gto mk2 headlights

rossy boy

Wrench Pro
Points
21
Location
Colchester England
Car
GTO twinturbo
Got an M.O.T coming up and one of my sidelights doesn't work. Whoever had the car previously at some point has fitted LED bulbs at the front of the headlight housing. (And it looks like a six year old has done it). Anyway I've pulled the wiring out and replaced them with normal bulbs, trouble was I had to take the bulb holders off my other mk1 GTO to hold them into place. It worked for about 4 seconds until the thin wire from the mk1 burnt out! Now I'm new to mk2 headlights and on looking at pictures of other peoples headlights I'm convinced these bulbs aren't even meant to be there. What's the score with mk2 sidelights? Are they supposed to work off the same bulbs as the headlight? I don't fancy paying for a new set of lights as I'm told they go for around £500.
 
Only Mk1 GTO's had sidelights as standard as it's not a necessity in Japan. All U.K. spec cars have to have them by law.
I'm guessing that your car is a GTO [import], not a 3000gt[U.K. spec], can you clarify that ?
All import chassis numbers begin with either Z16A or Z15A, U.K. spec cars have a number begining with a similar format ro JMAMNZ16A.
 
yeah my twinturbo is an import, same as my 91 mk1. I was told it was a 3000gt but it's not. What's the score with sidelights for an import then in uk?
Found problem with lights. Where a hole has been drilled in the bottom of the light cluster, the metal contacts that hold the bulb in the hole were protruding below touching one of the bolts that hold the front bumper on!
Worked perfectly whilst connected but not installed. As soon as i bolted the headlight back in and turned the lights on it started smoking again. Now none of the headlights on either side work! Checked fuses, they are ok which is worrying. Will have another look tomorrow. I'm guessing a wire has burnt out somewhere.
 
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Interested in the same question, got a mk2 with HID projectors and no sidelights, its passed MOTs like this to date but I just got it and want to know if sides need fitting and if so whats the best to go for? Also I'm guessing the HIDs are not ok either can you confirm? Really want the lights to illuminate well the HIDs for me are to blue and the mains don't seem to light the road as I'd expect, what is best light setup for fast road use?
 
I managed to re-wire in some sidelight bulbs after a previous owner down the line somewhere had bodged in some LEDs. They work fine now but aren't very bright. I only put them in as a legal neccessity when I was advised to by an MOT inspector. But he wasn't 100% certain himself. Anyway my headlights were poor at one point due to weak bulbs and masses of deposits on the internals of the headlight glass. A Mitsubishi dealer told me they are really hard to get into and I needed a new set of lights completely (£579 I was quoted!) I bought a heat gun for about £16, took the headlights apart and cleaned them (there's a thread already on here covering this, which is what I used) I got some xenon bulbs (can't remember the exact type) but these bulbs and cleaning vastly increased my headlight power. Be aware there are non-road legal bulbs out there that are VERY bright, but obviously you've got to make that decision,not me! ha!
 
Hi Mate,

Please can you give me some tips on the use of the heat gun to clean the lights. I too have the same problem.


Thanks
 
yeah mate its very easy. Get yourself a heat gun (I got mine for about £16). OK, pop your bonnet and remove your headlight bulbs-they'll just twist and pull out. You'll see three bolts securing your headlight-remove these. The fourth bolt is located behind the indicator, remove the screw in the indicator and prize out the indicator gently. It will pop out nicely-its held in by a spring clip. Once you have all these out the headlight assembly will just lift out completely. One thing to look out for-when I pulled mine out, a previous owner somewhere down the line had wired in some LED's and glued them in through the bottom of the headlight assembly which meant I had to cut the wires to pull the headlights out. This shouldn't be the case with yours but it's something to look out for. Once you have the headlights out remove all the metal clips around the headlight-they will just pop off with a screwdriver. You will see where to apply the heat, it's the black putty looking substance directly between the glass and the plastic housing. When applying the heat take your time and don't rush, keep the heat gun a good 4-6" away aswell otherwise you will begin to melt the casing! Once the glue begins to melt I found that using a flat headed screwdriver (carefully) was useful to aid in parting the glass from the plastic. It's a good idea to wear an oven glove aswell as the glass holds a lot of heat. It can get messy with the glue forming long strands between the glass and plastic when separating but just keep the heat on and its easily removed with a cloth. Thats basically it, you'll now have the headlight glass off ready to clean, a simple glass cleaner and a gentle brillo pad does the trick. (I used one of those dish brillo pads with the sponge on mine so as not to scratch the glass). Once cleaned, again heat up the glue using the same technique and place the two parts together, keep moving the heat around and press firmly together. When its in place let it cool and then re-assembly is the exact reverse. But the most important thing to remember is to take your time and keep the heat moving around. I don't think I've missed anything but if you get any problems just let me know.
 
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