Removing plastic lenses on ellipsoid headlights

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ytr1903
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 10:38 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Removing plastic lenses on ellipsoid headlights

Post by ytr1903 »

Hi everyone,

The plastic lenses on my 89 have dirt and other gunk on the inside of them. Has anyone tried to remove and clean them. I was able to polish the outside of the them and remove any scratches. The grilles are removed, but it looks like the plastic is some glued to the headlight assembly.

Thanks,
Tom
1989 BMW 635Csi Automatic 3268183
2006 3.0 Z4 Convertible 6 speed
User avatar
dwcains
Posts: 1465
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:01 am
Location: Lutz, FL

Re: Removing plastic lenses on ellipsoid headlights

Post by dwcains »

Rather tha taking the lenses off, it may be possible to wash them, using warm soapy water. I've done this multiple times with the non-ellipsoid H1 or H4 headlamps, which often get a white film on the inside of the lens (the source of which has always been a mystery to me). After washing with the warm soapy water, I rinse them several times with distilled water, and then finally with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol, which eaves them clean and spot-free. This is an old low-res pic, but here's a before/after on one of my Alfa H4 headlamps:

Image
Dean
Lutz, FL

'85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
'87 Spider Veloce
'92 Spider Veloce
'08 350Z

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ytr1903
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 10:38 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Re: Removing plastic lenses on ellipsoid headlights

Post by ytr1903 »

Hi Dean,

Thanks for the reply. I got up early this morning and looked at them again. It turns out that if you just get your fingernails behind the edge of the plastic lens, it will, with a little patience and careful prying, come off. I put a warm solution of water and dish soap inside of them and gently worked the accumulated dirt off. I then rinsed and dried them, polished the inside and out with polishing compound and a microfiber cloth. Other than a few pits on the outside, they look like new. Thanks, again.

Tom
1989 BMW 635Csi Automatic 3268183
2006 3.0 Z4 Convertible 6 speed
User avatar
dwcains
Posts: 1465
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 6:01 am
Location: Lutz, FL

Re: Removing plastic lenses on ellipsoid headlights

Post by dwcains »

Good for you. I've never had the chance to see how the ellipsoids are assembled, and I wouldn't have guessed they had plastic lenses until you described them.
Dean
Lutz, FL

'85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
'87 Spider Veloce
'92 Spider Veloce
'08 350Z

Image
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