getting the plastic lens off of tailights

[lostforawhile]

This has been posted at sometime in the past, but I wanted to pass it on, if you need to remove the clear plastic over the taillights on these cars, this is the way to do it:
before doing this remove all bulbs,wiring harnesses, and the box that tells you when your brake lights are out.

1. Get a large pot of water

2. use a meat thermometer and bring the water to just over 180 degrees

3. remove from heat

4. stir water to make sure it's an even temperature

5. submerge light housing in water, let water fill inside of bulb area also. after about 3 to 4 minutes remove

6. take a screwdriver, or a putty knife, start prying at one end, pry VERY carefully, the mastic should let go with almost no pressure, on a hatch lamp, start at the non rounded end, work your way on both sides, if the light cools, put it back in the water again. this should allow the cover to come off very easy. once it's off, submerge the cover back in the water, remove and carefully scrape away the old mastic Do the same with the light housing, make sure also the lens tab slots are clear.

7. clean and do whatever to housing you want

8. install new mastic and carefully press lens cover back in place.

[A18A]

dunno how well it works for tail lights, but ive put headlights in the oven for a few mins to heat up that gluey stuff to make removing the lens easy

[lostforawhile]

dunno how well it works for tail lights, but ive put headlights in the oven for a few mins to heat up that gluey stuff to make removing the lens easy

I don't trust the oven too much of a chance to melt them with direct heat, the water also gets inside of the lens and heats the mastic from the inside at the same time as the outside.

[gp02a0083]

i've taken apart a few hatchback taillights , it seems using hot water is the best to loosen up the tar/glue they use to keep them together. Only comment ill say about using hot water is that the plastic is prone to cracking.

[lostforawhile]

i've taken apart a few hatchback taillights , it seems using hot water is the best to loosen up the tar/glue they use to keep them together. Only comment ill say about using hot water is that the plastic is prone to cracking.

thats why I use a thermometer, I think 180 and below is ok, I can take the light out,dump out the water, and sill handle the light without burning myself, i didn't seem to have any issues with the plastic at all.

[gp02a0083]

ive used the hottest water that comes out of the tap in my house, i fill the light also with water and "hang" it there so the weight of the water pops the lens off from the inside out. what i was saying from the last post is that any bending of the lens will crack it when its warmed up, for example the corner of the rear hatch tails.