YOUR RESEARCHQuestion re: Xenon headlights on 2003 C4S
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Hi folks, The Bi-Xenon headlights are now available as a stand-alone option on the C4S for 2003. If I don't order that, do I get a set of halogen lamps or would it be a single-xenon with a standard high-beam? Would it look different externally? Thanks, Ken
To permit HIDs the US government required auto-leveling, the bi-xenon uses this same auto-leveling motor to tilt up or down for high/low beams. Thus IMMHO it would be extremely unlikely Porsche would go to ALL of the expense of supplying Bi-xenons absent your purchasing the option. I upgraded my RX300 to Bi-level by adding a resister between the high beam voltage and the RX's level sensor.
On all 996 cars except the Turbo and GT2, the standard headlights are Halogen with H7 light bulbs. Optional on all of these cars is Bi-Xenon headlights with dynamic beam leveling. All headlights look identical from the outside. As to the auto-leveling feature, that was an EU requirement and not US.
Yes, but... When Manufacturers first asked to bring HID to the US the NHTSA made a study and concluded that european style HID implementations were within the standards criteria for existing DOT headlamp regulatios/rulings. NHTSA is now saying that aftermarket HID bulbs retrofitted for upgrading older incandesent headlamp designs DO NOT MEET the criteria the regs DOT has established. Their basis seems to be that the old reflectors were designed specifically for incandesent bulbs and HID bulbs have a completely different bean dispersion pattern requiring a totally new reflector design. NHTSA also says there is serious doubt as to whether non-auto-leveling HID headlamps will prove to be acceptable for meeting the existing criteria, overall. NHTSA is currently conducting a survey in this very area and we can expect a ruling sometime next century.
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