LX470 Headlight Assembly glass replacement...

[timberwilde]

I know this has been asked on other forums and about other models but does anyone know if there is a way to replace only the glass on the headlight assembly? I have a 2000LX and a 2002LX that both have either one or both lenses cracked and/or chipped. On two occasions I have purchased used ones on eBay and both times they have arrived broken. The sellers have refunded my money in each circumstance but I am left now with four cracked/chipped assemblies on my vehicles and two broken assemblies in my garage. I cannot stomach going to aftermarket assemblies but I am not looking to spend $400+ on new ones either. It appears that the glass is thermally bonded to the plastic so I am not sure if it is possible to replace but if anyone has seen it done I'd like to learn more.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Evan Kapel]

I would consider Depot one piece replacement headlights. Less expensive than
OEM and claim to be exact fit. Available on eBay.

 

[THEIZZARDKING]

read the hid retrofit threads, they describe the baking process, it's a bit dangerous as you don't want to melt the plastic, you want it to get it just hot enough to loosen up the paste to get a razor and a small screw driver in there and break the seal.

i bought replacement glass from a junk yard, you can often find headlights with good glass but with broken tabs for cheap, i got 2 complete assemblies with broken tabs for $80 from a yard out of AZ, just used a junk yard metacrawler site to search for LX470 headlights.

quote from retrofit thread.
"Baking is stressful! I put each lens in the oven for just under 7 minutes at 270F on a baking sheet. Make sure you let the baking sheet cool down in between lenses. I didn't let it cool down enough and my second lens had small evidence of melting plastic on the points where the housing was directly touching the sheet. No permanent or significant damage. Learn from my mistake."

parts search
Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market

Junk Yard Dog| Find Used Auto Parts

that said, from my understanding the later LX's moved away from glass lenses anyways, you could always just buy an after market set and swap in your projectors if all your worried about is broken glass...
if you were ever going to do a retrofit i think now is the time to do it, lots of good threads with solid info on that....might not be a bad idea to order up the depo after market set and some good projectors and slam those together and just run the broken glass lights in the mean time, then maybe you can cobble something together out of the stock headlights between the 2 trucks to get a good factory set up and running....

just some thoughts.

 

[Spike555]

Glass coverage on your auto insurance policy?
Stone chip in the glass headlight is the same as a stone chip in your windshield.

 

[MattyO]

I have cracked glass on the Pass Side headlight. Any advice on how to fix? Just find a factory headlamp or go the aftermarket route?

 

[Jason YY]

You could get lucky and find just the lens at a yard.

I have three good lens for sale both passenger and the driver low beam

If you look at the LB bracket thread there is a link to baking your headlight to loosen the adhesive.

It’s pretty easy -

 

[Luke111]

If you find OEM used headlights they are easy to open up ....pre heat the oven to 285 ..place the head lights on wood strips ..I use 1x4's cut to proper length..... bake for 10 minutes and just pry the lens off. Chinese replacement lights have glass lens but the Glass will not fit OEM light housing. Or just buy new OEM lights ... you can still get new Glass lenses headlights 98-2002 .. they switched to plastic 2003-2007. I'll have them on my site for $385.00 plus shipping this weekend or send me a PM

 

[Prestonnelson]

If you find OEM used headlights they are easy to open up ....pre heat the oven to 285 ..place the head lights on wood strips ..I use 1x4's cut to proper length..... bake for 10 minutes and just pry the lens off. Chinese replacement lights have glass lens but the Glass will not fit OEM light housing. Or just buy new OEM lights ... you can still get new Glass lenses headlights 98-2002 .. they switched to plastic 2003-2007. I'll have them on my site for $385.00 plus shipping this weekend or send me a PM

My 2003 LX has glass headlights.

 

[Luke111]

My 2003 LX has glass headlights.

My mistake.... 2004-2007?

 

[Prestonnelson]

My mistake.... 2004-2007?

I wasn't sure if mine was just a fluke. I sure do like the glass lens so much better. They still look brand new.

 

[saucebox]

I wasn't sure if mine was just a fluke. I sure do like the glass lens so much better. They still look brand new.

I think yours have probably been replaced in the past. Plastic should have started in MY03. @Luke111 helped me replace my old dingy plastic with glass.

 

[Prestonnelson]

I think yours have probably been replaced in the past. Plastic should have started in MY03. @Luke111 helped me replace my old dingy plastic with glass.

Hmmm. Interesting. However, my 2003 only has 85,000 miles on it so I’m pretty sure they are original. Might be a matter of a switch half way through the 2003 model year.

 

[saucebox]

Hmmm. Interesting. However, my 2003 only has 85,000 miles on it so I’m pretty sure they are original. Might be a matter of a switch half way through the 2003 model year.

Wow on the mileage! Definitely sounds plausible, the assemblies seem to be exactly the same otherwise.

 

[Luke111]

Hmmm. Interesting. However, my 2003 only has 85,000 miles on it so I’m pretty sure they are original. Might be a matter of a switch half way through the 2003 model year.

I'd put some Lamin-X film on those museum quality head lights before you pick up a stone

 

[Mark WV]

I originally thought my 03 LX (07/03 build date) had glass lenses as they are in great shape, however when I retrofitted them a few years back I realized they are plastic - Toyota must have had better plastic back in 2003 - seems like today's plastic lights haze up in just a few years...