I just installed my clears today. They look good. Since we all like to learn from others mistakes I thought I would post my stupidity.

The front clears were no problem. When I got to the passenger rear one I couldn't get the red lense to pop out. Finally, it came out and when I pulled the rag away I noticed I messed up my bumper from prying. Oh well, I guess I have to live with it. Also, don't forget to remove the 3 rubber square pieces from the back of the red lense and glue it on the clear one. After I popped the new lense I noticed it was kind of loose and had to pop it back out, messing my bumper up more. Word to the wise should be sufficient.

 

Thanks! i'm doing mine as soon as custommaxima sends them to me! (backorder)

 

You had a problem with your passenger rear lens, my driver side rear lens wasn't too cooperative when trying to pry out.

 

You guys are having problems putting them in Well I sure hope you all used alot of silicone on them cuz they leak if you dont.

 

Not putting in, taking out. Just one.

 

Sorry, I should have mentioned that too. Yes, I did use silicone. Afterwards, I wondered why we don't just use superglue.

 

My driver's side lens was also a pain. I actually cracked the lens a little trying to pry the lens out. I noticed this morning it had condensation in it. I used silicon, but it must of leaked through the crack I made. Now I'm scared to pry it out once again to fix it.

 

Come to think of it, your right. The superglue would have been better.

 

how long are they back ordered on custom maxima?

 

Why not just buy the whole assembly? I put mine in this weekend and it took about 7 minutes. The longest part was taking the bulbs out of the rear lenses and putting them in the new clears.

I used a piece of cardboard to protect the paint and a flathead to pop the old ones out. Piece of cake.

 

you were probably prying the lense out from the wrong side. ive taken the rear lenses out 3 or 4 times and each time it was pretty difficult. i messed up my paint like you did. then while taking them out for the 4th time i realized i was prying from the wrong end. i switched sides and the lense came out without any effort. i forget which side of the lense is the right side to pry from and which is the wrong. jus try the opposite of the one you just did and see if it is any easier. if you try prying it from the front, try doing it from the back.

 

how do you apply the silicone when u recieve the new clears out of the box??

 

On the rears, you pry from the side closest to the rear doors. It's hard to get a screwdriver in that side so you need a small one. Use a towel or t-shirt between the screwdriver and the body of the car to protect the paint. I've had mine off 2 or 3 times and never messed anything up.


Go around the edge of each one, where the clear lens meets the back plastic piece. Put a small line of silicone around it and smear it with your finger. Make sure you don't get any on the front that you can see. You just want to go over top of the factory seal and make sure no moisture gets between where the clear meets the back.


I have a Word document I made out of the How-to from this site, it has the whole installation process with pics. If anyone wants it PM me with your email.

 

You may want to think about using superglue as I've stated above. I think it will be much easier to work with. The tube is small and you can control it better.

 

I have no problem with mine leaking/condensation and I didn't add any silicone to them...

 

Superglue is not meant as a moisture sealant and probably will not help with the condensation problem. Remember, we're not trying to attach the clear lens to the back plastic, we're only trying to seal it better. This is what silicone is for. And why would superglue be easier to work with? It sets in 30 seconds, that's not a whole lot of time to work with. With clear silicone you have a few minutes to get it smeared right before it starts to set. And if you mess up, it's easily wiped off with a damp towel. There's no reason to use superglue for this job. Put it this way...if you have a hard time using a small tube of clear silicone, you should probably re-think whether or not you should be replacing the clear lenses yourself.

 

Remember also, you can apply the silicon days before the actual install. As pointed out, the silicon isn't for adhesive reasons, so it doesn't matter when you do it prior to the install.

I apply mine 2 weeks ago and there still sitting in my kitchen. Waiting for my bulbs....