clear indicator assemblies (front)
clear indicator assemblies (front)
Right,
gonna atempt muffle's trick with the front indicators in the headlamp assemblie's.
before i do this i have a few questions to set my mind at rest!
1) when u are removing the headlights how the hell do you get to the bottom right or left bolts?? seems very tight and crap access????
and i presume the headlights come out of the car rather than towards the engine?
2) How long do i keep the dam things in the oven (i overcook everything ) and at what approx temp???
3) once i have it apart is there any technique in removing the orange lense???
4) do they just push fit back together with origional clips or is silicone needed?
Muffles i know you have the answers mate plz help me out dont wanna break my toy after 2 weeks ov ownership
gonna atempt muffle's trick with the front indicators in the headlamp assemblie's.
before i do this i have a few questions to set my mind at rest!
1) when u are removing the headlights how the hell do you get to the bottom right or left bolts?? seems very tight and crap access????
and i presume the headlights come out of the car rather than towards the engine?
2) How long do i keep the dam things in the oven (i overcook everything ) and at what approx temp???
3) once i have it apart is there any technique in removing the orange lense???
4) do they just push fit back together with origional clips or is silicone needed?
Muffles i know you have the answers mate plz help me out dont wanna break my toy after 2 weeks ov ownership
Re: clear indicator assemblies (front)
Where's muffles? In his absence I'll have a crack ...JohnBag wrote:Right,
gonna atempt muffle's trick with the front indicators in the headlamp assemblie's.
before i do this i have a few questions to set my mind at rest!
1) when u are removing the headlights how the hell do you get to the bottom right or left bolts?? seems very tight and crap access????
and i presume the headlights come out of the car rather than towards the engine?
2) How long do i keep the dam things in the oven (i overcook everything ) and at what approx temp???
3) once i have it apart is there any technique in removing the orange lense???
4) do they just push fit back together with origional clips or is silicone needed?
Muffles i know you have the answers mate plz help me out dont wanna break my toy after 2 weeks ov ownership
1) To get at the lower bolts I just used an extension on my socket set - I remember I had to use blu-tack to lift them out and to re-insert them - and I vaguely remember having the girlfriend help out by shining a torch and using her smaller hands to line up the ones at the bottom closest to the number plate. Not much help sorry as I don't remember it that well. I do remember there were circular cut-outs in the framing across the leading edge of the engine bay which I put the socket through to get at the bottom bolts.
2) There's another current thread which discusses how long to heat - thing is really just to take your time and keep checking them (and rotating them to be on the safe side) every few minutes.
3) The orange lense is secured by two tab clips - to remove you simply prise the prongs on the tabs apart and the lenses will lift off.
4) The two halves of the headlight assembly will just push back together and then be secured by the clips) provided the original sealant is still soft. You could add additional sealant if you thought it necessary.
Hey Adam - are the clear lenses no longer available?
woohoo, i'm famous!AdamC wrote:removal without refit (Muffles Style)
unfortunately, internet-less at home at the moment! so i just get to reply during normal working hoursKiwi wrote:Where's muffles?
i think kiwi's covered everything about how to do it anyway
oh, except to get the lights out i removed my airbox and my washer fluid reservoir (didn't disconnect it just, that'd be a pain, just moved it up out of the way). even then it is awkward to get to! i would have used a socket + extension except i didn't have the right bits, or something like that.
RIP '98 Arctic Silver 2.8!
Supersprint exhaust * UUC SSK * Clear rears/fronts/sides * Aluminium bee sting aerial * KW coilovers
i've not had any problems, but then it hasn't really been the right conditions as yet! it is a fairly decent sealing "mechanism" if you look at it, part of the front lense slides in to a slot all around the back part, so it makes it even harder to leave a gap. and you can always chuck a bit more sealant in there if you want
RIP '98 Arctic Silver 2.8!
Supersprint exhaust * UUC SSK * Clear rears/fronts/sides * Aluminium bee sting aerial * KW coilovers
for my next trick i intend to paint the amber part (amber part only) of the rear lenses with tint stuff from halfords! anyone tried this i think it will look pretty good!!
I know from my old MK1 golf GTI days that if i take my time and not over spray and totally black the lights out it should look good. Any thoughts....?
I know from my old MK1 golf GTI days that if i take my time and not over spray and totally black the lights out it should look good. Any thoughts....?
No worries - looking forward to the pic's - try to get them a decent size. From the ones you've posted here it looks like the car is steel grey - which is a colour I've always thought was quite tasty (but never seen it in the flesh or metal as the case may be).JohnBag wrote:1st mod succesfully completed
will get some pics soon!!!
just using amber bulbs for the moment but it still looks 100% better!!!
Muffles and kiwi thanks for the tip's
I did mine today and thought I'd add some things I found;
I first tried boiling water as I have done a similar thing with another car and it worked well, but as the Z3 headlights are so long it's difficult to get them all submerged in hot water for it to work (plus you get water inside the unit).
- Removing the actual headlights is quite easy. I didn't remove the airbox as this didnn't appear to gain any extra access that I could see. My washer bottle isn't near the drivers headlamp so that didn't need moving either.
