Headlight lense replacement - XC70 P3

[Onewheel]

Got the headlights ready and installed them to test them..
Been sold with trade in with old headlights, so this pair will be restored….

[37 RUBY]

So to finish this thread off....

Headlights removed. Easy peasy


Cut the front of lense off with dremel. On 2nd light I rigged my old Henry hoover to catch some of the perspex dust.

The reflector shroud was removed at this point. There are two prongs that sit into a well that is part of the lense channel. You'll need to dig the adhesive out to release these or they'll snap. Ask me how I know. One had to be plastic welded.
I also removed the indicator reflector at this point. It's just two torx screws. Saved it getting damaged.

To get started on removing the remaining lense, I cut a chunk out.


Once I got going it was a case of warm the casing with heat gun on low, Vice grips attached to the perspex, lifting up but sideways at the same time with a long thin screwdriver wedged into the channel and under the perspex, then as the adhesive began to stretch a Stanley knife was used to cut into the adhesive to break its hold.


Then it was a case of getting out the remain adhesive which was the longest part of the task.
I bent an old screwdriver 45 degrees as a scraper.
Once that was done it was time to blow the casing out and get rid of any debri.

Then adhesive time. No pictures I'm afraid. Tigerseal PU adhesive gets alloer' the place....but here's a picture of it strapped up for a bit of overnight bondage


Finally they're back in looking as new.




What would I do differently If I had to do it again?
I might use the butyl headlight seal. Using PU adhesive was not the cleanest option so required clean up afterwards.

For cutting it maybe as easy to use an oscillating multi tool which in turn would create less dust. The particles got every where and took some time to get rid of inside the light housing.

It's not a job for the faint hearted.
That first cut into the lense is definitely shaky hand squeaky bottom time, especially with new units being over £1200.each...

[BigGreenThing]

Thanks for this 37 Ruby!!

Great to hear it went successfully...may well embed some confidence in others (like me!!) to try this process at some point in the not too far distant future.

Photos and descriptions (including things to be mindful of when doing it) were really useful. Massively appreciated! For Volvo - I've not seen anything like this elsewhere on t'internet!!

And the new lenses look great! Thumbs up!

[simboc2004]

I have just tried a different approach - I bought some very good, low mileage 2015 units and swapped them over. Quite surprised how much more light now gets through with pristine units - the slight internal crazing I had in the original headlights clearly dispersed more light than I realised!

One BIG problem, though... The "facelift" headlights are exactly the same as the 2011 ones (mine are halogens) - EXCEPT the front position light (side light to us oldies) is now a built in LED unit, which throws up bulb failure errors. I had done an LED conversion on my old units and added a ballast resistor (OSRAM) into the wiring to stop this happening. On the new headlights, though, there is no obvious wiring to add one in to. Can this be switched off in VIDA?