Cracked Fog light lens replacement DIY

[ErichPryde]

so, I had some badly cracked fog lenses, and decided I'd replace the glass lenses with Lexan, which is clear and essentially unbreakable.

Things needed:

• Lexan (one 8"X10" sheet will be more than enough for a set of fogs. you'll spend 4 or 5 bucks at Lowe's for a sheet of that size.)
  
• RTV Silicone Sealant (3 bucks from Wal-Mart)
  
• a scrap of cardboard, about one foot square or so
  
• Electrical Tape (optional)
  
• Scissors
  
• Dremel Tool
  
• Phillips, Flat head, and Allen (I used a 3/16 Allen) screwdrivers
  
• Someone else to give you a hand (optional, but nice to have around)
  
• Protective eyewear

First, you're going to need to remove the front bumper. You'll need to remove one phillips screw from the front of EACH fenderwell (where the body panels meet)


On the bottom side of the bumper, there is a 10mm bolt in front of each tire guard. Actually, I only have one, on the driver's side. The other one must have fallen off some time....



Also on the bottom of the bumper: an assortment of clips (you can use a flat-head screwdriver to pop them out). If you examine the bumper for a second or two, you should be able to figure out which clips are holding the front end of the car on, and which ones are simply holding the undercarriage guard to the car. You'll see 'em.

FINALLY, there are two allen screws located under the plastic radiator guard. pop your hood, take out the four plastic clips holding the guard on, and get it out of your way. that'll let you access the allen screws.

Radiator guard removal:

^two more clips, just like these two, are on the other side.

Allen screws:




You should be able to pop the bumper off now. Before you go anywhere with it, disconnect the wiring harness that hooks your foglights into your lighting circuit. it's on the passenger's side fog light.

disconnect the fog light bulbs from the foglights, and unscrew the three phillips head-screws holding the mounting bracket to the car.


NOTE: This DIY was performed on a coupe. I know that the Sedan uses a different set of fog lights, and I'm not certain exactly how those puppies come off, but I'm sure it's similar.

You'll notice that the plastic "rim" around the foglights is simply clipped on.


Once you get that sucker off, the fun can begin. My passenger's side foglight was so badly cracked, that I just used a screwdriver to pry/break the remainder of the glass off of it. This worked out pretty well for me, so I did the same thing for the driver's side fog. Another option is to glue the fog's lens to something, and then heat it up with a blow-dryer until the sealant holding the lense to the case is squishy enough to pull the whole thing off. Your pick.

Here they are, minus the glass:



Now that your lenses have been removed, you might want to consider cleaning the inside of the housing gently with soap, water, and a clean rag. Here are mine, once they've been cleaned. They still have some deposits that won't come off, but they're a sight better.



Now, trace your fog housing onto the cardboard.


Cut out your "schematic" and trim it until it mostly fits a fog housing. It doesn't have to be perfect.


Next, onto the Lexan:



Time for the cutting!


Here's where (again) I want to stress just how important eyewear is. during this repair, a dremel head self destructed and hit me i the ear hard enough to make me bleed.

here's what's left of the jagged dremel cutting wheel:


Lookin' good!


NOTE: make sure to remember which side of the Lexan is which. one side is supposed to face "outwards, towards sunlight." I ended up marking the "outside" with permanent marker on the edge to help me remember.

time for a bit of sanding to make it fit:


what do you think? note the permanent marker mark (which will be hidden behind the plastic casing)


time for the RTV silicone. you're going to want to fill the rim in with this stuff- if you put too much in, some of it might squish into the housing, and be visible on the reflective surface.


Now, set the new lens carefully onto the surface.
(picture)

At first i was going to hold these in place until they dried, but after a few minutes, that seemed like a bad idea. I didn't want to put the black plastic piece back on (because I didn't want it to stick just in case I decide to take these apart again in the future), so I decided upon a third route- electrical tape.



while a friend held the lens into the housing firmly, I started winding electrical tape AROUND the whole assembly as tightly as I could manage. the electrical tape acted like a vice, and held the lens in place until it was dry.

don't worry about any extra sealant on the OUTSIDE of the lexan and housing, it's easily removed with lighter fluid/goo-gone/rubbing alcohol and a rag.

I went to see Jeff Dunham do a routine, and when I came home 6 hours later, I decided it was safe to unwind the electrical tape. You probably only need to let them set for a couple of hours though.

snap your plastic rim back on, and here they are!




damn, they look a lot better than they did, and it's very difficult to tell that they were ever tampered with.

Now, just put everything back together (don't forget to reconnect the fog lights to your car's power!)

This fix cost me under ten dollars and a free day. I think it was worth it.

[chaotik]

very nice writeup and extremely detailed!

[Xenin]

i used plexiglass. had them on for months now without a problem.

[Xenin]

oh and good job to you sir for now, you need not worry about your foglights cracking.

[ErichPryde]

thanks. I'm not concerned about it. I don't understand why Honda thought it was a great idea to use glass for the fog lens. ridiculous.

[07mugencivic]

i need to do that with my fogs

[ErichPryde]

Originally Posted by 07mugencivic

i need to do that with my fogs

take your bumper apart and DO IT!!!! It'll only take you as much time as it takes to finish a beer or three.

[Nomar06]

noob....this thread makes me laugh......




but really...eye-protection is key!!!!

got hit in the cheek with this bad boy a while back.....

[ErichPryde]

noob? maybe when it comes to screwing with silicone and plastic all day... but I can pull the cams out of your car through your tailpipe with my pinky.

and hey, I'm still learning how to use the silicone properly anyway. give me time.

[07mugencivic]

Originally Posted by ErichPryde

take your bumper apart and DO IT!!!! It'll only take you as much time as it takes to finish a beer or three.

i need the tool tho....

[ErichPryde]

Originally Posted by 07mugencivic

i need the tool tho....

which one? you have to know SOMEONE with a dremel. all the rest of this stuff is child's play.

who do you know with a dremel that would help you for a split of a 12 pack? if it was Sam Adam's, I'd do it.... but I'm not exactly in Cali.

[jrMartinez24]

AWESOME write up Erik

[Zephbane]

Did this over 6 months ago. Used Lexan and Lexan Sealant. They're still flawless (My OEM Fogs were cracked a month after I got them - lotta highway drivin).

I highly suggest doing this DIY to anyone that does a moderate amount of highway driving. Keep those fogs lookin sharp!

[FBFG]

Nice write up,this might be very useful soon

[7002iSciviC]

damn nice write up erik YOUR TRULY A MASTER NINJA

[06k2o]

nice now i wont have to buy the cheap ones from ebay.....

[SIchodelic]

subscribed, thanks erik

[joon joon]

i did this awhile back but mine started to bubble... so they've been off my car for a while cuz i wanted to put tempered glass in... have u guys had any trouble with it bubbling?? i've also heard that it gets hot and will start to deform the lexan too... anyone experience that?? just asking cuz my car doesnt have its fogs in right now just the outter housings and i'm tired of looking at it like that.. haha

[07LXcoupe]

do this last night but Im gonna redo it cause I got some silicone in atcual body of the light and I used the orange silicone so you can definatly see it. Damn!

[07LXcoupe]

Did this last night but I have to redo because I got some silicone in the actual light assembly. I used the orange high temp stuff. Wow but it looks great other than that. Great write up man.