Blacked Out Headlight

[kanejuice]

seriously... i would have paid someone else to do it for me.. but since i live in ga its kinda hard for me. But as i say if you don't have confidence in your work then get someone else to do it for you. But, referring to the pictures, they look pretty good for 200, i say thats a good deal, with a one day job. I went with the gloss, as I was told by other people who have done this, it looks pretty good. But longbeach i would give them a shot since they gaurantee.

[Rev_D21]

Looks amazing!

[dangeris]

Hey Kanejuice....you mentioned that:"Your going to want to bake the back piece of the housing in the oven again for 6 minutes .. " why do we want to do that?

[kanejuice]

I reheated the rubber to put the headlight back in, this way you have better contact with the headlight.

[Blue Batmobile]

nice job!

Bat

[dangeris]

Hey Kanejuice, LBC just tried getting his lights done and was told they weren't able to do it because of the silicone used. So the question is, did you experience this hard silicone when you took yours apart also? Let us all know brother!

[LongBeachCoupe]

kane was nice enough to give me his # and i had Igor speak to him...

[mpbclutch33]

This is OEM Nissan Headlight Silicone Sealer.

http://www.mynismo.com/products/?id=5577

[LongBeachCoupe]

thats what a REGULAR headlight has... and can be heated n opened...i dont believe thats what is on our coupes though.

[cbolitho]

LBC, so then technically Igor would be able to do the headlight mod on the "Regular" style housing? The Audi LED style looks sick and I would let him try with mine but I live in So. Cal.

[LongBeachCoupe]

are you talking about an 08 sedan?

[cbolitho]

Yes sir. I have the Hybrid which doesn't include the option for the HID Xenon's.

[altima128]

Yea i also wanted to the headlight thing but i got an 08 sedan with stock hids would it be the easy silicone or the hard one on mine and also how would i place the headlight in the oven im a little confused on that part

[dangeris]

..... also how would i place the headlight in the oven im a little confused on that part

aaaaahhh,..you have to take the headlights off of the car, then put it in the oven, But remember, not all ovens are the same. And altitude plays a big part. 250 degrees at sea level isn't the same as 250 degrees in Colorado.

[altima128]

nah i meant like which way do i lay it down in the oven i know i put it on a cookie sheet with foil paper but do i put it with the clear part down or the plastic housing part down

[cbolitho]

Altima128, I think from what i've been gathering the Altima's with the stock HID have the hard silicone and thus shouldn't be messed with and the ones with the regular halogen headlights which are possibly made by a different manufacturer have the soft silicon gel.

Can anybody confirm or deny this?

[LongBeachCoupe]

i have 2.5 and the enclosure melted...FYI the Lexus IS has the same material on their 08 headlights (this difficult silicon)

[cbolitho]

So then I wonder how kanejuice was able to do it.

How can we distinguish which models have the hard v. soft silicon?

Ill be installing my Xentec HID's this weekend so Ill find out what I have.

Those Audi LED style heads are absolutely disgusting sick, gotta figure out how to get that done.

Or even better, wait for projector/halo's with the LED style...wow

Sombody would sure make some money if they made those.

[LongBeachCoupe]

Putting HIDs in wont give you any idea of what material is used nor what is required to bake it successfully.

The solution will only be found thru experimentation. Kane did it, and i know a few others who have successfully opened them (members, not a shop). All the shops have issues though.

Ill tell you this much though, im not stopping trying.

[itsjustbusiness]

Golden FTW! let's see what he can do.

[cbolitho]

of course I know that, I thought maybe there was a way you can tell from behind the housing like where the front clear and the back of the housing (lighting components) meet.

I don't know if I am brave enough to throw them in the oven with my car being owned just over one week. Maybe after awhile if nobody else with the exact same configuration has tried it and when my car's not brand new ill try it.

Thanks!

[GryStrm]

i opened mine...and in the process of altering...painting now..

