replacing headlight assembly in 2001 Forester

[Zeppo]

Just noticed the drivers side headlight lens on my son's 2001 Forester is
terribly fogged and the light does not project well at all. There seems to
be many replacement headlight assemblies on eBay for a pretty reasonable
price.

How difficult is the assembly to replace? Does anyone have instructions or
know of any on line? I can't locate anything on the web.
Jon

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

Just noticed the drivers side headlight lens on my son's 2001 Forester is
terribly fogged and the light does not project well at all. There seems to
be many replacement headlight assemblies on eBay for a pretty reasonable
price.

How difficult is the assembly to replace? Does anyone have instructions or
know of any on line? I can't locate anything on the web.
Jon

If it is age-yellowed and pitted, there are kits and DIY methods for
re-polishing the plastic lens.

 

[Zeppo]

If it is age-yellowed and pitted, there are kits and DIY methods for
re-polishing the plastic lens.

Hi Carl,
I have actually done this in the past on a Chrysler Grand Caravan that had
the problem. However within a year it got just as fogged up and yellowed
again. I think the original UV coating lasts a lot longer than the uncoated
polished lens. I'm king of hoping that someone has recorded the procedure
for replacing the assembly on a blog or forum somewhere.

Jon

 

[S]

Hi Jon!

Just noticed the drivers side headlight lens on my son's 2001 Forester is
terribly fogged and the light does not project well at all. There seems to
be many replacement headlight assemblies on eBay for a pretty reasonable
price.

How difficult is the assembly to replace? Does anyone have instructions or
know of any on line? I can't locate anything on the web.
Jon

I polish the lens on my wife's '02 a couple times a year, that seems
to be about how long the "shine" lasts. And they're getting more and
more reluctant to clear up; we'll probably have to put in another set
sometime soon. Funny, the headlights on my '99 Forry are glass, a
benefit in my book.
Anyway, they're pretty simple to change out.
Disconnect the battery negative, remove the grille (four clips across
the top, release with a screwdriver from the top), remove the corner
lamp (a screw or two), and the trim below the headlight (snaps in
IIRC). From there, 3 smallish bolts (8mm heads?) secure the headlight.
I seem to recall that you don't need to re-aim them as long as you
don't disturb the aiming screws during disassembly. You might find it
easier if you remove the battery, and the little intake "scoop", but I
don't recall it being mandatory.
If you want, I'm sure I can find the appropriate sections of the FSM
and send 'em along, but you probably will not find it necessary.
Hope this helps.
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[Frank]

Hi Carl,
I have actually done this in the past on a Chrysler Grand Caravan that had
the problem. However within a year it got just as fogged up and yellowed
again. I think the original UV coating lasts a lot longer than the uncoated
polished lens. I'm king of hoping that someone has recorded the procedure
for replacing the assembly on a blog or forum somewhere.

Jon

Acrylic has good optical qualities and light resistance which is why
it is used in automotive lenses.
I hear UV coatings mentioned but I doubt it. There are abrasion
resistant coatings but I'm also not sure they are used as for
eyeglasses.
Clouding is most likely due to abrasion. A desert or seashore climate
where sand blows around would probably accelerate clouding of lense.
Lenses can be buffed up. I used to have a watch with plastic crystal
that I would polish with tooth paste to restore clarity but there are
kits available to restore acrylic lenses even claiming help with uv.

 

[Zeppo]

Hi Jon!



I polish the lens on my wife's '02 a couple times a year, that seems
to be about how long the "shine" lasts. And they're getting more and
more reluctant to clear up; we'll probably have to put in another set
sometime soon. Funny, the headlights on my '99 Forry are glass, a
benefit in my book.
Anyway, they're pretty simple to change out.
Disconnect the battery negative, remove the grille (four clips across
the top, release with a screwdriver from the top), remove the corner
lamp (a screw or two), and the trim below the headlight (snaps in
IIRC). From there, 3 smallish bolts (8mm heads?) secure the headlight.
I seem to recall that you don't need to re-aim them as long as you
don't disturb the aiming screws during disassembly. You might find it
easier if you remove the battery, and the little intake "scoop", but I
don't recall it being mandatory.
If you want, I'm sure I can find the appropriate sections of the FSM
and send 'em along, but you probably will not find it necessary.
Hope this helps.
ByeBye! S.
Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

Thanks Steve. This is pretty much what I was looking for. Course, if someone
has the pages from the service manual that would be great too.

Regards,
Jon

 

[S]

Hi Jon!

Thanks Steve. This is pretty much what I was looking for. Course, if someone
has the pages from the service manual that would be great too.

I can send you the full service manual if you have a robust mailbox,
it's about 45MB large. Or I can pick out the appropriate .pdf's; that
will be considerably smaller, maybe a couple MB. (?)

Chester.uccs.edu (a Linux box) used to do anonymous FTP (and a bunch
of other cool stuff), but I had to take it down a couple years ago;
the U is a Microsoft operation these days, and the network
administration staff doesn't like having computers on the campus
network that they don't control.

Homeland Security, don't ya know, and I guess I understand their
position, but I don't have to like it. Chester is just an alias on the
department's mail server these days, and only that because I refuse to
maintain an "official" UCCS login and invent a new 20 character
password every month. Hell, I can barely remember the half-dozen or so
I have now.

Bitch, bitch, bitch; don't get me started ;-)

Anyway, drop a line and I'll do what I can for you.

ByeBye! S.


Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[Zeppo]

Hi Jon!



I can send you the full service manual if you have a robust mailbox,
it's about 45MB large. Or I can pick out the appropriate .pdf's; that
will be considerably smaller, maybe a couple MB. (?)

Chester.uccs.edu (a Linux box) used to do anonymous FTP (and a bunch
of other cool stuff), but I had to take it down a couple years ago;
the U is a Microsoft operation these days, and the network
administration staff doesn't like having computers on the campus
network that they don't control.

Homeland Security, don't ya know, and I guess I understand their
position, but I don't have to like it. Chester is just an alias on the
department's mail server these days, and only that because I refuse to
maintain an "official" UCCS login and invent a new 20 character
password every month. Hell, I can barely remember the half-dozen or so
I have now.

Bitch, bitch, bitch; don't get me started ;-)

Anyway, drop a line and I'll do what I can for you.

Steve,
Sent you an email. Post if you didn't receive it.

Jon