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DIY 2003 - 2004 LC2 Accent Clear Corners
*Disclaimer* I will not be held responsible if you mess up your headlights. This is the way that I did the clear corner mod for the LC2. If you think you'll mess up, dont do it. So be prepared to work a bit hard on this. Also please read the ENTIRE DIY before you go at it so you can understand what to do, while you follow along. Thank you!**
(this is my 2nd time writing this cause someone deleted it.. *SIGH*!!!)
LC2 DIY Clear Corners:
Needed Tools/Items:
Philips Screwdriver
Flat head Screw Driver
Scissors
Razor Blade (not nessasary)
Oven
Cookie Sheet
Wax Paper
Work Gloves
Oven Mit
2 Hyperwhite-Blue OR Amber/Orange Size: 1156
Step 1: Take out your headlights. To do this, you must remove these 2 screws:
After you remove the screws, pull the head light out half way, so you can unplug everything from the headlight. There are 3 plugs total. After that, take the headlight out completely. It will get stuck on the bumper part of the grill but it will come off if you maneuver it right. If you still can't get the headlight out, refer to your owner's manual.(its in there)
Step 2: Now you must remove all of the bulbs (Headlight, Parking Light, and Turn Signal). To do this you unscrew the turn signal housing (white) and the parking light housing(black). Shown here is the parking light housing being "unscrewed":
Now to get the headlight bulb out, You must remove the dust cover shown here:
After you get the cover off. You will see the back of your headlight bulb and a wire. Just unhook the wire so it frees the bulb. **MAKE SURE YOU DON'T TOUCH THE BULB DIRECTLY** Grab it by the prongs and only the prongs. Now set it down somewhere where you wont step on it =). Now you must take out the wire piece. Which you can unscrew the little screw to release the wire. So now your headlight bulb housing should look like this now (arrow pointed to the screw you will loosen):
Step 3: Now remove the bulbs from their circular holders and put them back into the light housing. The turn signal bulb (round one w/ white twist base) you just turn it and it'll come off the base. The parking light bulb you just pull off. Might want to grab some gloves for easier gripping with that one. So now you should end up with these:
Now put them back in the headlight where they belong. Twist them back in correctly (making sure the bulbs are not in them!!)
Now take off the one screw you see on the back/side of the headlight (it'll give you trouble later if you dont):
Step 4: Take your wax paper to put about 2 layers of it on your cookie sheet.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While this is happening you can take a look at where you will be attacking (prying apart) your headlight. So take a look at this picture:
The circle indicates where you should pull from (hand placement). The arrows signify where to pull *Slaps head*. If you find an easier way to pull them, then go for it. The line indicates where the head light will start to split and separate at when you are pulling and prying at first. Work along the prying around the entire headlight.
Step 6: Now place the light on the cookie sheet like so:
Now place it in the oven about middle from the bottom and top and middle in depth in the oven. Like so:
Step 7: Close the oven and turn it back down to 300 degress (don't ask, it just works from having it at 350 then 300). Wait for 3-5 mins. (You might want to check your housing every 20-30 secs to make sure nothing is burning. I only had this happen once and I beleive it was the wax paper that burnt, no harm done. Also your chrome will fog up. Dont worry about it. It wont hurt it.
Step 8: Now after you think its ready (after 2-3 mines) pull it out of the oven w/ your oven mits. Now make sure the tabs all around the headlight are not connected and making it impossible for you to pull apart the light. Here is a picture of 2 of them that you will find on the light among others:
Now like the pictures shown below again. Work on the light like this pictures:
Starting there (picture) working your way and prying to the other side of the light (from parking light side to the turn signal side).
Also you can use the flat head screw driver to help pry but since the plastic is warm you may disfigure the plastic around the lamp where you are prying. But since you wont see it, not much of a problem. It sounds worse than how im describing the "disfigure". But the flat head helps A LOT.
Step 9: If you work on it and its still not coming undone. You may want to throw it back into the oven back on the cookie sheet. Put it in there for 1-2 mins on 300 degrees preheated. If its still hard to pull apart put it in again. If this time it doesn't work, one of the tabs is still connected and also you might have to find a friend to help you pry it apart.
Step 10: Now you should have it apart and looking like this:
So CLOSE!!!
Step 11: Now you can take a break; drink or smoke or what ever choose to do. You earned it.
Step 12: Now there are 2 screws on the back of the front "face plate" side of the headlight you need to unscrew. Shown here:
Step 14: Now pull out the "face plate" of the front clear plastic side of the head light so you now have this out of the head light:
Now flip over the face plate. You must push in 3 "pop tabs" that are orange from the back side of the face plate like these:
So now your left w/ this:
Step 15: Put the faceplate back in (make sure not to get finger prints or black goo on the chrome. If you do, now is the time to get the windex out and clean it up. If not, you'll beat yourself up for this). Put the 2 screws back in.
Step 16. Put everything back together. (Basically all said in that one sentace). But you just have to force the 2 pieces of headlight together. If you are stuck on a certain spot (you can't budge it any more…). Throw it into the oven. Put back together the best as possible (the 2 pieces together "half assed", not separate). Have the oven on at 300 and preheated and leave in for 2-3 mins. Now it should be easier to push together. What I did was bear hugged the light so everything was pushed together. You can work your way around it. But its all basically just getting it back together. If you are stuck again, throw it back into the oven, no biggie (that's what I did).
So now you should be left w/ something like this now =) :
Make sure to put the bulbs back in to their housings. But put your new orange or hyperwhite-blue bulbs into the white turn signal housing instead of the white one that was in there.
Here is the final product:
*Side note* You might have to adjust your headlight w/ those 2 turning things, w/ white caps on them, on the back of the headlight. You probably just have to adjust the one that is directly on the back of the head light. If that is not the one that is helping your beam, try the other one on the side. If you can't find what im talking about. Look at your owner's manual for the adjustment instructions.
Updates: 5-30-05
Fixed a broken picuture links
[Edited by ftwvampftw on Jul 18, 2005 8:39 PM]
[Edited by ftwvampftw on Oct 4, 2005 7:52 PM]
~~DIY LC2 Clear Corners Write-up~~
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