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DIY: Open Headlights - Taillights.

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Old 09-02-2012, 03:54 PM
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Man I really want to do this but hella scared to mess up!
Old 09-09-2012, 06:19 PM
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I have a tinted set to trade from my 09 HID if someone wants a pair. I can post pics, Previous owner sent them out to be tinted.
Old 09-30-2012, 12:50 AM
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Originally Posted by M Pizle
Man I really want to do this but hella scared to mess up!
I understand the feeling, I've always like to have a second pair of stockers just in case if you mess up. You'll be amazed what's out there on Feebay
Old 09-30-2012, 11:23 AM
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I did do this and I did it well. sealed up really nice, when the lights are on though you can see little tiny specks of dust or something on the lense. but you have to look really really close. I love it.
Old 10-03-2012, 03:14 PM
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Awesome DIY thread man, great pics and everything.

Just wanted to add that if any one is worried about messing with the xenon low beams, you dont have to take out the assembly. I left the gray cap on and baked em. I did it at a lower temp because I didnt want to damage anything and just left them in longer.

And be careful with the screwdriver when prying you dont wanna crack the plastic!
Old 10-18-2012, 08:10 PM
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I did this awhile back and everything went smooth but I didnt mask off the lense so now it has little bits of dust in the lense. you can only see it when the low beams are on and it isnt really that bad but I just wanted to know if you could clean them out...
Old 03-18-2013, 08:59 PM
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Nice
Old 07-01-2013, 01:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Benz05ZZ
New tail lamps for cheaper...

: ) Just so that you don't have to waste uncecessary monies. I was actually goign to attempt this, since I've got some condensation that Mazda won't fix...but headlights are tomorrow...I'm thinking about just blacking out the rears.
It appears that MetroMotorParts has gone the way of the Dodo. Do you recall the specifics of the linked product?
Old 11-13-2013, 03:42 PM
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You should remove "taillights" from the title as they can't be opened as easy as the headlights. The glass is glued so it's practically impossible to open them without cracking something.
Old 01-25-2022, 08:38 AM
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Cracked Housing

I couldn't find a DIY for a cracked headlight housing.
My housing has about a 2" crack on the top from a board impact kicked up by a heavy equipment trailer.
It appeared at first to be a hairline crack but it did allow moisture in and the bulb went out.

Being this is an older thread I was wondering if anyone had any updates on successfully fixing a cracked housing and/or if it's worth the trouble given the expense of also replacing the bulb.

Sources of quality aftermarket headlights or bulbs would also be appreciated.
Thanks.
Old 01-26-2022, 02:06 PM
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It won't be perfect, but you could try a clear, thin glue like superglue - apply a thin layer along the crack and flex both sides of the crack a little bit to allow the glue to wick into the crack. You'll be left with a bulge of glue on the surface which can then be sanded down in 200 - 600 - 1000 - 2000 grit increments, then clear-coat the whole lens with a couple passes of an automotive-grade clear. I've used this method for removing deep scratches and minor cracks before - you can still see that they're there but they are less visible and sealed.
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Old 01-26-2022, 03:36 PM
  #37  
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Thanks.
I'm more concerned about sealing them than appearance.
If I try to save it I'll still have to take it apart to clean the watermarks out of the inside.
Old 02-25-2022, 09:42 AM
  #38  
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I think it was stated before but the taillights are seam welded (i.e., the plastic is melted together) not glued so they do not come apart. The driving lights on my Mazda3 were made this way where the glass lens was placed in the plastic housing and the seam melted to join them together. I found this out after breaking them of course.
Old 06-19-2022, 04:36 AM
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I reckon at this pont, rather than fix the cracked case, it might be a good time to create tooling instead.

Repair the case using resin and tidy up, build up the edges not worrying about it being perfectly transparent.

Then finish the tooling so both inside and outside are a perfect mirror glass finish, clear coat and polish upto as finer grain as you can. Say 10k?

Then cast a multi piece silicone mold. And then cast as many copies as you like
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