$9 solution for automatic headlights
Rennlist Member
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 6,115
Likes: 1,889
Auto lights are extremely nice if you live in an area with tunnels. When we were driving through Switzerland in Pam's new car I fell in love with the auto lights. Nice to see a solution for the 997. Thank you!!!
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 213
Likes: 61
From: Ontario
I would love to try this as well but have to admit I know absolutely nothing about wiring a circuit board. Is the board purchased as is and you just connect a couple of wires? That I could probably manage. I have a US car that was imported to Canada and wanted to do the DRL hack but for some reason, when the car was imported it was set up so the DRLs turn on all of the lights (headlight, markers and twilights) and I can’t figure out how to change that.
Last edited by Scb1712; Aug 20, 2023 at 09:00 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,175
Likes: 795
From: Austin, TX
I am amazed how many people drive at dusk or rain in a dark colored car with no headlight/driving lights on. In the old days we would flash our lights to remind them to turn lights on. But today with cell phones that they are screwing with they are distracted! Auto lights make scent! That's my 2 cents!
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 666
From: San Carlos, CA 94070
The Porsche switch is "active ground". That means when "HOME" is selected, pin 2 goes to ground.
And if you use that, then the circuit is only getting power when the switch is set to HOME.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,731
Likes: 164
The op's idea is great... but before everyone rides this wagon, I'm thinking why porsche did not give this option... the answer might be because we have hid light that actually take.time.to.brighten. if passing through a tunnel the auto headlights might be turning off already before it fully brightens... so fir this hack to be really useful I think we should also convert to leds... just a thought...
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,264
Likes: 630
From: Centerburg, OH
When it starts to get dark you turn on the lights. When you turn car off you shut off lights.
I coulld never understand having auto-lights - I never use them in my Mercedes SUV, my wife never uses them in her Mercedes sedan.
Why would you want them in a Porsche?
Are people that forgetful and poor eyesight not to see that lights weren't turned off when turning off car??
I coulld never understand having auto-lights - I never use them in my Mercedes SUV, my wife never uses them in her Mercedes sedan.
Why would you want them in a Porsche?
Are people that forgetful and poor eyesight not to see that lights weren't turned off when turning off car??
It's for the idiots on the road I see consistently driving when it is dark.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 183
Likes: 154
From: Barcelona, Spain
The op's idea is great... but before everyone rides this wagon, I'm thinking why porsche did not give this option... the answer might be because we have hid light that actually take.time.to.brighten. if passing through a tunnel the auto headlights might be turning off already before it fully brightens... so fir this hack to be really useful I think we should also convert to leds... just a thought...
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 666
From: San Carlos, CA 94070
I think I'm pretty good in turning the lights on/off myself, but my daughter has never driven a car which didn't have auto headlights.
When she drives the 997 I feel much better that it has auto-headlights
When she drives the 997 I feel much better that it has auto-headlights
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 60
Likes: 48
Sorry it's taking so long but one problem I identified is that the module is a bit large to easily pull in and out, my wiring is a bit short, and while there is a time delay to turn the lights off, there isn't one to turn them on. The off delay is enough to avoid shortening your HID life, but it's annoying to have lights come on immediately when passing a short tunnel, I've found.
So I ended up ordering a very small, simple programmable timer circuit which is housed in a plastic housing and a new photosensitive relay (which I can buy a custom enclosure for and is much smaller - thanks Hatzenbach for suggesting an enclosure and elucidating me on the differences between a photodiode and a photoresistor). The timer circuit can program both an on and an off delay and is tiny. I will be getting the parts tomorrow and will mock something up hopefully before the weekend depending on my schedule. I will put up some pictures and links to parts (about $20 for the timer and light sensor - not including wiring) and how I wired it asap then more detailed instructions later on.
I was staunchly anti-auto headlights for a while but after using them for a while, I kept forgetting to turn off my headlights. This is exacerbated by the fact that the 997 turns off its headlights but leaves others on with the ignition off which makes it easy to forget to turn off your lights sometimes, especially if you use the home function. Admittedly, I'm now used to it so this project is more about just tinkering more than anything for me. It's probably the cheapest mod I've done to the car and just kinda fun to do.
For anyone wanting to do this, the hardest part is making the wiring harness if you don't want to splice the OEM harness. It's cheap and honestly not that bad. You can still just splice into the custom harness and I found a part that should work. The other is programming the timer. However, I can help out with that if anyone wants to attempt it.
