986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - How To: Retrofit Headlights With HID Bi-Xenon Projectors

- DIY Project Guides (http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/)

- - How To: Retrofit Headlights With HID Bi-Xenon Projectors (http://986forum.com/forums/diy-project-guides/53276-how-retrofit-headlights-hid-bi-xenon-projectors.html)

How To: Retrofit Headlights With HID Bi-Xenon Projectors

This is a work in progress. I will update it when I can. :)

Always wear the proper safety gear!

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/037-2.jpg

Removal of the Main Outer Lens

1) Remove headlights from car.

2) Clean any debris from the main lens with a soft sponge and warm, soapy water.

3) Pre-heat oven to 225f degrees.

4) Remove main rear cover, fog lamp cover, all 5 bulbs (low, high, fog, turn and park), corner trim and headlight gasket (held in by 2 screws and 3 flares).

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/018.jpg

5) Place wooden planks in the oven to rest the headlight on, then bake each headlight for 15 minutes at 225f degrees and open them. Don't let the headlight touch anything metal inside the oven as the hot metal will deform the plastic.

VIDEO: How to open a sealed headlight.

6) Using a short razor blade, carefully remove any large pieces of excess silicone from the tongue of the main lens.
Use caution. If you scratch the silver perimeter paint from the back side, it will show through.
Never touch the inside of the lens! This will cause scratches that will be visible in the completed headlight.
If the inside of the lens is dirty and compressed air won't remove the dirt or debris, wash it gently with very soft finger tips, warm water and Dawn dish soap, then blow it dry with compressed air.

7) Wrap the main lens carefully in plastic wrap and store in a safe place until it is needed for re-installation.

Disassembly of the Headlight

1) Remove the 2 screws retaining the plastic inner main housing shroud and slide it forward and out of the housing.

2) If you plan to paint the inner shroud, remove the 2 screws from the lower fog lamp shield and remove it from the main shroud.

3) If painting, remove the visor from the fog lamp.

4) Remove the inner main diffuser lens.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/024-1.jpg

Removal of the Reflector
Removing the reflector for prep, sanding and painting is not absolutely necessary, but it makes the job much easier.

The reflector is held in place with 3 ball and socket mounts.

5) Disengage the lower adjustable mount first by twisting the white knob and pulling it back toward the rear of the headlight, exposing the ball and socket joint. The ball is retained in the socket with a small clip on the bottom of the socket. Use a small tool to depress the clip while pulling on the knob to free it (twisting the knob while pulling helps).

6) The upper adjustable mount can be disengaged from the reflector by simply removing its screw.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/030.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/033-2.jpg

7) The picture below shows the 3rd upper fixed mounts socket side after removal to better show the retaining clip on it.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/032-1.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/025.jpg

Prepping the Main Reflector

1) Using a Dremel and drum sander, bore the upper bulb socket (low beam) to the correct diameter (Nine8Six's projector stand off post is pictured, but the procedure is the same for most kits. "H1" style kits still require some boring).

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/026-1.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/027.jpg

2) Remove the small square post from the inside of the reflector as it will keep the HID reflector from sitting flush (if using Nine8Six's kit, at least the top needs to be trimmed so that the stand off posts retaining ring will clear and allow the post to sit flush).

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/028.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/031-1.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...photos/032.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/039-1.jpg

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/033-1.jpg

3) It's not a bad idea to drill a hole into the top of the reflector and use a self tapping screw for added projector support. HID projectors are a bit heavy and if using Nine8Six's kit, they are also on a stand off post, further levering that weight out and adding stress to the OEM reflector.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/035-1.jpg

Make that hole a slot so that the projector can be rotated a few degrees for leveling of the cutoff later on.

http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/a...otos/042-2.jpg

Lens Restoration

To be continued...