I am getting an extra set of 03-05 tail lights SUPER cheap, and am wondering if anyone knows how to get them open so I can experiment with some LED work on them. I hear the oven method doesnt work.

TIA for any help!

 

the oven method should work, or just use a heat gun to heat up the stuff holding it together and pry it apart with a screw driver. just be sure not to melt the actual assembly in the oven.

 

the oven method "should" work, but i believe the taillights are not as easy to open up as the headlights...

 

Should I use the same temp? Or do the tails need a bit more?

 

I'm pretty sure the tail lights use some sort of hard glue versus the soft black epoxy on the headlights. They'll be a little more difficult to get apart. Heating them will work, but I think you'll need to use a heat gun or something like that. The oven method might not be able to heat the glue up seperately without melting the plastic too. Plan on spending A LOT more time pulling them apart. Patience and finesse will be key with them. Don't pry too much with a screw driver, or you'll mess them up for sure. May want to try something smaller first and get the method down. The front bumper reflectors, I believe, are put together the same way (hard glue).

 

they wouldnt fit in my oven, and I didnt have a heat gun. so I went with the boiling water method.

didnt budge a fraction of a millimeter.

after grinding away it seemed it was chemicly welded together, not just siliconed. I could be totally wrong, but if it appears like its not working, it might not be. has anyone ACTUALLY opened them? even the S13 guy, looks like his tail modifications may have been done without opening the Z tail light. cant tell for sure though.

 

Ya I haven’t heard of anyone who has actually got them open be4. DREMEL TIME! jk

I don't have a heat gun, but mite be able to get my hands on one. If anyone has acutally gotten them appart let us know.

EDIT: Also on HID-Planet in the LED forums alot of people who modify there tails say it is EXTREAMLY tuff to get them open, I remember one guy said he broke 3 sets be4 getting it right on his Prelude

 

you can use a small cutting wheel and cut along the edge of the plastic lense ... at least breaking MOST of the seal then attemp the heat and it may give

 

or if heat doesnt work, try extreme cold.

you can get to 0 deg C using ice and salt and alot of it.

 

thats what I did.

the problem is, at the top of them, where they mount with the 3 bolts you cant get a cutting disk in. the plastic mount thing steps up flush with the red outer lens. youll get what I mean if you take a peek. that was the big problem. so I tried grinding it out from the back side.

eventually you can get it open, the question is if you can get it back closed, and if you can, if it is still something you want on your car.

 

edit, i did the cutting disk.

Im not sure what freezing it would do. otherwise you could use liquid nitrogen or dry ice. but I doubt either is going to solve much.