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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > DIY Guides > DIY - Clearing your headlights (removing amber/orange reflector)



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      08-25-2007, 02:54 PM   #45
Chesmu
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Quote:
Originally Posted by heatfan03 View Post
could we get a before and after look of the front of the car possibly?
without any reflector, i think the headlight would look funny.

pic #1. mds82 covered his amber reflector in CF
pic #2. imaznumkay else painted them black (looks collest IMHO)
pic #3. others have gotten euro clears.
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      08-25-2007, 02:59 PM   #46
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I opened my lights on a hot day leaving them 30 min. on sun. In Europe you have to remove the amber to have clear parking lights.
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      09-06-2007, 04:43 PM   #47
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      03-23-2008, 06:52 AM   #48
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Here is my two cents, I have did many headlamps in my life time, I used to purchase damaged headlamps from the junk yard and fix them. If I could not fix them, I would heat them open remove the projectors, and sell them, the best method I have found is to put it in your home oven. Preheat at 150 degrees for 15 minutes, then leave it on, and put the headlight in for 15 minutes. Make sure you remove all the tabs and small plastic pieces before placing into the oven. Use a screw driver to pry a small section open, then use your hands (with gloves on.)should come off really simple. Once finished, put the headlamp back in the oven for 15 minutes, and reuse the factory glue and push everything into place and use masking tape to hold the headlight in place for 30 minutes until it is hard again. Make sure you push both parts together so it does not leak.

The glue/sealant used for the headlamp is flexible, Betalink is not, and I am guessing it will crack on a nice hot summer day when the headlamp expands.
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      03-23-2008, 08:35 PM   #49
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heating these headlights does not work - they glue isnt like other glues, its more of a rubber then a glue - you heat the glue and it only get hot, it does not loose its adhesion.
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      04-12-2008, 03:53 AM   #50
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ive dont this on another car. worked great. i even used some putty to seal it and then taped over it. only down side is sometimes the light fogs up inside when temp changes. not a big deal though. worth it.
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      04-12-2008, 06:12 AM   #51
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These lights are hard to open.
Plus, be careful not to break the AE assembly.
Good luck.
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      04-17-2010, 11:05 PM   #52
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Hey thanks for the write up. I was searching the forum for some threads on this today. I didnt find this one till i was done. It never occurred to me to heat off the lense with my heat gun. Then i was looking at it and i was unsure what it would look like with out any lense i there as you cant just remove the amber part in mine (active Bi Xenon). So i wound up taping the lense off and spraying it with " VHT - Night Shades " it turned out good, id give it a 7 out of 10.
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      08-05-2010, 01:16 PM   #53
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So where can one find Euro Clears??

My car is artic metallic so Black would stand out too mych, carbon fiber might be too bold for this colour.. thinking about other colours to paint it??

If anything I might paint it artic metallic

anyone have any suggestions?
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      08-16-2010, 12:05 AM   #54
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I would recommend not doing this DIY as I did this on my Evo X and could never get the seal just perfect. Rain was not really my problem...just the weekly car wash that eventually ruined one lamp. (not cheap). Definately something you do at your own risk.
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      08-16-2010, 11:19 AM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by roman_s View Post
So where can one find Euro Clears??

My car is artic metallic so Black would stand out too mych, carbon fiber might be too bold for this colour.. thinking about other colours to paint it??

If anything I might paint it artic metallic

anyone have any suggestions?

I can help with this if you need. Send me a PM
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      08-23-2010, 01:13 AM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by e90sgm335i View Post
Hey thanks for the write up. I was searching the forum for some threads on this today. I didnt find this one till i was done. It never occurred to me to heat off the lense with my heat gun. Then i was looking at it and i was unsure what it would look like with out any lense i there as you cant just remove the amber part in mine (active Bi Xenon). So i wound up taping the lense off and spraying it with " VHT - Night Shades " it turned out good, id give it a 7 out of 10.
So did you just paint the outside of the headlight??
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      08-24-2010, 12:29 PM   #57
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Is there any shop on the east coast that would do this for me on 05 prod. xenons? I contacted lightwerkz and they said no. Seems like the process is too difficult for a shop to stand behind.

All I'm looking for is oem look from the outside (with bumper+hood closed) and an agreement to bring them back for a reseal if they fog up.

Any suggesstions?
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      10-11-2010, 03:22 PM   #58
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so before i start on my gfs cousin's 328, i ordered a broken headlight on ebay.. heating it up helps a little but its still hard to do.. u could break the seal towards the top of the housing but the bottom seal is hard to brake without sticking the screwdriver in to yank it apart.. is there any other ways to take these things apart?
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      10-12-2010, 11:38 AM   #59
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Looks better with out the Amber. Nice job.
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      10-20-2010, 07:23 PM   #60
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Anyone help me out?? Been messing with chemicals to help brake down the glue but nothing yet..
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      10-20-2010, 09:10 PM   #61
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Uhh, I don't think chemicals are going to help unless they're strong enough to melt the headlights and cause brain damage. That glue is a serious pain in the ass.

My advice? Don't do it - send your lights to Marc (MDS82) and let him do it. Trust me, by the end of the job, the $400 he charges will feel like a steal. I'm almost done with mine (sealing them back up tonight). It is not a fun job. It can be done, but I really would advise saving yourself days of hassle.
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      10-28-2010, 11:51 PM   #62
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i'd rather do it myself.. its for my gfs cousin anyways... he oculd use that 400 to do a quad projector setup..
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      12-10-2010, 01:15 AM   #63
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Unhappy

this looks to risky to do.....just deal with the ugly amber reflectors or buy EURO SPEC headlights.....http://www.e90post.com/forums/images/smilies/help.gif
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      04-17-2011, 01:16 PM   #64
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scary stuff...
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      04-20-2011, 08:05 PM   #65
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Didnt see this post when i did that but dont waste your time with a heat gun. Preheat the oven for 275 deg and place 1 headlight on the bottom for 12 min. then remove and open the tabs with a screw driver. It was simple and very easy to do. i couldnt imagine doing this the way the OP did it.
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      06-18-2011, 03:39 PM   #66
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great work! Have you noticed any condensation inside the light? I'd be worried about the seal.
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