Headlight Bezels

aross1974

Member
:
2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0
I know this has probably been discussed. Am mulling over whether or not to buy P5 assemblies or just change them out with sedan ones since they are a fraction of the cost. My sedan had great lighting at night when I had it. Heard the P5 is better however Im struggling with how much these cost. Other than the sockets and wiring (which I can get from
rock auto) from the sedan being different is there anything else I need to know before I start ordering parts? The headlights that are on it are just baked from being exposed to Arizona sun and heat. Thanks in advance, you all are amazing folks and I truly appreciate all of your feedback.
 
What exactly is wrong with your P5?

IMO they have great lights, especially with foglights.

Nothing is wrong other than they are browned and peeling from 15 years of Arizona. My daughter drives the car so Id like them to be better for nigh time use. The fog lights currently do not work.
 
Nothing is wrong other than they are browned and peeling from 15 years of Arizona. My daughter drives the car so Id like them to be better for nigh time use. The fog lights currently do not work.

Ah, UV damage. Polishing helps somewhat, and the fogs add a huge amount of light. There's a guy in the classified section who parts out cars and has a stack of foglights for sale cheap.

I just corrected my daily/project P5 from sedan headlights to P5 lights (somewhere in it's sordid past some idiots wood-screwed a sedan front bumper and lights on the poor thing after a wreck) and the P5 lights are definitely better.
 
Ah, UV damage. Polishing helps somewhat, and the fogs add a huge amount of light. There's a guy in the classified section who parts out cars and has a stack of foglights for sale cheap.

I just corrected my daily/project P5 from sedan headlights to P5 lights (somewhere in it's sordid past some idiots wood-screwed a sedan front bumper and lights on the poor thing after a wreck) and the P5 lights are definitely better.

Yeah, Im thinking mine is either a relay or switch issue on the fogs. The sedan bezels are much cheaper which was why I was asking.
 
Where in az you located? I live in AZ and have stock P5 lights I'm willing to sell. I can clean em up a bit and give a picture in great condition.
 
If the plastic lenses are the only issue, I'd try this before buying new headlights.

1. Grab some toothpaste and a damp rag. Apply some toothpaste to the rag and work it into the lenses. Wipe the area clean. If the headlight looks much cleaner, all you need to do is wetsand and polish the outer side of the lenses, and finish with a couple of coats of clear.

2. If the outer side clears up, but the inside still looks oxidized, you'll have to take the headlight apart. You'd do this by baking each headlight in an oven. When the sealant between the lens and the housing has warmed up enough, you can separate the lenses from their housings, then give them a good wetsand and polish, followed by a couple of coats of clear. Can be done in a day or two, including drying time, disassembly/reassembly, and uninstall/install. I did this when I took apart my 99 Accord's headlights to retrofit some projectors into the housings.

Of course, there is a risk of melting the plastic if the housings are not OEM, but if you don't rush the heating process (or if you use a heat gun instead), it's relatively easy.

 
If the plastic lenses are the only issue, I'd try this before buying new headlights.

1. Grab some toothpaste and a damp rag. Apply some toothpaste to the rag and work it into the lenses. Wipe the area clean. If the headlight looks much cleaner, all you need to do is wetsand and polish the outer side of the lenses, and finish with a couple of coats of clear.

2. If the outer side clears up, but the inside still looks oxidized, you'll have to take the headlight apart. You'd do this by baking each headlight in an oven. When the sealant between the lens and the housing has warmed up enough, you can separate the lenses from their housings, then give them a good wetsand and polish, followed by a couple of coats of clear. Can be done in a day or two, including drying time, disassembly/reassembly, and uninstall/install. I did this when I took apart my 99 Accord's headlights to retrofit some projectors into the housings.

Of course, there is a risk of melting the plastic if the housings are not OEM, but if you don't rush the heating process (or if you use a heat gun instead), it's relatively easy.


Theyre a bit beyond polishing. The plastic has literally peeled from the heat. They need replaced. Thank you for the suggestion Ill jerp it in mind for my other car.
 
I know a local mechanic who found out
years ago that clear coat lacquer works fairly well to prevent the yellowing and hazing from UV damage. Then a salesman comes to his shop to enroll him in selling some brand of expensive Magic Anti-UV Protecto-Coating... which looked and smelled exactly like the same clear coat lacquer he got at the hardware store, but cost 5x as much.
 
The lights on my MSP were doing the same thing (clouding up, then I'd polish only to have them cloud back up within a couple months), so I bought a set of Depo housings and some new bulbs. In all I think I paid $140 bucks for the housings and LED bulbs, and spent about an hour and a half putting them in. If you're replacing the housings, be prepared to remove the front bumper.

Holy crap what a difference the new lights make! So yeah, if the P5 lights are too much of a hassle and if you decide to just replace the sedan housings, Depo brand are the aftermarket brand to buy.

https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)
 
The lights on my MSP were doing the same thing (clouding up, then I'd polish only to have them cloud back up within a couple months), so I bought a set of Depo housings and some new bulbs. In all I think I paid $140 bucks for the housings and LED bulbs, and spent about an hour and a half putting them in. If you're replacing the housings, be prepared to remove the front bumper.

Holy crap what a difference the new lights make! So yeah, if the P5 lights are too much of a hassle and if you decide to just replace the sedan housings, Depo brand are the aftermarket brand to buy.

https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)
 
Accidentally posted, sorry.

Its not that the housings are a hassle more like super expensive. Cheapest new pair I found was 226, sedan lights are 85 for the pair.

And I call BS on autozone charging 17 bucks for a standard H7. Passenger side low beam is out and a b**** to remove.

So bumper removal? Sounds like Ill need fasteners. And a bottle of whiskey for afterwards lol
 
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