LLimited12 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Hey, guys. I'm brand new here. My name is Cade and I have a 2012 2.5i Limited. I let my sister use my car for awhile after she had her kid and she accidentally allowed my driver side headlight to be destroyed. The inner wheel well was ripped out of the car going about 70MPH and done a bit of damage. Ripped wires, busted tires, etc. But the most annoying to me, now that I have the car back, is the foggy projector lens. There is no cutoff line anymore. It is super dim and literally looks like the bulb isn't working. Do you guys think I could take an a cotton swap - one of the long ones like at the doctor office - and dip in some alcohol and cleaning the inner lens that way? I don't think I could do more harm that what has already been done. I am trying to avoid spending $100+ on a new headlight. Any help is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Sorry if I seem a little scattered - today has been a LONG day. Lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 There's a very good chance that the bulb just isn't seated correctly in the housing. It's a bit of a pain to get in there, so it may be worth it to take the car back to wherever it was repaired and have them fix it for you, but if they give you a hard time or try to charge you, it's not too terribly difficult to do yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 get the car repaired properly... and then replace the bulb on that side... third, do not loan out car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLimited12 Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 get the car repaired properly... and then replace the bulb on that side... third, do not loan out car... Family is more important than my car. Our headlights are costly to replace to work on because of how everything is located. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeuEmMaiMai Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 so be it. but now you are stuck with a non functional headlight wise car and you are repairing it because the person (family or not) didn't care enough to properly maintain it.. I also have a sister and I wouldn't let her within 10 feet of either of my cars... the reason, she does not properly care for her car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 You can pull up to a building or fence at night and see if the cutoff is indeed missing. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 As for cleaning, if it's moisture it will be best to remove the light to get it out. Since you aren't concerned with damaging it, you could bake it and try to fix the reflector yourself. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cww516 Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 so be it. but now you are stuck with a non functional headlight wise car and you are repairing it because the person (family or not) didn't care enough to properly maintain it.. I also have a sister and I wouldn't let her within 10 feet of either of my cars... the reason, she does not properly care for her car... Did you miss the part in the original post where he said the damage was accidental, and due to the fender lining bring ripped out at highway speed? It's not like she went after the thing with a crowbar. Cars are replaceable objects, family is family, and I'm sorry you prioritize those two things in the order you do. LLimited12, let us know if whoever did the repairs isn't willing to correct their mistake, and we'll point you toward a walkthrough on how to get to the bulb. Your choices we either remove the bumper cover and pull the headlight housing off the car, or peel back your shiny new fender lining and stuff your arm in there. I've used option #2 twice, and can definitely vouch for it's unpleasantness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAILBOT Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 There's a very good chance that the bulb just isn't seated correctly in the housing. It's a bit of a pain to get in there, so it may be worth it to take the car back to wherever it was repaired and have them fix it for you, but if they give you a hard time or try to charge you, it's not too terribly difficult to do yourself. ^^^THIS I had the same issue when I replaced one of my bulbs. Didn't get it seated right and got the same issue with what OP is describing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedaykin Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Foggy projector lens could be from moisture trapped inside. As mentioned, try re-seating the bulb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLimited12 Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 *to clarify - I was driving when the wheel well was ripped out, but that was not when the lens cover was able to fall out. It was in her hands when that happened, but she didn't know. She isn't as knowledgeable as I am about cars so I put no blame on her. I should have fixed the lining while I still had the car but I didn't have the money to do it. I had the car appraised and the estimate wad for over $3000. I put no blame on my sister. I thoroughly enjoy working on my car, so this is a fun project for me.* The bulb was out and I did replace it. I thought I did install it incorrectly due to how difficult they are to install and work on, but I have it seated correctly now, at least I hope. The clip was able to fit and hold the bulb in perfectly, so to my understand, it is correctly placed. The lens on the headlight is coated in a film along with condensation - but the actual projector itself is what concerns me. It almost looks white. I'm sure you've seen the film that hard water leaves in your shower - that is kind of what it look likes. The headlights lens is the least of my worries - it is the projector lens that bothers me. My last resort will be to bake the light, though I am certain I can and more than likely will have to do that. Like I said, I'm not too concerned about damaging it anymore than it already is. Thank you guys for all the support. And to @cww516 - thank you for helping that guy understand the situation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLimited12 Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 I should add that after correctly housing the bulb, the projector lens is so coated that I am unable to see a sharp cutoff line. It is barely visible, but does emit a slight useable light. I will try to get a picture of the light and the damage to help give you guys an idea and what's happened. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLimited12 Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 It is hard to get a good picture of the underside, but this is what the headlight looks like. The whiteness from the projector doesn't show like it does in person. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLlegacy Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 Seems like it needs to be opened up, cleaned, and resealed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humble Rumble Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 I had the exact same issue in my stock 10-12 headlights before I did my 13-14 swap, same side too. When doing the swap and removing the headlights, I found a seal near the bottom of the light housing, under the low beam labelled "reflector" that was pushed in. When I removed my light, water literally poured out of this plug hole, which explains the heavy condensation I was getting, maybe you have the same thing. http://i.imgur.com/Nt6ZWQT.jpg Might be worth it to just remove your housing and inspect everything back there. If you need help doing that, here's a guide for removing your front bumper (necessary to remove the headlight): http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/front-bumper-removal-2010-206177.html?t=206177. And here's a guide to removing the light itself: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/diy-headlight-removal-2010-206441.html?t=206441. It's a pretty easy project, and if you're only removing one light, should take you about an hour or two. 2012 Legacy 3.6R Build Thread 5th Gen Legacy BM/BR Body Kit Compendium Thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedaykin Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 Yeah man, I'd bake that open (or use a heat gun). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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