I want to a. paint the housing black, b. ccfl retrofit the clearence strip, c. possibly if its no too difficult and if i decide for sure get rid of the amber signal.

can anyone lead me to the best DIY for removing the headlights, after searching i found a few regarding other matters and some with annoying photo hosts that cover details.

any DIYs regarding the other stuff would help aswell, thanks

 

sounds like alot of work ahead of you...Good luck !!!

 

c'mon man...it's a sticky...titled "G35 Coupe Headlight Removal Guide (3 Simple Steps)"

https://g35driver.com/forums/lighting/81002-g35-coupe-headlight-removal-guide-3-simple-steps.html

here's another one in the DIY forum.

https://g35driver.com/forums/body-interior-exterior-lighting-diy/125363-diy-headlight-housing-removal.html

 

yeah i had that particular one saved in my subscriptions, i just wanted all the back up i can get since i have heard these headlights are a PITA, Also on the first link you give it states stick the headlights in the oven... i was hoping someone would send a link elaborating on just what degree to set it on, sure would not be nice to make headlight cake haha. Thanks

 

i'm sure ivorygt and/or redlude97 can help you out there.

 

200 degree for 20 minutes should do the trick.

 

I use 275 for 10 mins

 

Bumper removal:

Open up the hood, take off the 4 clips holding down the grill, and the 2 clips on the side holding down the bumper to the radiator support.

Now remove 3 clips holding the wheel well cover and pull the cover back... right above the side markers where the bumper meets the fender, from the inside you'll see 2 10mm screws holding the bumper to the fender... remove those. Do the same for the other side. Not to scratch up ur fenders, take 2 towels and pull back the corners of the bumper where u just took the 2 screws out and put a towel over each corner. Once all that is done just pull the bumper towards u and let it sit on the floor and all the screws holding down the headlights will be revealed, theres 4 screws... 1 on top and 2 on the bottom, and one on the side.

Headlight Prep:

Remove all the wiring harnesses from the headlight including the bulbs. Make sure not to touch the bulbs with your fingers.

Unscrew 3 screws holding the back part of the headlight and the lens together. There is on the top of the headlight, one on the side and one on the bottom.

Clean the lens with some window cleaner

Opening Up:

Set the oven temperature to 275° and let the oven pre-heat

Take a kitchen towel and soak it in water, rinse it and place it on a cooking tray, or some sort of flat surface tray.

Take the headlight and place it on the tray lens down, or sideways, eitherway works... but I prefer to lay it lens down because this way the glue gets heated evenly.

Place the tray into the oven at a little below middle level so the headlight is in the middle of the oven from all 6 sides. Let the headlight sit in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

As you're waiting for the headlight to heat in the oven, prepare a surface you can lay the headlight upon after removing it from the oven. Get another kitchen towel, flat-head screwdriver, and possibly a piece of cart board.

After your 8-10minutes pass, take the headlight out of the oven and place it on the piece of cart board. Take the screwdriver and pry open the sides of the headlight so they unclip from the tabs. Once they unclip, start separating the back of the headlight with the lens. Lay the headlight on the side and slowly put pressure on both sides of the headlight forcing them to go separate directions. Once you have room to stick your fingers into the headlight... pry both ends apart separately, make sure no excess glue gets on the lens its self and you should have the headlight taken apart.

Remove the chrome bezel that's attached to the lens. It's held down by 2 screws on the bottom. Carefully unscrew them and remove the bazel with care. Bezels are very fragile, so make sure you handle them lightly.

Painting:

You now have the headlight in 3 pieces. Use 500-700 grid sandpaper to sand down the bezel lightly. Rinse it with water and let it dry.

Apply primer, your choice of paint, and clear coat... unless you decide to go flat black, then you wont need clear coat. Put aprox. 3-4 coats of paint, and atleast 2 coats of clear coat. Let the paint cure for 8-10hours before putting it back the headlight together.





I'm tired of typing... its 7am and I still didnt sleep. Once I wake up I might finish the tut and show you some pictures.

 

I wouldn' recommend a wet towel, a piece of cardboard is more than adequate, and the towel will cause steam which then condenses on the projector lense and headlight lense and is a bish to clean off. Happened on my first set of lights because I did that, and I just used a piece of carboard on a baking sheet from then on and no problems after that

 

thanks guys, i think i got all the info i need

 

thanks for the input vert!
What do i do when it comes to putting the thing back together, what kind of glue am i looking for?

 

You shouldn't need extra glue, just reuse the stock sealant and push the two halves together. I've never had a problem doing it this way

 

do i need to heat it again? or is it just always 24hour sticky

 

Push them together the best you can, then stick them back in the oven for 6 mins@275. Pull them out and finish pushing them back together so its tight all around the edges and all the clips are locked again, then reinstall the screws and you are good

 

you got it all cover from these guys get some good dremel bits so you arent running to the store for more the amber takes patiences and bits to get out