Ah, headlights. You know that phenomenon where humans see faces in inanimate objects? Thanks to Google, I now know it's called pareidolia. Cars have some of the most recognizable "faces" and a big part of what sets them all apart from each other are their headlights. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then headlights must be the window into...something, right?
Today's post covers 3 separate topics, which I broke down into 3 YouTube videos for you.
Part 2 is optional, but I highly recommend doing the conversion because it makes everything nice, clean, and just all around sexy. Remember our "messy to sexy" theme from the last post? Yeah, we're sticking to it.
PART 1: REMOVAL
In this video, we discuss two methods to remove the headlight rings. First unscrew the bottom screw that holds in the headlights ring. Next you can either:
Method 1: Twist and wiggle until the headlights ring pops off
Alexa, play 'Wiggle' by Jason Derulo :)
Method 2: Using a flat head and soft cloth, pry the headlight ring off gently
Regardless of the method you choose, once you get the headlight ring off you'll see that the other holes on the headlight ring cover up the adjustment holes.
4 screws hold the headlight in place
Remove and unplug the H5 connector
Remove the rubber headlight ring seal - OPTIONAL
PART 2: CONVERSION
Just to reiterate, this part is completely optional, but it does result in less wires and a cleaner house for your headlights to live in.
One of my cars has an H5 to H4 adapter and another one has connectors that we will convert to H4. I wanted to compare the two to see if there was any difference in output.
To start, cut the high beam and low beam wires.
Trim down the rubber harness plug - OPTIONAL (If you are installing 9Eleven Headlights).
Strip the 16-gauge wire. Only remove a little bit of the insulation sleeve.
Cut the wire protector sleeve to pull each of the wires through rubber sockets.
Crimp terminals onto each wire. There are 4 arms on each terminal - the top 2 arms crimp onto the wire and the bottom 2 arms crimp onto the insulation sleeve. This creates a nice tight hold on the wire.
I purchased the H5 to H4 adapters on Amazon (linked below).
Solder wires to terminal to ensure maximum security - OPTIONAL
Install ceramic sockets. The terminals click into place.
PART 3: INSTALLATION
For our new headlights, we've gone with the crème de la crème of headlights...the 9Eleven Raven S LED Headlights. I ran into some issues when trying to follow the diagram they included in the box so, to save you some time, skip the diagram all together and watch my video instead.
Included with the headlights are:
- Wiring harness
- Wiring diagram
- Some random tool that partially fits 2 screws, but I don't know what they do
- Headlight ring screw (I recommend using the OEM screw)
What tools you'll need to install:
- Long screwdriver
- Needle nose pliers
- Clippers
- Channel lock pliers
- H5 to H4 adapters
Remember that optional step 'trimming the rubber plug' in Part 2? Well, you'd think that for the crème de la crème of headlights, they'd come perfectly fitted and everything would be all unicorns and rainbows. But alas, that was not the case. One of my frustrations I encountered was there's a slight clearance issue from the new headlights - the new ballast on the bottom of the headlight hits the wiring headlights on the new grommet. So, our quickest option was to start the installation process by trimming down the rubber grommet to the headlight harness with clippers. Be sure not to clip any wires in the process! Now, you could absolutely ignore my advice and just use extreme force to push it on, however, it won't sit flush & sexy. (Don't forget, we like sexy). Also, there would be a really tight fit inside the new ballast.
Next, using a screwdriver, open the first part of the blinker. This will expose an additional screw to pull the blinker out. We need to remove the bumperette then we'll be able to finish pulling forward the blinker.
Clean off the wires! Keep dirt out of the connection.
Here's where things got confusing for me when using the diagram. For the PASSENGER side wiring: Brown - ground Red - running light Green - signal For the DRIVER side: Brown - ground Grey/black - running light White/black - signal
Insert the 9Eleven wiring harness. Using the side hole for access, string the green and white wires through the bottom headlight hole. Run the wires through to the front hole for the blinker. For the PASSENGER side: the green wire goes with the green/black wire. The white wire goes with red/black wire. For the DRIVER side: the green wire goes with the white/black wire. The white wire goes with the grey/black wire.
Put the tap around the wire and use needle nose pliers to press it closed. The tap will snap together.
String the wires back through the bumper, push the blinker back in, and re-install the bumperette.
Clean everything thoroughly.
Screw the blinker back in.
Put the H5 to H4 adapter on by plugging it in.
Put the new headlight rubber seal on. It's a good idea to replace rubber seals since they get worn over time.
Prepare the screw hole for the new headlight. Slightly and gently massage it back to align to fit the new headlights. Using a new screw, make sure the threads are clean and that it screws in smoothly. Make sure your screwdriver is parallel to the car to ensure we can access the screw once the headlight is on. Use channel lock pliers and a microfiber cloth to gently massage the bracket so that the headlight ring and the screw are perfectly aligned. If the screw isn't set correctly and it's horizontal to the ground, the screw's edge might damage the ring.
Install the headlight. Take the wiring harness and wrap it around the left side. Tuck the wiring into the inner edge. As we set the headlight in, hook the headlight ring on the top lip and once it's set, give a big push down and towards the car. Make sure the hole in the ring and the screw hole are aligned.
And there you have it! Removal, conversion, and installation of new headlights for the Porsche 911 964. I endured hours of frustration to hopefully save you some time. Below are the videos and links to all the stuff I used.
PART 1:
PART 2:
H5 to H4 wiring kits:
Quick H5 to H4 adapter - https://amzn.to/3NYktC6
H5 to H4 conversion kit socket and terminals only - https://amzn.to/3O4Cdvx
H5 to H4 conversion kit with wires - https://amzn.to/3b5KVev
Heat shrink solder connectors - https://amzn.to/3b32ETT
Special tools used:
Wire stripper - https://amzn.to/3N0nK2G
Wire crimper - https://amzn.to/3N0nK2G
Solder iron - https://amzn.to/3N0YVn8
PART 3:
Parts and Tools:
9ELEVEN Raven S headlights - https://9elevenheadlights.com/product...
Quick H5 to H4 adapter - https://amzn.to/3NYktC6
H5 to H4 conversion kit socket and terminals only - https://amzn.to/3O4Cdvx
H5 to H4 conversion kit with wires - https://amzn.to/3b5KVev
Optional Items:
OEM Porsche 964 headlight rim seal - https://bit.ly/OEM964headlightseal
OEM Porsche 356 headlight rim seal (This one is thinner than the 964 seal and gives you a little more wiggle room) - https://bit.ly/OEM356headlightseal
OEM Porsche headlight trim screw (black) - https://bit.ly/Porscheheadlighttrimscrew Heat shrink solder connectors - https://amzn.to/3b32ETT
Wire stripper - https://amzn.to/3N0nK2G
Wire crimper - https://amzn.to/3N0nK2G
Solder iron - https://amzn.to/3N0YVn8
*** Full Disclosure: These are NOT sponsored videos and I paid for all these items myself. This is an experience I wanted to share with all of you. Don't forget to like our videos and subscribe to our channel! **
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