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All you have to do is open the frunk... pop out the plastic took kit (on your right), and the tire refill kit (upper left).
From the tool kit grab the headlight removal tool (long metal tool with a pivoting handle)... and insert in the little holes left and right behind these kits, after popping the rubber covers.
After engaging rotate the tool, and the headlight moves forwards and out. Pop the connector and that's it.
Can you share which vendor or a part link? I broke my lenses at the bumper edge while replacing the horn. I was eyeing the $850 or so service, but I've already done the warped door panels, so this seems well within my skill range.
Can you share which vendor or a part link? I broke my lenses at the bumper edge while replacing the horn. I was eyeing the $850 or so service, but I've already done the warped door panels, so this seems well within my skill range.
Does anyone have any pictures of the replacement lenses before installation? I got the lenses from the referenced eBay seller and I was hoping to compare them before cutting up my old ones.
The tabs look a little chipped to me. Almost like someone tried fitting them then changed their mind.
I think they would work, but if it was me I would contact the seller with some close-up photos. As long as things look perfect from the front of the lens they're probably OK because it's the adhesive that does the job of holding them in place... the tabs are there mainly for alignment purposes.
Mine arrived wrapped in what looked like Saran Wrap, then taped in plastic bags, and finally wrapped in bubble-wrap. If your's came in different packaging I would be concerned they may have been returned.
Thank you Rob. These lenses came packed identical to your description. The lenses look perfect from the front. On the back, the lip is perfect but the tabs do look iffy. Communication with the seller is not ideal, but I will confirm the appearance of the tabs before proceeding.
Thank you so much for this how-to. I will say this was not the easiest project, but the cost/benefit is huge. I am super happy with the outcome. The replacement lenses from eBay was a sketchy route but they look great. The biggest challenge I had was holding the assembly still at all the angles necessary to cut perpendicular to the channel. I would also add using a longer knife than a box cutter was necessary for a few areas. I found a small paring knife to work perfectly. I would not say anyone could/should do this, but if you are fairly handy and your light look like grey hair, go for it. Nobody could guess my car's age now!
I just had mine professionally done. They look fantastic and brand new! $650.
That is not a bad deal. The lenses were $120 and it took me 3 hours or so to do the work. Having it done by someone that stands behind the work for that price is great. As I said, this was not super easy.
Does anyone have any pictures of the replacement lenses before installation? I got the lenses from the referenced eBay seller and I was hoping to compare them before cutting up my old ones.
Edit: oops. I am guessing you meant the replacements before installation.
Prices on Amazon range from $50 to hundreds of dollars for lenses. I've taken headlights apart in an oven before, so I'm no stranger to headlight restoration. I'm going to tackle this too on my 981 Cayman. I prefer Amazon for returns, so I'm ordering off there, and I am taking a suggestion from service providers who do this service and using this Butyl sealant they use. This uses heat like other manufactures, so it'll be easier to do this again in the future if necessary without cutting. The closeup of these looks good, so I'll get them, and I'll report on the quality. I also bought the Lamin-X precut clear headlight PPF. I may end up painting the headlights too. I don't want to lose performance by blacking out the headlight reflector housing, but I am not a fan of the vertical turn signals on the medial aspect of the lights, so I will likely smoke that, at minimum. I also bought some new D3S OSRAM 7000k bulbs. From what I understand, these are closer to 5500k.