Headlight/Fog Light Upgrades
 

After tackling my suspension and shift linkage, I want to address the 25 year old lighting technology on my 95 993 Coupe.

These are my desires:

• upgrade low beams to HID or LED
• upgrade high beams to HID or LED
• upgrade front running lights (inside fog light assembly) to LED
• upgrade fog light to HID or LED
• want the light color and intensity to match across all light items (4500K to 5000K ideally)
• want to retain independent functionality of low, high beams as well as fog lights

I have read about PO using Tore's HID system for the low beams and others using LED replacement bulbs for high beams, front running lights. I also like the Retrofit Source's Retro-Quick:993 projector len upgrade. All the aftermarket solutions out there seem to be upgrades for specific lighting items as oppose to a comprehensive and cohesive lighting system upgrade for all lights. Am I missing something? What have others done to install a complete lighting upgrade solution?

RG

I've driven 993 cars with both the low beam Halogen and HID's (Litronics). The Litronics are far superior. Its pretty cool that LED's are now available. Haven't tried those, but I'd imagine they are equal or better than the HID's.

Depending on the country/state in which you live, you may be limited as to what you can do to your car, so as not to inconvenience others.

If you want to be able to see properly, in the dark, then IME the best path to tread is Tore's HID plus new projectors from Morimoto with the solenoid to lift the low-beam cutoff 'bar' out of the way when you wish for full-beam. Full-beam bulbs are then irrelevant..

I just did the T-light 4300k low beam kit with the Morimoto (the retrofit source) projector housings and it was great, as many other posts on here say. I did not do the LED in the high beams but that has some good reviews as well.

https://www.bergvillfx.com/products/...-hid-kit-4300k - ballasts, bulbs kit

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/mo...993?quantity=1 - projector and hardware

Thanks Orangecurry - This is the direction I am headed. Just wanted to address the other lights such as fog lights and front running lights.

Goose - Thanks for the input. Just need to figure out what to do with my fog lights.

Oh, well the fog lights share the housing with the front parking/marker light and the t-light kit comes with two led bulbs for those. I never use my fog lights but that is something you can possibly get an led bulb for as well. I would call bergvillfx as he is really helpful. Tel: +4798215245 https://www.bergvillfx.com/contact_us

But you'll never see the foglights, so just put decent bulbs in? Or do you mean you want to change to more of a spotlight?

I was looking to fit another set of spotlights or driving lights, even extra ones as per the rally cars, as visibility was so poor on full-beam, but once I had the Morimotos, there was no need.

I prefer the old-skool yellow light in foggy conditions, so I sourced halogen yellows. That way, you don't need to match the colour of the 'white' lights.

Would love to see a photo of this if you have any to share.

If you want to use the fogs independently from the headlights (for example, for DRLs), see link in my sig.
.

That’s a good point. I’ll will probably change out the low and high beams out first and then see if I need to address the fog lights.

RG

I’d be interested if anyone has found LEDs for the fogs, these seem to be challenging and limited that even Tore doesn’t offer such an upgrade.

Installing an HID kit has been done, but would prefer to avoid that option.

Knight - I agree with you. All my research resulted in finding out that there is no acceptable LED upgrade for the 993 fog lights. The challenge is that the fog light bulb is a H3 halogen bulb with a unique connection and very little room behind the fog light housing. That being said, there is hope. I spoke with Tech Support at The Retrofit Source (vendors of the Morimoto Bi-Xenon projector lens) and they will releasing in January 2021 a new ‘plug and play’ LED fog light solution for the 993.

The owner is a big Porsche fan and owns a few of them. Fingers crossed that it’s what we are looking for.

RG

Tried to get a quick snap yesterday, but the LED white lights affect the photograph/exposure so the whites look brighter in the photo than they actually are :D and drown-out the yellow halogens, if that makes any sense.

Look at the light on the ground - it's yellow!

