creekman

I’ve installed a modified 997 GT2 F/G bumper that fits my wide body 2003 996. I opted for the Porsche factory LED lights that were included with this bumper. The LED lights came with a control box, but I still had to connect them so they would work as DRL’s. The following is how I did that. I’m guessing if you used LED strips or other LED’s that were housed in an assembly the following install would be the same. Connecting your new LED lights is pretty easy. I’m assuming that you already have the LED control box, but does allow you to switch the LED’s from your ignition key switch. You’ll need a relay, some 20 ga. wire. All of our connections were solder with heat shrink insulation. Any auto parts will have a 30A relay (I used a CarQuest - P/N BWD R681P [$13.33]), all relays are marked with the same terminal numbers. Most relays will have 5 terminals, in this case you’ll only use 4 as shown on the schematic. I would find a relay that has a mounting tab, also be sure it has large blade terminals that will fit the regular spade connector. Again you'll want to use a full shielded/insulated electrical connectors. If you wanted there is a compatible female connector for the relay, but it was $26 and had heavier gauge wire than you need. I removed the fuse panel at the driver’s foot well kick panel and made the connection to fuse E8 (empty fuse) from the back of the fuse panel, I'm guessing you could jury rig a connection from the front of the panel, but that’s not for me. I used 20 gauge wire… That’s about it. I might add that my very smart friend and Renntech member, Michael Paton did the schematic otherwise I would have never figured this out. While “I was there” I followed through and completed the RennTech Side Marker Light mod. The sidemarker mod is in the DIY Tutorials here: http://www.renntech.org/forums/tutorials/article/176-how-to-make-your-sidemarkers-flash/ I might add that we deviated from the Tutorial by picking up the wires at the headlight plug. The mod calls for getting into the headlight plug on either side of the battery area. You have to fish wires from that area to the side marker light body which is about a 3’ run. We had a tough time getting the connecting plug apart which is necessary since you’re in tight quarters. If you pick up the same wire at the headlight socket it’s less that a 12" run. Follow the same directions for wire color, but find the same wire at the headlight socket. The downside to the headlight socket connection is that you’ll have to remove the front tires and the forward fender liners. The fender liners come out very easily with 6 nuts/bolts/plugs. I still think it’s a cleaner and easier way to go… Either way it’s a great mod... (click to enlarge or download image)

Remove the following: 1. Remove the front bumper - you can Google, “remove 996 Porsche front bumper” and find several sites that explain the process. 2 people can do it in 15 minutes. 2. Remove the front fender liners on left and right fender wells. There’s one plastic rivet under the horizontal area of the liner that is hidden in a recess. Tough to see and can be tougher to remove. A little penetrating lubricant can help, you want to remove the center pin in the rivet body. The rest of the fastening are either 10mm nuts or Torx screws. 3. Unplug the large power plug to the fan. First to get at the plug you need to slide the entire plug back and forth until the plug pops out of its mounting track. If you muscle the plug out you’ll break off the plastic brittle tabs. Maybe again shoot a little lubricant behind the plug. Once it’s free you need to depress the keeper clips on either side of the plug. I couldn’t get enough grip and force to depress the clips and pull apart the plug so I use channel locks and that did the trick, albeit on one plug I broke the keeper clip. They’re very fragile and become brittle with age. One of my gripes about the electrical plugs on the 996, they’re very cheesy… the plugs aren’t, but the keeper clips are... 4. Remove the radiator hoses next, start with the lower hoses. Be sure to have a 5 gallon bucket on hand, lots of old towels. Remove the horse-shoe clips (see pic No. 4) The tool I use to do this is a Craftsman cotter key removal tool. The horse-shoe clip has two ears on the open end of the horse-shoe so you can’t just muscle the clip out without first getting the ears out from the detent. Start at the open top part of the clip and run your tool around to the open end of the clip. Once the end of the clip is out on one side it’s easy to undo the other end and lift off the clip. Now you can wiggle off the hose, don’t try and turn the hose, just wiggle and pull since the hose fitting slips into a straight groove. Rather than just pull the hose off in one tug I break it lose and let the coolant drain a little at a time, when the coolant is down to just a dribble I pull the hose the rest of the way out. No matter what you do it’s messy… Remove the top large hose the same way. That’s two hoses down, one 1/2” hose to go… Each radiator has a small 1/2”± hose (vent - steam line) that is connected to the top tank with the same horse-shoe clip, but just very small. Don’t try and undo the hose at the radiator, just remove the other end at the fender well. Then while the radiator is on the work bench you can remove the small hose. 5. Remove the radiator support bracket. I might add that when you squirt some lubricant on the fender liner plastic rivets you might shoot a little on the 3 rubber donuts/grommet that support the radiator. Next I would remove the speed clips that secure the studs of the radiator supports at the rubber donuts. To remove the mounting clips I used a gasket scraper tool, or you might use a small putty knife. Just lift the top layer of the clip so it clears the end of the mounting support stud, then push or tap the clip in the same direction that you inserted the putty knife. Note there are large steel washer on both side of the rubber grommet. 6. Ok the hoses are off, the three retaining clips have been removed, now it’s time to remove the large steel brace on the rear side of the radiator. There’s four attaching nuts, bolts, and one Torx screw. Once the radiator bracket is loose hold on because the radiator is fairly heavy, it’s a one man job, but two would be better.