robarsan

I was told at my last service that one of my fog light lens was cracked and needed to be replaced before my next inspection. That was a few weeks ago, and this morning I finally took a look at it. The crack is a perfect straight line that goes across the full dia. of the lens.
If these are injection molded, I'm wondering if that is a knit line from the flow process. If that is the case, then maybe I can make a case for defective material.

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this?

lland

The fog light lenses are glass (mine certainly are) and I'm pretty sure that considering what they are exposed to in normal driving, they won't be covered under warranty. They are also kind of expensive (what isn't on this car?) but not sure that fog light lenses are part of the inspection process.

LL

robarsan

Glass huh? Doh!
I should have looked up the fog assembly before posting the question. That puts the kibosh on injection molding.
It's still weird that the lens is smooth on the outside and has that straight internal crack. You'd think there would be a chip or something where it got hit.

Anyway, thanks for the info

lumpulus

Can't you just go somewhere else to get it inspected? They probably wouldn't even see the crack!

I feel your pain...I have a HOLE in my passenger side lens....put a piece of good, thick clear packing tape cut to size, and it still works fone, but my inspection is due in August.

I recently went to the local dealership because my Fob was acting up, and asked if they had any extra fog light lenses lying around(a guy can dream can't he?) and was told that;

1. Bumper has to come off to replace a light, lens is not replacable.(Knew all that)

2. You have to buy whole set...can't buy one single replacement light.(Can this be verified?)

I may have to hit the salvage yards!

Storm982

you can buy them separately. I'm not saying that this is the cheapest price out there, but just as a start, you can buy one or another. with a little more searching i'm sure you could find something cheaper:

http://www.acuraoemparts.com/delray/...t&ListAll=Part

lumpulus

What?!?!!? You mean someone at the dealership lied to me?!?

Thanks for the link!

lumpulus

Anyone know of an online resource for front bumper removal? I'm a DIY guy, but would like to have documentation if possible.

robarsan

This link might help . Bumper

....and yes, I know a few shady inspection stations, that pretty much confirm your car has a functional windshield, and then slap on the sticker.

lumpulus

Excellent! Thanks! Guess I'll have to order one now.

andrewmr

Take the whole unit (light) to a glass place and have them take the old lens off of the light, cut a new piece and then bond it to the old unit. While you are there have them cut a few extras for the next time. For that matter... I wonder if they could make the lens out of some polycarbonite material that would hold up better to rocks.....





It's very easy/straight forward. Her's how I did it.

First things first, drink the first beer.

It's been a while since I've done it but basically there are a few screws in front of the tires up in the wheelwell, a hand full of push pins under the hood, a series of push pins under the front valance. Take note as not all those push pins are the same length. There may be a few screws under the front valance as well but I can't remember. You'll aslo need to remove the trim strip in the bumper cover as there's a srew (or two) under it.

Now would be a good time for that second beer.

Once you have all those screws loose, pull out (to the side) on the rear of the bumper cover, just in front of the tires. That should slide the cover out of a black plastic piece that locates the cover. A second person at this time wouldn'd be a bad idea. Feed him a beer as well.

Once you get the sides loose the cover can be slide forward. Be careful as the weight of it will want to have it pivot forward onto the painted surface. I put some old carpet in front of the car for it all to rest on.

There are a few wires and hoses that are connected to the front cover, I found it easier to remove these and gain a little more access but I guess at this stage you could just remove the old light.

Time for another beer.

I took some time at this point to clean in nooks and crannies that you can't normally reach.

Assuming you have the replacement light then install the new light onto the cover. I would test it all at this point. No sense in putting it all back together and the light not coming on....

lumpulus

Yeah, I was thinking about going that route with Polycarbonate instead of glass, and it would be a good practice run for removing the bumper if I do replace the entire assembly...thx!

b0n3

I have the exact same crack, driver's side foglamp .. straight split line .. happened last winter, in MA .. I wonder if it was the cold weather + defective material

RL Chi-town

this has happened to me too. Fack.. and one of my buddies noticed this for me. now i got figure something out.

