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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCH2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Leading reported evidence
Replace because they got so many complaints
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
They changed because they got so many complaints, but most of those complaints came from the fried egg headlights from the early 996's that were shared with the Boxster because 1.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Frequently discussed work
Repair shops, will claim you need
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
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Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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Suggestion · Original poster
Often dealerships, detailers, or repair shops, will claim you need to buy new headlights once they have cleaned the lenses and notice they have condensation or HID haze within them.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Read full discussion summary
Leading evidence: 'Replace because they got so many complaints' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'inside of the headlamps and not' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Repair shops, will claim you need' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I used a company called Doctor Headlight to refinish mine.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Use polish made
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
2) Then used a polish made for headlights and a buffer (Griots)
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
inside of the headlamps and not
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
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0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause · Original poster
He said that all the places looked at it and said that the problem is inside of the headlamps and not on the outside and that for 996 it is common to replace the whole headlamps if you want to resolve the problem.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
on step 1
Suggestion or failed attempt
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
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Suspected cause
I think my biggest problem was on step 1, when I was wet sanding I couldn't get my entire headlight to glaze over as it calls for.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Frequently discussed actions (10)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Repair shops, will claim you need
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Often dealerships, detailers, or repair shops, will claim you need to buy new headlights once they have cleaned the lenses and notice they have condensation or HID haze within them.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Replace because they got so many complaints
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
They changed because they got so many complaints, but most of those complaints came from the fried egg headlights from the early 996's that were shared with the Boxster because 1.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Replace whole headlamps if you want
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
He said that all the places looked at it and said that the problem is inside of the headlamps and not on the outside and that for 996 it is common to replace the whole headlamps if you want to resolve the problem.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Reported and suspected causes (2)
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
inside of the headlamps and not
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Identified cause
1
Suspected cause
0
Reported fixes
Read evidence and context
Discussions that suspect a cause
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suspected cause · Original poster
He said that all the places looked at it and said that the problem is inside of the headlamps and not on the outside and that for 996 it is common to replace the whole headlamps if you want to resolve the problem.
2003 996 Headlights Can't be Restored and must be replaced??
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
52 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
6SpeedOnline: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
Still not happy enough to use a plastic sealant over my job
So my father has a 2003 yellow 996 that he absolutely loves, but he isn't so great with getting on message boards etc, so I'm asking for him.
The other day he was telling me that since his headlights look all foggy and bad that he was going to call a few places to get them restored. He said that all the places looked at it and said that the problem is inside of the headlamps and not on the outside and that for 996 it is common to replace the whole headlamps if you want to resolve the problem. Well I find this hard to believe, and quite expensive to buy OEM headlamps. The OEM halogen headlamp assembly is about $2700 total, and the oem xenon is about $5500. I notice that bosch sells a headlight assembly but not sure if it looks exactly like OEM.
http://www.paragon-products.com/Left...631.157.07.htm
Anyways, I'm attaching some pictures below, but is there anyway that these headlamps can be restored without having to replace them? And if so by what type of shop? Thank you all for your help, it may be able to save him thousands!
Note sure if this has been suggested before.
To extend an idea started in this post:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...onversion.html
borrowing some pics from other 6speed postings.
thoughts on the following:
Make a one piece fender that covers the headlight leaving only ovals, leaving a portion of the headlight exposed. Fog light could be re-wired if required to LED strip or equivelant. Delete the headlight washer.
stick on ring trim to fuse the gaps.
May be a bracket could be made to mount the light to the car first and fenders go ontop. If possible, bracket allows headlamp rest slightly lower on trunk edge side allowing room for modified fender align to trunk lid. swapping bulbs will be a hassle but perhaps the fenders could be designed to come off easily
while at it, why not make wide fenders +15mm that provide mounting points for OEM fender liners to reattach.
I've restored countless 996 lenses.... Upon close examination it will appear the 'haze' is inside the lense, it's not. You'll need to cut the top layer to get rid of the oxidation. Easiest way is to remove the lense completely with the supplied lock tool in his kit, pop it out and prop it up against a wall on table so you can apply firm pressure. Take your time and it's quite simple, you'll be amazed. Worst case scenario you're out 25 bucks. Give it a shot:
http://3mcollision.com/products/head...9008-4218.html
(You can get 3M's kit from O'Rielly's or WalMart, as well as a number of other parts stores)
Can you try taking them apart and doing the lens restoration on the inside, if indeed the problem isn't on the outside surface of the light assembly? I've not had to do this with mine, but on the other side of the coin, if I get a flat, I'm going to fix the tire, not buy new rims, pads and full brake system.
