Who's interested in opening 04+ headlights

[kwalk]

TwinsPoppa, or anyone else else that can help. I know this is an old thread, but did you ever do that write up? I have information overload, but I really would like to try to open up my original headlights on an 03. I want to add the AE rings. I've heard that I cannot bake them or heat them (bought a heat gun especially for this). Any easy ways of doing this? Would using a dremel be the only way? Btw, I'm a chic so could you explain in layman's terms? Thanks in advance!

[Ricky Bobby]

How much patience do you have? It's possible, but you are going to need a ton of patience and time.

If you go at them with a heat gun and no oven, rest assured you will mangle the housing and or ruin them in the process.

I would bake them at 210 degrees for about 30 minutes or so just to get the housing warm, wear gloves, and take them out of the oven. Take a utility knife and cut the sealant between the channel and the lens, go around the whole lens. If you can take a small pick or something to get under the lens to the sealant on the bottom side of the channel (part of the black housing that the lens rests in), and pry a little bit, you may be able to get it in an opening.

You most likely will need to heat up the housing with several baking sessions at low heat but you probably can get them open. I don't have the patience for it however.

You can cut them open with a dremel but you will need a damn good adhesive for re-sealing everything.

[upallnight]

If you want the look of AE better to go to sleazebay and buy some aftermarket headlights. You will still need to buy the AE rings and by the time you buy the glue to reseal the headlight, they are going to look crappy anyway. Just buy new headlights and sell you old one on sleazebay. It could be a wash.

Fits 01 03 BMW x5 E53 Dual Halo Projector Headlights w Blk Housings Pair | eBay

[Ricky Bobby]

Ugh those headlights are so ugly though. LED angel eyes are only $50 for the pre-facelift, not too expensive. Like I said she just needs patience and time.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

Ugh those headlights are so ugly though. LED angel eyes are only $50 for the pre-facelift, not too expensive. Like I said she just needs patience and time.

Didn't like those??? How about these???

Fits 01 02 03 BMW E53 x5 Dual Halo Projector Headlights Lamps Lights Left Right | eBay

[mrbmwx5]

Still ugly .. Lol

[TiAgX5]

You get what you pay for........

4 Halogen Model 00 03 BMW E53 x5 LED Angel Halo Xenon Projector Headlight Depo | eBay

Don't "cheap out", go with Depo.

[Ricky Bobby]

If only the projector on the Depo wasn't worse than stock Hella I would have those

[bcredliner]

Not sure I understand what this thread is about but if it is about opening the 'permanently' sealed headlights that started mid 2002----

I found out after I had finished installing AEs and modifying one of my headlights that was not permanently sealed that I must have forgotten that the other one was replaced at some time with one that is. I decided to open it. It did take several hours to do which included removing all of the sealer but it was all about patience rather than difficulty. I heated the headlight in the oven for 20 minutes. I used a heat gun to soften the back part of the assembly to get an Xacto knife in the seal and dug out the sealer until I could shove the knife all the way through. I heated the back of the assembly when I couldn't move forward. I made the modifications and it re-sealed just fine. I used a flowing windshield adhesive that will release with heat.