PortlandRL

Count me in on the broken fog light club...metal clip cleanly through the lens and shattered the entire thing. Decided not to futz with the DIY and had the dealer do it.

It was NOT a warranty item.

TampaRLX-SH

Between broken fog lights and paint chips I hope Acura ADVANCEs Deflector Shield technology in the next gen RL.

Ballinger

After you get it fixed, I suggest you put either Xpel or other clear, rock guard product. It's easy and you will otherwise be spending $160 per fog every once in a while. There are some good threads in here about it.

neuronbob

This topic comes up pretty frequently and usually ends the same way--use Xpel or similar next time.

I never got around to replacing the broken foglight on my RL when prior to trading it. The part is fairly expensive to replace, too...

robarsan

That's interesting. Maybe they had a defective lot of these lenses and we were the unlucky recipients.

miner

Many of the TSX owners are using Lexan replacement lenses for a harder surface. My wife's TSX has a broken lense. I can't beleive a crack fog lense would fail an inspection.

robarsan

I have a hard time believing that too, but this is New Hampshire. The google search for inspection criteria for NH was pretty vague, just said all the safety equipment had to pass muster.

After replacement, I will try that Xpel, if I can find it. Did a google search on that also and it came back with a full page of diet pills!?

Chas2

There are other places that do this, and probably for less, but here is the kit for the RL. You might call a local window tint installer. The kit below is a DIY, which may take some skill because of the compound curves, but there are plenty of web videos that show how to do it.

http://www.xpel.com/products/headlig...e=1&model=1125

TampaRLX-SH

I am not sure how hot the fogs get, but why not an inexpensive measure.

Obtain a sheet of thin plexi, acrylic or a heat resistant vinyl of a few mils thick (say 8-10). Then trace out the ovals in the fender fascia. Transfer and cut. Pop into the fascia cut outs over the glass lens. If they are a hair larger than the fascia, they likely will be held in place without adhesive, especially if they are more substantial than a film application.

If they turn color or get marred by rocks, just make new ones.

I am going to hunt for some thin plexi and try it. Maybe a craft store, or marine store. Any suggestions?

CGP CL9

nope.... glass fogs always break lol. and its amazing that most car companies havent made the switch to lexan. :/ ... beats me.

stevesrl

Tampa,

I like your idea. I would also taper the edges and you should get a nice fit.

Or apply a flexible material around the edge (foam, polyester felt, or rubber) for a compression fit. That is cut the lens slightly smaller and have a perimeter band of compressible material on the edge. Simply apply a wide band around the thin edge and cut off excess with a blade. To secure the material to the edge I would use an acrylic type solvent based supported transfer adhesive. You may even have to use a silica type adhesive because of the temperature. Avery Dennison Or 3m will have it. Don't use rubber type water based it would never last and dissolve when it got wet.

If your not in a hurry, I will be doing this too (stealing your idea) and afterwards, could send you some materials. I can get everything at work except the lens material. I will do when I mod the lights to a HID type. I'm probably at least a month out. I have a few more pressing projects to do.

TampaRLX-SH

Works for me steve....

I leave for Russia and Scandinavia next week and won't be back until Labor Day weekend. My RL will be safely in the garage protected from rocks and road meteors.

Be my guest and play test engineer.

Ballinger

Guys, you don't need plexi: just buy a scrap of XPel or the thicker, 40mil, version I got from the tint/mod auto shop and cut ovals out of that. Stick it on and Violin! Yer dun.

robarsan

Thanks Tampa, I was actually comtemplating something like that if I hadn't replaced the fog before my next inspection was due. Of course, I was thinking temporary, but you're idea of a permanent fix may not be a bad idea.
I have some Lexan left over from a project that would work nicely. Once the correct Ø is cut, just use a high strength transfer film to adhere the Lexan to the existing lens.

.094" thk. Lexan can be purchased in small sheets at any Home Depot or Lowe's home center. The strenth of Lexan is far superior to that of regular plexiglass, and it's very easy to work with.

TampaRLX-SH

I just figure with the fogs being glass, something thicker than a 3M film would better deflect impacts from rocks. The clear bra may protect from rock chips, but the glass is still likely to shatter from the impact. The hurricane film on my windows may prevent them from blowing out, but the glass will still break from impact.

