Automatic Headlight Mod.?

Is there an after market item that will make the headlights turn themselves off? This is one little "idiot prevention" item that I'm having a hard time living without.

+1 to that. Don't understand why it's not standard.

Hmmmmmm, checked your owner's manual lately... or ever? From page 123 in the 2006 version: Welcome Home Lighting Switching on: Move light switch to the HOME position. For improved visibility and security when you get in and out of the car, the fog lights and the tail lights remain on for a certain period of time: – When you get out of the car, the lights are turned on for approx. 30 seconds after the door is opened. The off-delay time resumes when the vehicle is locked. On vehicles with the Sport Chrono Plus package, the PCM can be used to set the offdelay time. This setting also changes the lighting period for unlocking the vehicle. Please observe the chapter “Individual Memory” in the separate PCM operating instructions. The lights are turned on for approx. 30 seconds when the vehicle is unlocked. The lights go out if the ignition is switched on or when leaving the Welcome Home lighting If the ignition key is withdrawn and the door is opened while the lights (not the parking light left/right) are on, a gong warns of possible battery discharge. In some countries, differences are possible due to provisions of law. I'll let you refer to the manual to see which notch on the light switch is the one that does this... brad

Yeah... I actually knew about that. The problem is that in the Home position the instrument lights aren't on, so you still have to remember to put the switch back to the home postition after driving at night. Is there some other way to get those to come on?

Even worse is that your headlights are off also! I actually started off that way one night, because the LED dash illumination (up between the map/reading lights) was bright enough at first. Suddenly realized I couldn't really see the road surface. Sad thing is that my 2001 Volvo automatically shuts off headlights or daytime running lights when I turn off the ignition. And it was half the price of the Cayman...

I don't use the "welcome home" thing myself... I realize it's an expensive car, but while other expensive (and even not so expensive) cars have these accoutrements, Porsche has decided to spend the money where it really counts - R&D on a good suspension, fantastic brakes, etc. I don't see a lot (if any) cars even in this price range that turn off their own headlights , yet have Bremo monoblock brakes with huge rotors, and the other high-performance gear our cars are equipped with. Can it really be that hard to turn off a switch? brad

Brad, The OP has a reasonable question. Taking a defensive stance, or implying that the OP has never checked his/her manual comes off a little abrassive. Not to mention you haven't even attempted to answer his question. Everyone knows that Porsche spends a lot on R&D and we all get to enjoy the results. I just think it's well within reason, considering available technology, to expect a little bit of built in insurance that I won't return to a dead battery. My 2001 bare bones Mazda Tribute does it for goodness sakes - and with no additional weight or technology cost impact. In my opinion - it's dumb not to have it.

Right.... my girlfriend's car, a 16k Toyota (new), you don't even need to touch the light switch. It has a simple light sensor. When it's dark enough, lights turn on, when it's bright out, lights turn off. When the car is off - the lights also turn off. The option on her car is an over-ride mode that lets you turn them on and off... but the standard mode is automagic.

Wouldn't the chime when you open the door be "built in insurance"? I'm not going to speak for beez, but I fail to see what the big deal is to simply turn a knob on your way out of the car. If you do forget to turn off your lights you hear a chime to remind you to shut off your lights. I guess I just don't see what the big deal is.

No need to apologize Brad, just an observation. And I don't think that any of us are laboring on every possible luxury item. But this one just seems so common that it's a little puzzeling. I'm done. And I mean it this time. Truth be told I'm a little chatty this evening cuz I'm trying yo get to 500 posts!

I have been around here so long that I'm repeating myself while repeating myself, again . But having been a Porsche driver and owner for a whopping 44 years my take is still that Porsche believes thats it builds sports cars for people that are attuned to driving and who are not seeking all the little refrigerator like amenities. They will eventually add them but the priority is low as opposed to building the best sports car for what they (perhaps unfortunately) believe are the people who buy cars for driving. Personally I applaud that. The Porsche for me is a drivers car and when I'm behind the wheel it has my full attention, but I suppose those who use the car for a commuter or just as a car see it different. My new Avant has all those little things and it adds zip to me to the pleasure of driving but it competes with the Honda/Toyotas.

Funny, all this... Chime and all, I managed to walk away from the car with the lights on last night. No biggie really, but I've had other cars too and they spoiled me with these little common sense items. I was asking if there was an aftermarket item because there are these fancy key gadgets that roll down windows, etc., so it seemed not such a stretch to hope for an auto headlight gadget. Steve

Loving my brand new Cayman ...but also scratching my head about the headlight thing. i actually think the "auto-on" is more needed than the auto-off. I drive to and from NYC and with all the ambient light and streetlamps it's easy to forget to turn your headlights on. The "driver's car" rationale falls apart when another car plows into you 'cause your headlights are off and they can't see you!

Projecting ahead to the idrivepod where the "car" does all the thinking and driving while you sit back and get a youtube fix at a leisurely 35 mph commute; enjoy today when you can take and enjoy full responsibly for all the operations of your vehicle. This golden age will probably not be available 50 years from now (which is close to the time I've owned these wonderful Porsche tools).