[dangeris]

..... also how would i place the headlight in the oven im a little confused on that part

aaaaahhh,..you have to take the headlights off of the car, then put it in the oven, But remember, not all ovens are the same. And altitude plays a big part. 250 degrees at sea level isn't the same as 250 degrees in Colorado.

[dangeris]

i opened mine...and in the process of altering...painting now..

Ok, so you were able to open yours. how did you do it and what tools did you use? Did you run into any problems?C'mon man, post up the details so all of us here can do this mod too!

Post up pic of your process while you're at it also

[mpbclutch33]

Ok, so you were able to open yours. how did you do it and what tools did you use? Did you run into any problems?C'mon man, post up the details so all of us here can do this mod too!

Post up pic of your process while you're at it also

x2 !!!

[theoctopussi]

I have a 2.5 too and when I heated my lamps the clips melted before the silicon/slealant...

[GryStrm]

ok heres the holy grail guys.....but it takes balls....and patience...and long sleeves....

set up...with the oven off and clear...check the fit of ur light in the cavity..mine went in diagonally....it cant not touch anything in the cavity of the oven or that part will melt!!

make sure u have a clear space to work...one that is heat resistant as well

have ur tools ready...long flat head screwdrivers...i reco 2 ..i used a small cat's paw...this is a small pry bar..lay this stuff out near your work zone

when ur light comes out of the oven...ull need a spot to work on it and u need to be quick..u wont have time to fumble around looking for a work spot or clearing one holding a hot lamp..

the action....

1) preheat ur oven to 375 deg....that right 375!...make sure nothing is in the oven ...

2) i used a roasting pan upside down to put the light on when i put it in ..so make sure this is out too...

3) make sure u take every thing off the light...i mean everything..down to the rubber gaskets....and any accessible screws u can find...

4) now that ur oven is pre heated....put tin foil on the upside down pan...and put ur light on that in the same position u figured in the set up..

5) ...heres the key....shut the oven OFF....u have hit the 375 mark...now turn it off!...

6) quickly but carefully open the oven and place the light in....this is why u have to try the fit first before anything...to make sure this happens rather fast and smooth...u cant let too much heat escape while u adjust the light in the oven..

7) set ur timer for 15-17 mins...

8) leave the light on in the oven to watxh ur light periodically....

remeber the oven itself is off....ur working with the captured heat to slowly heat the expoxy...and the heat is backing off naturally so u dotn melt ur housing...

9) put on a long sleeve sweat shirt...no joke...ull soon be working a hot light against ur body and arms...ur dont wanna burn urself.

10) put on ur gloves...oven mitts or those cool infomercial heat proof gloves..

11) take out the light...see its hot!....

now very quickly....i mean dont work like a fiend...the longer u take the harder it gets at the end..

12) work from the largest protion of attachment...insert ur long screwdriver betwwen the clear lens and black body...wiggle and wiggle till it slides it...our lights dont goo up llike everyone says..expect to hear a snapping...this is the exopy breaking loose...

13) once ur in...slide around the lens...popping the glue apart along the way..

14) pull it apart and work the lens free..ull see that u need to hold it against ur body and use some force...hence the sweat shirt...

15) once its off set both peices down and shake ur arms out...and then proceed with the rest of dissasembly..ull find some more srcews to get the reflectors off and such...

sounds like fun eh?

key points....deminishing heat...not constant...prep prep prep ur work space.....heat protection on you so u can use ur whole body not just ur hands...ull need some braun here...fast and accurate...not fast and sloppy...slip with the screwdriver...and ull easily scratch ur lens...

i hope this helped!

[LongBeachCoupe]

Gry no sandwich in the middle?Pro photographer DIY without pics? lol camera broken?

[dangeris]

Thanks Gry! That IS a big help. I will be tackling this project like I said on 4th of July weekend. I'm also going to do some mods to the light while I'm at it. When it's all said and done it's gonna look freaking awesome!!!!....I hope. Thanks again for the inpsiration. Please post up pics of your lights when your finished with your lights!

[adidas2go]

me 2