Interior Exterior
Q:
ooooh... the burning scratches thing... didn't know they were called gouges too
A:
didn't know they were called gouges too
I think I'm the only one who calls them "gouges"
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I have those same 'gouges'. Thats what I called them too.
Those are caused by headlamp burning? The sure look like mechanical damage to me...
Your dealer replaced those with no hassles?
mark
A:
I have those same 'gouges'.
Those are caused by headlamp burning?
Your dealer replaced those with no hassles?
Yes, and yes. Lotus supposedly created a "fix" for the problem (new headlamp design), though it's repeating itself in my case.
A:
I have those same 'gouges'. Thats what I called them too.
Those are caused by headlamp burning? The sure look like mechanical damage to me...
Your dealer replaced those with no hassles?
mark
I think we're talking about 2 different things here. Scratches (and gouges), by definition, are caused by mechanical contact, probably due to sloppy installation or repairs. I think the "scratches" referred to in the original post are actually either microscopic shrinkage/expansive cracks or ripples in the plastic possibly due to the difference in temp between the inside and outside of the plastic or the change in temp from when the lights are on vs off.
My "scratches" are in the black housing, not coincidentally around the embellishment rings, or whatever they are called. They are obviously due to contact with some sort of oversized tool that was used to remove or add the rings. They are nothing like the imperfections in the photos in this thread.
A:
My "scratches" are in the black housing, not coincidentally around the embellishment rings, or whatever they are called. They are obviously due to contact with some sort of oversized tool that was used to remove or add the rings. They are nothing like the imperfections in the photos in this thread.
Do you have a pic?
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Do you have a pic?
I'll try to get one tonight..
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If any Elise owners are interested in a more immediate and professional fix for this problem, maybe we can help? Our company specializes in high-end lighting upgrades for tuner vehicles, we actually just released some new clear/LED side-markers for the Elise earlier this year.
Possibly going with a high-temp color-matching paint finish, and/or adding metal shielding in certain areas should either eliminate or atleast alleviate the problem from re-occuring. Certain plastics are capable of releasing moisture or chemical vapors which adhere to the surface of the lens, this may be occuring with the Elise lamps. Either way, here are some examples of paint-matched lamps we've done for various other cars...
- R34 Skyline GT-R LED/Xenon Headlamps:
http://clearcorners.com/products/nis...line3/H_lamp1/
- Z33 350Z LED/Xenon Headlamps:
http://clearcorners.com/products/nissan/350zx3/h_lamp3/
- NA2 NSX-R style LED/HIR/Xenon Headlamps:
http://clearcorners.com/products/acura/nsx1/H_lamp2r/
- MKIV Supra Turbo HIR Headlamps:
http://clearcorners.com/products/toy...pra8/h_lamp1c/
If anyone happens to have a more severely damaged lamp or, happens to be local in the SoCal area.. give us a jingle. We can be reached via e-mail at: contact@clearcorners.com
A:
how does this help exactly? the pictures look like the inside black housing would be painted.... when this thread is about scratches on the clear housing
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how does this help exactly? the pictures look like the inside black housing would be painted.... when this thread is about scratches on the clear housing
From what I read, it seems like there are two possible issues...
a) The headlamp covers have scratches
b) The inside of the headlamp cover has blemishes and stains from outgassing
If the covers themselves need to be polished, this is pretty simple and can be done by any detailer. Its just a matter of wet-sanding the lamps and polishing them back to new. However, if the bezels themselves are outgassing or being somehow burned or weathered from extreme sunlight, then additional steps would need to be taken to prevent that from happening. Either by adding shielding or by painting the housing.
Anyway.. just some suggestions...
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so far the poll results are pretty much 50/50... wow
to the 16 people who contacted their dealer... any progress? what did they say?
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I'm 100% sure the scratches on the black plastic inside the cover below the lense is the result of sunlight burn-in. Depending on the angle of the incoming sunlight the lense becomes a magnifying glass and burns the plastic. I noticed it recently after I left my Elise out in the sun all day. I'll take a picture and will post it. Anyone have any success in getting the plastic piece replaced at no charge?
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If you look at the pics in post #3, I think there's a strong possibility this is caused by mold release agent. I had my lenses off and used some distilled warer and long stick cotton swabs to try to remove it. No luck, I didn't try any real solvent and should have. If you do, make sure it doesn't attack the plastic. Rubbing alcohol may be ok.
My second guess is that the release agent was not applied evenly to the mold and actually formed the imperfections in the clear plastic. Anyone want to sacrifice a lense and do an autopsy?
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just to try and clear things up... the things that don't look like scratch marks... but look more like water condensation of "mold release agent" as MikeW put it... are not the 'scratches' i was originally talking about...
TCAR - I know of the burning issue and it's covered in other threads already... but ALL the other pics in posts 1 and 2 are all scratches ON the headlight housing (the clear cover)... NOT... i repeat NOT on the black plastic...
these are what the burns look like...
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are there any updates from other members who have contacted their dealer about their headlights?
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It's been a while so I forgot. I used a long hemostat and cotton balls to try to get inside and remove the "whatever". If rubbing alcohol doesn't cut it, there are mild abrasives you can try. Like stuff for polishing plastic, extra fine 3M paint polishing compounds (be careful), even toothpaste. I've used Crest on instrument lenses for a '70 Camaro. If it's "on the plastic", it can be removed. If the mold release caused the the plastic to be not level, you're sorta up the creek. Somebody cut one up for sacrifice and find out for us! Another Lotus "fix it yourself" item.
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Is there a service bulletin on the rings around?
Mine has them also, and it may be easier to have the bulletin when I contact the dealer.
Anyone know if Park Place has dealt with them?
mark
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if you have these scratches... and the dealer wouldn't do anything ... and lotus wouldn't do anything... maybe if everyone filed a complaint something will happen... only if you want to of course... and i'm sure they'll be people telling me that they don't care about a few scratches and it doesn't disrupt their driving... to each his own...
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
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did anyone else notice that under Lotus make... they have Elise and Exize listed... hmmm... need to notify them of that typo there