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just photochopped. yellow car is a recent member post. it has the headlight covers.
Any aero vendor comments on feasibility? Pretty sure there'll be enough interest to do a group buy.
I agree, but for whatever reason shops have told him that the plastic is too flexible or light or something and that a restorer kit won't work and will scratch it up more than anything. iJeremy are you sure its not on the inside? My dad is fairly handy but not great, he can pop out the headlights and use the restorer kit on the outside, but I'm not sure he will be able to successfully get into the headlamp assembly to restore it, unless its very easy.
So the majority opinion is that new headlamps wont be needed and this will be able to be corrected with a standard 3m restorer kit? I don't have a buffer or anything...
I like the idea of the yellow car. I prefer our head lights, but having the option of changing our head lights to the classic look occationally is pretty cool too.
Where are you located at? My brother just restored my headlamps on 02 Targa. They looked similar to yours, at one point i thought the sun was baking them so long that the actual acrylic cracked. But after 4 hours of sanding and special acrylic finish, they came out like new.
Honestly, I think the 996TT headlights look great! They changed because they got so many complaints, but most of those complaints came from the fried egg headlights from the early 996's that were shared with the Boxster because 1. they weren't the most aesthetically pleasing and 2. 911 owners DO NOT want to have the face of the car look exactly the same as a lower end car. They paid a premium and they want everyone who's in front of them to know it. If the 996's had come with the 996TT's headlights to begin with (they eventually changed to them in '02) I'm sure the complaints would have been to a minimum.
If you're afriad to give it a shot box them up and mail them to me... I have no problem lending a hand, shipping there and back will be a lot cheaper than replacements. Otherwise just give it a go... the first two pads will make you think you've made them worse, then suddenly as you polish at the third step they start to look like new. PM me if you need help.
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All of this is a great idea and completely do-able. I looked into this and the only thing holding me back are the fenders. If I could get someone to do some custom sheet metal work so there was a proper round/oval head light opening, then I'd be home free. I even found a way to modify the headlights and update them to HID at the same time while using the old hardware for connection. Just now trying to find someone to do the fenders.
mad ness,
love the thought put into your post.
only thing is for vendors and prospective upgraders, it would probably be cheaper to acutally do the 997 front end rather than fab up custom fenders and the additional parts.
to do a 997, you have to have...
lights, hood, front bumper, fenders
to do this 996 custom job, you have to have...
lights, fenders, custom fabbed mounts, and whatever else it would entail...
im guessing that most vendor/shops would either jack the price up to recoup the cost of the r&d that it would probably be cheaper to do the authentic 997 front end. not to mention that you could still salvage parts from the conversion to offset cost. (not that you couldnt on the 996 assuming you werent going to add pieces to the 996 front)
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photo of the yellow car originally had the headlamp garnish widely avaialable. i photoshopped it try to show another angle on a full fender conversion. but yea that could be an alternative.
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dont get me wrong, i like the 996 look. dont think it looks bad. just think oval looks nicer.
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Yes agree it's completely doable. Doing custom sheet metal work might be the first step for the aero maker, then use this to make a mould.From that high quality composit or CF, batched production runs.
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If every thing worked out. The minimum to do this conversion, is a custom composite or carbon fender, and a custom bracket for the light. Those that want replacements for the fogs, it would be ontop.
From the manufacturing stand point, cost of materials is low. R&D for the 997 full OEM conversion was probably equal in difficulty/time, if not more. However, I think this kit would churn out much higher volume sales. From the profit margin angle, gross margin on a kit like this would probably be higher than the 997 oem kit, since most of the stuff is done inhouse, material costs are low.
From the customer's side, I recall a full oem 997 conversion is like 15k isnt it? Don't see a fender/bracket kit like this needing to cost anything over 3-5k (in high quality carbon/kevlar)
Side thought on the fender, if the addition fender portion had fixtures on trunk and frong bumper side, this would hold the shape in place long term.
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for the "cover" IMO would look better than the ones that have provisions for fog and washer but the line between the headlight and the fender dont work for me at all. Dont think i'd do it. But for those who do the film tape color change, this may work.
under the head light cover method, would look something like this:
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Thanks, my dad is on vacation and will be back next week, I'll show him the thread and ask him what he wants to do in general, he's fairly handy so he might give it a go.
