How To: headlight black out for P5!

[2003newlyack]

My left headlight forms condensation after I wash my car too, no condensation with any other reason just that one. I blacked out my headlights in late june, and I'm probably going to be taking mine apart again as well..

 

[TreFlip999]

has anyone done this since this has been posted?

 

[Kansei]

has anyone done this since this has been posted?

Done what since what has been posted?

 

[DE31]

well it cleared up without leaving much of a mark so i think i'll just let it be for a while.

 

[Demoniam]

I siliconed around the mated sides before reassembling...no condensation and plenty of pressure washes!

 

[DE31]

whats odd is i've washed my car many many times before and no problems. i'll see what happens.

 

[2003newlyack]

Silicone around the seam sounds like a good idea
I think I might do that if it fogs up again inside

 

[mesoup]

Does blackened headlight take away light output?

 

[rjs_protege5]

Nope, didn't do anything to my visibility.. My headlights just look nicer...

 

[mesoup]

can someone else confirm this??? I thought the chrome is used to deflect light?

 

[Kansei]

can someone else confirm this??? I thought the chrome is used to deflect light?

not so much.. as you can see from my sig pic, we are blacking out the decorative chrome piece in the headlights, which is totally separate from the reflectors that actually do stuff with the light.

If anyone has noticed any decrease in light output it is because you have reduced the light scatter caused by the chrome housings, but I'm willing to bet light on the road is still the same.

 

[mesoup]

not so much.. as you can see from my sig pic, we are blacking out the decorative chrome piece in the headlights, which is totally separate from the reflectors that actually do stuff with the light.

If anyone has noticed any decrease in light output it is because you have reduced the light scatter caused by the chrome housings, but I'm willing to bet light on the road is still the same.

you must be right since so many people that have blacked out headlights never mentioned about this issue... by the way, how did you get that blue tint? you have a diy write up for it???

 

[Kansei]

Actually you don't have to do anything for that except buy new bulbs. They don't light up blue, they still light up a nice legal orange color. They only look that way when off (and when a camera flash is on them.. normally they just look clear-ish).

Sylvania Silverstar turn signal bulbs... a big ripoff at 20 dollars (they just paint the normal orange bulbs (a couple dollars) with a shiny silvery-blue coating) but they do the trick

 

[MyZmZm]

chris (kansei) is right in that there is no diminished light output if you black out the housing - as long as you don't touch the inner reflective portions. all 03 Proteges - MSP, P5 and regular Pros - had black housing headlights; if there was ANY issue with light output, Transport Canada would have deemed it illegal. i switched from the chrome housing (mine's an 02) to the black housing headlights - yay for free trades!! - with another local P5 owner (he had an 03) and i noticed no difference.

 

[adr2277]

hey guys you all inspired me to do mine so i did it yesterday 01 lx
was pretty easy although i did end up breaking the little clip on the headlight all in all i found it came out great and i also left the rings of the light chrome and did the rest in black

 

[Demoniam]

perty!!! very nice!

 

[Kansei]

I wish I had left those rings chrome.. I always suspected it would look awesome, and you just confirmed it.

 

[adr2277]

just wanted to try something different everyone else does the whole thing black

 

[2003newlyack]

chrome rings look good!

 

[D-rock240]

Yeah I like those painted sedan lights. The chrome ring accent looks good.