Headlight lens cover replacement?
 

Has anyone figured out a way to repair a cracked headlight lens cover without buying the whole $900 headlamp assembly? I don't suppose there is any sort of aftermarket repair facility for these is there? Sure seems like a waste to throw out the entire $900 headlamp just cause the cover got a crack in it.

I have another headlight question. Does anyone make a product to cover the headlamps to protect them from getting cracked? If I'm forced to replace this for $900, I don't want it to get cracked again.

I would like to clean the inside of mine its a bit hazey

I believe the entire assembly is sealed although I've read in these pages that heat will break the seal and let you pull the two halves apart. You might also want to post a Want to Buy (WTB) in the parts for sale/wanted section and you might get lucky and find one in the color you need.

And yes, there are various overlays for the headlights, but at least anecdotally, members report that use of a film "cover" for the light lens over time can actually cause some crazing and cracking - - but I've got no personal experience on that.

It'll be interesting to see what others post. Good luck

Just followed the link above to Mike Yeager at East Coast performance-- looks like a viable option - -

Thanks! I also found a place on Ebay selling replacement lenses. I guess I know what I will be doing this week.

Well, I ordered the headlight lens cover from East Coast Performance, and I'm going to tackle replacing it myself. They provided me a good set of instruction, and I have the OEM shop manual with instructions for removing the headlight (which requires the whole front fascia be removed!)

Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes. $150 sure is whole lot cheaper than $800-$900. I'm glad someone has come up with a better solution than just buying a whole new headlight assy.

I sure hope I don't have any more get cracked from rocks, this could get expensive real fast. It makes me wish they had left the pop-up headlights on the C6.

replacement
 

Fred H. I sent u a PM about the removal etc

Well, I ordered the replacement lens form EastCoast Performance along with the glue they used, and proceded to take out the headlight assy yesterday and cook my headlight in the oven. I told my wife I was baking Corvette pie.

Man, what a royal pain!!!! Just getting the headlight out of the car was quite a bit of work. GM couldn't have designed this any worse if they had tried. What in the heck were they thinking. I sure wish they would go back to pop up headlights again. To design a headlamp that cost $900 to replace and takes half a day to get in and out of the vehicle just cause it got a crack from a rock is just insane. Maybe when they build the C7 they can make it so you have to pull out the engine to replace a turn signal bulb.

Ok, well anyway, the replacement process of the lens and instructions from EastCoast Performance were pretty straight forward, though it was a LOT of work. Especially removing the old glue. After going through this, I now understand why they charge what they do.

I'm thinking that if I ever get another cracked lens, I'm turning it in on insurance. While I was successful in replacing it myself, I'm not sure I want to go through it again.

Someone needs to publicly beat the person(s) at GM who designed the headlights for this car.

That is disappointing, because sooner or later all the lenses wil need to be replaced.

Like he said, hopefully the C7 goes back to pop up headlights...

Designed by the same engineer who put my SUV's oil filter in a spot where no matter what I do it runs all across the front end. At least it might not rust as fast.

I for some reason don't mind that so bad...

:flag:

Glad to hear it went OK for you. :cheers:

It won't since it is illegal in a lot of countries.

I would have considered an insurance claim under comprehensive damage.

Cover headlight with at least .20mm clear bra. Thick enough to stay on during car washes, and thick enough to bounce rocks off of the light.

Designing items that are difficult or next to impossible for DIY or that require special tools is no accident. Car companies made the decision long ago to put us "shade tree" mechanics out of business and force us into the dealerships for maintenance. Its not like the old days when designs were just the opposite. :sad:

I've been told that if you cover the headlights with anything, over time it will cause the lens to craze from heat build up, and you'll just end up having to replace the very lens you were trying to protect.

Glad you got it fixed and for the info that it isn't an easy fix.

That is my understanding also. I tried to buy a set of protectors from a forum dealer and was told they discontinued them for the C6 because they were getting too many complaints about damage. They still sell the covers for the lower intensity C5 and older headlights.

I don't want to discourage anyone from trying to replace the lens themselves, cause it is definitely doable. But I also don't want to mislead anyone and make them think it is a piece of cake either.

Just getting the headlight in and out of the car is a big part of the task. I won't reveal all of the secrets of the process, but basically you have to cook your headlight in the oven to remove the old lens, and then get all the old glue out and then glue in the new one. The process of replacing the lens itself probably took me about 4 hours once I had the light out of the car. I did save about $200 by doing it myself, though I'm not sure if I did as good a job as if I had sent it to RL Sebring and let him do it for me. It's a bit of a learning process, and I suspect he has done enough of them that he has perfected the technique.

I also found it that it's really easy to break off various plastic tabs on the housing, and some of the hardware is put together with locktite and hard to remove. I had to heat the three small nuts on the back to get them off the screws, and that alone took me almost an hour.

