DIY: Taking apart the headlight

smeister · #1 (**permalink**) 09-25-2007, 06:10 PM

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself, nor FITFREAK.NET endorse, recommend, encourage nor take any responsibility for the outcome of someone else doing the following. You follow these steps at your own risk!

This is just the steps I took to take apart my Fit's headlight. It was very easy and on my first attempt (headlight was not warm enough) I mest up the black plastic a little when I was frustrated.

My second attempt things went smooth like butter!

Instructions:
1. Prepare the headlight by taking off the small dark grey nipple on the black of the headlight and also the three screws you see on the back of the headlight.
2. Preheat oven to 200F. I actually had mine at 210F and mine is a gas oven. It all depends so I would recommend 200F or less.
3. Once the preheating is complete, turn off the oven, and place the headlight inside the oven on top of a tray with a baking sheet.
4. Let sit for about 10 minutes. I had mine in for 11 minutes and then took it out.
5. It should be warm enought so that you have to use a mitten for the first few minutes.
6. Pry around the back of the headlight with a screwdriver or butter knife. Both the black sealant and black plastic will stretch nicely when it is warmed properly.
7. Once you have seperated the plastic and lens you have enough leeway to use your hands and pry the two pieces apart. Take your time and you will see the black sealant stretch. I used a screwdriver to seperate it once it was stretched out and kept pulling the lens and plastic apart and repeat until the whole thing was off.
8. If you are having a hard time, put the headlight back in the oven and let the sealant soften up.

Here are a few pics so you get the idea.

Where to start prying.

Slowly prying the headlight apart.

If you need instructions on how to paint the headlights please go to this link.
DIY: Painting The Headlights

If you need instructions on how to put the headlight back together please go to this link.
DIY: Putting the headlights back together

greekdaddy000 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-25-2007, 06:43 PM

Finally, THANK YOU

smeister · #3 (**permalink**) 09-25-2007, 07:26 PM

Anytime man! Dang I used to live in Jackson Heights off a 82nd street. Good times!

smeister · #4 (**permalink**) 09-25-2007, 08:38 PM

BTW, I will have a DIY for painting the headlights housing and also for the HID retrofit with FX35 projectors coming up soon.

jman245 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 01:23 AM

how about putting it back together now...(what type of sealant to use)

wala nang boost · #6 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 01:38 AM

nice write up mang. i'll give u a call tomorrow

smeister · #7 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jman245

how about putting it back together now...(what type of sealant to use)

I'll have a write up on that after I am done with the HID retrofit. I recommend putting the headlight in the oven at a similar temperature and time and then press the headlight together and heating it up some more until it is tightly sealed. I am also going to try out this this Nissan sealer in (Part Number B6553-89915). I will apply some on areas that seem like they are missing some sealer. Most of the sealer was just stretched out so I shouldnt have to add too much sealer but maybe where I pryed it open.

EDIT:
I actually ordered the Part Number B6553-89965 instead of the B6553-89915 that I posted earlier. It came out $26 shipped.

jman245 · #8 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 07:08 PM

i am just concerned if i use too much sealer that when i squeez them together it will leak into the headlight

smeister · #9 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jman245

i am just concerned if i use too much sealer that when i squeez them together it will leak into the headlight

It's butyl based so it is not like a liquid sealant. It's more rubbery. The sealer I ordered comes in strips and is not in a tube. I'll post pics when I get it.

greekdaddy000 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-29-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smeister

BTW, I will have a DIY for painting the headlights housing and also for the HID retrofit with FX35 projectors coming up soon.

Nice! keep us posted

smeister · #11 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 09:51 PM

Here's the butyl stuff I am using to help seal up any parts of the headlight where I think I lost too much sealant. I like to be rather safe than sorry.

claymore · #12 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 09:55 PM

That "sealer" can be bought at any auto parts store. Just ask for a windshield installation kit. That is the stuff that is holding in your windshield and other "glued" in glass. It also MAY BE cheaper there than at a dealer.

smeister · #13 (**permalink**) 10-05-2007, 10:07 PM

Thanks for the heads up claymore. It costs me $26 shipped so it is definitely cheaper to buy the windshield installation kit from your local autoparts store.

nosewitdot · #14 (**permalink**) 10-06-2007, 01:31 PM

i wish i knew that a couple days earlier...i just used some silicone rubber caulk stuff which i am not sure is going to work...but if condensation stuff happens again, i'll know where to go.

sevenaprils · #15 (**permalink**) 11-11-2007, 04:03 PM

I've been reading through the forums about headlight painting and have been pondering whether or not to do it. Well, this weekend has given me no choice!
2 bugs - a beetle and moth - decided to crawl up and die inside my headlights, one on each side. I can only guess they got in somehow through the small cuts in the dust covers I made to fit the wiring for my HID kit. So, rather then deal with the eyesore they have become, I'm going to take apart the headlights to remove them. The beetle in particular seems way to big to have gotten in through any of the bulb holes so I'm perplexed at how he managed to get in. I'll post pics sometime this week when I get some time set aside to do this project.
So - a big thanks for these DIYs smeister, I've got them bookmarked in my browser and without them I probably wouldn't have been able to get these bugs out - and while I'm at it I'll blackout my headlights!

smeister · #16 (**permalink**) 12-20-2007, 08:27 AM

So how did it come out?

sevenaprils · #17 (**permalink**) 12-20-2007, 11:23 AM

It came out pretty well. I know that if any manufacturer releases aftermarket housings then I'll jump on that bandwagon, or if I get serious about maintaining a clean factory look I'm just get OEM NHBP ones, but for the mean time it was great. And your tips/tricks were life savers, especially after hearing about how much a pain it can be from others - it was just time consuming but fairly painless. So major thanks for all the DIYs related to this project! And it was great to have them separate - more organized and forced me to move at a slower, steady pace - sometimes I tend to jump ahead of myself, especially with a project that has multiple phases. Anyway, +1 to you!

Arashi · #18 (**permalink**) 04-20-2008, 04:26 AM

Hey smeister! We just did this today and thanks to YOUR amazing write up they came out perfect! You were right, heat is definitely the key here because at first they were a pain in the a** to seperate, 10 more minutes in the oven and it came apart like nothing. To anyone trying to do this mod, it's NOT as hard or intimidating as it seems... once you start working on it you'll know what we mean once you're past the "point of no return" haha. Did a whole bunch of mods today, a homemade SRI that looks and sounds great, painted flat black foglight surrounds, painted yellow foglights, tow hook and of course the headlights. Pics to follow shortly! It looks so good I'm ecstatic. Thank you once again for all your help!