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...7b3f0aaff9.jpg

Since there are threads on how to take the fog light apart to replace the lens and/or refinish the beige plastic,
.
https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...lamps-now.html
.
it might be also possible to remove the H3 projector entirely and put a new LED fog light assembly inside the housing- here's a pretty small one.
.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...0-lumens/1699/

Very interesting Goose, I have Tore's HID set up and the projector seems a good idea, 3 questions for you:

1. Is the Morimoto projector a plug and play fit or were modifications to the headlight housing required?
2. Did you use the optional Morimoto "High Beam Splitter" to activate low and high beams at same time?
3. Did you use the optional Morimoto relay harness?

BTW, Tore is working on an LED solution for the H1 high beam and it may come out soon.

I have Tore's HIds and morimotos :-
1. Almost
2. Yes
3.No not needed
Gert has a led for main, I am using Cyclops which needs a bit of modification to fit. Tore's will be first class.

Cupcar - I spoke to the guys over at The Retrofit Source who sell the Morimoto projector lens and they do not recommend the use a 55W HID in the projector. They sell the Morimoto projector lens with a 35W Morimoto HID bulb. At first I just thought that they were trying to downplay Tori’s HID low beam solution but then I realized they also sell Morimoto 55W HID bulbs. The reason they recommend 35W vs 55W is due to the heat that is emitted and the fact that the 55W heat will eventually damage the inner lining/coating of the projector len.

RG

Do you have a link for the halogen yellows you sourced? They look great in your pic.

Very tempted by these Morimotos. Did you order from UK-based EM Tuning (here)? ...and once (if!) COVID19 allows would you be interested in meeting up to help with pointers for installation (have Tore's HID kit already), perhaps in exchange for some beer tokens? :bigbye: I fear I'll screw it up!

Thanks RG, I have Tore's V1 kit installed which I believe is 35 watt, maybe I'll just try Morimoto projector with that. I still am waiting for Tore's LED solution for the high beam.

I will look them up. The lovely deep yellow might clash with Burnt Orange :D

I bought them direct - I had a good friend visiting the US of A and they put them in their suitcase. It was before they got off the ground for sale anywhere else.

It is a while ago, but basically they do fit into the ROW headlights with the levelling motors, but you need to slacken-off, not undo, some of the internals in order to install the new projectors.

I also think my projectors were v7, and are Morimoto on v8 now?

Drop me a PM so we don't clutter up this thread with ROW details!

I've just been crawling around my garage storage area, and dug-out Tore's original box and spare bulbs for the HID kit...

Mine appear to be 35w

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e687fe2c3e.jpg

1. Morimoto comes with everything you need (and parts you might not need) It comes with an H4 and H7 bracket, which I didn’t need, as well as a bulb holder that is much better than a tension spring. Also comes with a plug and harness that is used if you have low and high beam in one place. Ours are two separate bulbs. Took me 15 mins to swap the projector.

2. I did not use any high beam splitter as both high beam and low beam stay on if you activate the high beam flasher or the on position.

3. No relay harness.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e4ae7c928.jpeg

Hey Goose - I'm not sure what you mean by this - I have the solenoid/high-beam splitter, and the solenoid works perfectly
a) if 'flashed' it just switches the metal cut-off bar out of the beam for the duration of the flash
b) or if switched 'on' to full-beam, it holds the metal cut-off bar out of the beam, and then when the full-beam is switched 'off' on the stalk, the metal cut-off bar drops back into the beam.

Did that make sense? :)

My low beams never turn off. I don’t know if that is desired or not. I really don’t use my high beams.

edit: I read a post earlier and i see now. the splitter allows the hid bulbs to act as a high beam. removing a shield. thanks, good to know! I may order a splitter and see.

Thanks for your trust guys.
Our previous T-LIGHT kit was 35W, and our new T-LIGHT version 3 kit has 55W bulbs. We have measured a bit higher bulb temperatures on the new kit, but it is still lower than the heat emitted by the original halogen bulbs.
Cheers,
Tore

Thanks for clearing that up Tore.

