Hi all

The headlamps on my 1998 Cinq have very poor reflectors. It looks like the silvering has 'burned off' in places to reveal a dark plastic beneath. With an M.o.T. imminent I don't think they will particularly impress the tester. You can just about see the problem in the photos.

A trawl of ebay reveals that new headlamps for LHD cars are cheap and plentiful whereas those for RHD cars are rare and pricey.

I wondered if there was any way of refurbishing my current lamps. Assuming they can be dismantled, is there a 'mirror' spray paint that would do the job perhaps? I haven't noticed this problem on other Cinqs. Has anyone else come across it?

Steve

Keep eyes wide open for replacement head lamps / special offers / discount codes.
Diy repair isn't really feasible.
I have used chrome spray paint with success on tail light reflectors but headlamps a whole different ball game.

Steve70 said:

....new headlamps for LHD cars are cheap and plentiful whereas those for RHD cars are rare and pricey....

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£16 + p&p is pricey???
https://www.onlinecarparts.co.uk/ca...nto-170/2694/10533/headlight-insert.html?pg=2
https://www.buycarparts.co.uk/fiat/cinquecento-170/2694/10533/headlight-insert?page=2
Never used them myself -but if i still had a Cinq i'd bite the bullet & go for a pair of (OE?) Magneti Marelli units, about £72 delivered.

You can strip/rebuild Cinq headlamps - done it myself in an emergency.... but it's not worth the effort if you're not desperate.

Hey thanks Ouby. I didn't know about those suppliers. At those prices it's a no-brainer really.

I still may have a bit of a play with the lights I take off the car, just to see if I can do anything with them.

Steve

Fairly common for the reflectors to deteriorate over time (that or the ball & cage reflector adjustment thingy breaks up).
Keep the lenses if they are OK -they can be a real pain to separate from the shells (& you'll need a PU adhesive sealant for reassembly) but handy if you end up with a cracked/smashed lens during a bank holiday. Been there, wore the tea-shirt etc etc.

Edit: That should read t-shirt.... i don't have a separate outfit for imbibing liquid refreshment (though i normally wear a frock coat & cumberband for my evening meal).

Those links are for lhd headlights. Even though the websites are co.uk, the company is actually in Germany.

I purchased a pair thinking that because it was a UK site they would be uk spec units. You could however buy them and as suggested, swap the lenses over to your UK ones.

Your right -Cheeky Wotsits!!!
You'd have thought with names like buycarparts.co.UK & onlinecarparts.co.UK they would be for the UK spec cars.

silvercento said:

Those links are for lhd headlights

Click to expand...

Drat! I did wonder about that- the use of commas in the prices, i.e. '£28,67' made me slightly suspicious that it wasn't a UK site, despite the '.co.uk'. Meanwhile I have bagged at least one unused RHD headlamp for £16 from a private seller on ebay, so I shall bide my time and see what else comes up.

Ouby- I'm pleased to know I'm not the only one who dresses for dinner. I've often caught my stove pipe hat in the chandelier as I settle down for the evening nosh. I do remove it prior to dining of course. (The hat not the chandelier).

Steve

you could get the reflectors re-chromed surely..

RHD headlights are super hard to find but as i see your options are to either dismantle yours and get the reflector re-chromed...

Or buy a new LHD set and swap the lenses over, its not actually that hard to split them, just don't put them in the oven to warm the glue and then walk off and forget - i speak from experience

I'd be inclined to go down the new headlight route myself just because the adjusters are the weakest thing ever and only get more brittle with age and the glass lense can be made as clean and shiny as new once off the headlight so they will look brand new as well.

Having now obtained one new headlamp, it appears that at least some - maybe all? - aftermarket units omit the hydraulic (?) adjustment and instead go for a simple manual adjustment knob.

The actuators on both my original headlamps have been bodges by a previous owner with carefully cut wooden wedges. I'm sure I've read that the system could be troublesome...

Steve

Hydraulic adjusters - all car makes were just dreadful from new.
Speaking from Skoda Felicia experience.

headlights with manual adjustment are the same as the electric ones, the adjuster just comes out and is interchangeable between the units

and yes, the adjustment is fragile, its where it attaches onto the reflector that breaks rather than the adjuster itself.