How To: Open Up Headlights (Oven Method)

[D-LASH]

thanks 4 the incite nate...Ive read 05s were easier to open, and that the after market lights are much easier, but staying on track...215? not 220? ...and 15 min? not 20 min? my other concern was , while they're hot, we wanna remove all factory glue, rite? and, when re-sealing, using RTV black silicone, that can be reopened by just slicing with a razor, no heat? if needed(LED goes out)

[fltny]

Well done. When I get an extra set of lights I'm gonna try it

[BlackTop]

thanks 4 the incite nate...Ive read 05s were easier to open, and that the after market lights are much easier, but staying on track...215? not 220? ...and 15 min? not 20 min? my other concern was , while they're hot, we wanna remove all factory glue, rite? and, when re-sealing, using RTV black silicone, that can be reopened by just slicing with a razor, no heat? if needed(LED goes out)

you can use the clear ones too. make sure you remove the factory seals first and then go overboard with the silicone. and make sure it snaps real tight before putting back in the oven. for like 10 mins to allow the sealant to bond once it is out in the cold. Once done, I recommend using sillicone around the seals and use your finger to blend it all aound so no chance of leaks ever. This is why I recommend the clear sillicone vs. black. once your lights are cool and seals harden, install and see if it fogs. If it does, then there is a leak in the seal but I doubt any leaks if you go overboad like I did.

[scoob]

hey guys....can the lights be taken out without taking the fascia off?

I know it not that hard but thing is....my weather guard thing under the fender is siliconed to the fender and fascia...why u may ask...well i rolled my fenders and after could not get the guard to stay up...so i siliconed it together

[Magmania]

hey guys....can the lights be taken out without taking the fascia off?

Yes they can.

The trick is getting that bottom middle screw out without dropping it inside of the fascia after you have it out of it's hole.

You will need an extension with I think a 10mm socket.
Gently push the fascia down at the bottom of the light so that you can fit the socket head inside to reach the screw.
You might want to put a soft cloth there so as not to scratch the paint.

If you should drop the screw you can always retrieve it by popping the belly pan off.

[uscbigdawg]

If you look at RobSXT's recent thread on hooking up his LED halos he removed the top tabs and pulled the fascia back (didn't remove the bottom of it) to gain access to the lights.

I'm not a fan AT ALL of going after the headlights by not removing the fascia as the risk is definitely not worth the reward. When we removed my fascia to install my HID's, we spent ALL of 7 minutes getting the fascia off.

Rich

[scoob]

Ok sweet...thanks man...this was the only thing keeping me from doing the halos.....

Hopefully i get started soon.....

Thanks magmania....and everyone else....

[riperoo]

Yes they can.

The trick is getting that bottom middle screw out without dropping it inside of the fascia after you have it out of it's hole.

You will need an extension with I think a 10mm socket.
Gently push the fascia down at the bottom of the light so that you can fit the socket head inside to reach the screw.
You might want to put a soft cloth there so as not to scratch the paint.

If you should drop the screw you can always retrieve it by popping the belly pan off.

Just took mine out last week to do the HID's, and even if you drop the screw, which I did, you can retrieve it when the head light is out, so taking it out really isn't too big a deal, and just put it in first when reinstalling just incase you do drop it. I also found it helpful to pop the retainer clips, (not sure of the official name of those things) the ones holding the fascia right under the front of the hood, I removed the two outside ones on each side, give you a little more wiggle rooms when you are taking the lights out.

[scoob]

thanks ripp will take those clips out too if it makes things go smoothly.....thanks again

[Getfdaz1]

NIce write up! im almost ready to do this!!

[gfulkerson]

Cool biz on the subject. I purchased a set of the Halos too along with the LED strip for the bottom. I also bought a second set of headlamps like you did, but from Eagle Eyes. I decided to go with the blue/white halos with amber LEDs. I look forward to your next posting because I've yet to start.

I have made headlamps before on my concept car, but never took apart an OEM lamp to modify it. On my Tresaire I had to make a new lamp because the driver's side got broken during its 15 year in storage. I had to scan the right lamp then flip it in CAD to mill out a new left lamp male/female molds. I ended up making both sides so they would match. Then it was all about vac-forming polishing and bonding. Check it out at Tresaire Concept Vehicle

The Halos are a lot more stress on me because I'll be breaking open a perfectly good pair of lamps. I'll hang onto your name and send pics of my execution. I hope I do as well as you.

[D-LASH]

interesting little car there...461 miles in 20 years, not bad. In regards to opening your headlights, remember that the aCTUAL air temp inside the oven might not be exactly what the dial reads. My 1st attempt @ '225 wasnt enough heat, waited(calmed down ) and re heated @ 250 Bake n Wait!!=
theres another link in there that shows an older post rfom LXforus, a little more detailed, hope it helps. I know it was hard staring at a perfectly good set of headlights, that were in better shape than mine that were in my car thinking, "...so, I'm gonna break these on purpose huh, WTF"

[gfulkerson]

Yeah it's a fun car with some low miles... I put on 99% of the miles just driving it in shows and for the videos that were made. I much rather have cars that I can drive around and enjoy, instead of worrying if I'm going to brake a $100,000 windshield (yup, $100K, no joke).

Because I bought a set of "new" lights from Eagle Eye I found that the 220 at 20 min was enough to pop my lenses off. The adhesive Eagle Eye uses isn't OEM and is VERY messy and sticky. I was able to plow through it and have completed my mod. I will post picks and a write-up of the hell I went through in a few days.

[MeenZ28]

Yah, 250 for 30min. is too much as others have said. 220 for 15-20 is just fine.

Great walk threw. The pics helped. One thing to mention, electical tape may not be the best idea to keep the units together while sealing. I found imressions in the lens from the tape after all was said and done and no amount of cleaning products or waxes seems to make them go away. It's not very noticable but I'm a perfectionist and it's bugging me a bit. I'm betting rubber bands would have been a better idea.

Oh and cleaning out all the old sealant was by far the hardest part of this whole ordeal. lol

[drewwrxrogers]

Nice....I remember doing this to my white 04 Sti. It was pretty nerve racking through the whole process but in the end it was worth the look it gave to the car. Great job!