Here are before and after pics of my MY03 headlights....




This is a relatively easy modification and costs Zero. Just time and patience and you can do it too.

Here’s how it’s done....

Headlight Removal

First both headlights must obviously be removed.
The driver’s side requires the black plastic air ducting going to the air box be removed to allow easier access to headlight.
This is secured by 2 x 10mm bolts onto the slam panel. (shown green).
To remove the headlights, these are also secured by 2 x 10mm bolts. (shown red)



Same bolts need removed on passenger side headlight. (shown red)



On the back of each headlight, nearest the grille side, there are 2 small phillips screws holding the headlight against a bracket, which is bolted onto the slam panel behind the grille.
These screws must be removed, and can be quite fiddly and hard to get to. A magnetic screwdriver is most handy at this point!

On the driver’s side, you may require to move the power steering reservoir to get access to the screws. The bottle simply clips onto the bracket and clips on and off fairly easily. (indicated by green arrow)



Lastly, the headlights are secured inside the wing by 2 push-clips on each unit.
Once the 10mm bolts and phillips screws are removed its just a case of carefully manouvering the light around to unclip it. (if you have an STI, remove the fog cover and you can get your hand up behind it and un-do the lower clip from there)
Make sure you don’t catch the wing on the way out as it could dent it or chip your paintwork.

Once loose, reach in and unclip the 4 multiplugs. (sidelight, indicator, headlight and adjuster motor)

The headlight should pull free now, and repeat on the other side.

Headlight dissection

Once off, look at the back of the unit and you will see approx 8(?) screws round the edge. (one screw is hidden behind padding tape) Remove all of these with a Phillips screwdriver so that the only thing holding the unit together is the mastic stuff.

Now the unit requires to be heated to soften the mastic.

Some people have actually put their headlights in the over for a short time at low settings.
I do not recommend this

Do you think these units will be cheap to replace if you make an @rse of it? I don’t!

I simply placed the headlight directly in front of a fan heater for about 10-15 minutes with the back of the headlight facing the heater. Time may vary depending on power of heater etc. It should be no closer than about 12 inches.

Move the unit around so that the heat gets to the entire area at the back of the light.

Once warm, the mastic should be supple, so gently, place a flat edged screwdriver in the join, and slowly prise them apart. If they start to move, get your fingers in and slowly pull them apart. If it doesn’t want to come, you are too early, so put it back in front of the heater.

Once the unit starts to separate, you need to unclip the 3 clips on bottom of headlight, and pull both halves apart.

IMPORTANT
As the headlight is a sealed unit, it is imperative that no marks, scratches or mastic gets onto the inside of the lens so be very careful when working inside the headlight.

De-Tango!!!

When you pull both halves apart, you will see the orange triangle clipped into the facing at 3 places.

With a flat edged screwdriver, gently unclip these, and the orange triangle should fall inside the lens. Take it out and throw it in the de-tango bin!

Once out, put both halves of the unit back together while the mastic is still warm and supple as this will aid putting them back together.

Press the halves together hard, ensuring the mastic takes a good bite, then replace the 8(?) screws that hold the unit together.

Once the mastic sets again, the unit should be watertight and hopefully no condensation will appear. (if it does in the future, you’ll have to take ‘em back out and re-seal the units so do it right this time!)

Repeat this on other side and voila…. You have a nice set of de-tango’d headlights.

Re-fit them to the car (reverse process of removal).

You now require an orange/silvertec bulb so that it flashes orange but looks silver inside the unit.

As I only did mine yesterday, I haven’t bought new bulbs yet so what I did was….
Painted my clear bulbs orange, then sprayed a light haze of silver over them.

This does the job just fine, but I will get some proper bulbs at some point.

Hope this helps, and I want to see everyone de-tango-ing theirs as it improves the looks tenfold!

P.S. I can accept no responsibility for anyone botching up their cars as a result of following my guide!!

Goodluck

Talizman

[Edited by talizman - 10/19/2003 10:47:57 AM]

 

Quality mate!!
Godd guide and also improves the front end!!

Rob

 

I've de-tango'd bug and blob eyes now. Both times I have used the oven. I feel this is the better option.As long as the oven is on its lowest setting it is safer as the sealant is getting a nice gentle even heat so that when you split the unit, there are no cool spots which could stress the plastic.

IMHO of course

Steve

PS The MY03 lights look SO much better de-tango'd! Nice car mate.

 

Excellent guide, great work and thanks.

Just a case of do I now have the guts to do it :0)

 

Good guide but I have these points:

9 screws (definately - I counted on my second light )

You mention taking the two screws off the bracket - I did it the other way round - removing the grill (as drivers manual says), loosening the bumper and taking a socket spanner to the bolt holding the bracket on. Though this still does make it tricky to get the light out.

Only other thing is that you can remove the inner silver frame of the lights if you want better access to the tango bit - one screw holds this in place. Oh - and make sure any fingerprints are gone by the time you come to screw it back together

Otherwise spot on Decent piccies too

 

As above excellent guide. I have just done mine today

I logged on to say that I didn't remove the screws on the bracket but took the grill off and undid one bolt that you can get to quite easily but I have been beaten to it!

