987.2 headlight adjustment for France

[michael.williams1]

I usually fit headlight adaptors - that obscure the offending part of the beam - when I go to France, but I was wondering if there's another way with the Cayman? There's a thread about switching them on Rennlist https://rennlist.com/forums/987-forum/1128196-adjusting-headlights-for-rhd-and-lhd.html ... Has anyone actually done this? And does this facility only apply to the PDLS type units? In which case there would be no point in me pulling a light to look for this as my lights are standard Halogen.

 

[ralphmusic]

Doesn’t the manual show how you do this? I recall you either remove headlights and move a small bar or it can be done via the stalk settings.

 

[Motorhead]

Check your Driver’s Manual Michael where you should find how to adjust your halogen lights for European running. Page 214?

Jeff

 

[michael.williams1]

Thank you. I found it. Page 185 in my manual. I had a look at the stalk settings yesterday and there was nothing there apart from switching to km readout, which will be useful!

 

[malarcy]

it's obvious with halogens once you pop the headlights and take the back cover off, but buried a bit deeper on bi-xenon - but it's still there. There WAS a brilliant write up on the forum a while ago - but it got lost in the "upgrade" an unfortunate casualty.

One caution re kph switching - it changes the odometer reading as well - and if you forget to change it back, next mot you gain 30% on your recorded mileage - strange that people don't notice - but have read about it a few times.

 

[colin129]

What a faff, how long did it take you to switch them over?

On the 964 I used to carry a little roll of black insulation tape and cover up the marked sector. Took a few minutes to convert to Europe and seconds to rip off the tape when I got back to the UK.

Progress, I guess.

 

[malarcy]

What a faff, how long did it take you to switch them over?

On the 964 I used to carry a little roll of black insulation tape and cover up the marked sector. Took a few minutes to convert to Europe and seconds to rip off the tape when I got back to the UK.

Progress, I guess.

1st time maybe 30 mins, now closer to 15. I honestly spent much longer on my old ford focus getting the stickers on the right place and twice as long getting the glue off when I got home.

 

[colin129]

1st time maybe 30 mins, now closer to 15. I honestly spent much longer on my old ford focus getting the stickers on the right place and twice as long getting the glue off when I got home.

A roll of black insulation tape is your friend. Mind you, standard 964 headlights are rubbish, so blanked off headlights were particularly rubbish. I eventually fitted some high power bulbs which made a massive difference.

I remember peering through the windscreen cross country back from Cannes to St Tropez late one night. It was supposed to be a fun drive on empty country roads, but was I glad to get back on to the main roads in one piece.

The Cayman, with it trick Xenon lights which swivel when you go round corners is going to be a much safer drive!

 

[michael.williams1]

I've just switched mine over to LHD this morning as we're off to Spain very soon. It didn't take long, maybe 10 mins each proceeding with caution! The instructions in the Owner's Manual were good for my Halogen headlights. If you're doing this for the first time do be warned that they release / lock with quite a loud bang! The O and T positions are marked on the casing to avoid any confusion. O for RHD and T for LHD. The adjustment lever doesn't move very much and doesn't feel like it locks, just held by friction. When you come to put the headlights back in they have plastic spigots on either side of the base of the light that you'll need to locate in the plastic channels of the locking mechanism that's left behind in the base of the headlight housing. You can push the light fully back in position before you lock it.

 

[colin129]

Hmm, looks like I might need to bring a screwdriver with me to remove the control unit. Must have a look in the tool roll and see if there's one in there.

 

[malarcy]

Assuming you are talking 9x7

It’s a bit harder with xenon’s the levers are further forward in the housing.

But you don’t have to wait until you are “abroad” to do it. It doesn’t convert the headlights to lhd it just flattens the beam so there is no “near side flick up” - you can do it here and leave it like that until you get back.

With 981 and later they either “don’t need it they have flat beams anyway” or “it’s a menu option”

 

[colin129]

I will be returning to the UK after dark, so will need to use my headlights as soon as I disembark from Eurotunnel.

Are you saying it will be perfectly safe to drive in the UK with the headlights in position T?

 

[malarcy]

Yes. They just don’t have the flick on dip beam that lights the near side kerb a little further ahead.

So, not quite as good but not dazzling for oncoming traffic and high beam is unaffected

For reference my previous 987.2 with halogens was incorrectly set when I got it and it had been through at least one mot like that. I only noticed when I was changing a blown bulb.

 

[michael.williams1]

Hmm, looks like I might need to bring a screwdriver with me to remove the control unit. Must have a look in the tool roll and see if there's one in there.

I just used the pozidrive in the Porsche tool kit which worked fine, and you have to go there to get the headlight removal tool anyway ...

 

[911hillclimber]

Interesting about the 'flick-up' of the dipped beam.
Now tempted to do the conversion at home and change when back. Do very little night driving in the car, could, I guess, just leave then in 'Euro Position' for ever?

 

[malarcy]

Changeover at home is what I do. My current car has bi xenon pdls lights which are really good. I do a fair bit of night driving as well so I switch them back when home so I get the full benefit of them.

Certainly not something to do whilst sat on the train or in a French lay-by

 

[colin129]

Well that went well

First of all, I managed to snap off one of the tabs on the lid of the headlight housing.

I found the T & O markings but no lever. I then realised that the lever must have snapped off in the past.

So, not a very successful operation.

 

[malarcy]

Well that went well

First of all, I managed to snap off one of the tabs on the lid of the headlight housing.

I found the T & O markings but no lever. I then realised that the lever must have snapped off in the past.

So, not a very successful operation.

Is yours xenon ?

If so I think the t/o with the level is much deeper inside the light. From memory i think the t/o markings for halogen are there but no lever. It’s certainly not in the same,e location halogen to physical.

There was an excellent write up on here with pictures that got lost in the “upgrade”

 

[colin129]

Yes I have Xenon. The markings were directly under the control unit and there was something snapped off on the plastic molding. I couldn't see anything else that looked like a lever close by.

Maybe, I'll have another look later this week.

 

[malarcy]

It’s a long way forward. I had to use a screwdriver to reach it. I think you are looking at the markings that would be there for halogen.