Late 2016 Headlights Thread - Early 2017
 

Spent a short time looking at the offerings on ebay and did not see anything worth buying just as a ~set~....

Currently, one of the adjustment rods that hold the assembly in my headlights are broken. Drivers side projects Sits low....

I already have a 2nd set that I need to gut open to swap this part, as this part was not something I scoured online for just as a part.

I was planning to polish out the donor set of lenses as well when it came time to reseal time. My current set has very minute micro-crazing, cracking. Not sure if it possibly due to the heat of my DUAL projector setup...

Anyhow, while looking online at headlights, noticed there was replacement lense covers for my Headlights. Don't know if it's OE/OEM equivalent, but a brief look at the Ebay sellers ratings seemed worth the shot.

So while the lense covers get here from Bulgaria, or something of that like
compiling the list

-Replace Leveling rod
-Replace Lense Covers
-TBD : Possibly order direct from Xpel - Headlight Kit or get it refilmed


FYI definitely prevents the typical UV haze from forming.
I've def. had 3M and Ventureshield film covers on the lenses and maybe it's the computer plot, but the fitment sucks. It's close, but it does not really wrap to the outside corner proper.

For those with Xpel covers purchased direct from XPEL, love to hear how the fit/fitment is.

I'd like to avoid having this re-filmed by my PPF guy, as this is something where I'm not looking to spend more money as is, on this sorta thing....

J don't you have facelift? Those are permasealed. Not easy in the least to open to swap lenses.

Pre Retrofitted Dual Projectors.

The replacement set I picked up just to get that pesky leveling arm....have not even looked at this. Picked them off from someone locally off CL. Permaseal or not, the lenses are coming off to get that arm.

----Edit
Cancelled my order for the lenses. ? on plastic quality.
I suppose refurb on lenses is the OE way to go..

I would refurb OE lenses - then get Xpel Ultimate or Opti-Lens coating for them -

I swapped the leveling arms/motors from my OE lights on to my retrofitted Spyder lights - I just moved most of the parts I could since my 2003 lights were permasealed -

I saw the E53 lenses on Ebay too about a year ago, $100 coming from Slovakia or something, did not know what type of quality either -

I'm a huge fan of film....
Have not used Opti-Lens

Prior cars with film, ie, ventureshielf (formerly trumped by Xpel Ultimate)
There was one area that hazed up due to enviromental, and the rest (meaning the plastic under the film if not the film) was still clear. Granted, there is a smigen of cloudiness on the film, but that's just the nature of film...

MOST people don't get the fact that ppf is extremely porous. Don't let the naysayers tell you otherwise. My ppf guy won't install film on white cars. I've removed film off X cars and when the film is yellow. You don't see this clarity issue on paint....but yeah, raw film takes in the gunk ...

Totally agree - on white cars you need to replace the PPF after 3-4 years TOPS, mine was pretty yellow on my 2008 GLI (I had a white car) and I'm religious about decontamination and protection but you just can't help it with clear film it will turn yellow regardless - I had VentureShield at the time but it applies to all films

I have Xpel Ultimate on my retrofitted headlights and it has held up great - would not hesitate to protect other sets of lenses with it -

Anyone here tried LamniX sheets for the headlights on these? Always heard good things about it on other models. Was going to try them next time I refinish my headlights.

Also saw those lenses awhile ago... but was so pleased with the way my OE ones turned out I nixed the idea of replacing the lenses with aftermarket.

Regarding films, I like Lamin-X over Xpel. The Xpel we had turned hard and hazed up after a year or 2. Plus, it's harder to install. The Lamin-X stayed clearer and softer for much longer than Xpel. I'm on year #6 on the Lamin-X for the coupe and it's getting dull now, ready for a change. My other Lamin-X on the X5 is going on year #3 and it's still clear

never used laminx. Current rides have Xpel Ultimate on various areas depending on the body. On the X, it's just all 4 doors, below the rocker. At one point, I had the whole hood, bumper, etc wrapped.

A sleeper brand, or one one my next ~try~ list is Sunktek. But this more if a PPF guy does it.

DKL, how was your ~precut~ from Laminx. I've never had any good precuts and for the last prior to the current lights being custom cut, the plot/cut from Venture was terrible. Granted there is a art in install/stretching tolerances, but not 3-4"

Yes, I was using precut from both Lamin-X and Xpel. The Lamin-X precut for the coupe was perfect. However, on the X5, it's a bit less than perfect (only a tiny bit off if I'm being picky - less than an eighth of an inch if I recalled), but still very good for the headlights - this is probably due to the stretching/tolerances during installation since our headlights are somewhat long with wrap-around curves. The precut for the fogs are about a quarter inch too small, but enough to fill the lens, with the plastic cover covering the rest.