Headlights

[David Mader]

So am I to assume that every headlight with over 30,000 miles has the burned lens cover?

 

[LSNot]

So am I to assume that every headlight with over 30,000 miles has the burned lens cover?

"Burned"?!


My have a few small crack up by the fold

 

[David Mader]

Is the upper lens/light supposed to amber or clear? I’ll thought the heat discolored it?

 

[IAN]

David

The lens is clear and the bulb is amber, a recall was made by GM, was XLR been repaired of the over heat amber bulb and the defective socket.....may be not.

IAN

 

[David Mader]

Was yours repaired by GM or was it out of warranty?

 

[David Mader]

In the photo you attached, it looks like yours is discolored.

 

[LSNot]

My lenses are smoke clear coated - they are one of the things that look perfect on the car(almost)



Ah, that explains the replacement looking stuff on the back of the headlights

 

[IAN]

Enclosed are photos fron my repair XLR album, made from many years.

A used excellent headlight with a clear indicator lens, note the amber bulb, also is the lens it self of how it looks like.

Hope that will help.

IAN

 

[LSNot]

Oh, I be darned - this is the first time I looked close enough to see it. I looked real closely after reading all this - they r toasted! Oh, that Cadillac

 

[Gord]

Oh, I be darned - this is the first time I looked close enough to see it. I looked real closely after reading all this - they r toasted! Oh, that Cadillac

Ignore 'em! Drive the car and enjoy it!

 

[LSNot]

Ignore 'em! Drive the car and enjoy it!

Oh, I wish - I need to do swap my coil packs & do the valve covers, sine they are leaking into the spark plug gallies



With my amazing vision I srsly thought these were amber colored - oh well, part of its charm

 

[Stefan]

Hi all, I would like to take the headlight assembly apart myself and do some improvements behind the lens. I've done this on other cars a long time ago, using the oven to heat up the assembly. Been looking around here for an instruction for the XLR headlight specifically. We all know the price tag for replacement ones, so I prefer not to fail this time ...

Recommended temperature and "barbecue time" would be perfect to know. A video? Or can it be performed with an ordinary heating gun perhaps? It's like holding an ancient vase from a museum in your hands, this headlight ... Don't drop!

Thank you/Stefan

 

[mickeytee]

danger danger. The headlights on these cars are super sensitive to repair. The outer lens clear is bonded to the reinforcement ring greenish gray. I dotn know of anyone that has found the actual process of how that is done. In 2006 when GM upgraded the lights and changed manufactures they got it wrong and they are known for the outer lens blowing off the headlight. That is why all the spares are gone to replace those many lights that failed.. The inner reinforcement ring is glued to the gray plastic housing with a butyl type product but unlike 90% of cars it gets very hard and is hard to soften up even with heat. The temperature to loosen the seal is just a little less than the temp that will release the outer lens .Once the outer lens comes off , I have not seen anyone that can bond it back without showing up and looking pretty awful. I have done a couple and a heat gun and very slowly working the temp up has gotten positive results. I also manufacture the inner lens DRL. Some people just pour the heat to them, pop them apart and keep on going . I am not that brave. show us what you come up with.

 

[Stefan]

Mickeytee, this was exactly what I needed, experience from someone who has done this before. Thanks a lot! Well, we'll see how it will turn out for me, final decision still to be made ...

 

[Arandich]

So am I to assume that every headlight with over 30,000 miles has the burned lens cover?

Nope. Mine are in perfect condition close to 50K. So hard to know unless the car had a previous owner

 

[mickeytee]

they will all burn the upper DRL unless you either turn off the running light or replace the bulb with an led. The bulb sits too close to the DRL lens. Its the heat and time on more so than mileage I have seen a few with 60k ,miles with jus ta little burn and some with 30 that had already cracked and fallen apart. 04/05 are the worse .

 

[Stefan]

In my case no problem with burned upper lens, for the simple reason that there were no daytime running light requirements on export models (I'm in Sweden). That upper lens is only used for the turn signal here.

I have other reasons for wanting to get inside my headlights. Stains on the inside of the lens, probably from previous moisture problems.

 

[pure zen]

Stef,,, I think I would leave well enough alone if its just moisture issues that are bothering you. JMO

You might end up with worse appearing headlights than you currently have,,,,

 

[Stefan]

Yes, you're probably right. Maybe the risk isn't worth taken. Thanks for the insight!