I have to say, I've had your HID kit since 2012, and it has been perfect - and still on the original bulbs. :cheers:

Hey Tore. I think I'm ready to install these HID upgrades on my car. You've probably definitely answered this before: these HID kits work fine with the stock halogen housing without blinding other people on the road?

Of course. See more details on our website.
Cheers,
T

Hello folks,
55w is no problem, even with the morimotos. For piece of mind, I installed 2 fans in each housing lid. A larger 60mm and smaller 40mm PC fan unit. They run permanently, as soon as the light switch is turned on. Temperature tape on the Morimoto housing showed a significant reduction over Halogens. The drawback is that you have to mount the ballasts outside the headlight.
External mounting incl. power relay harness of the ballasts can be found here:
My Bi-Xenon install diy - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...00936ce7ca.png

..... the things I do for you guys - I had to go out for a drive on quiet country roads, and take a few snaps. I was parked at the time of taking the photos - notice the detail in the (poor) road surface :rolleyes:

There is no photo massaging here - this is how it looks.

Tore's HIDs 35w plus Morimoto - full beam and dipped - look at that cut-off = No dazzling of oncoming traffic.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...4b668815b8.jpg


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...106a07664a.jpg

Wow, looks like hedgerow country. Are both the HID projector low beam and high beam reflector on at the same time?

If so, what bulbs are in the high beam reflector unit.

Yes both pairs of bulbs are 'lit' in the photo with no cut-off... but the high beam bulbs may as well be missing, as they add such a tiny amount of illumination compared to the 'open' beam from Tore's HID.

To answer your question, the full-beam bulbs are a half-decent halogen with the same light 'range' as the HID (is it 4300k?), just so they look the same..... not that anyone is looking, if they value their eyesight :D

Many thanks. Good spot: whilst the LHD versions are indeed on v8, RHD kits still seem to be v7 (you can edit/remove your email address if you like :)).

Your photos demonstrate their performance very well - thanks for posting! Yes, Tore's HID are 4300k and he also offers 6000k - I think the latter gives a slightly cooler/blue tinge.
Final question :D did the added boost from the Morimoto kit change in any way the colour/temperature output of Tore's 43000k HID kit? Really looking to avoid that dazzling blue aftermarket look many kits give.

Short answer - no.

I have Tore's 4300k, and on dipped-beam 'all' the new Morimotos do is clarify the image and throw it further - I have no measurements for this - just an impression of before and after. You can see further, but the cut-off is razor-sharp and does not dazzle anyone. They pass the MOT every year as well. So that's a double improvement - I noticed no change in colour.

The big, big improvement is when you flick to full-beam.

It seems the Morimoto projector's advantage as far as high beam performance is concerned derives from a more pellucid glass for the lens than the OEM part and perhaps improvements in the parabolic reflector as well.
The low beam advantage is derived from the shutter to control low beam cut off.

I've been looking at LED H1 bulb performance and the benchmark is the 55 watt Halogen H1 which legally in Europe can produce no more than 1782 lumens (spec is 1550 lumens +/- 15%), while in the USA the spec is no more than 1622 lumens (spec is 1410 +/- 15%). So, all things considered, there is a H1 Halogen bulb swing of 1198 to 1782 lumens depending on whether the bulb is at the bottom of the USA spec or top of the European spec.

I am pretty sure this difference would be noticeable in service.

Is there a guide to installing the high-beam splitter? Does it just connect to the stock high beam male ands female plugs?

Go here, scroll down and click on the "Install Guide" button, a PDF will download https://www.theretrofitsource.com/mo...993?quantity=1

Basically the solenoid for the shutter slaves off the high beam voltage when the high beams on.

Turbo s ducts/fog lights with LED lights is an option for those that want LED fogs

Perhaps I missed it but are the Morimoto projectors required to do an HID conversion?

