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CVO Technical => Cleaning/Detailing => Topic started by: 1abastarsmda on April 19, 2010, 10:33:44 PM
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Okay, you guys may not believe this one. Or, am I not the only one out there to do this? We are quite the anal bunch here, so maybe it's not just me.
I have been looking at my passing lamps lately and thinking those lenses look pretty foggy, and it's on the inside of the lens. Yes, I took my passing lamps off, removed the bulbs, and cleaned the inside of the lenses. First, a little bit of Dawn dishwashing detergent, swished it around a bit with a little water, then a very thorough rinsing out....over and over again filling it and pouring it out, until there were no signs of any suds...and then some more rinsing just to make sure. Then, I sprayed some windex in there and did the same again. Then I shook the assemblies as hard as I could to try to get every last water drop out that I could in that manner. Then, on to the hair dryer to blow warm air into the bulb hole until every last drop had evaporated. The entire process from removal to reinstallation took less than 20 minutes, but the good part is it actually worked.
Those lenses are clear now, like they are supposed to be. No more foggy haze covering the inside.
Just to point it out, I was removing the passing lamps to put in the Luminics bulbs at the time, so I had a reason to remove them in the first place. I really hated to put these new bulbs behind dirty lenses. As far as the Luminics bulbs go, I'm not really noticing much of a difference in how much light they are throwing off, but they are a nice, white light compared to the stock halogen which are very yellow next to my HID headlamp. They certainly are not a match to my HID, which has a very blue tint to it, but it does look much better than the stock ones. Maybe this post should have been in the lighting section...hmmm.
Anyway, I have to wonder if anyone else goes this far with cleaning or have I finally lost my mind?
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No I have not but you have me thinking. I might just try this out. Thanks for the step by step.
Topper
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Damm you 1abastarsmda now I am going to have to work on my foggy spot lights.
It is odd mine are all fogged up too and I don't remember my previous HD's getting foggy.
It is a sickness, and I wish I did not have it, but I suffer from excessive HD cleanliness syndrome also.
Oh well it always pays off when we go to sell them.
Thanks for the step by step.
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Damm you 1abastarsmda now I am going to have to work on my foggy spot lights.
It is odd mine are all fogged up too and I don't remember my previous HD's getting foggy.
It is a sickness, and I wish I did not have it, but I suffer from excessive HD cleanliness syndrome also.
Oh well it always pays off when we go to sell them.
Thanks for the step by step.
I don't remember ever having previous lamps getting like this inside either. I noticed that my headlamp is the same way too. That's going to take a bit more work to clean it, but as soon as I receive my high beam HID that I ordered and have it all apart again, I think I'm going to do that one also. It really shows up when you turn the lights on and it's got to be blocking some of the light too.
Before I did the passing lamps, I checked out the price for a new set, just in case I ruined the lamps in some unforseen fashion. I guess there was nothing wrong with what I did and they sure do look like new again.
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That's nothing Dave. Wait til you've disassembled the spotlight brackets to clean up a ring of gook you can't get to otherwise or taken off the gas tank to put a coat of wax on the rocker boxes :drink: .
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Although that's been bugging me also, I've resisted, up until NOW!!!. Thanks Dave for motivating me. My mind is now asking me, 'How are you going to keep them from fogging up again?' Good question, obviously we need to keep moisture from getting inside the housing. Any bright ideas anyone?
Tom P.
PS: Wife's first comment when I bought this bike "you have definitely gone off the deep end this time!"
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Although that's been bugging me also, I've resisted, up until NOW!!!. Thanks Dave for motivating me. My mind is now asking me, 'How are you going to keep them from fogging up again?' Good question, obviously we need to keep moisture from getting inside the housing. Any bright ideas anyone?
Tom P.
PS: Wife's first comment when I bought this bike "you have definitely gone off the deep end this time!"
As easy and quick as it is to do, I'm guessing that if it happens again, it may just become part of the spring or winter cleaning regimen.
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As easy and quick as it is to do, I'm guessing that if it happens again, it may just become part of the spring or winter cleaning regimen.
Lets get to the real meat of this post. Did the new lights come any closer to matching your HID's?
:bananarock: :bananarock:
Brad
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They are whiter than the stock by a long shot, and they definitely look better, but certainly not a match by any sense of the word.
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:huepfenjump3: Proving once again that "anything worth doing is worth over doing!" :huepfenjump3:
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Okay, you guys may not believe this one. Or, am I not the only one out there to do this? We are quite the anal bunch here, so maybe it's not just me.
I have been looking at my passing lamps lately and thinking those lenses look pretty foggy, and it's on the inside of the lens. Yes, I took my passing lamps off, removed the bulbs, and cleaned the inside of the lenses. First, a little bit of Dawn dishwashing detergent, swished it around a bit with a little water, then a very thorough rinsing out....over and over again filling it and pouring it out, until there were no signs of any suds...and then some more rinsing just to make sure. Then, I sprayed some windex in there and did the same again. Then I shook the assemblies as hard as I could to try to get every last water drop out that I could in that manner. Then, on to the hair dryer to blow warm air into the bulb hole until every last drop had evaporated. The entire process from removal to reinstallation took less than 20 minutes, but the good part is it actually worked.
Those lenses are clear now, like they are supposed to be. No more foggy haze covering the inside.
Just to point it out, I was removing the passing lamps to put in the Luminics bulbs at the time, so I had a reason to remove them in the first place. I really hated to put these new bulbs behind dirty lenses. As far as the Luminics bulbs go, I'm not really noticing much of a difference in how much light they are throwing off, but they are a nice, white light compared to the stock halogen which are very yellow next to my HID headlamp. They certainly are not a match to my HID, which has a very blue tint to it, but it does look much better than the stock ones. Maybe this post should have been in the lighting section...hmmm.
Anyway, I have to wonder if anyone else goes this far with cleaning or have I finally lost my mind?
Did mine two weeks ago, basicly because they looked foggy. Same process, man they are clear now.
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Thanks to Dave the lenses are sparkling now!
Tom P.
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Has ne1 seen it fog up again? I know that is on my list now ... but in Hawaii, there is rain as well, so the moisture thing may creep up ..
Aloha,
Techie
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Once you clean something.......it never stops :soapbox:
Ride the SOB :huepfenlol2:
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Going overboard or just off the deep end? :huepfenlol2: :huepfenlol2: :huepfenlol2: :huepfenlol2: Dave when I saw the topic heading all I could do was laugh out loud and think......."Well if it involves Dave iit has to be off the deep end!!!!!!" :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21: :2vrolijk_21: Gotta love the attention to detail though! Now head over to Howies house and do his stable, then work your way west/southwest to my place and I will let you work your magic on my poor under detailed girl!!! ;D ;D ;D
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Yeah, I think we're all a little off the deep end. I do the same, AND wax them inside and out.