I used a company called Doctor Headlight to refinish mine. They did it at my house in about an hour. It was $90, and it has a lifetime warranty. They polish out the imperfections and then coat the lens with a UV protector. They don't look 100% brand new, but they look pretty damn good. I'm happy with their service.
More details on the process with some photos below.
The tech started by wet sanding the headlights with an emulsifier. He hand sanded progressively, going from 320 to 600 to 1,000 to 1,500 to 2,500 grit. He then treated the lenses with a conditioner, and finally 3 coats of epoxy applied from a small air gun.
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I did this back in the day when I had my Slate Grey 996 Turbo. I really liked the look. I feel that this is how the car should have come from the factory.
Awesome thanks Dennis, I'll give them a call and see what they say. I noticed this was interesting from their site:
Is any of the cloudiness inside the lenses?
Yes, generally 40% of all headlight assemblies have cloudiness that is within the light assembly itself. Often dealerships, detailers, or repair shops, will claim you need to buy new headlights once they have cleaned the lenses and notice they have condensation or HID haze within them. Services often lie to customers and claim expensive replacement is their only alternative, this is simply not true. We can dry, clean and reseal any headlight Failed assembly -- Guaranteed New or It's Free!
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buy the 3m kit and do it yourself and surprise him...it's very easy...I used it on my clk 500 and they look new...just tape around the headlights...no need to remove them !
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It looks like I'm going to go with Dr. Headlight, haven't seen a bad review on them yet, and the big difference is the epoxy sealant they use that comes with a lifetime guarentee, I've heard the different kits don't last for more than a year before it goes back to how it was.
You can seal them yourself with the 3M kit as well, the link I originally posted has their sealants if you back up a page... And it's so easy to pop the headlight out that I recommend that over taping around it incase you dig the edge of the pad in. It will go right through the tape, and possibly your paint. Much easier to snap the light out, then back in.... Plus this lets you get all over the headlight at angles that are tough to do on the car.
For a first go at it, try Novus #2 plastic polish. You literally rub it on and wipe it off with a soft cloth. Apply wax thereafter, and often, as you have actually removed the outer "skin" of the clear plastic that hazed over. This stuff is amazing.
Guys... I just started mine last night with the 3M kit...
Take your time and you'll get amazing results. I took the actual light to my kitchen and got to work....
Notice a difference?
Agree with those who say it can be fixed DIY style. I removed mine from my 2003 Turbo and did the following:
1) Wet Sand with 2000 grit wet dry sand paper. It takes a lot of time and do not rush this. About 30 minutes per headlight.
2) Then used a polish made for headlights and a buffer (Griots)
3) I removed the headlight washer covers so I would not scratch them. Be very careful with those plastic tabs. If you break one, you have to buy the whole washer unit as the plastic covers are not sold separately from the washer unit.
After this I placed clear headlight film already cut for the headlights. Looks great!
There is simple inexpensive headlight restoration kit available on amazon that works great. It a little unknown for now but man this kit is simply amazing. When we used it I was like daaaaam!! The light were like a new pair. I just couldn't believe it. It is called the EZ4U2 kit on Amazon. Check it out. In about an hour your light will be like new and the nice thing is you don't have to use any power tools. We are still happy with the results 8 months later.
http://tinyurl.com/obulxs8
Not to bump a really old thread, but I used the 3m kit last week and now have lots of little quarter sized hazy areas...
I think my biggest problem was on step 1, when I was wet sanding I couldn't get my entire headlight to glaze over as it calls for. I thought maybe I was using too much water but any less and it felt like I was dry sanding my headlight and I didn't like that. Suggestions?
when wet sanding you should use a lot of water. The paper and surface should be wet all the time. Put a drop of dish soap in the bucket of water that you are using.
Did I just not spend enough time on Step 1? (About 5 minutes of wet sanding per headlight)
*Either way, I only improved my headlights by about 10-15%... Still not happy enough to use a plastic sealant over my job
^Yhea^ There's no set amount of time it should take, but I'd guess 5 min. was
not nearly
enough. Basically what your looking for is a totally uniform, yet "scary looking" surface ! i.e. You wont believe that you haven't ruined the lights - rest assured you haven't, but as you can tell, it'll take some work to get them polished out...Let the paper/abrasive do the work (not too much pressure or you'll wind up with an uneven surface) and use plenty of water! ** Make sure you do a thorough job with each grade of paper/abrasive...Good Luck