Just so long as you stay healthy and keep doing it...
:thumbs:

Secret cooking recipes?:D

Headlight removal
 

Can anyone point me to some detailed instructions on what I need to do to remove the headlights?

Call me, I will be glad to help you, we are a business and supporting vender...If we sell you something or do something for you as a service and its not right, we are liable!!!.. if an individual does it for you and somethng goes wrong you are screwed...

Who sell these cover nowdays??

Member here RLSebring often sells them, but I think he and most others are out right now. Hoping that changes.

Try contacting him or Ecklers.

No lenses are available at this time, I don't think. Hopefully they'll be on the market again. It's ludicrous what the whole assembly goes for, especially considering the high failure rate and safety issues. Any other vehicle is a fraction of that cost. Somebody really needs to get their s@&t together on these things. Since GM is making this hard on C6 owners, maybe some after market company can manufacture the lenses and get them out to those of us that need them.

If it were me and the lens got faded or small cracks....id probably at that point put tint on the lens...a light tint...looks awesome..then I'd shop junk yards for a replacement or go for two black ones...might as well get an upgrade while spending the coin.

I never liked the look of the c6 headlights....even when new.

Just a bad style bucket and bulbs in my opinion. Still I like the overall look....

Just not the headlights and bulb look. Too bad a blackout tint cracks the lenses ...it looks better when they are blacked out..

Unfortunately mine are beyond tinting. I am curious to know how the black buckets look. That gives me more choices other than Victory Red.

A friend just had one replaced (minor crash) on his tin car, list price was $1,200 just like a C6.

I recall some news stories from a few years ago about how a modern headlight assembly with HID typically costs about $1,000 per side, so the C6 is in the ballpark.

The big problem is the inability or difficulty to easily replace a lens instead of replacing the whole unit. Are other cars better or worse in that respect? I can't imagine there aren't a lot of people supplying lenses for high volume cars like Accords and Camrys, but the economics might not work for low volume cars like the C6.

EDIT:
We had the complete assemblies replaced on our 2009 about a month ago, total parts cost $1,950. I did that only because the car was taken apart and then a set of lenses I thought would be available, weren't. It was either buy the complete assemblies now or take an indefinite wait until lenses became available.
The new assemblies come complete with new bulbs, ballasts, etc; so I have presumably dodged the hassle and significant expense of replacing them later. The math shows that if you are going to keep the car a long time, the new assembly isn't as bad a deal as it first appears.

It's a hard pill to swallow and I may end up buying complete assembly's. I'd rather put that money somewhere else. It's a shame to spend that just because the lenses are bad. You'd think someone would engineer something better or use a plastic that'd last longer.

I'm sorry if this has been beaten to death, but is there anything I can do to possibly delay or prevent the headlight lens from fading and/or turning yellow? I am planning on getting mine detailed in the next month. Should I make sure he does not buff the headlights so the coating isn't removed? Mine look great right now, but coming outside to yellow/faded headlights it is probably my biggest worry. I see SO many cars with this problem down here in Florida. :ack:

Mine aren't faded or yellow. They've got small hairline cracks throughout. I'm not sure what causes that or how to prevent it. I tried to restore them with sanding polishing, but no luck. Seems the cracking is to deep.

The small cracks are called "crazing". Occasionally, someone says he polished or sanded them out, but usually they are like mrk1957 said- they are "in" the plastic instead of "on" the plastic, and thus too deep to remove. The same thing can happen to the transparent top.

Sometimes it just happens, and no one can explain why, but here are some of the reasons put forth:
1. Heat buildup inside the headlights, perhaps caused by having a rag or bra on the headlights while they are on. Clear film protectors are sometimes blamed, but not proven.
2. Chemical exposure, especially to ordinary glass cleaners. Use only cleaners recommended for plastic, GM Glass Cleaner (white foamy stuff in a spray can) is good.
3. Pressure or impacts, though that would normally only effect one area of the lens.
4. UV from sunlight, though that more often causes clouding or yellowing.

Since the "abuse' that caused the crazing may have occurred months or years before the problem showed up and may have been done by a shop or previous owner, it becomes especially hard to figure out.

I agree, not out of line at all.

Though it'd be nice if there was a HID high-beam option, by this stage of the game.

Possible
 

I have a theory on some of the problem, you are right about the heat build up
Some of that heat is coming from that running light inside on all the time. It can be turned off which is I do now, after replacing my lens the first time

looking
 

I am looking for someone to glue in my lens.
I was able to find a set of lights and was able to get the old lenses off,
I hear there is a special glue needed and the rubber gaskets ( I don't have these)
I'd rather have someone that knows what they are doing glue them all back together:willy:

contact RLSebring..............forum vendor here and located in Florida...........search for his recent topics on new lenses for additional contact info.

Thank you. For the info