looks like the lens focuses the light energy in such a way to cause the distinct burn marks, I thought perhaps it was the DRL being on all the time that accelerated this issue.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
23 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T155324Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Is it possible to replace the lens that the light bulb sits behind? Not the exterior covering but the one that sits vertical, inside the housing. Previous owner had used yellow bulbs (offroad fogs?) and that lens has burn marks. I would like to avoid getting all new fixtures.
Here is a pic of the burned lens. It is the same for both sides. In a perfect world, I would be able to change that inside lens out. But, my luck will tell me that it is not possible. 2000 996 C2.
nearly impossible to find the part, can be changed with the use of an oven @ ~250 for 10-15 minutes the front will loosen....
IMO you are better off finding a new headlight and selling the old one to someone who thinks they can fix it or who has amber blinkers and would give $ to get clear ones
you should be able to land a nice set for $4-500 and sell your old ones for $3-400 net loss = not bad
This is a generic issue with this year/model of headlight. Mine are the same only the burn marks are smaller. The parts are sealed I'm afraid. I do know there was one person experimenting around here where they heated up the housing in an oven in order to separate the pieces. Most people change the headlights to ones without defects. The lamp heat is the issue - it 'cooks' the material in front of it. Changing to higher output lamps just accelerates the discoloration.
Exactly as I suspected. I will need new/used ones. In the mean time, what type bulb should I be using? Sorry for the newbie questions. It is my first 996. Just when I mastered the 944 I bring this thing home!
As long as I am at it with the questions, let me toss this one out. Just prior to picking up the car, the battery was changed out for a new one. The airbag light is on now of course. I ran an OBDII scan and NO codes were shown. Now how the hell do I get the light turned off if it wasn't throwing a code? Black tape won't cut it.
Oh great. Something else to worry about.
I upgraded my low and high beam bulbs to Silvervision (55w) bulbs. Does anyone know if they run hotter than standard halogens? I've tried Googling it but can't find an answer.
OP,
Was your car a former Canadian car? I've seen this issue in several Canadian 996 with the halogen headlights where the American 996 with the halogent headlights didn't, almost looks like the lens focuses the light energy in such a way to cause the distinct burn marks, I thought perhaps it was the DRL being on all the time that accelerated this issue.
I was happy to get a Litronic headlight car, but even then I can see a faint pattern inside the front cover of both lenses to show the mark the light beam had projected onto the inside surface of the lens cover.
Bill... my guess is YES...run stock bulbs or be really sorry you got the brighter ones.. I have seen those bright bulbs burn right thru the inner lens (owned a set, bought for $25!!! those are the ones I tried to fix because they had about 5k miles and otherwise pristine!)
Thanks. I meant "Silverstar" but I think the answer is the same. I'll put the originals back. It's a shame because they really are brighter. I haven't done much night driving, so I think any damage so far is minimal.
I love the silverstars (in my truck)
someone posted some info a while ago regarding brighter lights in the halogen assy's that were not hotter bulbs, think they were HID with a converter? but the debate rather the lens was adaptable to the bulb made me think the jury was still out....some said brighter but less usable light?
anyhow....what cheap *** bean counter thought plastic lens next to a heat source made any sense...er was it the weight factor?
I have this issue on my MY99. Looks pretty ugly. And it was originally registered in Canada, so it shows temp, mileage data in KM. I am not that much of a fanatic (YET) so I will keep opn driving it. Just replaced the bulbs recently, got em from Advance Auto. Good luck with your replacement project.
I was quite amazed how easy it is to change these out and change the light bulbs.
This whole plastic headlight thing is a scam. Recently I've noticed a lot of high-end late model cars with headlights completely hazed. Bring back the old days when the headlight was the bulb, which cost about 2 bucks to replace.
Interesting that Canadian cars seem to have the problem more often, probably due to DSL's on all of the time. I might leave the Silverstars for the high beams since I only use them for short intervals.
I found this on a science website:
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasc...9/eng99475.htm
"The power rating of a bulb (wattage) is the total amount of power consumed. In an inefficient light bulb, most of the power will be turned into heat, and a small amount will be turned into light. In an efficient light bulb, some of the power will be turned into heat, and a lot will be turned into light. In a perfect bulb, all of the power will be turned into light, and none into heat. "
This seems to indicate that a brighter 55 watt bulb will produce less heat than a standard 55 watt bulb.
Update: I received this note from Osram Sylvania:
"In order to comply with government regulations, the lumen output and wattage draw of a headlamp must remain within a set range. It is the gas mixture, color temperature and filament design that will make a difference in the product's performance. We use a different gas mixture and a smaller more focused filament in our high performance lamps which helps them to create more luminance. For automotive headlights, luminance is most often used to report brightness since it is a measure of light density (lumens per emitted filament area). In general, a higher luminance lamp will produce light that is captured more effectively by the reflector and aimed where you want it on the road. The SilverStar product is designed to replace the standard bulbs and they shouldn't give off more heat."
Do we have any physicists here who can decipher whether this means that these bulbs are more likely to cause heat damage to the interior lens based on "more focused filament"?
