I've been keeping a secret....3G Garage #G046 Clearing Headlights
03-13-2005, 04:25 PM
#1
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
I've been keeping a secret....3G Garage #G046 Clearing Headlights
ok so 2 weeks ago... some lady hit my car in a parking lot.
i dont want to talk about the details, it makes me sad every time i have to recall the incedent. and ive been badgered by both insurance companys to give statements... her fault not mine so its all good....
my car was in the shop for about a week... while they took the headlights out to paint the bumper and fix the headlight retainer... i took the lights home and decided to clear them.... heck, this would be the best time since they headlights were already off the car. half the work was already done.... sorry i wasnt able too take pics of her messed up, it made me sick... but this is what she looks like now
yes i got a little bored and played with psd
this is the passenger side corner that got hit.... right in the middle of the pic....
the bumper actually matches better then stock now... the discoloration of the flex agent is hardly noticeable
there really is a silver lining in every cloud
i dont want to talk about the details, it makes me sad every time i have to recall the incedent. and ive been badgered by both insurance companys to give statements... her fault not mine so its all good....
my car was in the shop for about a week... while they took the headlights out to paint the bumper and fix the headlight retainer... i took the lights home and decided to clear them.... heck, this would be the best time since they headlights were already off the car. half the work was already done.... sorry i wasnt able too take pics of her messed up, it made me sick... but this is what she looks like now
yes i got a little bored and played with psd
this is the passenger side corner that got hit.... right in the middle of the pic....
the bumper actually matches better then stock now... the discoloration of the flex agent is hardly noticeable
there really is a silver lining in every cloud
03-13-2005, 04:27 PM
#2
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03-13-2005, 05:01 PM
#8
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
before you continue to read, you understand that i will not be held liable if anything goes wrong... these are just guidelines if you are interested in attempting this project.
purchase silicone at a hardware store.
pre heated the oven at 200
put it on a wet towel.... make sure the towel isnt too wet or else its gona fog up the inside of the headlight...
let it sit for about 20 min....
get it out with mittens so you dont burn your fingers...
then use your hands and seperate the headlights from the center part of the car to the sides.... be careful of the black silicone so that it does not get on any part of the headlight as you are opening the assembly. its a bitch to clean off. it will be messy
the silicone or whatever the black sticky stuff is is very important to keep. it will stretch as your are pulling it. get a flat head screw driver and gently stuff it back into the groove of the headlights. you will be using this later and it is better then regular silicone.
CAREFULLY take the amber piece out. it is connected to the chrome strip inside the headlight....
while pulling slowly on the amber piece, give counterforce to the backing of the chrome piece so that it does not snap. start from the sides of the headlight toward the center part. (opposite of how you opened up the headlights)
then relax for a bit and let your burnt/tired fingers rest.
squeeze a generous amount of silicone on the groove of where both pieces of the headlight would come together, better more then less. this part will not be visible once it is put back into the vehicle, so it would be ok having excess silicone.
there is a pointed section on the sides of the headlight. angle it so that you get that section in first and then push the rest of the assembly back together. bake it for 10 min and push the sections together trying to make the tabs realign. bake it for another 10 min and do it again. each time it will become more flush.....
then do the other headlight....
good luck!
o, this project is not for the faint of heart... not too complicated but you gotta attack it. if you are scared of breaking someting, get som1 else to do it. the headlight pieces are very sturdy though...
o by the way, i also installed the comptech rear bar and its awesome.... i used the write up that some1 else did as instructions.... worked great except for gettin the bar out... the angle to get it out wasnt clearly stated. i also had a problem getting all the bolts back on. just used a little muscle and did it in different orders tightening each bolts bit by bit to get the angle on all of them... took me awhile but i got it done and this thing is awesome...
i heard a lot of people giving it praise, but o man its even better then i thought.
purchase silicone at a hardware store.
pre heated the oven at 200
put it on a wet towel.... make sure the towel isnt too wet or else its gona fog up the inside of the headlight...
let it sit for about 20 min....
get it out with mittens so you dont burn your fingers...
then use your hands and seperate the headlights from the center part of the car to the sides.... be careful of the black silicone so that it does not get on any part of the headlight as you are opening the assembly. its a bitch to clean off. it will be messy
the silicone or whatever the black sticky stuff is is very important to keep. it will stretch as your are pulling it. get a flat head screw driver and gently stuff it back into the groove of the headlights. you will be using this later and it is better then regular silicone.