So I ended up ordering a very small, simple programmable timer circuit which is housed in a plastic housing and a new photosensitive relay (which I can buy a custom enclosure for and is much smaller - thanks Hatzenbach for suggesting an enclosure and elucidating me on the differences between a photodiode and a photoresistor). The timer circuit can program both an on and an off delay and is tiny. I will be getting the parts tomorrow and will mock something up hopefully before the weekend depending on my schedule. I will put up some pictures and links to parts (about $20 for the timer and light sensor - not including wiring) and how I wired it asap then more detailed instructions later on.
I was staunchly anti-auto headlights for a while but after using them for a while, I kept forgetting to turn off my headlights. This is exacerbated by the fact that the 997 turns off its headlights but leaves others on with the ignition off which makes it easy to forget to turn off your lights sometimes, especially if you use the home function. Admittedly, I'm now used to it so this project is more about just tinkering more than anything for me. It's probably the cheapest mod I've done to the car and just kinda fun to do.
For anyone wanting to do this, the hardest part is making the wiring harness if you don't want to splice the OEM harness. It's cheap and honestly not that bad. You can still just splice into the custom harness and I found a part that should work. The other is programming the timer. However, I can help out with that if anyone wants to attempt it.
Last edited by funnelofdoom; Aug 23, 2023 at 06:13 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 183
Likes: 154
From: Barcelona, Spain
Thanks @funnelofdoom (and everyone contributing to this discussion).
As others here, I got used to it on our other car (a basic Citroen from 2006 we use for the beach, no less), and it’s at least 5 or 6 tunnels every time I take the car, so if it can be done for a few bucks and teach me something at the same time, I’m definitely game
.
As others here, I got used to it on our other car (a basic Citroen from 2006 we use for the beach, no less), and it’s at least 5 or 6 tunnels every time I take the car, so if it can be done for a few bucks and teach me something at the same time, I’m definitely game
.
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 52
Likes: 15
From: Jeddah
Sorry it's taking so long but one problem I identified is that the module is a bit large to easily pull in and out, my wiring is a bit short, and while there is a time delay to turn the lights off, there isn't one to turn them on. The off delay is enough to avoid shortening your HID life, but it's annoying to have lights come on immediately when passing a short tunnel, I've found.
So I ended up ordering a very small, simple programmable timer circuit which is housed in a plastic housing and a new photosensitive relay (which I can buy a custom enclosure for and is much smaller - thanks Hatzenbach for suggesting an enclosure and elucidating me on the differences between a photodiode and a photoresistor). The timer circuit can program both an on and an off delay and is tiny. I will be getting the parts tomorrow and will mock something up hopefully before the weekend depending on my schedule. I will put up some pictures and links to parts (about $20 for the timer and light sensor - not including wiring) and how I wired it asap then more detailed instructions later on.
I was staunchly anti-auto headlights for a while but after using them for a while, I kept forgetting to turn off my headlights. This is exacerbated by the fact that the 997 turns off its headlights but leaves others on with the ignition off which makes it easy to forget to turn off your lights sometimes, especially if you use the home function. Admittedly, I'm now used to it so this project is more about just tinkering more than anything for me. It's probably the cheapest mod I've done to the car and just kinda fun to do.
For anyone wanting to do this, the hardest part is making the wiring harness if you don't want to splice the OEM harness. It's cheap and honestly not that bad. You can still just splice into the custom harness and I found a part that should work. The other is programming the timer. However, I can help out with that if anyone wants to attempt it.
So I ended up ordering a very small, simple programmable timer circuit which is housed in a plastic housing and a new photosensitive relay (which I can buy a custom enclosure for and is much smaller - thanks Hatzenbach for suggesting an enclosure and elucidating me on the differences between a photodiode and a photoresistor). The timer circuit can program both an on and an off delay and is tiny. I will be getting the parts tomorrow and will mock something up hopefully before the weekend depending on my schedule. I will put up some pictures and links to parts (about $20 for the timer and light sensor - not including wiring) and how I wired it asap then more detailed instructions later on.
I was staunchly anti-auto headlights for a while but after using them for a while, I kept forgetting to turn off my headlights. This is exacerbated by the fact that the 997 turns off its headlights but leaves others on with the ignition off which makes it easy to forget to turn off your lights sometimes, especially if you use the home function. Admittedly, I'm now used to it so this project is more about just tinkering more than anything for me. It's probably the cheapest mod I've done to the car and just kinda fun to do.
For anyone wanting to do this, the hardest part is making the wiring harness if you don't want to splice the OEM harness. It's cheap and honestly not that bad. You can still just splice into the custom harness and I found a part that should work. The other is programming the timer. However, I can help out with that if anyone wants to attempt it.
For custom enclosures, 3D printing one would be a solution. My wife just offered me a 3D printer, and I would be willing to try to do this.