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Trans Am Hood / Headlight Fitment

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Old 04-09-2012 | 04:23 PM
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Unhappy Trans Am Hood / Headlight Fitment

I'm running Hella 60mm projector lows, and Hella 60mm FF highs. Water is getting into both my front amber lights, as well as into my headlights. I've gone through several amber bulbs and my cutoff shield on the driver side projector is not flat anymore due to moisture buildup.

Are my only options in trying to get a better "seal" between the hood and headlight:

1) Adjust the hood forward
2) Try to adjust headlight covers rearward
3) Some rubber molding on either the hood or the headlight cover



Any help is much appreciated. Thank you.
Old 04-09-2012 | 04:36 PM
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Headlight cover alignment won't do **** for sealing your lights. If your lights are leaking, then you need to silicone them (DRLs/Fogs) or put better weatherstripping on them and covers if you don't have them (projectors).

There are many threads about aligning your headlight covers. At least, I think there are. I know I've posted instructions at least 3 times.

There are adjustment screws on the cover itself to raise/lower sections of the cover. I usually adjust it one screw at a time.
There are adjustment bumpers (10mm, I think) that screw into nylon clips that are clipped into the headlight bracket/core support area. You can adjust those to rotate the headlight up or down (looks fine on your car, but perhaps could go a hair down esp. on passenger side)
There are two bolts/washers on top of the radiator support that hold down the headlight bracket on each side. You can loosen those to pull the headlight in/out/left/right.

Weatherstripping won't do ****, since the bumper area is not sealed at all (there's even huge vents in the plastic panels under the bumper). Then there's still the ambient moisture in the air from humidity and condensation that won't go away unless the lights are completely sealed or vented properly. Stock DRL's usually have breathable rubber vent caps in the top rear section of the reflector. Hella 60mm projectors are supposed to be waterproof.

Last edited by ZexGX; 04-09-2012 at 04:45 PM.
Old 04-09-2012 | 04:50 PM
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Originally Posted by ZexGX
Headlight cover alignment won't do **** for sealing your lights. If your lights are leaking, then you need to silicone them (DRLs/Fogs) or put better weatherstripping on them and covers if you don't have them (projectors).

There are many threads about aligning your headlight covers. At least, I think there are. I know I've posted instructions at least 3 times.

There are adjustment screws on the cover itself to raise/lower sections of the cover. I usually adjust it one screw at a time.
There are adjustment bumpers (10mm, I think) that screw into nylon clips that are clipped into the headlight bracket/core support area. You can adjust those to rotate the headlight up or down (looks fine on your car, but perhaps could go a hair down esp. on passenger side)
There are two bolts/washers on top of the radiator support that hold down the headlight bracket on each side. You can loosen those to pull the headlight in/out/left/right.

Weatherstripping won't do ****, since the bumper area is not sealed at all (there's even huge vents in the plastic panels under the bumper). Then there's still the ambient moisture in the air from humidity and condensation that won't go away unless the lights are completely sealed or vented properly. Stock DRL's usually have breathable rubber vent caps in the top rear section of the reflector. Hella 60mm projectors are supposed to be waterproof.
Thanks. I have messed with the headlight cover adjustments quite a bit. That's why they look somewhat decent in the photo. The gap was even wider when I first got the car. The projectors are "sealed" but somehow they are still leaking water/moisture into the unit. I need to pop the headlight covers off again and see if I can find the point of entry for the water/moisture. I wouldn't mind the moisture inside the DRL's, but the plug being at the bottom of the housing really allows for moisture to cut bulb life really short. I guess I'll mess around with everything once I get some more free time...
Old 04-18-2012 | 06:22 PM
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My projectors lenses never sealed properly and I didn't bother contacting BLS to try and fix the issue, as I saw no good way that those lenses could be properly sealed without an RTV silicone and a more impact resistant lens. Makes me wonder how many more have the same issue but just don't care.
Old 04-19-2012 | 01:26 AM
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I've never been in the rain with my car since I've installed the BLS HID kit. I've always wondered though how they would hold up.
Old 04-19-2012 | 09:06 AM
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Water in the Amber lights probably means that you need to replace the housings as the are cracked at the top from heat. The plugs are at the bottom and if they were letting moisture/water in then they would let it back out also.



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