CAREFULLY take the amber piece out. it is connected to the chrome strip inside the headlight....
while pulling slowly on the amber piece, give counterforce to the backing of the chrome piece so that it does not snap. start from the sides of the headlight toward the center part. (opposite of how you opened up the headlights)
then relax for a bit and let your burnt/tired fingers rest.
squeeze a generous amount of silicone on the groove of where both pieces of the headlight would come together, better more then less. this part will not be visible once it is put back into the vehicle, so it would be ok having excess silicone.
there is a pointed section on the sides of the headlight. angle it so that you get that section in first and then push the rest of the assembly back together. bake it for 10 min and push the sections together trying to make the tabs realign. bake it for another 10 min and do it again. each time it will become more flush.....
then do the other headlight....
good luck!
o, this project is not for the faint of heart... not too complicated but you gotta attack it. if you are scared of breaking someting, get som1 else to do it. the headlight pieces are very sturdy though...
o by the way, i also installed the comptech rear bar and its awesome.... i used the write up that some1 else did as instructions.... worked great except for gettin the bar out... the angle to get it out wasnt clearly stated. i also had a problem getting all the bolts back on. just used a little muscle and did it in different orders tightening each bolts bit by bit to get the angle on all of them... took me awhile but i got it done and this thing is awesome...
i heard a lot of people giving it praise, but o man its even better then i thought.
03-13-2005, 07:10 PM
#12
Looks great. I also never thought a white car could look that nice. How hard would it be to take the headlights out by yourself? Oh, and if someone else does this please take pics along the way. I am a visual learner.
03-13-2005, 07:47 PM
#13
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
you would deffinitely have to remove the front bumper. thats a pain in and of itself.
might as well install a cai while you are at it hahahaha
probably remove some of the panels in the engine bay to reach some bolts
might as well install a cai while you are at it hahahaha
probably remove some of the panels in the engine bay to reach some bolts
03-13-2005, 09:48 PM
#15
Have to remove the front bumper. Hmm. Anyone have instructions. Hell I dont even have the car yet, but if I can do this without breaking it ill go for it. Then agian, it would be my dads first expensive car so id be screwed. Well, woudl the dealer do it? if so, how much would they charge. Also, are there any special tools needed?
03-13-2005, 09:53 PM
#16
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
theres no way the dealer would do it. aftermarket/import shops wont even usually do it. too much of a risk...
but it looks damn good....
maybe a company wil make em clear some time in the near future... but i dont really believe in spending that much money for something that isnt broken. if you can wait till a company sells em..... might as well try it and if you mess up and break it or something, then you can just get the cleared ones anyway....
but it looks damn good....
maybe a company wil make em clear some time in the near future... but i dont really believe in spending that much money for something that isnt broken. if you can wait till a company sells em..... might as well try it and if you mess up and break it or something, then you can just get the cleared ones anyway....
03-13-2005, 09:57 PM
#17
Thanks. I guess Ill have to steer clear of this one. On the off chance my father ever lets my mom, the car killer drive it, and she bumps something, would the dealer let me bring the lights home? Im kinda confused on that part.
03-13-2005, 10:14 PM
#19
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
o u were asking if the dealer would take the bumper off to get the lights off?
i thought u meant clearing the lights....
hmmm thats a good question.... im sure they wouldnt let you drive it out the lot with no headlights....
i also dont think they would take em off and hand em over to you because "they could be held liable if something happens"
i thought u meant clearing the lights....
hmmm thats a good question.... im sure they wouldnt let you drive it out the lot with no headlights....
i also dont think they would take em off and hand em over to you because "they could be held liable if something happens"
03-13-2005, 10:16 PM
#20
No, u were right the first time. When you said you were at teh shop and they took the headlights out I assumed you meant the dealer. If that was the case how did you get them to let you bring the headlights home while they painted?
03-13-2005, 11:52 PM
#21
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
well since i wasnt at the dealer, the guys at private shops are a little more, actually a lot more realistic and friendly....
they already had to take one out so i just asked em and they took the other one off for me as well.... they had no problem doin it at all
i really hate dealing with acura dealership service, its horrible
they already had to take one out so i just asked em and they took the other one off for me as well.... they had no problem doin it at all
i really hate dealing with acura dealership service, its horrible
03-14-2005, 07:32 AM
#22
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Originally Posted by ayethetiense
well since i wasnt at the dealer, the guys at private shops are a little more, actually a lot more realistic and friendly....
they already had to take one out so i just asked em and they took the other one off for me as well.... they had no problem doin it at all
i really hate dealing with acura dealership service, its horrible
they already had to take one out so i just asked em and they took the other one off for me as well.... they had no problem doin it at all
i really hate dealing with acura dealership service, its horrible
I absolutely love your clear lense! I too have a WDP TL, but I am afraid to mess it up.. do you live in NJ. Maybe you can help me? Just wondering..
