Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

My Problem:
I went ahead this weekend and blacked out my headlights and i enjoyed the process, even tho it took a few days. I used a heatgun since my oven wasnt big enough. My process to reseal the lights is below. The sealant takes 24 hours to cure, its been 20 hours and it heavily rained. i dont have a garage. I noticed that there is condensation, and my main light doesnt work any more (it did before rain). However, the blinker still works. I just noticed this a few hours ago, and i will look at the wiring tomorrow. in the meantime, i still have my other headlight on my workbench, not yet installed, but ive done a much better job sealing it. I dont want to install this untill i get the other headlight fixed, for obvious reasons

My Process:
1. Line halves as close as possible to original places
2. Use heatgun to melt edges together, also using clamps to get it closer.
3. Use 100% atv silicone sealant around entire light, pushing it in deeper with flathead.

My Questions:
1. How can i get the headlight light to work?
2. How can i remove condensation?
3. Is using an aftermarket silicone sealant bad? Should i have used OEM black goo stuff instead? The DYI 06 Headlight thread gave conflicting info.


ty all. Enjoyed the process tho, hope the light isnt junked. btw, the black looks AWESOME.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

Headlights and condensation is a 9 year old subject. Not sure why it is so popular or baffling. Its pretty simple: If you seal headlights completely, they will get condensation inside. Its just science.

Waiz

iTrader: (57)

Sounds like you messed something up with your sealing of the lights, I would start there

zach711f

iTrader: (11)

i threw some silicon packages from my gun case in each light..next morning it was good to go..

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

Hm...silicon packages would be a good idea. Did you just throw them in, and left them to move about your headlight? I was thinking maybe a medium strength glue for them to the inner (non viewable) wall.

and excuse my ignorance, but i thought the whole purpose of sealing an object was that moisture WOULDNT come in. I guess there was air in there already when i sealed it, fine. Oh i get it (i think). When it comes factory sealed, all the air has been removed? So us DIY'ers have to create an airhole?

lay some knowledge on me

zach711f

iTrader: (11)

There Pretty big packets. The size Of my hand. I just put on in each head light housing where the cap comes off the back and left it in there. No problems. Fugg it

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

gotcha. would condensation explain why my main headlight stopped working last night, and as of this morning, so did my blinker? The fact that they were working perfectly when they were reinstalled (dry) would seem that water is the problem. Now i need to know if its permanent or just temp

curious, where did you buy packets that size? Home Depot?

bmccann101

iTrader: (16)

using a heat gun screwd you, then you screwed yourself by using silicone.

no one reads our DIY threads anymore..

Bret86944

iTrader: (4)

Have you tried taking out your headlight, waiting till the condensation is gone, then putting it back in?

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

how did using the heatgun screw me? People said they used it just fine, my oven is too small. And the orginial post even said use silicone, and people testified to this (and against it).

And no, i have not tried taking out the headlight. This just happened last night

bmccann101

iTrader: (16)

so not in the mood for this.. having a crappy day at workj already..

but..

with all the above you have defended yourself with.. you have water in your headlights..

so...


doesnt that stand to reason that those methods actually DONT work?
the oven scares people.. why, i dont know. Does the oven immediately lava blast your frozen pizzas? OH MY GOD ITS ON FIRE! lol.
No it doesnt, and at 210 degrees, nothings going to happen to anyones lights in 10 minutes.



Oven heats EVERYTHING>. thats why your frozen pizzas cook way better there that n microwave..

how would cooking a pizza w the heat gun turn out?

What were talking about here is " can it be done this way, versus should it be done this way..versus problematic results"




Using an oven means you can barely bend the tabs back and have the headlight remian perfectly straight nice n pretty...

you then replace a very small amount of the same original OEM oxy butyl rubber in the bead becfore re cooking them and pushing thme back to gether.

There is no OEM lighting manufacturer that will use silicone to seal the light with.
Its brittle when heated and ried out, is no where near as flexible as the OB RUbber, and theyd be dealing w the recalls for lighting, just like youre going to have to recall your lights.

Take em apart using the oven this time.. get all that silicone out, never use it again.... make sure all your headlight channels are straigh and neat, and use the right stuff and make sure they get all the way back together.

Also, if you have no fender liners, your lights will always get water in them as the vent is located in that direction, little elbow macaroni looking thing.

Im not beating you up, im just telling you why youre having issues.

My lights arent leaky... Nah-zs lights arent leaky.. and i did them both the right way.. no issues.

https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-an...r-a-local.html

https://my350z.com/forum/body-interi...-many-pix.html

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

well ****, i just got owned. but thats fine, im a learning. So....

1. How can i recall my lights? Will Nissan pay for them? ****, i dont have a wtty...
2. My oven is too small, cant totally fit the headlight. Will it work if i just leave the door open? I would have to turn it after a few minutes
3. funny you mention about my elbow macoroni tire liners. I had to drive a few miles when the paint was drying, so my bumper was off, so these had nothing to support themselves and got worn away. How hard is it to get new ones? Edit, well I need them anway. Two liners, install materials, shipped for $115. Grrr..
http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=4288

bmccann101

iTrader: (16)

1. recall your lights .. as in .. you are the manufacturer from your own DIY.. recall and fix your own work etc.
2. possibly... ive heard of that being just fine. heat will be less even tho.. .your light will be warmer near the heating element than away from it, at least far more unevenly than w th door closed.. makes sure you pull everything off the light like in my DIY links.
3. youre combining things here.. haha.. fender liners keep the water away from the "elbow macarroni" shaped snorkle vent on the back side bottom on the headlight shell, your lights arent sealed fully at all from the factory or wed all have condensation.. , but the areas where water could directly enter are well protected..
its a black elbow right under the bulb and ballaast caps.
one day in mild rain w out a fender liner and you will get water in there.. ask me how i know..
a side effect of running 22" redonk wheels on my car for a week.. boo.

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

So it sounds like i just need to get the OEM Rubber instead of silicone. Just for kicks, ill put in those big bags of silica that someone mentioned above, might help. AND i will replace my liner.

Now, will doing all of the above make my light work again? AND get rid of the existing condensation?

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

ok, i just ordered some silicia packets (cant hurt), some of that oxy butyl rubber OEM stuff, and some fender liner. I installed my 2nd light today -- it worked, but then i removed it since i didnt have the above stuff. For the first light, when uninstalled it and took out the wires, some water dripped out as well. Also, there was a wet connection in the wires to the ballast, the one that controls the main light. That would explain why the main light no longer worked, yet blinking light (on its own dry circuit) would work.

I'll post next week when the parts come.

In other news, i dont like how the paint was laid down....by me. There are a few bumps and crappy sections. Can i start all over again, this time use that adhesion for the chrome, primer, and paint? Do i have to sand first? Or am i screwed?

Version 2 should be alot better

bmccann101

iTrader: (16)

Ah yes. Remember the adage measure twice, cut once..

Tuff lesson to learn..
Hit an auto parts store n ask them.what's safe to use to strip them.. clean well..start over..

zach711f

iTrader: (11)

U can just go to Walmart by the gun section and get the silicon packages there.

Rev_Night

iTrader: (3)

crap i didnt think to check walmart (stupid). Home Depot, Michaels, and 2 other craft stores didnt have them. Oh well, i got 4 hand size packets online for $20 shipped, im fine with that. I wanted a decent size that wouldnt move around, not those little itty bitty tiny size gel packets