When I bought my 993 this year, the seller never mentioned anything about an HID conversion. I do have some sort of projector in there, whether aftermarket or stock (Litronics??). When I removed one of the headlights one day, I opened it up and to my surprise I found Tore's HID kit installed. I didn't really know what to look for as far the projectors. Reading this thread has me wondering if someone installed Morimoto's along w/ Tore's HID kit or if I have the Litronic projectors?

I've not looked into the topic of headlights much, so I wasn't even aware enough of what to look for. The only reason I even realized I had Tore's HID kit was that I happened to be on his site the same day and recognized the kit from the pictures. :)

The halogens were also projectors.

Ah, okay.

If someone has (or can point me to) some pics that would help show the differences in the projectors, I'd appreciate the assistance.


Edit:

I found a pic I snapped back in March when I realized the car was retrofitted with HIDs. From what you can see in this pic, it looks like it has OEM projectors and not the Morimoto's. You can see the differences between the OEM projectors vs Morimoto's (specifically around the back of the housing where the bulb inserts) in their install instructions: https://www.theretrofitsource.com/co...c3be514221c185



https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...8f43dff36c.jpg

As far as I know, the lenses are the same. Looking into the headlight through the lens, the projector will not show any difference either.

That's the bergville conversion, their name is on the sticker. Works with OEM projectors.

I think they've updated recently, so current version may not be exactly the same.
.
https://www.bergvillfx.com/categorie...kits-and-lamps

Yes, I knew that part. :) I mentioned above that I spotted it once I saw the sticker.


My question was whether I had the Morimoto projectors or OEM projectors (confirmed now they are OEM).

So I thought I’d update everyone on where I landed on my lighting upgrade project.

I have decided to convert my low beam setup to the Morimoto mini H1 v8 projector len with Morimoto HID bulbs/ballasts. I went back and forth on which HID bulb/ballast to buy: Tore vs Morimoto. While I love the ease and simplicity of the Tore install, I ultimately went with Morimoto’s modular and higher quality (based on my research) HID system. The only down side of Morimoto’s HID setup requires the ballasts to reside outside the headlight housing and the installation of relay wiring connecting the left and right headlights.

As for the high beam, I explored all LED/HID options available and came to the conclusion that there are no viable solutions in the marketplace which work for the 993. Also given that I was replacing my OEM projector with the Bi-Xenon Moritmoto projector lens and installing the High-Beam splitter, I realized that the high beam would be of very little value. The high beam splitter enables the solenoid on the bi-xenon projectors to open and close thus allowing to widen the beam pattern to include the high beam area.

Last by not least are the front running lights in the fog light housing (the bulb next to the curved part of the housing) which run when you turn on your parking lights or your regular headlights (low beams). I found a pair of matching 5500K light temperature led bulbs (BA9S) on Amazon and swapped out the weak orange color emitting OEM bulbs.

Morimoto projectors and HID bulb system have been ordered and arrive Tuesday....can’t wait to get it all installed!

You have no idea how the high beam conversion to HID will change the vision in the dark. The morimotos are good with high beam but firing up another set of 55w HID is almost crazy. They take a couple of seconds to get warm but forget everything else you've ever experienced before.
It's well worth to upgrade the high beam circuit.

The OEM H1 high beam is based on a reflector. What setup are you using for high beam HID?

Andy Hodapp used these in high beam

https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...igh-beams.html

Nice! Looking forward to following your installation and hearing your thoughts.

Did you go for the MotoHo1ders?

More info on them here:


and also here: /437918-morimoto-motoho1der-mini-h1-bulb-holders

Very interesting. In my reading the position of the filament is critical to obtaining the highest Lux from a given reflector. The question here is that the Projectors shown in the YouTube video are V.7 Morimoto and the current 993 in LHD version is V.8 and I wonder if the V.8 has changed the bulb mount in the first place making the Motoholder unnecessary

A very interesting website here comparing bulbs and kits: https://www.bulbfacts.com

V8 looks like it already has the bulb holder, used pic below from here: https://www.morimotohid.com/morimoto...ors?quantity=1

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...36e771adbd.jpg

ch3tman - Thank you so much :bowdown: for bringing this to my attention. I did not know that Morimoto made an upgraded H1 bulb holder for their projector lens.

