how are those removed without the hood open? or does the thief damage the hood/fender as a result? with these selling about $2k, it's no wonder they get stolen. u guys live in high theft areas need to get a good alarm at least.

 

happens alot in florida , A*K*A miami

 

They just take a screwdriver and then pop them out. You do not need to open the hood. However the way to do it from Porsche (the right way) you will need to open the hood. I remember hearing about this a lot with the 996. Shame they didn’t fix it for the 997.

 

Our Xenons are showing up on Nissans, Hondas & Toyotas, all the small souped up race cars.

Supposedly there is just an electrical wire in the back they unhook.
Porsche could of done more in the backs of these units, as far as securing it way more, so they couldnt just pop um out!!

I like in summer to take my car up in the mountains to a wine festival concert. Now, I feel while I am seeing the concert, I will worry someone idiot is out there trying to pop out my lights...
Yeah..with the alarm on!! , does that thing work????

 

In Europe we have had the problem of cars and car parts theft some years ago and one of the solutions was to engrave the VIN nr in any glass part.
It might not stop thieves but it will make it more difficult for them to sell the parts.
Retrieval will be easier as well.

 

Here's the solution - go to a clear bra installer, explain that want to secure your lights and have them put 2 small sections of clear bra on either side of the headlight. When retard goes to steal them and they don't just pop out, he'll move on...

 

Kidding right. Then they'll use the screw driver (or a blade) to slice the clear bra (and the paint)...in like 3 seconds and then pop them out.

 

Have you tried that? That clear bra is not like scotch tape - it is resilient. Unless they use a sharp knife, it won't happen. Another option is to run a little bead of epoxy behind the light housing...

FWIW, most criminals will avoid something if it presents ANY difficulty (i.e. cars w/alarms, women resisting rape, etc.). This is no different.

 

This is nothing new with Porsches, the euro lights on my old 83 911SC took 2 seconds to remove. I'm glad to see Porsche fixed this problem.

 

It's frustrating that convenience and security are often mutually exclusive. These cars have always been and will always be targets for those with impure motives.

 

there is a place in maimi that alarms them (Sonic Alarm or something like that). I think it is about 300. A friend of mine had it on and when a ran my hand on his lights the alarm went off.

 

Probably The Collection can tell you who where they are if you want them to alarm them in South Florida.

 

Impure motives......Morale of this story!!
Hard to deter people like this!!

So heres what is learned on the 997 model to thus date...
Wheres that what I dislike on the 997 thread

You need a Sonic alarm to protect the Xenon headlamps, or you can extend the clear bra over the lights for protection, or wow, always carry a knife in a ziplock bag per Shawn C ... love that!!
$ $ $

If you get a flat tire, your screwed, no spare, you can buy one, but where are you gonna put it.. $ $ $

Rock flies through the front vent punctures a/c condesor:
Porsche solution, buy front air vent screens to protect, but opps less airflow which could mean loss of power...wtf? $ $ $

Minor issues, but ?!

 

I had my Xenons in my 2000 C4 fastened in with a pop-rivet so they could not be lifted. I do not recall how it was done, but I accidentally pulled the headlight out once and was freaked out how easy it was to remove. So, I brought the car to SilverStar Porsche in Roslyn and the tech found a catch point for a bolt or pop rivet and bam. No problem.

Not sure how easy it was for him to do or if it can be done on 997s, but it's an idea...

Say... anyone know if I can upgrade the non-Xenons on my 2006 C4 Cab to Xenons?

 

They're pretty simple to remove. Normally you open the hood, pop out a rubber plug and turn a funky wrench that's in the toolkit. If you are a ricer looking for a set of HIDs for your stock Civic with auto tranny and 5" fart can exhaust (at least it sounds badass). All you need is a screwdriver placed between the light and the fender. One quick crank is enough to separate the fender enough to release the light. The reason the lights are so popular (a.k.a. Porsche is so stupid), is because the ballast is attached to the light itself. The whole thing comes out in one piece. Nissan had the same problem with the Maxima so they got smart and relocated the ballast off of the lights and that significantly decreased the number of lights being stolen. The bulb and housing are no good without the ballast.

It appears Porsche doesn't give a crap about saving us from this nonsense. They would rather save a few pennies worth of wire.

BTW: What's the point of securing the lights? If they can't get them out in one crank, they will just keep on trying and mess up your bodywork even more in the process. Whether your lights get stolen or not, you will still have body damage and a comprehensive insurance claim. You may as well leave them alone so they pop right out and minimize the damage to your car.