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Headlight appears to be dirty on the inside

D

d5bad

Monza
Joined
9 Feb 2010
Messages
154
Hi All,

I bought my car last year with the front headlights looking abit dirty on the inside. Is there a cheap simple (cost effective) fix anyone can recommend to me please? Please see attached pics


Any help on this will be great

Thanks

Yohan
 

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Lense

Do anyone of you know if the plastic lens can be removed from the light unit at all?
 
How does a headlight get dirty on the inside :dont know: maybe a failed bulb seal!!how about getting a mouse or two from a pet shop,put them in the lamps and drive round for a few days!voila......clean inside glass.find cat and feed with mice.everyones happy. 8)
 
The unit is effetively sealed.

In theory, if you had the proper temperature, you could put in the oven and split it. DON'T.

The easy way (if it is dust or staining) is to wash it with IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

Maplin et al (electronics component retailers etc) sell about 300-500 ml for £5-£7.

There is a knack though, and if you have a hairdryer it helps.

You need to sluice the inside of the lens using the IPA (it will evaporate very quickly), you need to swirl the IPA, dissolve or suspend the debris and dump out of the headlamp unit while the IPA is still liquid and holding the dirt.

If it evaporates it will deposit the dirt back again leaving "water marks".

If you can squirt the IPA directly onto the lens, that is better. Use a 30-40 cm flexible tube (a battery overflow pipe works well). Post the tube down through the bulb access ports (remove these anyway to allow you to dump the dirty IPA out of the unit).

When you are happy with a cleaning swirl, quickly hairdryer the front if the lens to evaporate the IPA.

This may take a few attempts before you get all the dirt out and/or you get the swirl right to not leave "water marks".

Don't be shy with the IPA (it won't damage any of the electronics), don't be surprised if you need to use a whole can of IPA.

Try not to get the IPA on any mechanical parts, if it dissolves any lubricating oils and deposits it on the lens, it's back to square one again and you start washing all over again.

re79.jpg
 
Having perormed the IPA wash, I think I would subscribe to the alternative mouse solution too.
 
Cleaning

GT4,

Once again to my rescue, thanks for the advise mate, I will give it ago over the wkend and see what happens.

teetooshuggerz I might have to go to the local pet shop and get a few mice..... cheers for the feedback mate :?:
 
Be very careful with cleaning the inside of your headlights.

I have experience of doing this on other cars and have ruined the reflective material. And I only used soapy water and it flaked and dulled the reflective.

I'm not sure if the 996 headlight is the same inner material but I was just making you aware because it could be a very expensive mistake.
I would try compressed air first.
 
Mine was similar when I purchased the car. The marks look like they are water / condensation marks but in a spiderweb style pattern.

I decided to have a go at "Cleaning" them and had very good results by doing the following......

- Remove the headlight from the car and place it on a towel etc on the floor
- Remove the back etc and remove the lower (Main beam) bulb

I then got a claw style pickup tool (one of the long bendy ones) and covered the flexy shaft with insulation tape. I then put a piece of an old duster into the claw and taped it up as well, basically I created myself a great big man sized cotton bud. Make sure no exposed metal is showing as this could scratch the reflector / lense.

I then passed this through the bulb hole and wiped the marks away, the marks come off with the lightest of wipes and I managed to get 95% of them easily. I ended up leaving a few of them as I couldn't get my cotton bud to them, but they are hardly noticable and the lights look so much better.

Darren
 
I have the same problem on one of my litronics, looking at the previous replies, I took the offending unit out and armed with a spray can of IPA chickened out and replaced the unit. Like the idea of the man size cotton bud, will give this ago.
 
dterry said:
Mine was similar when I purchased the car. The marks look like they are water / condensation marks but in a spiderweb style pattern.

I decided to have a go at "Cleaning" them and had very good results by doing the following......

- Remove the headlight from the car and place it on a towel etc on the floor
- Remove the back etc and remove the lower (Main beam) bulb

I then got a claw style pickup tool (one of the long bendy ones) and covered the flexy shaft with insulation tape. I then put a piece of an old duster into the claw and taped it up as well, basically I created myself a great big man sized cotton bud. Make sure no exposed metal is showing as this could scratch the reflector / lense.

I then passed this through the bulb hole and wiped the marks away, the marks come off with the lightest of wipes and I managed to get 95% of them easily. I ended up leaving a few of them as I couldn't get my cotton bud to them, but they are hardly noticable and the lights look so much better.

Darren
Click to expand...

BTW - this works(just did it one of my front lenses) using one of my bendy gun cleaning rods(aka giant cotton bud) in through the main beam socket. Wrapped up the rod to prevent any damage.
 
infrasilver said:
Be very careful with cleaning the inside of your headlights.

I have experience of doing this on other cars and have ruined the reflective material. And I only used soapy water and it flaked and dulled the reflective.

I'm not sure if the 996 headlight is the same inner material but I was just making you aware because it could be a very expensive mistake.
I would try compressed air first.
Click to expand...

Yup I'd air on the side of caution using IPA, dependant on the plastics involved can bring out the plasticiser and leave a milky residue which will be impossible to remove.
 
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