Lights need new chrome
Leon
glass to clean the lights and after getting rid of some dust I noticed that
they were rusting especially at the bottom part of the reflector. That car
has metal reflectors and they are in need of painting. Can I get some paint
that will look like a mirror, I don't mind if it's not mirror like, just not
dull. The light output now is probably well below the legal limit, a little
better after cleaning but still low.
TIA,
Leon
Jim
wrote:
Have them re-chromed. Shouldn't cost too much. Also check what new
or replacement will cost versus re-chroming. I think the painting is
a bad idea. It just won't have the same effect.
Jim
Ron
<ra...@tampabay.rr.com> writes:
>I took out the
>>glass to clean the lights and after getting rid of some dust I noticed that
>>they were rusting especially at the bottom part of the reflector. That car
>>has metal reflectors and they are in need of painting. Can I get some paint
>>that will look like a mirror, I don't mind if it's not mirror like, just not
>>dull.
If this is a stupid reply then feel free to move on, but:
My old '73 Chev. Impala seemed as if the tail, stop, and signal lights had lost
their brightness. I began to have concerns about the drivers behind me having
trouble seeing my rear lighting at a safe distance (particularly should they be
wearing a badge).
I removed the taillight assemblies, cleaned all the surfaces around the bulb
sockets, and lightly sanded them. I bought a can of "Chrome" spray paint at the
local auto-parts store, masked and sprayed it then reassembled it all, and was
happy with the result. It looked like a new car from the rear (after dark). The
reflectivity was a 100% inprovement
Just a cheap (~$5) repair, plus my invaluable time, of course. Hey, it worked
for me.
Ron
Nate Nagel
That's my usual solution to this problem. Gloss white should work
almost as well. Best solution of course would be to have them
rechromed but this is often not economically practical and sometimes
not physically possible (bulb sockets integral with housing, requiring
lots of work to get a good job done.)
FWIW, many vehicles have painted light housings from the factory so I
don't have a real problem with this idea. Another thing that can
cause low light output is corroded sockets, the sockets can be cleaned
with a battery terminal brush, then packed with white grease to
prevent future corrosion. Also if the "dots" in the socket, or the
little springs behind them, are corroded, a repair kit is available
for cheap (I have a whole baggie full of them that I bought from a
hardware store that was going out of business) or if you are skilled
with a soldering iron you can make your own simply by "flattening" the
end of a stranded wire and soldering it. In extreme cases (where
insulation has become brittle) the whole wiring harness for the light
may need to be replaced (for a Studebaker, which I usually work on,
this usually involves a socket repair kit, a few lengths of
appropriate colored wire, a roll of heat shrink, and some "bullet"
connectors.) With all connections soldered and heat shrinked, this
should be more reliable than the original light harness - which in the
cars I work on functioned well for 40+ years, so this is probably
overkill. One thing I have discovered - if the insulation has become
brittle (as opposed to chafed) taping up the affected wires is pretty
much useless and should only be attempted as an emergency (as in just
to get you home where you can fix it correctly) repair.
good luck
nate
Daniel Stern Lighting
> That's my usual solution to this problem. Gloss white should work
> almost as well.
Nope. The correct material is "Chrome Aluminum" spray paint, ONLY.
> Best solution of course would be to have them rechromed
Nope. You don't want a mirror-shiny surface, which tends to create hot
spots and dark areas and makes it difficult to get the required bright/dim
intensity ratio.
DS
Daniel Stern Lighting
Wait a minute...are we talking about your taillamps (as some other posters
have assumed) or your headlamps? If your Mercedes has European headlamps
with separate bulbs, reflectors and lenses, and the reflectors are *AT
ALL* less than mirror-perfect, then they are in need of replacement. Paint
will NOT get the job done here, not by a long shot. (paint works OK in
taillamps, parking lamps, etc., because they are not beam projectors as
the headlamps are).
Also, headlamp reflectors are not "chromed". The surface is specially
prepared, then aluminum vapor-coated, then an anticorrosion coating
(silicon or, in older lamps, lacquer) is applied. Chrome has lousy optical
properties; reflectivity is about 67%. Vapor-coat aluminum: 99%+.
