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Clear Headlights
Materials Needed
·
Heat Gun (hair dryer works but takes
longer)
·
Screw Drivers (one of each
type, medium sized)
·
Silicone
·
10mm socket or wrench
·
Chrome tape (available at your local
hobby shop)
How To
1.
You must first remove the
bumper in order to remove the
headlights. Do not let this
intimidate you, the process is very
simple. You will need
the Phillips screwdriver and the
10mm socket.
a.
First remove the screw in
the front of
each wheel-well (the area between the
wheel and
the body).
b.
Remove the two 10mm bolts
under front
of the vehicle.
c. Pop the hood and you will
notice what looks
like several black buttons that fasten the
bumper to the car. These fasteners are
located just above
the grill that the H
emblem is attached to. The fasteners
just pop out.
d.
Pull the front bumper off
and place on
a soft surface to avoid being scratched.
2.
Remove the four 10mm bolts
that attach the
headlight to the car.
3.
Remove the wire harness that
attaches to the
light bulbs. Remove the bulbs also.
Instructions
how to do this are located in your owner's manual.
DO NOT TOUCH THE BULBS WITH YOUR FINGERS,
USE GLOVES.
If you get oil or dirt from your
fingers on the bulbs they will
explode when they
heat up. If you touch them accidentally,
clean
them with rubbing alcohol. They should then be fine.
4.
Remove the headlights from
the vehicle.
5.
Remove the screws behind the headlight that
attach the
lens. These screws are located around
the outer edge.
DON'T REMOVE THE TWO SCREWS
LOCATED IN THE CENTER. These
are aiming screws
that are you to adjust the direction your
headlights
point in. You'll know if you are removing
the
wrong ones because the screws will turn; however,
they will
not come out.
6.
Use the hair dryer to heat
the silicone that attaches
the lens to the back portion of the
light. Uses the
flat-head screwdriver to slowly pry open
the light.
Do not go in too far with the screwdriver or
you
will damage the chrome housing. You must also
lift up the
tabs (you will see several of them
around the light).
Take your time with this step.
If you try to pry the lens
off too much at a time,
you may crack the lens. Then you
have to buy a
new light.
7.
Once the lens is removed continue
heating up
the remaining silicone and try to remove as much
as possible. This is the messy step. It is like
trying
to remove tar. It just takes time. You could
try
silicone remover also; however, not necessary.
Do not get any silicone remover on lenses. Or
silicone
on the
chrome housing it will pull up the
chrome finish.
8.
Once the lens is separated
from the backing you
can remove the amber cap that covers the
bulb
and the amber strip that runs along the bottom
of the lens
or the orange reflector. To make it
chrome like the headlight
is you'll need some
chrome sticker material that can be found
at
most hobby stores or your local sign shop. I
suggest
that you lightly sand or primer the
reflector to help the sticker
material to stay put
but that is up to you...
Your headlights are now cleared and ready
to be reassembled.
9.
Before you reassemble the
headlights with
the silicone make sure the insides of the lens
are clean. You may have touched them with
your fingers
and got silicone on them.
10.
Place new silicone on the
backing where the
old silicone was. Be generous when applying,
you do not want it to leak!
Other good info is that the bulbs are 1157.
You can get
clear 1157 bulbs as well as Polarg
'Hyper White' which look
blue but light up white!
It is better to have too much then too little.
11.
Place lens on backing and
begin pressing it into
place. You may need the strength
of two people
for this. Make sure the tabs are secured
in their
normal position.
12.
You may allow the silicone
to cure before putting
the headlight back on the vehicle but
it is not
necessary. Put the headlights back on the vehicle
and then attach the bumper.
13.
You now have clear headlights.
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