PDLS without the sprayer....
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From: On a pygmy pony over by the dental floss bush
Agree that ordering PDLS and removing the washers is your best bet, though that's not saying much considering the alternatives. Maybe get or make caps for the washer holes if you don't want to buy a new bumper and get it painted? Might cause the car to throw codes though, although so might installing PDLS lamps in a non-PDLS car -- and even if the latter doesn't throw codes, you'd definitely need to get the feature enabled, and Porsche's own software might not allow you to enable swivel without the headlamp washers. I'd say there are too many unknowns here to make this worthwhile, especially with the cost of experimentation here.
I too would have opted for a washer delete had it been available, but I decided I liked the PDLS swivel and brighter bulb more than I disliked the additional complexity, cost, and aesthetic penalty of the washer, which I paid even more to deal with by getting them in exterior color. And fwiw, I hardly notice my washers when I see the front of my car walking into the garage from my house, and when I do they don't bother me at all, even though the default black ones always did, albeit not as much as the silver ones on other cars -- but I ALWAYS like the swivel feature on twisty unlit roads out here, as well as the brightness of the headlamps in general.
I too would have opted for a washer delete had it been available, but I decided I liked the PDLS swivel and brighter bulb more than I disliked the additional complexity, cost, and aesthetic penalty of the washer, which I paid even more to deal with by getting them in exterior color. And fwiw, I hardly notice my washers when I see the front of my car walking into the garage from my house, and when I do they don't bother me at all, even though the default black ones always did, albeit not as much as the silver ones on other cars -- but I ALWAYS like the swivel feature on twisty unlit roads out here, as well as the brightness of the headlamps in general.
PDLS is one option I'm flip-flopping on as I spec my build.
Last edited by okie981; Jan 17, 2016 at 04:29 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Austin, TX
I haven't compared parts myself, but from everything I've read across several threads across multiple forums, regular bulbs are 25W and PDLS bulbs are 35W, which is a 40% bump and also the reason the washers are automatically included, since German regulations require bulbs past a certain brightness to include them. However, I don't think that dropping a PDLS bulb into a non-PDLS assembly is enough to get the increased brightness. Ferrarisimo is looking into retrofitting PDLS brightness to non-PDLS headlamps since he doesn't want the additional weight and complexity of the swivel stuff but wouldn't mind the brightness, but this guy retrofitted the entire E92 Competition Package to a regular M3 and the entire AP2 S2000 gear except the engine to an AP1, so his tolerance for this stuff seems much higher than average.
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From: Hypercar Invitational
If you activate windshield washers, but have your headlights in OFF position, do the headlight washer nozzles stay off? I hate what washer fluid does to paint, on other VAG products I've owned (Audi) this is how I avoided the problem. Same for Porsche?
Drifting
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From: Austin, TX
If memory serves from reading the manual or forums, the headlamp washers come on every 10 times you wash the windshield if you never use them directly, I assume due to the same German regulatory requirements.
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From: Hypercar Invitational
Originally Posted by jphughan
If memory serves from reading the manual or forums, the headlamp washers come on every 10 times you wash the windshield if you never use them directly, I assume due to the same German regulatory requirements.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Austin, TX
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: New York, NY
Does the fluid stain or etch the pain? My first car years ago was a brand new black Audi. I remember testing the washers but never wiped the fluid off. There was always a fluid spray pattern etched on the pain in front of the nozzles that I could never remove. From that point on, I never used the washers again unless in the rain (yeah, I'm crazy).
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From: 4MB, HYA
PDLS at 35W is 40% higher wattage than 25W, but it would take ten times the wattage from 25W to 250W, to double the perceived brightness.
I'm not sure I'd be able to see the 4% difference.
There's a ballast unit on each headlamp that drives the bulb to a particular wattage, so those would need to be swapped out to upgrade.
Pull the left foot well C7 fuse to stop the headlight washer.
I'm not sure I'd be able to see the 4% difference.
There's a ballast unit on each headlamp that drives the bulb to a particular wattage, so those would need to be swapped out to upgrade.
Pull the left foot well C7 fuse to stop the headlight washer.
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From: Hypercar Invitational
Originally Posted by PistolPete
Does the fluid stain or etch the pain? My first car years ago was a brand new black Audi. I remember testing the washers but never wiped the fluid off. There was always a fluid spray pattern etched on the pain in front of the nozzles that I could never remove. From that point on, I never used the washers again unless in the rain (yeah, I'm crazy).
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EDIT: Ack, just researched the cost to do this. Wow.
Drifting
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From: Austin, TX
The water idea is fine as long as you're sure it will never get cold enough to freeze in the reservoir and lines.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Southern California
I haven't compared parts myself, but from everything I've read across several threads across multiple forums, regular bulbs are 25W and PDLS bulbs are 35W, which is a 40% bump and also the reason the washers are automatically included, since German regulations require bulbs past a certain brightness to include them. However, I don't think that dropping a PDLS bulb into a non-PDLS assembly is enough to get the increased brightness. Ferrarisimo is looking into retrofitting PDLS brightness to non-PDLS headlamps since he doesn't want the additional weight and complexity of the swivel stuff but wouldn't mind the brightness, but this guy retrofitted the entire E92 Competition Package to a regular M3 and the entire AP2 S2000 gear except the engine to an AP1, so his tolerance for this stuff seems much higher than average.