What have you done to your car today?

[j3nks79]

Second job of the day I used heavy machinery (marginal exaggeration) to get the fog light bulbs removed from the front fog lights. With the help of a toothbrush I've removed a pile of reflective metal flakes and corroded metal about the size of a tennis ball from inside the two fog lights. Debating whether to keep poking and prodding to get as much out as possible or whether just blast the inside with a jetwash and then dry it out. I want to do a proper job but slightly concerned about not being able to dry them properly (not that they are completely dry right now.)

I put mine in the dishwasher after I split them.
Rubbed them down and sprayed with chrome enamel paint from Halfords. A good 3 coats and they turned out great.
Then I spray tinted the lenses with a dark smoke.
Got some tiger seal and sealed them back together. No water or moisture is getting through that stuff.

[enuff_zed]

Fred Smith, sounds like you are going in through the bulb hole?
Facelift I assume?
Dump the whole thing in a bucket of hot water for ten minutes then carefully prise the clear section away from the black part. May take a few dunks to soften the sealant enough.

[Fred Smith]

I put mine in the dishwasher after I split them.
Rubbed them down and sprayed with chrome enamel paint from Halfords. A good 3 coats and they turned out great.
Then I spray tinted the lenses with a dark smoke.
Got some tiger seal and sealed them back together. No water or moisture is getting through that stuff.

I would quite like to do that but I haven't split mine. I would be up for trying but two things put me off -

(1) Seeing stories of nightmares trying to split them. This is a rather trivial concern given the state of the seals, but it is a concern.

(2) What appear to be the bolts holding the metal light fitting to the plastic lens are so badly corroded I have no idea whether they are torx or hex wrench compatible... not confident of opening them up. Any ideas?

Also... I am all for trying to make my car as nice as possible, and I want people to be able to look reasonably closely all around without being horrified... on the other hand given the position of the fog lights on the E86 they're not exactly noticeable... if the front of the lens looks OK at a glance and they function I'm pretty happy.

[Fred Smith]

Fred Smith, sounds like you are going in through the bulb hole?
Facelift I assume?
Dump the whole thing in a bucket of hot water for ten minutes then carefully prise the clear section away from the black part. May take a few dunks to soften the sealant enough.

Sorry, yeah, facelift / bulb hole. Aren't there bolts holding the plastic fronts to the metal backing?

[j3nks79]

You don’t need to remove the brackets to split.
As Martin above said. Stick them in a bucket of very hot water and then just pull them apart.

[Fred Smith]

You don’t need to remove the brackets to split.
As Martin above said. Stick them in a bucket of very hot water and then just pull them apart.

Just to be clear as possible... the lights come in three main parts - there is the big plastic lens at the front, and a (heavily corroded in my case) bit of galvanised metal behind, and all of that is held in a black plastic bracket which is used to attach the light to the bumper?

You are saying that dumping it in very hot water should in theory cause the seal to loosen and the plastic lens should come apart from the metal back of the light (and the metal back will stay attached to the bracket)? You're saying there are no bolts holding the metal back to the plastic lens?

Edit - thanks by the way! It is appreciated... I am happy to do half a job on something so hidden and unimportant... but doing a proper job while the bumper's off anyway and my other car is road legal and not in bits makes a lot of sense.

[j3nks79]

Yes the lens is glued to the metal part.
The plastic bracket is screwed to the metal part and not the lens.
The hot water makes the glue melt. Just get some plastic pry tools and work your way round the edge.

I put mine in boiling water for about 15 mins and they came apart quite easy.

Then once split I removed all the loose metal and crap.

Stuck them in dishwasher and they came up a treat.

Then rub the metal inside down. And paint with halford chrome enamel spray.
I tinted my lenses as my mate wanted them on his back car so they blend it.
I used tiger seal to glue them back together.

[enuff_zed]

You don’t need to remove the brackets to split.
As Martin above said. Stick them in a bucket of very hot water and then just pull them apart.

Just to be clear as possible... the lights come in three main parts - there is the big plastic lens at the front, and a (heavily corroded in my case) bit of galvanised metal behind, and all of that is held in a black plastic bracket which is used to attach the light to the bumper?

You are saying that dumping it in very hot water should in theory cause the seal to loosen and the plastic lens should come apart from the metal back of the light (and the metal back will stay attached to the bracket)? You're saying there are no bolts holding the metal back to the plastic lens?

Edit - thanks by the way! It is appreciated... I am happy to do half a job on something so hidden and unimportant... but doing a proper job while the bumper's off anyway and my other car is road legal and not in bits makes a lot of sense.

Yes, that's exactly right.
I did a set a while back. In my case I painted the inside black and fitted LED DRLs inside instead.
(Photo on Page 801 of this thread)

[Fred Smith]

Yes, that's exactly right.
I did a set a while back. In my case I painted the inside black and fitted LED DRLs inside instead.
(Photo on Page 801 of this thread)

First one is in a bucket of water as we speak... can't say I'm feeling hopeful... looking at it the gap between plastic lens and the metal backing is completely off as if someone has moved half of the plastic a few mm, but not got the other half to budge at all. The seal is a complete mess but seems solid.

[j3nks79]

It will come apart. Keep prying and putting back it the hot water. The hotter the better.

[enuff_zed]

It will come apart. Keep prying and putting back it the hot water. The hotter the better.

Yes it sits fairly deep into the groove and there is a lot of sealant. It will work.

[TomK]

Fitted supersprint x-pipe and rear cans

I've got an evening slot at donny booked for next Monday

Hope you don't find those two things are mutually exclusive ed.
I had to remove my ss x-pipe as too loud for most tracks and I hear that Donington have 'recalibrated' their meters, not in a good way
Fingers crossed for you

[Ed Doe]

Fitted supersprint x-pipe and rear cans

I've got an evening slot at donny booked for next Monday

Hope you don't find those two things are mutually exclusive ed.
I had to remove my ss x-pipe as too loud for most tracks and I hear that Donington have 'recalibrated' their meters, not in a good way
Fingers crossed for you

Aah s**t! Oh well fingers crossed! What exhaust are you running these days?

[TomK]

Aah s**t! Oh well fingers crossed! What exhaust are you running these days?

Yeah, let me know how you get on, I've heard varying reports... I just have the ss race backbox now, standard everywhere else. Airbox makes a bit of a racket too mind so that probably didn't help.

[Fred Smith]

Yes it sits fairly deep into the groove and there is a lot of sealant. It will work.

I am far from convinced that the hot water did much good... but it still soaking (cold now).... in the meantime, with a pen-knife, small screwdriver and gentle use of a car interior removal tool thing I got the second one apart dry in about an hour or an hour 15.