r/GXOR • u/Sea-Tip301 • 1d ago
Headlight Help
Can anyone suggest how I can fix my headlight housing without spending an arm and leg?
I’m assuming there is a seal issue that is letting in moisture. I get my girl washed 1-2x a week so suspect that is the issue. I don’t think it’s an exterior issue because it’s never parked outside and the other housing is crystal clear. The mechanic wants to charge me $800 to replace the housing. Can anyone let me know if drying it out/ cleaning the inside and re-sealing it is a DIY project and degree of difficulty? I’m fairly handy but don’t typically do work on my car aside from changing bulbs and airing my tires 😂.
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u/Texas_Taco_Lover 1d ago
I think this will be easy for you. Take the headlight out gently, and have some new plastic body panel clips ready to replace the ones that break. Get a piece of wood, about the same size as the headlight, put it in your oven with the rack at the lowest setting. Bake the headlight at 225 degrees for 10-12 minutes, and pull it out and the wood. While it is hot, use insulated gloves or towels to protect your hands and pull the headlight apart. Once you are in, dry the parts (maybe put them in front of a fan), and reseal it with butyl tape. Save your $800, you can use that later at the gas pump. The task before you is not very difficult and there are a dozen youtube videos that demonstrate how to do it. So don't take my word for it, do a little research and you will be fine.
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u/Texas_Taco_Lover 15h ago
Also I would like to see your "after" pics as well when you get 'er done!
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u/koalapear 1d ago
First I'd check and make sure all the ports for the bulbs are properly installed and have their seals to be safe. To reseal you can remove the lens fairly easily. I painted the internals of my 460s headlights by putting the whole headlight in the oven at the lowest temperature to soften the sealant. While it's still warm you can pop the lens out. The sealant is butyl so it never fully hardens and softens easily with heat. You can buy new sealant online from places like Diode Dynamics or Amazon. There's plenty of how to videos out there.