And if it is easy and inexpensive to make such guards, it is easy to replace them if they discolor, scar or detach. Just the way the bumper fascia fits over the fogs, it seems easy enough to experiment.

robarsan

In case anyone wants to try Tampa's idea for the fog light guard, I made one up this morning (while waiting for the grass to dry so I could mow the lawn), and it was fairly easy.
The hardest part was making the template for the ellipse (oval). I measured 4" for the major axis and 2.65" for the minor axis and then made up a cardboard template of the oval (plotting with a compass and then connecting the dots using a french curve). If you have access to autoCAD then the template part is easy.
Then, just trace the oval over a sheet of ~ 1/10" thk. Lexan. I used a pair of tin snips to cut out the oval. They worked great! Done.
In the picture I'm using a suction cup for installing halogen lamps to hold the Lexan in place. When I finish installing, shouldn't even notice the difference.

It beats forking over $200 every time a lense gets cracked.

TampaRLX-SH

Good job Robarsan!

We need to patent this, manufacture and offer as a group buy. We can even offer in colors for those who use the fogs as accessory / fashion lighting.

I would try creating a template by placing paper over the oval in the bumper fascia, they trace or use the pencil rub method to capture the depression on the paper.

After trimming, perhaps using a Dremel tool to refine the fit and edges.

Question: it looks like you make your Lexan cover the same perimeter of the glass lens. Is the enough space between the fascia and the lens a larger cover might fit in? I was thinking the fascia would also hold it in place and hide the edges. It might take some finesse to work it in there, but I am all about details.

robarsan

Correct, I used vernier calipers to measure the inside of the fascia because it has a slight taper all the way back to the fog lense. The taper causes issues because of the lack of surface area to secure the Lexan. My plan was to use a 3M transfer film to adhere the Lexan right to the fog lense.
The piece in the picture still has the rough edges, but I think if you can smooth the edges, and with the Lexan within the recess of the facia, it will look pretty decent.
That being said, still open to ideas

lumpulus

Well, I just ordered a new foglight assembly...I'll see how much the dealership wants to do it, then decide if I DIY it.

lumpulus

Well, didn't even check with the dealership...I spent $10 for a 3 day subscription to a service that has Acura Service Manuals, and downloaded the bumper removal process.

I studied the pages for a few minutes, then dove in.

WOW, was that easy! I was done in less than 1 hour, and did it solo.

I highly recommend jacking up the front end with the parking brake on of course.

You have to remove the rubber air spoiler underneath the front bumper cover held in place by 6 push pin clips 4 large and 2 small push pin clips.

Then there is a radiator cover under the hood that has 6 or 7 push pin clips.

There is a special push pin clip tool, but you don't need it if you're carefull with a small flat head screwdriver and some needle-nose plyers.

Last there are two self-tapping screws, one in each wheel well, then four bolts(10mm) and 2 push pin clips facing down underneath around the edge of the cover. The process was in error saying there were 4 clips and two bolts.

Then the bumper just snaps right off, starting by pulling out from the side of the cover at the wheel arch, then forward at the bottom edge of the headlights, taking care to have something soft on the floor...I used towels.

Then disconnect the two foglights and the outside temp sensor, and you're done!

The chrome rub\trim strip has to be removed to unscrew the foglight bracket, but it's also really simple.

Putting everything back was just as easy.

All this for ~$140

470hpGS400

iTrader: (1)

Clear bra on mine since I replaced them. Several thousand miles and not a problem with the lens.

robarsan

The clear bra is probably the way I'll go when I finally get around to replacing the fog light. $70 for the 3M kit on ebay seems like a pretty good price.

Ballinger

$10 for the "double thickness" 3m Clearbra product, at virtually any shop that installs them. You just need a scrap to cut ovals out of.

robarsan

I like that price even better! I've never been much on mods etc. so this is all new to me, what kind of shop installs these?

robarsan

Nevermind, I just did a search and found numerous shops within a reasonable distance that installs these....thanks