Post exactly which Mercedes model you have and exactly which lamps you're
referring to for more specific information, please.
DS
Nathan Nagel
I'm not going to argue with you about what is most effective for
lighting, *but* most of the vehicles that I have worked on have lamp
housings either chromed (or, less frequently, cad-plated) or painted
gloss white from the factory. But if you say that the "chrome aluminum"
paint is better for reflectivity, then that's what I'll use from now
on. I would never seriously suggest rechroming something that doesn't
show outside the car... with the price of chrome the way it is today
that would just be silly.
nate
Leon
news:Pine.SOL.4.33.02072...@alumni.engin.umich.edu...
and the reflectors are metal. They are starting to rust especially at the
bottom part. I can take them apart and have the reflectors chromed. Will
the light output be significantly reduced, I don't drive that car much and I
don't need super bright headlamps. If you think that they can reach some
legal limit it's fine.
Thanks.
Leon
Nate Nagel
As soon as I reread my post, I remembered another option... my older
WCVW's have shiny black plastic light housings. ISTR that my dad's
old Chevy pickup had gloss black painted steel taillight housings (I
remember this because these were the old round style and I had to
restore them because at the time repros were not available.) So I
guess what I'm saying is that other options were used that apparently
met regulations at the time they were installed. Now if you're
telling me that one particular kind of paint is simply better than the
others, that's what I'll use from now on whenever I restore a light
housing. BTW I read the followup from the OP stating that he was
trying to restore a hedlight... I second the motion that that is a Bad
Idea and he should just bite the bullet and get some new (or good
used) reflectors. Cheaping out there just isn't acceptable.
nate
ObYay: started to put the wiring harness in my Daytona on Sunday.
Amazingly enough, every single light works perfectly, even though the
car has been sitting since the late 1960s. I don't think I need to do
anything other than hook it up. Even stranger, the generator charges
and I haven't found anything not working except for one horn (no doubt
rusted up inside, the other one started working after I dumped some
Kroil in it and tapped it with a hammer a few times) and the heater
blower (which appears to have been the source of the electrical fire
that prompted the car's mothballing.) I do think I will probably
throw new bearings in the generator but that isn't half bad for a car
that was set up that long. Holds 40 PSI at idle with 15W40 Rotella,
even with the stock bypass filter hooked up. I'm a happy camper. Now
if I can just find a windshield, I can be cruising along enjoying the
lovely glasspack burble, T-10 gear whine, etc...
Nate Nagel
Leon,
the process you're looking for is called "resilvering." A quick
google search yielded the following:
http://www.stevesautorestorations.com/
Not associated in any way, and can't make any recommendations one way
or another. I will say that my gut feeling is that unless replacement
reflectors are prohibitively expensive you're probably better off just
buying new parts. This service seems to be aimed at people with cars
with obsolete and impossible to replace headlights. I'd also imagine
that resilvered lights may come close, but will never equal the light
output of new, factory lights. Whatever you do, I would never
consider painting old headlight reflectors to be acceptable.
good luck
nate
Daniel Stern Lighting
> Leon wrote:
> > I was referring to the headlamps which are European H4 with separate bulbs
> > and the reflectors are metal. They are starting to rust especially at the
> > bottom part. I can take them apart and have the reflectors chromed. Will
> > the light output be significantly reduced,
> the process you're looking for is called "resilvering."
No, the process he's looking for is not called "resilvering". Headlamp
reflectors were last silver-plated in the pre-1940s era. Silver plating is
applicable to BRASS headlamp reflectors only, and it tarnishes rapidly and
repeatedly. Its only proper use is in high vintage antique cars that must
be absolutely 100 percent as they were when they left the factory--right
down to the silver on the reflectors.
See my other post (response to Leon) for more information.
