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      07-06-2016, 09:28 PM   #1
Vanne
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Cutting Headligjht open? DIY?

Anyone have a good DIY with pics that shows you where to cut to remove the lens on our headlights?
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      07-07-2016, 07:42 AM   #2
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Vanne,

This one has a good description with some pics.
http://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724153

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      07-07-2016, 09:59 AM   #3
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I read through the above link and have a question.

With all the "other" cars I've owned, we have ALWAYS heated up the head light housing so soften up the adhesive and then just pulled the headlight cover off. I think only one person mentions it in the above link. Is the "heat" method not possible with Z4 headlights ?? It's a lot less destructive.


I'm thinking about it because I want the inner mirrored portion to be black.
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      07-07-2016, 10:25 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tominizer View Post
I read through the above link and have a question.

With all the "other" cars I've owned, we have ALWAYS heated up the head light housing so soften up the adhesive and then just pulled the headlight cover off. I think only one person mentions it in the above link. Is the "heat" method not possible with Z4 headlights ?? It's a lot less destructive.


I'm thinking about it because I want the inner mirrored portion to be black.
The adhesive used has a melting point very similar to the plastic, so you can imagine the result.
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      07-08-2016, 01:14 PM   #5
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Last one I did was a 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman S. Opened up the headlight to paint them black. Same sort of plastic lens I would have thought. Mind you, I was using a heat gun and being fairly directional and specific as to where the heat was going.

But I do understand your point. It would be a mistake that you can't recover from.
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      07-09-2016, 05:46 AM   #6
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Yeah, its a given that the e85/86 headlight cannot be heat gunned open, so anyone care to share where to dremel it open?
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      07-09-2016, 11:42 PM   #7
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This wont be of much help, but isnt there cuts/excess glue to where they would have been connected? I would think there would be like a line where the two plastic pieces joined together.

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      07-11-2016, 08:10 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanne View Post
Yeah, its a given that the e85/86 headlight cannot be heat gunned open, so anyone care to share where to dremel it open?
Cut between the black plastik housing and the clear plastic!

Have done it a couple of times and works fine.

But please use the (original) diamond plate with your dremel. All others will crack


EDIT: melting the glue did not work. I tried it twice :-(
But I have to admit that I saw a guy opening a e85/e86 headlight with a heat gun (youtube video) once. Cannot find the source anymore :-(
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      07-11-2016, 06:37 PM   #9
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Heat gun - pry and insert tool - heat gun - pry and insert another tool - heat gun - find more tools to pry and insert. That's how I did it on cars of past.
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