Help on the BHLM

The headlight assembly, the whole thing you were holding in your hand in the first picture. They don't sell parts and pieces, (definately not just then lens! ) only the whole thing and it's $325 for OEM.

 

Here's my write-up if it helps at all...

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2241706/2006-toyota-tacoma-xtra-cab/page-4

and posts #49 -54 here:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=106329&page=4

 

And that's why I bought a second pair used on here for $100 to tinker with! I did the SWHLM (Superwhite) on the spare set, then swapped them out and sold off mine for the same price I bought the others for.

 

I did mine last weekend...followed the thread to a tee...and....perfect. I've never done this before and was a little nervous, ( didn't have a back-up set. )
But I can confirm that it is as easy as they say. Looks bad-ass too!!! Just leave your entire afternoon open and take your time with it.

 

Ok. Now do I take the amber plastic off that my hand is touching and the clear one that I am pointing to.?

 

yes, take those off. paint the chrome. and then put 'em back, when the paint is dry. some people don't put the corner reflector back. just a preference I guess.

 

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t106329.html

^^^the thread I followed for this mod.

 

Use a small flathead screw driver and release the clips from the back side. It should make sense when you turn them over and see how they're connected. It's a little bit of a pain, but take your time so you don't break the clips.

 

Good job separating the assembly. It wore my fingers off prying them apart. The hard part is over. Look at my pics in the links I posted above. Take the amber lenses off before you paint: you just want that one, chrome colored piece by itself to paint. I kept the yellow corner markers off as you see in my pics (was called the clear corner headlight mod) but others keep them on...its preference.

This is very important: when you are ready to reassemble, even if the clear plastic cover looks clean, even if you didn't touch it, clean it with rubbing alcohol. I did not and mine have a haze on the inside, and a couple finger swipes even though I thought I never touched it.

And do a nice, generous bead of silicone around the seal at the end, just to assure its sealed from moisture.

 

Thanks guys.! I'm painting them as we speak..

 

It's actually a bit more than preference. Check your local laws and inspection requirements if you have them. Here in Utah it's illegal to not have them, and they'll fail your yearly inspection without them.

 

That's interesting. In Virginia, you just needed to have yellow bulbs blinking, to the best of my understanding. I passed inspection twice. I guess if in doubt, best to leave them in, unless you want that look enough that you'll take the chance of possibly having to go back in and put them back in. I did save mine just in case I wanted to change them back.

 

Done painting. Now I was looking at Viet2100's writeup and he had 3m Windo-Weld Ribbon Sealer and used it to seal up the headlight. I live in a small town and have a little hardware store which doesn't carry that. Is there something else that I could use to seal up my headlights.?

 

If you left all of the original grey sealant on there, that should soften up in the oven again and reseal. Then use some silicon adhesive around the edge to make sure.

The ribbon sealer that viet recommends is awesome though. Most car parts stores have it.

 

I used GE Silicone II

 

Definitely use something. Don't rely on the original glue, once you have cracked it open.

 

In a lot of states you need the little corner reflectors on the side of the headlight to be legal.

x2, check an autozone or advance auto for that window weld stuff. It works very well and makes a positive seal for your newly painted lights. It would suck to do that much work and have it all go to crap because they don't seal up. I did not use silicone adhesive since it would make a mess if you ever need to open the lights up. If you reseal them correctly, there is no need for silicone, it's just an insurance policy if you screw up I suppose.

 

How do I put this back in.? Do I need to remove the black rubber part.?

 

put the bulb in and use the spring clip to hold it in place and then fit the rubber boot back over the opening

 

I'm not sure, I put retrofit projectors in at the same time. I would imagine you need to take the metal parts out of the rubber and get them back into the housing/shroud, then fit the rubber boot around it to get the pin connectors accessible.