Seem like they are included in the v8 Morimoto projector lens.

Yes, it looks like the V.8 version supplied for left hand drives cars has the Motoholder included.

I used the stock reflectors of the original housing. Just placed the H1 bulb and connected it to the ballast. Run it like this for some 8 years or longer w/o issues. This was long before Morimoto came out with a kit. I still use their early design projector, never failed.
My Bi-Xenon install diy - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums
I posted this link already above, guess you missed it.
Ed

thank so much Ed for reposting.

The splitters arrived and I have no idea how these would connect. I don’t have any of these type of connections.

H1M > H1/9006F on the label.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...9dd9270b11.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...47c60c9f61.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...e65c717f8f.jpg

Goose 993 -- see image below from the install guide. Upper left hand corner of the diagram is the wire splitter cable you are holding in your picture.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...80919295b6.jpg

Best,
RG

Ah ok. I tossed the brown and white wire as I did not know it was for this setup. I will email and get another set.

To be clear, the high beam bulb plugs into the blue female ends?

I also have a pill type and a flat type connection vs two flat type.

Picture from instructions:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6378f8987.jpeg

Yes, the two blue plugs fit into the high beam bulb connections. Make sure you are following the right polarity. The way I have my 9006 connector assembled my white is (+) and then follows through to the blue wires in the splitter.

RG

Well my passenger side headlight projector is too narrow to fit Tore’s HID bulb so I guess I’ll have to wait for the Morimoto projectors and hope it all fits. I don’t have a dremel or anything to widen the hole. Everything fit fine and worked on the driver side. Lame!

I used a round file for some gentile material removal when one of my HID bulbs did not quite fit.. Just be sure to hold lens part upward so any shavings will fall down and out.

Like this one: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-10-i...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

I took your advice and now I have two functioning HID headlights until the new projectors arrive

Below are pictures of the Morimoto HID projector -with the Retrofit Source adapter plate attached - compared to the stock H1 halogen projector. The Morimoto is a much nicer piece compared to the stock unit and appears designed for HID while the stock unit is for H1 lamps. The stock unit has a fixed blind for low beam use only while the Morimoto has a solenoid operated shutter to flick from high to low beam. The higher optical quality of the Morimoto lens is apparent. The spring retention of my stock unit was actually deformed such that the spring fell out and I noted that the bulb wobbled easily. The Morimoto screwed type connection is totally solid.

The installation is easy and tools listed in instructions are right, but make sure you have a T 20 security anti-tamper type Torx and I found a 6 mm end wrench helpful to tighten tube nut spacers, but not needed. One thing I noted is that there are compressible bushings under two of the three projector retention screws and I am sure these were for a fine adjustment when the headlamps were manufactured. One screw compresses the bushing for up and down adjustment and the other for side to side. I'm going to think about using this adjustment when I aim the headlamps - it would require noting the pattern and removing the headlamp to make the adjustments. The Retrofit Source kit is nicely made.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...773de7005c.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...588c526897.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...78eb30ec75.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...f28b98fda1.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...c744b8e917.jpg

The clip-style connectors (brown wire) for my high beams aren’t wide enough to connect to the y-splitter connections.

You are correct. I had to trim the tab so that the OEM high beam plug could fit. I used a flat edged wire cutter to snip of 1/16” of the tab.

RG

So basiclaly we need to buy both of the products in the links below and it is fairly plug and play? Is this generally accepted as the best solution? (looking for a quick retrofit solution for my 993 as well).

Morimotos are also available in LED projectors, if you prefer. They're not as powerful as 55w hid but latest technology.
Morimotos and Tore is definitely your best mod.

