replacing headlight assembly in 2001 Forester

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

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

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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.

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

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

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

Jon