'03 C70 O/S Crystal Headlamp Unit

[christheancient]

As the thread title suggests, I need a driver's side Crystal headlamp.

OK, "icebergs in the desert" comes to mind as I type this. But, some time back, before I bought the car, there was a stone chip to the lens that made a very tiny hole (covered with a small patch of that special clear tape suitable for headlights). Winter has wreaked it's worst and now I have permanent damp/condensation in the unit and I'm aware that splitting the unit and resealing it has very limited success - and usually something breaks anyway!

TIA

Chris

[DunkinBiskits]

Get a set of clear glass and gaskets from PFV. I bought a set for a job a few months back and they've made it through the winter without so much as going foggy. Nothing snapped or broke, and they've sealed up perfectly without issue. I saw them yesterday, they've sat outside and only been on a handful of times for short durations too. Quite impressed with the new glass tbh.

A small pack of silica gel balls tucked away in the headlight will resist any trapped moisture re-accumulating too, I put some in a sock and leave it in cars I intend to leave sat up for a while to prevent mould too.

Hope this is some use to you

Dunc

[christheancient]

Hi Dunc

I had seen those and am thinking seriously on that line.

However, I had heard of some people making a mess of the job! And I will confess to not always being the best repair bloke around.

I'll give it a couple of days seeing if I can get a new complete unit - otherwise I will go the PFV route. They are people I have used quite a lot and have nothing but praise for them.

And then a matter of doing the job properly!

I like the idea of some silica gel balls as well. I hadn't thought of that.

Chris

[doingitsideways]

The P80 lamps only clip together with about half a dozen clips around the outside.
My aftermarket projectors are anyway. Removed the clips, spent three times as long finding them after they'd pinged off into the abyss, then the lenses just came away.

Think it's only the later (P2, etc) lamps that are bonded/sealed together, needing a trip through the oven to free up.

[AcidicDavey]

Yep, very very easy to change the lenses, they're not glued down or anything, purely held in place with the metal tangs and foam gasket, all you need to remove is a flat head screwdriver. Definitely the way to go.

The only difference between PFV lenses and Volvo ones is that the official ones have the 'Volvo' in the bottom corner where the wiper blade parks.

[christheancient]

Thanks guys.

My mind is more at rest over this now.

I'll order a new lens from PFV tomorrow and give it a go.

What had worried me was the glass was bonded in and sorting that out would be the proverbial PITA; but seemingly not.

So a lens it will be with many 'prayers' that it won't be to difficult.

Chris

[doingitsideways]

Honestly, the hardest part is removing the lamp unit itself.

I only found out about removing the lens when I couldn't get the unit out due to a spinning captive bolt, so had to grip hold of it from inside the lamp unit.