i have a 2003 acura tl.

i was wondering how i would give it the jdm look?

like where do i get the grills and emblems?
and what do i need?




oh i have a problem with my right headlight as well?
for some reason condensation always builds up and its broken?

 

contact mrheeltoe for the emblems and more jdm parts to complete the look.

 

you can buy my car.......=P

if your headlight is broken then buy a new one, you can find one for under $100 I believe on ebay.

 

my headlights are HIDs. is that gonna be different?

 

but u dont the headlight with the ballast and igniter. u just want the housing itself.

 

is it easy to install?

 

remove bumper (look in the diy section) remove headlight then swap the parts over and but the headlight and bumper back on the car.

 

All 2g and 3g TL's (1999 to now) have HID's so don't worry. And by broken, I think you mean the headlight housing itself is broken (glass is cracked or something?). If so all you need is to buy a new housing.

Here are some headlight housings on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ACURA...mZ150278926377
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2002-...mZ250278547915
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/02-03...mZ150278848920

You can find a lot more on ebay by going onto ebay and search for "TL headlight"

If the light itself works then u don't need to replace bulbs/ballast/etc.

 

haha no. i think its electrical or something? my dad got it fixed a while ago. but a week later it broke again. i think it might have something to do with the condensation?

 

welcome i see you finally found the correct path.........

New headlights are better than old ones, and aftermarket headlights are much cheaper than dealer ones, and they both look exactly the same.

 

So in other words your headlight is fogging up? If so, then usually that means water is leaking in, and that means your seal is bad. I'm having this problem myself too because I did the black headlight housing mod and I didn't seal it tight enough. I will have to take the housing apart and reseal again.

 

ohhh haha. how do i reseal or fix the seal? if can?

or would it be better just to get a replacement?

 

Just replace it and be done with it.

 

if you're a DIYer, you can bake the headlights to soften the seal, open it up, blow dry the condensation, remove the amber reflector and color match your housing. real personalized look.

if you're not, well, grab a new set then

 

if you really want the jdm look, go over to japan and buy a honda inspire and smuggle over all the parts.

headlight problem isn't too hard to fix, if your mechanically inclined then get'er done, if not grab a buddy that is and a 12 pack and get the job done.

 

failiure to replace the leaking housing will result in moisture getting to the ballast and shorting it out
Plus the bulb can be damaged or destroyed

Our azine sponsoring vendor, Excelerate, sells great HID bulbs made by Kaixen- color 5000k is very close to stock 4300- a bit more blue but still plenty of white on the road
special aziner price 109$ pair =shipped
as referance dealer bulbs are 150+++ EACH and you always replace bulbs in pairs or the intensity and color will differ

Many gen2 have the condensation problem- 99-01 can buy new housings on the bay for about 200 a pair for new- blacked out finish or regular- when they are available
Other years search on azine on the Off Topic link- private sales threads for used housing

 

lets say i do replace the headlight. would i need to replace the electrical things too?

 

If your headlight is still working correctly ie. the bulb still works then you should just replace the housing itself. You will need special torx adapters to take apart the housing though. Where are you located? Perhaps a fellow Aziner could help you out...

 

1.) If it condenses all the time, but the headlight works, then you have two choices, replace the headlight housing, or take it apart, and reseal it.
2.) If it condenses all the time, and the headlight does NOT work, then beside replacing or resealing the housing, you also need to get new bulb and/or ballast.
3.) If it does NOT condense, and the headlight does NOT work, then all you need to do is replace the bulb and/or the ballast.
It seems like number 2 is your problem, and it also seems like you are not too into DIY. In that case, I’d recommend to get new headlight housing, bulb, and ballast.

 

by los angeles, CA


yeah i think its #2 as well. can i do that by myself or would i need someone with experience?

 

if you replace the whole thing (housing, ballast, bulb), you will only have to take off the bumper, then you and access/take off the headlight, and unplug the wires. Taking off the bumper can be done by yourself, but if you don't feel comfortable doing that, get someone to help.

 

how much would the cost be to replace the ballast as well? :/

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/02-03...spagenameZWDVW

^$200 for a used one.