Hi all,
Thought I would post a quick guide about adjusting 997 gen1 litronic (or bi-xenon) headlights for driving on the 'other' side of the road. I reckon the process is very similar for non xenon headlights but I've no experience with those. This is most useful for UK drivers who travel in Europe (and beyond) where the right side of the road is the safe one. This adjustment can be done on the headlights -- we don't need no stinkin' stickers to drive on the other side of the road ;-)
The process should be obvious and by looking at the manual it still appears to be obvious. However, I am very glad I did not have to figure it out at night in the cold at a petrol station just outside the eurotunnel in France........ it was not that obvious. Also the Internet has very few references or photos of the said headlights, so googling for the solution didn't help much either. For future reference, here it is with photos.
Unless I got this completely wrong and my headlights have been wrongly setup since I own the car, this is what the settings should be:
'T' - for driving on the right hand side of the road (Europe, etc.);
'O' - for driving on the left hand side of the road (UK, etc.);
Or just flick the switch to the opposite setting to what was originally there. The T/O marks are engraved on the headlights, so look for them near the switch or on the opposite side of the main bulb assembly (see photos near the bottom).
0. Each headlight has to come out of the car. This is a very simple process and is well described on the manual. The 997 toolkit contains all that's needed for this - a fairly long hex key (xxx mm) and a phillips head screwdriver.
Headlights out:
1. Remove the back cover. This requires undoing 4 screws and undoing 3 plastic clips - one on the top and two on the bottom. Slide the cover out in a straight line carefully until it gets loose - there are wires that will remain attached to it.
Right hand headlight viewed from the top; Back cover that needs removing:
2. Inside the headlight case there is a metallic switch. On both headlights, the switch can be found on the right hand side fairly deep inside the case, but reachable by hand. It should flick easily and with a positive spring type click - it is quite obvious really.
Right hand headlight with cover off. The switch is visible on the right hand side and has the number '574' engraved in it. In this case it is in the 'O' position and can be switched to 'T'.
Left hand side headlight with cover off. The switch is visible on the right hand side and it also has the number '574' engraved in it.
3. After moving the switch to the appropriate setting, reassemble the headlight carefully and fit it to the car again. Upon return, redo this and flick the switch to the original position.
NOTE: When fitting the headlights back to the car, the mechanism that holds them (turned with the hex key) must click back into place!
That's it, hope it helps someone.
Bonus images:
RHS headlight with switch flicked up to 'T' position
T/O markings on right hand side headlight (opposite the switch)
T/O markings on left hand side headlight (same side of the switch)
Thought I would post a quick guide about adjusting 997 gen1 litronic (or bi-xenon) headlights for driving on the 'other' side of the road. I reckon the process is very similar for non xenon headlights but I've no experience with those. This is most useful for UK drivers who travel in Europe (and beyond) where the right side of the road is the safe one. This adjustment can be done on the headlights -- we don't need no stinkin' stickers to drive on the other side of the road ;-)
The process should be obvious and by looking at the manual it still appears to be obvious. However, I am very glad I did not have to figure it out at night in the cold at a petrol station just outside the eurotunnel in France........ it was not that obvious. Also the Internet has very few references or photos of the said headlights, so googling for the solution didn't help much either. For future reference, here it is with photos.
Unless I got this completely wrong and my headlights have been wrongly setup since I own the car, this is what the settings should be:
'T' - for driving on the right hand side of the road (Europe, etc.);
'O' - for driving on the left hand side of the road (UK, etc.);
Or just flick the switch to the opposite setting to what was originally there. The T/O marks are engraved on the headlights, so look for them near the switch or on the opposite side of the main bulb assembly (see photos near the bottom).
0. Each headlight has to come out of the car. This is a very simple process and is well described on the manual. The 997 toolkit contains all that's needed for this - a fairly long hex key (xxx mm) and a phillips head screwdriver.
Headlights out:
1. Remove the back cover. This requires undoing 4 screws and undoing 3 plastic clips - one on the top and two on the bottom. Slide the cover out in a straight line carefully until it gets loose - there are wires that will remain attached to it.
Right hand headlight viewed from the top; Back cover that needs removing:
2. Inside the headlight case there is a metallic switch. On both headlights, the switch can be found on the right hand side fairly deep inside the case, but reachable by hand. It should flick easily and with a positive spring type click - it is quite obvious really.
Right hand headlight with cover off. The switch is visible on the right hand side and has the number '574' engraved in it. In this case it is in the 'O' position and can be switched to 'T'.
Left hand side headlight with cover off. The switch is visible on the right hand side and it also has the number '574' engraved in it.
3. After moving the switch to the appropriate setting, reassemble the headlight carefully and fit it to the car again. Upon return, redo this and flick the switch to the original position.
NOTE: When fitting the headlights back to the car, the mechanism that holds them (turned with the hex key) must click back into place!
That's it, hope it helps someone.
Bonus images:
RHS headlight with switch flicked up to 'T' position
T/O markings on right hand side headlight (opposite the switch)
T/O markings on left hand side headlight (same side of the switch)