- It's easy to get to all 4 of the screws with a 1/4" drive rachet set with extensions. Use a flat bladed screwdriver to lock the adjusters. The bottom screws near the radiator look more difficult to access than reality; there is plenty of space to get to them from the side. The bottom ones near to the wing are the most difficult but it doesn't matter if they get dropped when removing as you can easily find them with the headlights removed. Just put some grease in the socket so the screw sticks to it when refitting.
- As access to the wire connectors is quite tight behind, I undid them when I was withdrew the headlights (apart from the indicator ones which I did from the engine bay side).
- When you prising off the metal clips cover them with your hand; currently one of mine is missing as it catapulted across the garage never to be seen again!
- I preheated the oven so that it seemed hot then turned it off and put the headlight in then, so the headlight doesn't get singed/melted by the flame.
- When prising the lamps apart with a large flat screwdriver etc, is the sections on the headlight that the spring clips cover, so that when refitted any slight damage to the plastic can't be seen as easily.
- If you have the facelift chrome-ringed headlights, don't be tempted to give them a polish as it's only a microscopic layer of chrome plating and will come off even with the slightest rub!!!
- Once the orange bit is removed, put the halfs back together and press them firmly together; they will probably have to go back in the oven again to soften the sealant again as mine wouldn't close up. Once they have been in about 5mins, it softened the sealant so I could squash the 2 halves that little bit more and then refit the clips.
I first tried boiling water as I have done a similar thing with another car and it worked well, but as the Z3 headlights are so long it's difficult to get them all submerged in hot water for it to work (plus you get water inside the unit).
- Removing the actual headlights is quite easy. I didn't remove the airbox as this didnn't appear to gain any extra access that I could see. My washer bottle isn't near the drivers headlamp so that didn't need moving either.
- It's easy to get to all 4 of the screws with a 1/4" drive rachet set with extensions. Use a flat bladed screwdriver to lock the adjusters. The bottom screws near the radiator look more difficult to access than reality; there is plenty of space to get to them from the side. The bottom ones near to the wing are the most difficult but it doesn't matter if they get dropped when removing as you can easily find them with the headlights removed. Just put some grease in the socket so the screw sticks to it when refitting.
- As access to the wire connectors is quite tight behind, I undid them when I was withdrew the headlights (apart from the indicator ones which I did from the engine bay side).
- When you prising off the metal clips cover them with your hand; currently one of mine is missing as it catapulted across the garage never to be seen again!
- I preheated the oven so that it seemed hot then turned it off and put the headlight in then, so the headlight doesn't get singed/melted by the flame.
- When prising the lamps apart with a large flat screwdriver etc, is the sections on the headlight that the spring clips cover, so that when refitted any slight damage to the plastic can't be seen as easily.
- If you have the facelift chrome-ringed headlights, don't be tempted to give them a polish as it's only a microscopic layer of chrome plating and will come off even with the slightest rub!!!
- Once the orange bit is removed, put the halfs back together and press them firmly together; they will probably have to go back in the oven again to soften the sealant again as mine wouldn't close up. Once they have been in about 5mins, it softened the sealant so I could squash the 2 halves that little bit more and then refit the clips.
Tinted Tail lights,
Hope this works
that's why i removed my airbox and washer bottle! i didn't have the extensions or correct socket sizes!c_w wrote: - It's easy to get to all 4 of the screws with a 1/4" drive rachet set with extensions.
RIP '98 Arctic Silver 2.8!
Supersprint exhaust * UUC SSK * Clear rears/fronts/sides * Aluminium bee sting aerial * KW coilovers
Then how did you get to the ones in the corners!!!? I think I would have really struggled without using a small 1/4" ratchet set.muffles wrote:that's why i removed my airbox and washer bottle! i didn't have the extensions or correct socket sizes!c_w wrote: - It's easy to get to all 4 of the screws with a 1/4" drive rachet set with extensions.
As it *seems* to be nice weather I might try and get a picture up tonight.
Done the same
I removed my orange lens covers yesterday to complement the clear rear clusters and side repeaters I got for my birhday. All in all I am really pleased with the look of the car now.
I am just a bit concerned that the indicater cannot be seen from as many angles now. I think this is just the nature of the silver vision bulbs and the clear lenses as the rears do not seem as obvious as the amber ones. Just wondered if this is something they could pull you up on in your MOT?
I am just a bit concerned that the indicater cannot be seen from as many angles now. I think this is just the nature of the silver vision bulbs and the clear lenses as the rears do not seem as obvious as the amber ones. Just wondered if this is something they could pull you up on in your MOT?
AdamC
Re: Done the same
Technically yes as the light isn't being spread as it should. I noticed this too, as the orange (or laterly clear) lenses are designed to spread the light in all directions, and without this they tend to be more of a "beam".AdamC wrote:I removed my orange lens covers yesterday to complement the clear rear clusters and side repeaters I got for my birhday. All in all I am really pleased with the look of the car now.
I am just a bit concerned that the indicater cannot be seen from as many angles now. I think this is just the nature of the silver vision bulbs and the clear lenses as the rears do not seem as obvious as the amber ones. Just wondered if this is something they could pull you up on in your MOT?
However, I don't think they are too bad, they are ok in the day and certainly bright enough at night, and I would say it's the rear indicators that are most important to make sure they are most visible.