Does anyone know what prevents the headlights from coming on until they are up and into normal operating position? I would like to modify this. How can i make the headlights come on upon initial actuation and stay on through their rotating to their normal driving position?

-Allen in Allentown, PA

 

Inside the headlight motor is a disk with copper/brass tracks with wiper contacts. One set of these tell the relay if its up or down, and only when the UP circuit is made does the relay turn on the the bulb circuit. Modifying this so the relay thinks it always UP might confuse the up/down circuits. I suspect it might be easier to trick the relay into turning on the bulbs as soon as there is power applied to it.
jp 83 Euro S AT 51k

 

Both functions are in the headlight relay but they don't work the way you might think. The position switch on the motor is only used to stop the motor drive when the up position is reached when rotating up and when the down position is reached when rotating down.

The headlight on/off relay is overridden to off whenever the motor is activated to rotate up (rather than turned on when the pods are up).

The actual operational implementation is different between 78-86 & 87-95 but this feature is basically the same in both.

Since the function of driving the motor up and detecting that it is not up yet (because it is still driving up) are implemented by one & the same connection it is not practical to change the stock behaviour. It is possible to have the lights come on without rotating up - but not to come on while rotating up.

I have no real idea why you would want to do this anyway... I understand some think it is "cool"... it also temporarily blinds oncoming drivers which is why Porsche went to these lengths to make sure it works the way it does...

Alan