As many have said, it is not a big deal - but curious that Porsche does not have an auto-off feature - particularly since the trunks (including the front trunk where the battery is) won't open when the battery is dead. The one time it happened to me, it was a huge pain. I finally had to call for road service because the Porsche was in the garage and my jumper cables were not long enough to reach from outside the garage. I would gladly trade those headlight cleaning nozzles for this feature. mike

You might talk to the folks at site sponsor Mods4cars, They make the module that many of us have that makes the horn beep when you lock/unlock the car, dip the passenger-side mirror when in reverse, and a few other things. This might be something they can add to the product for those that want it. Take a look under the sponsor's tab or their user name is mods4cars - send them a PM. They're nice, smart, savvy, and always looking to improve their products. brad

I wonder if mods4cars is capable of adding this feature to their product. It seems like there is some demand... maybe I'm not the only person who need his headlights idiot-proofed

They will have it at some point. People have different objectives however. I could no more leave the lights on than go to bed with my shoes on. And others do not want to be involved.

Please see attachments. This part costs less than $50.

My two cents. I have three other vehicles. Each one has auto on off headlights . I'm older and a creature of habit. I drive my Cayman about 3/16s of what I drive the other vehicles. I have forgotten on more than one occasion to turn on the lights. Turning them off has not been an issue. I wish the car came with this feature, but not enough to add it aftermarket. It's not a big deal to turn the switch on, but it's weird to have to do it after driving cars the last 10 years with this feature. I've just gotten used to vehicles with auto on lights. I feel a little when I get flashed by oncoming cars. The way Porsche likes to charge a la cart for the smallest things. I would think they would make this optional. Hell, I bet it would only cost $800.00 to $1000.00 if ordered with the full leather interior.

Wow!! Perfect! Thank You!

If you have the $$$ Porsche has the option! My wife uses the home feature out of habit I helped get her into. This day and age with all the *%$&*%^ people out there it is a good thing and requires very little effort. Like Rob said use it don't use it we take the good with the bad. My CS is minus the one option on a coupe I said was a deal breaker a rear wiper. The car is otherwise loaded with everything else besides this. The deal my Buddy Kurt made us on 2 at Momentum made it seem trivial in the end. It has yet to chap my rear when I am behind the wheel. And Porsche has no problem putting one on if I put up the $.:gossip:

Its not necessarily the worry about leaving the lights on but not putting them on while driving. I have found myself forgetting to turn them on while driving as dusk approaches or when a storm may pop up during the day; I have been prompted to do so by seeing others lights on and suddenly I realize that mine are not. I think it is not unreasonable to ask for a basic technology to be available when paying for a premium car such as the CS. Its a great car but I wish this simple item were part of the package. Just my $.02

In my 2008 CS, my lights turn off when I turn off the ignition. And the gong blares at me if I leave the switch in the HOME position after removing the key. I have xenons and always use the HOME position.

I can't find the reference at the moment, but I KNOW I've read a Porsche document that states that they purposely did not include automatic headlight operation because they felt it was not in the best interest of safety. Porsche makes a lot of decisions some folks don't agree with, and this is just another one. (I still hate the ignition switch on the left...) I've have/had automatic headlights on several other cars and I've found it annoying. I generally don't use it on the cars that have it.

I presume Porsche have the same attitude as TVR: The owner of TVR was questioned as to why none of the switches in his cars were labelled. He replied "If someone buys one of my cars and lacks sufficient intelligence to remember what each switch does, then frankly, he really shouldn't be driving a TVR" Either that or it's a form of Porsche driver natural selection: Leave your lights on and you're unable to drive the car, forget to put them on in the dark and you're removed from the gene pool by a truck. Seems reasonable.

I ordered the Nite Light device on ebay and I can't wait to get it installed! Thanks for the fantastic tip. This will solve the only little nit I have with the car. With automatic headlights and my improved audio system I now have Unbridled Cayman Love.

Photos and an outline of your installation would be a service to others who are interested. :cheers:

Just thought I would add this bit of trivia as a note of interest. Up here in the Great White North daytime running lights are mandated by law. Turn the engine on, your lights will be on. For many manufacturers including Porsche , this means the headlights although my BMW uses another less intense designated sets of lights. Tail lights may or may not be included, depending on the car. Turn the engine off, out go your lights. The light switch is not totally irrelevant in the CS since you need to turn it to the headlight on position to get the instrument illumination.

Digging up old info, the 981 's now have AUTO position on their headlamp switches... Anyone know if a new switch can be swapped out for my 987.2 switch that doesn't have the Auto feature. I would really like to have it - somehow. .?

Highly unlikely as the lighting circuit would need to be connected to a light sensor in some way

Good afternoon gentlemen, There is a solution for 911 997, Boxster and Cayman 987 and CAYENNE 955 and 957. I run it on my 997 TT; installed in minutes and almost invisible. its called PALS, check autolightsystems com website. Cheers