996 2002+ HID upgrade Litronic replacement

My 996 did not come with litronic headlights and was encouraged by the upgrades that many have done for the non facelift 996. Unfortunately the projector beam 996 headlights are of a much different design and require some creative design in order to use HID/xenon/litronic bulbs. I'm still working on the best placement from the reflector where the bulb need to be located for best lighting. The HID mod is for the 2002+ - Projector halogen headlights Here are the install instructions for the aftermarket HID lights that you can purchase on EBay and from other sources. I'm really not interested in slams against this mod - most of the rumors are just that. The 996 does not squat and aim the lights into the heavens with a load, the projector beams do focus the HID lights responsibly and safely, the 20 watts of power savings does increase the life of the alternator and battery (and even a couple of sips of fuel). This is not for the faint hearted you will have to: 1) Modify and aftermarket H6 HID bulb base (will never be OEM again) with a dremel tool. H6 not H7? Yes, the H6 has less material to remove and the bulb is slightly longer placing the bulb in an optimal location in relation to the reflector. and 2) Drill two holes in the headlight cases Tools supplies needed: 5mm socket with extension and handle dremel tool to remove plastic on the base of the H6 bulb Slim ballast HID kit (less that $100 on EBay) Drill and 6mm bit (I love multi step drill bits) - in order to drill two holes on the flat side of the headlight case HD velcro - 1 foot will be too much electrical tape to insolate the H7 connectors which connect to the H6 HID spade connectors - I used heat shrink Procedure: Undo the poorly designed thumb screw-in carpet holders (OK you have to almost pull them out). The plastic twist heads are like nuts and the plastic threads are not strong enough to back the holder out usually. Pull out the rubber "cookie jar lid " plug under the carpet Incert the 5mm socket into the hole under the plug and rotate the opposite direction that you expect the head light to move. The whole unit pops out since there is only a single plug electrically connection the entire unit. (thanks Honda) Take the whole unit to the workbench where you can work on it comfortably. Rinse it off since there will be a lot of dirt and dust on it. Pop the back off the headlight by pressing on the two tabs Remove the bulb by twisting it to the left - remove/unplug the bulb (notice that the blub connector is also the bulb holder - different from earlier models. Note the inside of the bulb holder - there are five groves on the inside of the glass ceramic bulb mount in the headlight. You will need to make groves in the bulb base to allow the blub to pass foward to place the bulb as far foward as possible - touching the base of the cavity and at the base of the refector. Use fiber glass (or similar non coductive material) to pack the bulb firmly into the cavity. The fiberglass can be held in place by safety wire or something of the sort wrapped around the L shaped bulb retainers. The more accurate you cut the groves the better the installation. Arrange with the components of the HID kit to fit all but the ballast inside of the headlight housing. The feeds to the ballast worked out best of me leading to the flat side of the rear cover. Tie wrap as appropriate. Drill two access channels on the flat side of the headlight that corrasponded to the ballast leads. Stuff the wires and components into the housing and mount the ballast to the outside of the housing (flat side) with HD velcro. LAST and important!!! Ensure that you headlight adjustment is adjusted and does not interfere with oncoming traffic. This mod provides 3X that light power of the the std bulbs -do this mod with respect for other drivers. Finally - enjoy the night driving again! The stock system is not up to modern standards IMHO.

Steve, Vielen dank! Nice write up! Eric

Glad to be of help Eric!

I've modified my original write up drastically. For all projector headlight 996s, MY 2002, 2003, 2004. My original instructions and technique have been greatly improved. Now the headlight power does rival the litronic / xenon OEM set up. The procedure is daring but saves a great deal of $$ over buying the OEM Litronic headlights for $1.5K on ebay these days.

Is this a different setup than the bi-xenon headlights that came w/ my P-car?

Yes - this is a way to put xenon/litronic lighting into a projector beam 996. Single low beam - HID. Only ment for folks that have halogen projector beams.