Headlight cleaning?

[Interceptor]

Did anyone try to clean the headlights on an E34? Can the reflectors be detached from the glass or is it glued together and meant not to be touched? I noticed some dust on the inside of the headlights and on the reflectors - I want to clean them because E34 has crappy headlights anyway, so why make them any worse by leaving them dirty? :)

Any advices before I start with the disassembly?

Thanx in advance!

[Jose]

Try warming them up in an electric oven up to about 150-160 C. The glue will let loose at that temperatue. Be sure to put them with the glas down, the glue drips like crazy. Remember, it's glass, it could break very easily when forced is used on the edges to separed the glass from the metal. It would be a lot easier just installing a Xenon conversion kit though...

[shogun]

on my E32 and the E34 has the same headlights. Just remove a few screws from the back. You even do not have to remove the front grill. I have a V12 engine inside, so space is limited. There had to remove both intake airboxes.
Have to mention that I have the European style headlights.
http://www.thee32register.co.uk/attach/70850/light_screws.jpg http://www.thee32register.co.uk/attach/70851/lens.jpg
here is some description (http://www.thee32register.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/topic_show.pl?pid=70757&hl=headlight&hlm=and#70757)

Before and after cleaning on my car:

http://tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich/halopics/index_004.jpg
http://tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich/halopics/index_018.jpg

[Bill R.]

his write up is for e32 but its the same process.
(http://www.aloofhosting.com/maxf/headlights.htm)













Did anyone try to clean the headlights on an E34? Can the reflectors be detached from the glass or is it glued together and meant not to be touched? I noticed some dust on the inside of the headlights and on the reflectors - I want to clean them because E34 has crappy headlights anyway, so why make them any worse by leaving them dirty? :)

Any advices before I start with the disassembly?

Thanx in advance!

[Mr Project]

Yeah it's easy to break the glass on the US-spec non-ellipsoid headlights.

Very easy.

Very, very easy.

Sigh.

[Calico_NC]

on my E32 and the E34 has the same headlights. Just remove a few screws from the back. You even do not have to remove the front grill. I have a V12 engine inside, so space is limited. There had to remove both intake airboxes.
Have to mention that I have the European style headlights.
http://www.thee32register.co.uk/attach/70850/light_screws.jpg http://www.thee32register.co.uk/attach/70851/lens.jpg
here is some description (http://www.thee32register.co.uk/cgi-bin/forum/topic_show.pl?pid=70757&hl=headlight&hlm=and#70757)

Before and after cleaning on my car:

http://tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich/halopics/index_004.jpg
http://tridem.han-solo.net/auto/erich/halopics/index_018.jpg


link doesn't work

[cschollum]

in my experince it doesnt work, on UK lights the lens is too delicate, when wiping it clean the dust scratches at the silver coating and the scratches never come off, if you try, you just wipe away the silver finish, its soo thin, you end up with the black backing showing

[Qube]

Don't touch the reflectors... wayyyyyy too delicate, even with a microfiber cloth. You'll still end up picking up the dust and scratching it. The lens is a different story. Take the surrounding grill off (heh, I'm a pro at that now) and then use a heat gun to gingerly work it off. Note that you'll need to reseal and that's a pain. So... in a nutshell... ask yourself if you really want to do that?