I have a Visteon headlite with white spots inside, look like water stains in the headlite bucket chrome area. Removed lense clips to see if I could remove the clear headlite portion but its stuck on there pretty good and I do not want to break it.

Anyone ever taken one apart??

Have sprayed inside with windex and household cleaner without any luck.

Would appreciate any idea's/input on how to clean it up.

Thanks.

 

I have had this problem with my head and taillights. It is cause by water getting into the light housing. I don't know any way to get the light apart to clean it cause i tried as well. But I do know a way to keep it from happening.
Find the smallest drill bit you can find and drill a small hole in the corner of each light, that way when you are driving, air is forced into the light drying any water inside. For the taillights do the same, when you are driving the small hole acts as a vacuum sucking the water out of the light housing. I have done this to all my lights and have no problems with it.

 

hmm well then you could be volnerable with dirt & mud right? I just take the bulb out with a clean rag drenched in a cleaner & clean the inside. I noticed my rear reverse lights got fogged when I had my stock tails.

 

I've cleaned the ones on my old truck a few times... I had to emprovise as there's no easy way to go.

Here's what I did...

1. Removed the headlight assembly from the truck -- obviously, this is pretty simple and will really make it easier to clean.

2. Filled the entire assembly with water. Yes. Water. Slosh it around in there and pour it back out through the the lamp hole.

3. Repeat #2 as necessary to remove all gunk.

4. Drying. I started by putting a whole paper towel, balled up, into the lamp hole. I then shook the towel around in there to aid in it removing the water. I fished it out with some chopsticks... yes, I said chopsticks (gotta get innovative here! high-tech even!). Again, repeat a few times.

5. Hair dryer-o-matic. Heat the lense. This will evaporate the water and send it out through the lamp hole. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This will take a while. Trust me.

6. Repeat #5. Three more times. Now 9 more times.

7. Did you repeat #5?

8. Once you have all of the moisture out. Allow it to sit on a vent or near a heat source over night with the lamp hole UP so that evaporated moisture my escape.

9. Snag a unsharpened pencil or chopstick (innovation), another paper towel, some tape, and a TINY bit of a plastic detailer (I used Meguiar's #18). Lightly spray the towel once you've folded it around the pencil and taped it to the pencil. Gently but thouroughly clean, via the lamp hole, the lense on the inside. Repeat if necessary. If you see a smear, get a dry towel and go in the same way.

G'luck!

RP

 

Wow RP. I am not that patient. I would just buy some new ones.

 

Theres not really a big chance for dirt or anything to get inside through the small holes. I don't know why but when a drop of water is on a hole as small as I am talking about it just sits there, does nothing. I know what you are saying too rockpick about the cleanig i done that for a while but it wasn't worth the time. decided to do this instead.

 

if you drill holes in your headlight, water does and will come through the headlight lens. Also, the tinniest bit of water that is in your headlights will cause your headlights to fog up with moisture. Your also putting at risk your headlight bulbs as well. They have a risk of exploding if they get wet enough.

 

I was going to chime in and advise to not spray Windex in your headlight... but I see you're already done that.

I did that on my '97 and it stripped all the silver off of the reflector. Semi-filled it with water and Windex and when I dumped it out on my driveway it looked like a disco ball exploded.

Cost me $75 for another unit.

 

This may sound weird, but I've heard somewhere that baking the headlight assembly in an oven will soften the adhesive and allow you to separate the clear piece from the reflector piece.
I don't know the exact recipe though.

 

You might try ice and salt, I know it cleans out boiled dry coffe pots pretty quickly. Supposedly since brine doesn't freeze, it can get colder than the freezing point wich makes the crud contract and loosen.

Just a thought, it does work on coffee pots.

 

You guys really have some strange ways on how to clean the inside the headlights!

anywhere from flooding the headlight with water---to drilling holes in the headlights--to putting headlights in the oven to crispy brown! LOL --to putting salt and ice in the headlights!


so many different ways, but I do love the oven one the most though!

 

yeah never heard of cooking a light. I assure you drilling the holes works best.

 

Re: the oven method, I found this from a google search:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/224386/2

 

You guys laugh about the oven method, but my buddy has an IS300 and they bake their heightlights to pull them apart and paint them.

 

Baking has been used to clear out headlights for years.