TeePee Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 I sought advice from Ford about deflecting headlights on my 2004 Transit for use in Europe as I had heard that the plastic lens crazes if you apply tape. They sent me templates and I applied the tape as Ford did not advise otherwise. Guess what! Yes after a short period of use the lens is crazed. I have contacted Ford and was referred to their Technical helpline at £1 a minute! My local Ford dealer was not helpful and Ford do not make lens covers. Anyone any experience/suggestions please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Try formula4x4co.uk for headlamp protectors, and put the maskings on them instead. Regards chas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrytraveller Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 Hi Teepee, Sorry to hear that your plastic headlamp lenses crazed. I left the Halford Headlamp converters (see link) http://tinyurl.com/2b57ye on the plastic lenses for three years, and they didn't craze. Perhaps the adhesive on the converters are especially formulated not to damage the plastic lenses. Whereas electrical insulating tape adhesive has different properties and may even amalgamate, that is to say, melt and join as one, consider what it might be up to on your lenses! I know that cheaper electrical tape can soften and liquidise whatever it is attached to, you only have to look at some insulating you might have carried out a few years ago, to find a sticky mess has occurred due to the tape adhesive interacting with the plastic covering of the wire. Regards Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 25, 2007 Share Posted February 25, 2007 TeePee: Crazing happened on my 1996 Transit-based motorhome's plastic headlights and my own view is that it's simply due to localised overheating in the area that's been 'masked off'. Black masks should definitely be avoided (because they maximise the heat effect), but using white tape, as I did, clearly offers no certain protection. Beam converters don't seem to cause crazing, presumably because they let the light through. As Chas suggests, masked headlamp-protectors are probably the best cost/convenience compromise, as they can be removed easily when you return to the UK and replaced for the next trip abroad (and they protect your lights too, of course!) Based on past letters to MMM's "Interchange", Transit plastic headlights seem particularly vulnerable to this malady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeePee Posted February 26, 2007 Author Share Posted February 26, 2007 Many thanks for your replies. I think I'll get some headlight covers. Regards TeePee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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