brinkley....you need to remove the two ten millimeter bolts on the top of the housing and then thats it. Then you just need to pull the headlight out in the direction the car is oriented (towards your knees, not up). There is a retaining clip on the bottom that is a little stubborn in some cars, and then there is the metal pin (connected to the housing by the turn signal pictured above) that fits inside the retaining tab (connected to the car). Be careful to pull out straight towards you away from the car and not at an angle away from the car. This will break the retaing clip for the pin and chip or scratch your paint if your not careful. Any other Q's, just ask.

Kevin

 

Amazing. Just wondering if this causes the lense to dull out again over time?

 

You will have to repolish but that should be just about it. Sanding won't be neccessary down the road if you keep up with it. And if you use a polymer or a good quality hard shell wax you shouldn't even have to do that but once every couple of months! Hell, for a $12 bottle of sealant that will last you forever it's a pretty solid deal if you ask me. Just keep your headlights in the car cleaning loop and you'll keep all that ugly oxidation and mold away.

Kevin

 

Where do you get the sealant stuff?

 

Almost anywhere...just look! Search "polymer"

 

This is probably a crazy question but will certian motions while sanding give better results than the other. For example circular, up and down, or left to right.

 

Awesome write-up... Maybe I'll post some pics if I ever get around to doing it for my dad.

 

I sanded them in straight-line motions (side to side).

 

Yea I tried to alternate left than right on one pass. Then the next pass use slightly less pressure and change your motion to up and down. Then lighter pressure back to left/right. That's how I did it....

 

wow what a difference between the 2

 

Great information, I need to do this badly. How long does the process take?

 

HAHAHAHA, I need to stop drinking, I now see the thread is titled 25 min.....

 

soooo, what did you guys use to buff? mine didnt come out nearly as clear. i used meguiars plast-x and then a wax and didnt get the results...how/what do i buff with?

 

Maybe your sanding technique is not up to par. What process did you complete in regards for the sanding portion?

 

what process did i complete???? i sanded with the paper using soap, then i let them dry, then i used sratch x, then i used some wax.

 

Just soap and no water?

 

ok...soapy water...

 

what are the 96 gle headlights made of? glass or plastic?

thanks guys

 

so nobody has an answer on the buffing headlights? how do it do it and what do i use?

 

The write-up that I gave is how I did it myself. It has worked for me on all the headlights that I've done. The results can be seen in the last couple of pictures. Are you sanding lightly?

 

yeh, do you think that the 2000 grit is the part that matters most? i havent been able to find any so ive just been using 1500 and polishing after that. im guessing that i need to find some 2000.

 

alright, just thought id let you know i fixed the light. hmm. well once it works its good. good thread.

 

Thanks for the great thread. Apparently no one ever answered the question "what do you use to buff?" Wet sand with progressively finer grits, check. Use plastic polish, check. Use Meguiar's Polymer Sealant, check. But before the sealant, what product do you use to BUFF?

 

Great!!!!!!!!!! Now I'll try this?

 

why hasn't this been made into a sticky yet?

 

If you dont have access to a buff to finish the job after sanding. What would you use if you are relying on elbow grease? A regular towel?

 

yes, but If I was you I would go buy the Mothers Powerball.... it is great for doing the headlights and other small projects. I did mine using all sorts of wax and polish when I did it with a towel, but wasn't satisfied, then I bought the powerball and they are perfect now.

 

Thanks for the tip

 

Yeah thanks, I just saw the powerball today and was wondering what exactly it was for.

 

I have a 5th gen max. I just used 600,1000,2000 grit paper. For about 5-10 mins a piece. Make sure you keep it wet. THen I got some megiurs scratch x. Used a terry cloth to rub in the meguirs no buffing and the results speak for themselves. I have not tried powerball but I would assume the headlight couldnt be as polluted as mine because I saw it in the store and I dont think it is abrasive enough to lift the strong cloudiness if you let it go as far as I did. JUst do the sanding it will tak you like 40 mins totally and is really worth it.

Before (ewww gross I know)

After Dang that is sexy

 

Anybody do this with the headlights still on the car?

 

I'm planning to. I really don't think it's worth the trouble to take out the headlights. I might put up some newspaper around the lenses to protect the paint.

Has anybody successfully clipped or sanded off the three aiming thingies? I'd love to get rid of them but I think that would be a lot of work.

 

please remove your headlights before doing this, you shouldn't even consider trying this while they are still on the car. It only takes about 10 minutes to remove the headlights, so take the time to remove them and then you don't have to worry about scratching your paint...

 

The clearance lights on my 99 are truly a b!tch to remove (I've already chipped one while trying to remove it) and you have to remove them before you can remove the headlights. So rather than chip another one I think I'll polish the headlights on the car. There's no way I'm going to scratch my paint.

 

It's been 3 months. updates???

does this work well for rock chips too? or are they too deep?

 

I would venture to use a little super glue since it dries 100% clear like clear plastic looks. Then you can wetsand and polish after that.

I'm going to give this a shot and will take plenty of pictures.

 

is it ok to go 800, 1500, 2000?

 

that would be fine. as long as you end up at 2000 I don't think it matters.

 

Super glue will haze.

 

I'm worried lol. I want to take the headlights off, but I have data dots. When the HIDs are on, theres a cloud where they shine through. Other than that, they are mildly pitted from 74k of highway driving. I'm afraid if I sand and then buff, the cloud will be worse. Am I being stupid? I've read all the posts in this thread (not skimmed but read... basically I searched around before asking this question), and the NYC write up, and some of the pictures look like there are still some little pits left over, or even tiny scratches left over from the sanding. Any thoughts? I have a 2002 SE w 74k, thanks