Tore’s HID kit allows you to have the ballasts inside the headlight assemblies instead of in the trunk. The Morimoto projectors are meant for HID bulbs and scatter the light pattern more appropriately. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from previous posts.

Driver’s side is an OEM halogen projector with an OSRAM Nightbreaker halogen bulb (supposedly one of the brightest halogens on the market).
Passenger side is a Morimoto Mini H1 8.0 Bi-Xenon projector with Tore’s 4300K HID bulb.
Third picture is both Morimoto/Tore combo.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...cfc48df0b.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...6ad9a55d2.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...b44713a21.jpeg

BTW, there is no such thing as a LED projectors.

just to clarify things - there two elements to retrofitting the OEM low beam lighting:
1) the projector lens
2) the low beam bulb

Currently, there is only one option aside from the OEM projector lens and it’s made by Morimoto

As for the bulb goes, you can either upgrade with a LED bulb or a HID bulb. It is also not recommended to use a LED bulb in a projector len.

Hope this helps.

RG

Hello RGupta250, I suggest you do your research first, before you respond.
Category - LED | Morimoto: LED & HID Headlights, Projectors, Ballasts, and Bulbs (morimotohid.com)

my bad, I was going off of the Morimoto products on the Retrofit Source website. Thanks for sharing.

RG

(there are a few Morimoto threads but as this is the longest running one with the most pics...)

Bad news for RHD owners:Morimoto Mini H1 7.0 has been discontinued, and its replacement Morimoto Mini H1 8.0 is only available for LHD cars!

The supplier in the UK has instead suggested the Morimoto Micro D2S 5.0 as a 'better option' and also removes the need to adjust or align the beam output as required on the Mini H1 kits:
https://www.morimotohid.com/bi-xenon-micro-d2s-5-0-projectors_3
https://www.theretrofitsource.com/bi-xenon-micro-d2s-5-0-projectors

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...149c487f96.png


The following video indicates Micro D2S 5.0 are the same dimensions as the Mini H1 7.0 and 8.0:


Is anyone running the Micro D2S 5.0 and/or able to see any compatibility issues?

Whilst they have confirmed compatibility with existing ballasts (i.e. BergvilleFX), there are 2 main further considerations :

1. The threaded shaft on the rear is bigger in diameter - not sure if this will affect us 993 owners?
2. D2S vs H1 bulb technology for our cars?

Of course the majority on Rennlist are LHD and may not care!
However.... as the Morimoto Micro D2S 5.0 are an upgrade over the Morimoto Mini H1 kit, it may spark some interesting comments?
Hopefully :).

A great comparison video for [Morimoto Projector Mini H1 + BergvillFX] versus stock halogen:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/rennlis...0afdfd9b1.jpeg

​​​​@rgupta250 or @Goose 993
looking the Morimoto diagram the pair of black/gray wires connected to the H1 bulb are left unused on both sides?

and RH side has no wires going to the OEM low beam connectors?

For the next guy doing this upgrade, the answer to both questions above is yes.

I went with the BergvillFX High Beam LED and HID Low Beam and finally got into the install today. Huge kudos for the thoughtful design and ability to install cleanly into the original housing. Unfortunately the low beams were a bust. High beams work well. When I installed the low beams and game them a try, all looked to work okay at first although I kept thinking that I saw a ever so slight flicker going. Next time I turned them on the passenger low beam was flickering significantly. Took the car for a ride and after a few minutes the driver side low beam stopped working all together. Pulled it back into the garage and then the passenger stopped working all together. Pulled out the HID Low Beams and put the stock bulbs back in for the time being. High beams still work (and are a huge improvement). Need to sort out this Low Beam BS though as visibility with the stockers is terrible!

My low beams flicker when you turn them on initially. It then stops. This is a second one on one side. The first wouldn’t stop flickering. The high beams and more yellow low beams are great when the initial flickering stops on low beams. Haven’t checked if it’s both yet. Bergvill brand. Gunar