My only problem now is I can't get any of the silver bulbs so I am flashing white.

Halfords don't stock them and nor do all the little car shops around

Does anyone know where I can get some!?

De-tangoed Phil

 

As I stated in my original post, my "quick fix" was to paint the bulbs while I searched for the right ones, but they work so well and look so good, I haven't bothered looking for the right ones...

I'd buy a tiny orange aerosol and a silver one, and haze them onto the glass bulb.

Job done.

 

Paint sounds cheaper than new bulbs after the price my local car shop thought they were! £15

Thanks

Phil

 

I bought my bulbs from here

http://www.silverfusion.co.uk/

Phil G
De-Tango'd STi8 PPP

 

Yeah at £25 a pair! LMFAO!!!!!



For bulbs!?

What is the world coming to?

Who in their right mind would pay £25 for a pair of indicator bulbs??????

 

How much!

I have done the paint trick but my orange is too dark and they look too red.

Did you use chrome or silver paint Talizman?

Now going to have to clean the bulbs and have another go

Phil

 

Thats a very tidy job you done there Talizman,what a differnce it makes.

 

I just used silver Phillip.

Worked well enough.

Chrome might be better though

 

Just finishing the new orange which looks much better

I bought a can of chrome as they were only a couple of quid.

 

Good man.

No way I'm going to contribute keeping the kind of companies in business that sell silver bulbs.

What is it they do again?

Oh yeah, they take a clear bulb, paint it orange and then silver/chrome and charge you 25 bloody quid for the pleasure!!!

Isn't that what we just done for £2.50??

I've said it before, but at least Dick Turpin wore a mask!

These companies would do well to remember that it is BULBS they are asking £25 for!

 

oooooh.....I'm VERY tempted to do this but I'm a bit worried about ensuring the airtight seal afterwards!

hmmmmm...what to do!?!?!?!

 

Just go around the seal again with clear silicon sealant. Smooth off and leave to dry before refitting. Maybe use a heat gun to speed up the process.

I did the oven procedure on my old FTO headlamps, no problems afterwards

 

just done mine. took me about an hour, even with my left hand in plaster

I used the oven on about 50 degrees for 4 minutes and it warmed them just nicely!

managed to buy the wrong s odding indicator lamps though

 

I assume the cooking time should be reduced slightly as per the manufacturers recommendation for fan assisted ovens??


Going to give this a bash at the weekend, cheers for the great advice, got a new MY04 WRX wagon last week and dont like the orange wedges, looks much better without.

 

Correct!

Always reduce fan assisted oven temperatures by 30 degrees or so!

Seriously though, as long as the oven is at a low temp, say 50 degrees, just check the lights every minute or so, and gradually pull the front and rear casings apart to see when the stickaflex becomes supple.

Remember and update your progess... pics too!

 

Well.... got impatient and decided I couldn't wait till the weekend. Went to B&Q and got a can of orange and a can of chrome spray paint... job done!
The front lights now look much better de-tangoed.

I also removed the grill and took out the single bolt (much easier by the look of the phillips screws location).

Needed more than 4 mins in my oven, more like 8mins. but checked on them regularly in case they started to rise!!

Many thanks to all for the advice... looking forward to many more mods. Couldn't believe how easily the grill unclipped and came out so thats next for the fine stainless mesh!

May re-do the bulbs however as they are slightly darker orange than the rest but not red, they look ok so I might make the side repeaters and back bulbs match the front instead, pictures to follow, I finished it too late last night.!!

 

Good stuff mate, glad the guide helped.

 

Could somebody tell me the type of indicator bulb uswed in blobeyes.
Getting mine de-tangoed but don't fancy spraying bulbs


Found it W21W

 

Another one detangoed

 

I have tried the above process but failed to locate the clips which hold the headlight in place.
I removed all the bolts as described also removed fog light cover to gain access to the clips but couldnt see where it held the headlamp in place.
I feel stupid now as everyone else seems to have done this part easily.
does anyone have any pics of the position of the clips please?
cheers

 

Anyone?? Please

 

Damn it, i wanna do mine but i've still got warranty for 18 months!

D'ya think they'll care? Subaru will still honour claims against other areas wont they???

 

Sorry no pics.
You have removed all three bolts ? two on the top of the lamp, and the one on the white bracket reached by removing the grill. Then it's just a question of gently easing it out.

Allan

 

yes I have removed all 3 bolts also removed fog light cover.

I read further up the page that the bottom clip can be reached through the fog light hole once the cover is removed but I cannot see where this is, I have searched for the other one too but no luck!

Am I missing something somewhere, do I need to remove anything else to access the inside of the wing to release these clips, my car is an 05 sti model if this makes any difference?

 

No need to remove fog cover or anything else, no difference on an 05 that I'm aware of.

I suspect your just not being brave enough, try and push the lamp from behind down near the lower edge, it will come. As above, be careful you protect the wing it would be easy to damage the paint. The clips inside the wing are very robust and won't break.

Allan