Dirt inside the headlight...Can I get it out anyway ?

[Brad Smith]

Basically inside my passenger side headlight I seem to have loads of dirt inside there, I pressume this is down to the fact there is no covers on the back where the bulbs go.

So I was wondering if there is any way I can it out, I was thinking of taking the headlight off, along with the bulbs, and then getting a small brish e.g toothbrush, or a cotton bud inside there. But is there another way, such as taking the headlight apart, this seems a bit risky though tbh.

Pics of the headlight with the dirt inside.

IMG_1206 by Brad-Smith, on Flickr

IMG_1207 by Brad-Smith, on Flickr


Pics of the driver headlight with no dirt inside as a comparison (sp)

IMG_1208 by Brad-Smith, on Flickr

IMG_1209 by Brad-Smith, on Flickr

 

[edde]

If you have the time take the light off and wash it and let it dry out,

 

[Joe#]

IIRC, the headlights are melted together. So the only way to seperate them is to melt them again.

 

[Brad Smith]

If you have the time take the light off and wash it and let it dry out,

Surely I would get a small amount of water it there ?

IIRC, the headlights are melted together. So the only way to seperate them is to melt them again.

That's what I was thinking...how could I do that. Knowing my look I wouldn't be able to get it back together

 

[edde]

Surely I would get a small amount of water it there ?

Yep gets loads of water in there wash it round and pour it out then leave the whole unit to dry out

 

[Brad Smith]

Yep gets loads of water in there wash it round and pour it out then leave the whole unit to dry out

Don't sound a bad idea tbf :/

Thanks mate

 

[JBC27]

Surely I would get a small amount of water it there ?


Yep you'll have water in there but if you put it somewhere really warm for a few hours (airing cupboard or similar) it'll evaporate away.

The alternative if you don't have time is stick it in the oven for 30mins at about 70 degrees centigrade. No where near hot enough to melt the plastics but soon dries the water out.

 

[Brad Smith]

Surely I would get a small amount of water it there ?


Yep you'll have water in there but if you put it somewhere really warm for a few hours (airing cupboard or similar) it'll evaporate away.

The alternative if you don't have time is stick it in the oven for 30mins at about 70 degrees centigrade. No where near hot enough to melt the plastics but soon dries the water out.

Putting it in the oven for 30 mins , sure that would melt it ?

I'm thinking of maybe getting a toothbrush or cotton bud in there first

 

[chris powell]

i got a load of condensation in one of my xeons and did the hair-dryer trick thru one of the bulb access holes

got rid of the water but now i have water marks all over the inside of the lens!!

im going to try and get it apart when i get time!!

 

[Brad Smith]

That was what I was thinking of doing getting the hair dryer in there. But if I end up with water marks. Sounds just as bad if not worse than my problem ATM :s

 

[chris powell]

do you know if your headlights have got metal clips holding it together?

the newer ones are plastic welded together but the older ones have 3 metal clips where the welds are on the newer ones (ive confused myself with that lot)

ive taken a older light apart (lens off) before but the newer ones are stuck on too tight to get off.

if yours have the metal clips i would get the hair dryer out and get the lens off mate

 

[chris powell]

ps you use the hair dryer to soften the black mastic sealant that seals the light and you can get a tube of the sealant from any body shop for around £6

 

[bozothenutter]

use demineralized water for the final flush...no stains then...

 

[chris powell]

use demineralized water for the final flush...no stains then...

bloody good tip that!! didn't think of that one!!

 

[JBC27]

Putting it in the oven for 30 mins , sure that would melt it ?

I'm thinking of maybe getting a toothbrush or cotton bud in there first

Put it in the oven at 70 degrees won't melt anything. If you poured boiling (100 degree) water on the lamps you wouldn't expect them to melt so if you put them in an oven at 70 for 30mins they ren't going to melt. I put my own in a few months back and it worked a treat(wouldn't have sugested it otherwise). It's just a quicker version of an airing cupboard really.

You want to use an electric oven with a decent thermostat on it though. Don't shove it in a gas oven with part of the light over the flame otherwise yes it'll probably catch fire.

I have to say the mineral water followed by a hair drier sounds a much better plan though.

I wouldn't poke anything in the light though cos if it falls in by mistake then it'd be a right ball ache or if you get fibres of cotton ball stuck to the inside of the lens that will also be annoying.

 

[Brad Smith]

Yeah thats a good point, but I think Ive got a gas oven, so that is out the window lol.

Yeah tbf the mineral water does sound good, so just chuck some in swirl it around then get as much out the hole as I can because I need the dirt to come out.

Didn't think about if I dropped it haha, I would be even more annoyed, if I couldn't get a cotton bud out lol.

Thanks for the advise mate.

 

[JBC27]

Yeah hair drier does seem to be the best solution. Tbh even if you just washed the dirt to the bottom of the headlight it would be very hard to spot sat along the bottom.

Another method I just thought of which I used to get a stone out of my engine is: Get a hoover and put the narrowest attachment you've got on the end. Then get a length of flexible plastic tubing about 4mm in diameter. Gaffer tape that into the hoover attachment so you've got a good seal and you've made a long thin hoover tube you can poke into your headlight and suck up the dirt. No danger of dropping anything else into the headlight and saves messing about with water and electricity.

 

[Brad Smith]

Hmm good idea about the hoover. May give that one a try thanks for all your help got plenty of ideas now lol.

 

[john182rs]

water and hoover? I hope you aint got a xenon power pack?

How i cleaned mine out was take all the fitments off, take all the bulbs out, flush some water through it, emptied it all out then i used a form of alcohol for the last part. Emptied that out and left it in a warm area for the rest to evaporate.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Also, if/when you get round to this.. buy some boots so it doesn't just happen again after a week FFS

 

[Brad Smith]

water and hoover? I hope you aint got a xenon power pack?

How i cleaned mine out was take all the fitments off, take all the bulbs out, flush some water through it, emptied it all out then i used a form of alcohol for the last part. Emptied that out and left it in a warm area for the rest to evaporate.

They wouldn't be used at the same time. They are two different ideas mate.

And cool I'm going to think about which idea I'm going to use

Also, if/when you get round to this.. buy some boots so it doesn't just happen again after a week FFS

Buy some boots ?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Rubber boots that go on the back of the lamp unit. The covers that you are missing....

 

[Brad Smith]

Thanks I was actually trying to think what they would be called as they are missing. Any idea where I can get some from ?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Renault ? :rasp:

Scrappy would be my first port of call however

 

[Brad Smith]

Ok thanks mate

 

[JBC27]

Think i've got a full set of the rubber covers knocking about spare if you want em. I'll bung em in a jiffy bag for the cost of the postage. Drop me a pm if you want them.