Opening up the front sidelights...

[logicalChimp]

Ok - to continue my string of noddy questions, how do i get the front cover/lens bit off my sidelights? They are a bit yellow with age, and need to be cleaned up.

They look like \'99 spec ones (from the front) - and have what look like 3 clips along the top, and another three along the bottom.  All six clips are nested in what appears to be old chewing gum (probably some sort of sealant, i guess?)

Anyway - i\'ve tried depressing the clips using various tools (mainly my thumb, a small screwdriver, and a larger screwdriver) - but none of them budge... nor do they exhibit any feeling that they might budge if I put more force on...

so - any ideas how I can get them open?  

I\'ll try to post some pics when i get a chance - didn\'t get the chance tonight, as they were the last thing on my list...

[SmbFD3S]

Do you mean the outside is yellowed or the inside ?
 
All i did with mine was take them out and polished them up with the polishing mop on the bench grinder and they came up a treat didn\'t need to seperate them...

[logicalChimp]

Both sides are yellowed...  I\'ve scrubbed the outside with meguirs plastic cleaner (and followed with the polish) and they do look a lot better - but they are still slightly yellow, so i\'d like to get inside to finish them off...

[logicalChimp]

Ok - heres a couple of pics...

This is the actual side-light unit (can\'t remember whether this is topside or bottom):


And this is a close-up of the center catch:


So - am I right in thinking that the stuff around the catch is a sealant?  And does anyone have any ideas how I can get this thing open without breaking something?

cheers

[Philo]

I have tried to prise mine open, while my car was being resprayed. Could not release a single clip. Still they came up much better with just a strong polish on the outside.

[SmbFD3S]

The clips are likely to be plastic welded to the housing aswell as sealant to stop water getting in.  I would just do the outside as best you can to be honest rather than risk cracking the plastic

[Eddie]

Used a heat gun separated my rear lights, takes about 10 mins of gentle heating so you don\'t melt the plastic, then separate with a lot of care.

Cheers

[logicalChimp]

Hmm - well, as I don\'t have a heat gun, and they have come up OK after a couple of external polishes, I guess I\'ll leave them for now - plenty more work to do yet...

[SmbFD3S]

Used a heat gun separated my rear lights, takes about 10 mins of gentle heating so you don\'t melt the plastic, then separate with a lot of care.
 
Cheers

Rear lights are different they are screwed and sealed.  Dont think the front sidelights were ever meant to come apart and are a sealed unit

[Nik da Greek]

I took my front sidelights apart to de-fried-eggify them (technical term meaning took the orange bits out) and cos they were almost green with oxidisation and gunge. It\'s not easy and you\'re almost guaranteed to crack at least one tab off, but it can be done. You need a heat gun and two long screwdrivers to pry them apart with, that stuff like black manky chewing gum seals all the way round the perimeter, not just where the clips are, but if you can get one clip separated it becomes a lot easier from there on in.

The best way to start is to wedge the first screwdriver in from the back of the clip (where the sealant\'s sticking out in your photo, may need to pare some away with a knife to get into it), then to pry the two halves of the case apart with the other one having first heated it with the heat gun. The first screwdriver allows the clip to slide out under the outer casing as you pry with the second, if that makes sense.

You can see that you need at least three hands most of the time doing this! If you haven\'t got a heat gun, a sink of really hot water will help, with the disadvantages that 1) it makes everything slippery and hard to hold and 2) you\'ll keep burning yourself! That\'s it, have fun !

I\'m sure I posted these before somewhere, but just to prove it can be done:
Before with nasty fried egg look and manky lens;
[ATTACH]39932[/ATTACH]

After, de-fried-eggified with lovely clear lens as God and Mazda intended! :Thumbs-up
[ATTACH]39933[/ATTACH]

(p.s. these are available for sale, if anyone\'s interested? I\'ve got a set of crystal ones now, so these ones are surplus to requirements. They\'re sealed back up with silicone, never leaked in about a year on the car. The edges are slightly chewed where I took em apart, but you can\'t see that when they\'re in place. Make me an offer? Cheeky hi-jack over!)

Quick edit: those ones in your photo don\'t look like the late model sidelights to me, mate, look the same as my early-spec ones?...

[logicalChimp]

Yup

Having seen some late model ones, i realise I was talking out the rear end - they are in fact the same as yours Nik

And yeah - mine were a nasty yellowy-brown.  I did actually read the thread you put up (it\'s where I got the idea to clean mine, and the polish/cleaner to use ), so I don\'t why I didn\'t think to look there for tips on opening..

By the way - what did you use to re-seal them with?  I\'m guessing the old sealant won\'t be much use, and will need to be replaced?

[Nik da Greek]

Yeah, the old sealant will most likely be rock-hard by now (hence the need for heat!) so you\'ll have to spend ages scraping it all out so it doesn\'t get in the way of re-sealing them. I found a chisel-bladed craft knife ideal for this, but careful not to stick it into any of your favourite fingers like I did! I used a Loctite silicone-based sealant to glue them back together, can\'t remember the product number, sorry, but I guess pretty much any silicone sealant would do the job, it\'s a pretty tight fit once all stuck back together, so the sealer doesn\'t really need to act as glue as such, just stop moisture getting in

[Philo]

Mine arn\'t bad but i like yours more.

The Soarer forum have a similar issue with their headlights. Baking the lights in an oven for a time to make the sealant gooey has been recommended. I may have a go this weekend.

Should i end up with burnt lights.. Nik,  what are you after for yours?

[Nik da Greek]

Hmmm, might\'ve just been a waste of my time typing out that "for sale" thread, then :Thumbs-up!
I\'d only be looking for, like £20 or so, as I put on the thread I just submitted. I guess it\'ll take a while for a mod to approve it, though, so that\'s not a lot of use atm, is it? :Giggle

[Philo]

If that £20 includes delivery consider it done. You can email me at phil^@^ Cutcliffe.net  (remove the ^).