03-14-2005, 12:16 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by TheMainEvEnt
Hi ayethetiense,
I absolutely love your clear lense! I too have a WDP TL, but I am afraid to mess it up.. do you live in NJ. Maybe you can help me? Just wondering..
I absolutely love your clear lense! I too have a WDP TL, but I am afraid to mess it up.. do you live in NJ. Maybe you can help me? Just wondering..
03-14-2005, 02:10 PM
#30
Moderator Alumnus
Good ideas...
Originally Posted by peacefrog
Hey ayethetiense.....How about some pics at night?? Like to see with the lights on.
Thanx.
03-14-2005, 08:12 PM
#33
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
why was this moved to photo gallery? i guess i shoulda put it in here in the first place... just didnt think about it cause there isnt much foot traffic there and i usually post stuff in just the general forum.
anyway, i'll take pics at night and at dusk but not for a couple of days. i needed to take my car back to the shop. the paint wasnt done properly, there were some bubbles and imperfections.... the headlight wasnt put on properly and there was some gaps. they can fix it, just sucks that i wont have my car for at least another 2 days... at least i got to play with it for the weekend
but ya i'll get those pics as soon as i get the car back. im using led bulbs for the turn signals so it looks really clean and bright... a nice strong white... its the 9led bulb
i gotta go, the wife is calling
anyway, i'll take pics at night and at dusk but not for a couple of days. i needed to take my car back to the shop. the paint wasnt done properly, there were some bubbles and imperfections.... the headlight wasnt put on properly and there was some gaps. they can fix it, just sucks that i wont have my car for at least another 2 days... at least i got to play with it for the weekend
but ya i'll get those pics as soon as i get the car back. im using led bulbs for the turn signals so it looks really clean and bright... a nice strong white... its the 9led bulb
i gotta go, the wife is calling
03-19-2005, 12:36 AM
#35
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
finally got my car back. had to send it back to the shop cause it wasnt done properly. there some slight bubbles in the paint....
and there were some gaps. they fixed it all and gave me some touch up paint since they had left over just in case of future nicks.... the guy was pretty cool, he understood how detailed i was....
i will take some night pics but its raining right now so i'll get to it tomorrow night if its not rainin....
and there were some gaps. they fixed it all and gave me some touch up paint since they had left over just in case of future nicks.... the guy was pretty cool, he understood how detailed i was....
i will take some night pics but its raining right now so i'll get to it tomorrow night if its not rainin....
03-20-2005, 09:48 PM
#36
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
ok, finally took some pics at night.....
the first set are obvsiouly with just the parking lights. i put white led bulbs to replace the stock bulbs. they look kind of bluish in the pic. they are really more white in person
here is one from the front right in the middle
lookin straight at it, drivers side
close 3/4 view of drivers side again
close side view of drivers side
front with headlights on
eye level 3/4 of drivers side
i only took pics of the drivers side cause theres a curb on the pass. side as well as light reflecting from the street light
the first set are obvsiouly with just the parking lights. i put white led bulbs to replace the stock bulbs. they look kind of bluish in the pic. they are really more white in person
here is one from the front right in the middle
lookin straight at it, drivers side
close 3/4 view of drivers side again
close side view of drivers side
front with headlights on
eye level 3/4 of drivers side
i only took pics of the drivers side cause theres a curb on the pass. side as well as light reflecting from the street light
03-22-2005, 05:31 PM
#37
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Originally Posted by ayethetiense
ok, finally took some pics at night.....
the first set are obvsiouly with just the parking lights. i put white led bulbs to replace the stock bulbs. they look kind of bluish in the pic. they are really more white in person
here is one from the front right in the middle
lookin straight at it, drivers side
close 3/4 view of drivers side again
close side view of drivers side
front with headlights on
eye level 3/4 of drivers side
i only took pics of the drivers side cause theres a curb on the pass. side as well as light reflecting from the street light
the first set are obvsiouly with just the parking lights. i put white led bulbs to replace the stock bulbs. they look kind of bluish in the pic. they are really more white in person
here is one from the front right in the middle
lookin straight at it, drivers side
close 3/4 view of drivers side again
close side view of drivers side
front with headlights on
eye level 3/4 of drivers side
i only took pics of the drivers side cause theres a curb on the pass. side as well as light reflecting from the street light
03-22-2005, 10:25 PM
#38
.:KCCO:.
Thread Starter
i got leds from superbrightleds.com make sure its one with the most bulbs. i think its the one with 15 leds.
9 on top of the bulb and 6 that surround the bottom. those are the brightest leds i have found for that style bulb
9 on top of the bulb and 6 that surround the bottom. those are the brightest leds i have found for that style bulb
