Headlight cleaning

[964rh]

Hi

Just about to take the headlights off the car and give them a spring clean.

But, what do you use to use to join the glass and unit back together? and I've read a diy that to clean them you use rubbing alcohol, but what is it? Meths?

Thanks

Rob

 

[Neil Eldred]

Its held together by spring clips. Take a picture of the arrangement before you take the clips off so you know how they look as it can be a PITA to get them clipped back together in the right order.

Neil

 

[Guest]

Taking a photo is great advice as it's all very fiddly.

Worth it though, I found a huge amount of mud and grime behind my headlamps.

 

[Guest]

You could probably use any old alcohol to clean something. Strictly speaking rubbing alcohol if it's medical use stuff is Isopropyl alcohol. i think there's still some on sale in Aldi's forthe paranoid superbug fearing generation who must wash their hands hourly or will die!

Hope this helps ,
G
waiting for a nice day to wash and polish the car befcrating an avatar![:-]

 

[Jon Kent]

I created a 'how to' doc as I've done this :-

Changing 911 headlights/lenses/bulbs"¦"¦.

Here's how :
Remove the outer ring with the crosshead screw (at 6 o'clock).
Remove the headlight with the flathead screw (also at 6 o'clock) - DON'T touch the other 2 screws (adjusters)
Unplug the 3point headlight wires, the earth, the sidelight & the vacuum pipe.
Remove the light.
For a guide to the clips in the next bit, remove the other light now also....same method.
Doing one at a time, remove the clips around the lip at the back, placing them down to form a circle (in roughly the same place).
Mark the adjusters with a permanent marker, on either side of the plastic piece.
Unclip the adjuster with the black plastic cylinder by prising it with a flathead screwdriver.
Unwind the other adjuster (CHECK you've marked it on the thread) - It may be possible to unclip this, but didn't want to break mine.
The light backing should now be free enough to remove the lense.
Fit a new seal (flat thin one) to the new lense (smooth side on the glass) around the outer lip.
The other seal fits on the car (the old one will still be in position).
Refit the lense to the light unit
Ensure the lense it vertically aligned by carefully turning over & adjusting the marks at 6 o'clock.
Refit all the clips, using the other light as a guide (the light units are identical - only variation is for RHD & LHD).
Clip in the removed adjuster & correctly adjust the one you backed off.
Repeat the process for the other unit
Fit the new outer seals on the car, around the headlight pods.
Refit the lights to the car (don't forget the vacuum pipes).

Whole thing took about 2 hours sat on the lounge floor, watching telly, so could be done in an hour, easily.

Rgds,
Jon