DS
Daniel Stern Lighting
> As soon as I reread my post, I remembered another option... my older
> WCVW's have shiny black plastic light housings. ISTR that my dad's
> old Chevy pickup had gloss black painted steel taillight housings (I
> remember this because these were the old round style
This is not "another option". It is another type of lamp, that does not
use a reflector at all. It uses what are called "Fresnel optics"
("Freh-NELL", not "FREZZ-null") in the lens. No reflector is used behind
the bulb in such lamps, which have been used on a small percentage of the
vehicle population for years.
DS
Daniel Stern Lighting
> I was referring to the headlamps which are European H4 with separate bulbs
> and the reflectors are metal. They are starting to rust especially at the
> bottom part.
Most all Mercedes European headlamps have replaceable reflectors. Again,
without knowing the specific model of Mercedes you have, it's impossible
to say for sure whether the reflectors are available or not.
> I can take them apart and have the reflectors chromed.
You asked about this yesterday. It was a bad idea yesterday, and it's
still a bad idea today. Chrome is NOT the correct material and will NOT
yield acceptable headlamp performance. (Have you priced chrome lately? The
costs to get chrome that's not full of bubbles and imperfections are
considerably higher than you might think.)
> If you think that they can reach some legal limit it's fine.
Headlamps are optical instruments. The optics cannot do their job if
they're not perfect. "Good enough" isn't. (And no, beam performance with
chrome-plated reflectors will not meet any legal limit.)
--DS
cama...@my-deja.com
I'm having the same problem as the original poster. After changing a
cracked headlight lens I noticed the reflector being really dull with
dark spots all over it. I have considered both spraying the reflector
with chrome and buying new reflectors. Now, since a can of chrome spray
is like $6.99 and new reflectors would cost at least $100, probably much
more, the choice is pretty simple. However, now that I've read your
reply I'm beginning to have second thoughts. Another thing that's
bothering me is that on the chrome can it says that you shouldn't use it
on areas subject to high temperatures. Assuming the heat from the bulb,
together with the light, is reflected off the reflector this shouldn't
be a problem though, right?
Anyway, are you saying that it's better to have a bad reflector than
spraying it with chrome and running the risk of getting a slightly
damaged headlight pattern? I'm thinking of trying chrome spray, and if
it doesn't work out buy new reflectors, assuming they don't cost a
fortune that is...
>
> Post exactly which Mercedes model you have and exactly which lamps you're
> referring to for more specific information, please.
BMW E34, projector style E-code headlights.
>
> DS
>
>
Thanks,
Ulf
Daniel Stern Lighting
> I'm having the same problem as the original poster. After changing a
> cracked headlight lens I noticed the reflector being really dull with
> dark spots all over it.
Replace the reflector.
> I have considered both spraying the reflector
> with chrome
There is no such thing as "spraying the reflector with chrome". The
"chrome" spray paint you can buy is in fact reflective aluminum. It is not
at all specular and is completely unsuitable for illumination lamp
reflectors.
> on areas subject to high temperatures. Assuming the heat from the bulb,
> together with the light, is reflected off the reflector this shouldn't
> be a problem though, right?
Use your head! If your head doesn't do the job for you, use your hand:
leave your headlamps on high beam for an hour and then go put your finger
on the reflector and come back and tell us if the "heat from the bulb is
reflected off the reflector".
> Anyway, are you saying that it's better to have a bad reflector than
> spraying it with chrome
No, I'm saying it's just as bad to spray a reflector with "chrome" spray
paint as it is to drive around with a bad reflector.
> and running the risk of getting a slightly
> damaged headlight pattern?
"Slightly" damaged? No. Completely demolished.
> BMW E34, projector style E-code headlights.
You drive an expensive car, you have to put up with expensive parts.
--DS
Mike Romain
separate bulbs and reflectors and have to agree with this person.
I have see folks try everything on the reflectors and know several got
pulled over for too dim lights. Actually the cops were being nice, they
all warned the person their alternator was dead and to hit the next
garage before the battery dies.
I don't believe there is any fix and have seen bad ones since the 60's
with no successful fix I have seen.
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:
June 16/02 http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291718705
Easter/02 http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291929351
Jan/02 http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292141347
Aug/01 http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292076845
Day Trip Misc. http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291902217