GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Okay I just tinted my headlights today and if I had a way of posting pics on here I would but it wont allow ne to directly attach photos from my phone. But now at night my lights are so dim that my fogs overpower them, was wondering if I say take a small circle out of the middle of where the lights are would this help me out?

This is the consequence of tinting your headlights. Cutting a hole will ruin the look and won't do much of anything...Either re-tint a lot lighter or remove the tint and get your nighttime visibility back!

Dude, what did you think was gonna happen? Tinting your headlights look like crap and it's dangerous.

If you try to cut a hole in the tint while on the headlight you will end up scratching the heck out of the plastic lens.Your best bet is to do one of two things. One remove the tint, or install HID plug and play

Anyone know of any plug and play hids then, I would go through you keith but I don't exactly have the 200 bucks for one of your kits

That won't do it either. You will either learn now when you're young or later, that it is dangerous for you and other drivers on the road and especially illegal to smoke tint/blackout your headlights or taillights.It's also illegal to install HID retrofit kits in a vehicle with reflective housings... one without projectors. Do yourself a favor now and save the trouble... lose the tint before you run into somebody, or they run into you.

Well im going to wet sand the headlights and see if that helps out any, as for my tail lights they are fine, still bright and vibrant. Just want to lighten up the headlights some.

I promise you'll get the results you want if you sand it ALL the way off and start over.Here's what problems you'll run into:The plastic has an outer layer that protects it from craking, yellowing, and hazing. When you sand you're pretty much GONNA sand thru it at some point, then you'll notice it every time you look at your headlights. What I did to remedy this was sand ALL the way thru it ALL around the headlight using 600grit sandpaper. Then moved up to 1000 grit until all the grain from the 600grit was gone. THEN I sanded with 2000grit until the grain from the 1000 was gone. Then I wetsanded with the 2000 until they cleared up like I wanted them to. Then FINALLY...I tinted. Lightly! They look wonderful now and hold up fine. Now it's important if you're gonna sand down PAST that outer layer of plastic, you MUST put something on the plastic to protect it. I mean if at this point you decide you don't wanna tint anymore, you'll need to put clear coat on it to protect it!

Here's what one member did when he tinted too dark: And here's the thread I followed in sanding my headlights: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=32206

Awesome! Ill follow it thanks bro!

http://www.lamin-x.comOh sure! NOW they offer a kit for the Vibe!! I did mine using bulk material.Brandon, you for got to mention that the "cut-out" didn't work for bassrocker either. He ended up sanding it all off and (especially because he is the impatient type,) ruined his headlights, probably forever.

Oh, I dodn't realize he sanded them all the way down....I hope he put clearcoat on em

Frankie says "Relax, Dont Do It".......

I'm w/you, Bro, but you know there are two schools of thinking 'round here: Those that do and those that don't want to.

Quote, originally posted by 06pvibe »It's also illegal to install HID retrofit kits in a vehicle with reflective housings... one without projectors. Just curious, but how do vehicle manufactures get away with this? They still do this, not much, but one vehicles comes to mind. The Nissan Rogue SL. I saw one the other day with HID's, well I have seen several, and they are factory and have NO projectors.

Sadly, doing what you did is a really foolish and short sighted thing to do.Sure, it MAY look really "cool" and the lights blend in with the car body and windows but think about it.....WHY are there headlights on cars? tick tock tick tock tick tock......ding!!YES!! so YOU can see at night and others can see YOU!!! They are there for your safety, the safety of those in your car and MY safety!! I want you to see ME!! Be I in a car or on a bike or walking, I want to be seen by you. When one takes clear plastic lenses and paints them, one greatly reduces the amount of light passing through them!!!Not to mention that there are laws about headlights and how many lumens they must emit. You are endangering yourself and EVERYONE that comes near your car!I don't call many people names and I'll refrain from doing so now but I bet you can figure out what I'm thinking .........Wait!!! look at my little saying below......it finally FITS a given post!!!so sorry...dave

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »Just curious, but how do vehicle manufactures get away with this? They still do this, not much, but one vehicles comes to mind. The Nissan Rogue SL. I saw one the other day with HID's, well I have seen several, and they are factory and have NO projectors. I am not absolutely sure. I am not a lawyer or a politician. I only play BOTH on TV... sitting on the TV that is. But I did say "retrofit kits." Perhaps Nissan and other have found a way to produce a reflector that is capable of a proper cut-off that suites the HID lighting?Or, perhaps it's all political and they are allowed to do so because it is produced at the factory and therefore is not a retrofit?Pa. inspection law used to state (it might still) that anything that is NOT original to the factory intent of the vehicle is illegal. Perhaps that's how they have managed to sneak it through?All I know is that I personally know a few people that have installed HID kits in reflectors and been pulled over, and ticketed for having them that way... one particular S-10 comes to mind immediately. He was ticketed several times before the ticket costs exceeded his need for HIDs.When I found out, I told him then that one way or another he was asking for trouble... and he found it.

See, I like the idea that someone said a while ago about tints... design a removable tinted "cap" that you can put on the headlights in the daytime/at shows, but is removable at night or in bad weather. That could be awesome and the best of both worlds

Well AVS used to make one for the Vibe.Not anymore tho.

The AVS covers DO exist. I have a set and they are awesome!

Before the age of model specific aerodynamic headlights, that's the way we did it.I made some out of a light smoked tinted pair of license plate covers for a Nissan I once owned. Unfortunately, it took me a few weeks to figure out how I wanted to mount them and a week of custom fitting them to the headlamp door, a term you don;t hear much anymore. But I only kept them on for a few days. Too much loss of usable output for my liking.I bought some clear ones for my Honda (they had white horizontal lines impressed on the back-side?), fit them better than straight out-of-the-box and ran them till the end. No noticeable loss of lumens and they helped protect my rather expensive euro headlights from damage too.

Quote, originally posted by cptnsolo77 »Frankie says "Relax, Dont Do It".......I'm also with you on this one In fact I'm leaning a little the "other way" as in this. Instead of darkening the surfaces, lets make them brighter and more noticeable LED's baby all the way I may get carried away with what I have up my sleeve but I'll let all you Genvibers be the judge. Coming soon by Summer 2011

Couldn't come soon enough