SL/R230: Question for a Professional Clear Bra installer
#1
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2003 SL500
Question for a Professional Clear Bra installer
I am having difficulty getting the film to STAY stuck in the concave area between the high and low beam. Every other part of the install goes perfectly.
I have used a heat gun OR a hair dryer to soften the film when squeegeeing it down in this area to no avail. Initially it looks fine but with a week it starts to pull up allowing dirt etc to get stuck in the adhesive.
I have used both 3M and Venture Shield and they both do the same thing. Eventually there is a line the whole way down from top to bottom in the center area of the figure 8 of the lights. I may be the only one who sees it but that's enough for me, I don't like it!
I'm getting sick of wasting time and money and getting the same result.
A pro installer put the 3M on it and within a month it did the same thing it's doing for me!
Thoughts on the matter please? I have some 3M adhesive cleaner but am afraid to use that on the headlights for fear of clouding the lenses.
Thanks to all in advance,
J Tinsby
I have used a heat gun OR a hair dryer to soften the film when squeegeeing it down in this area to no avail. Initially it looks fine but with a week it starts to pull up allowing dirt etc to get stuck in the adhesive.
I have used both 3M and Venture Shield and they both do the same thing. Eventually there is a line the whole way down from top to bottom in the center area of the figure 8 of the lights. I may be the only one who sees it but that's enough for me, I don't like it!
I'm getting sick of wasting time and money and getting the same result.
A pro installer put the 3M on it and within a month it did the same thing it's doing for me!
Thoughts on the matter please? I have some 3M adhesive cleaner but am afraid to use that on the headlights for fear of clouding the lenses.
Thanks to all in advance,
J Tinsby
#2
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05' sl 500
if i'm reading your post correctly you're talking about the clear bra on the headlights itself. yea i have the same problem on my headlights as well. the material in the headlights is thicker than then one that goes on the body of the car. this of course makes it harder to bend and fit into that crevice. i just decided to live with the problem but you may consider leaving it off the headlights since i don't hear too many sl owners complaining about headlight getting cracked.
another solution is too cut the figure 8 into 2 pieces? just a suggestion.
if this is not what your talking about please ignore my post. lol
another solution is too cut the figure 8 into 2 pieces? just a suggestion.
if this is not what your talking about please ignore my post. lol
#3
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2003 SL500
Nope you're reading it correctly! That crevice is a trouble spot all right, the material no matter what brand it is, no matter how it's been heated will not stay in there for more than a few days, then it pulls up. Yes I have considered making it into 2 pieces that way there would be no reason for it to lift up but the joint would eventually get dirty. So I am on the fence about doing that.
I'm thinking of just putting the regular body film on the headlights to see how that behaves. I don't know about the clarity of it though. If it looks ugly, I'm taking it off entirely and will take my chances with it getting hit.
Thanks,
J T
I'm thinking of just putting the regular body film on the headlights to see how that behaves. I don't know about the clarity of it though. If it looks ugly, I'm taking it off entirely and will take my chances with it getting hit.
Thanks,
J T
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2007 SL550
The key to installing these correctly without lifting is to allow the film to lay naturally in the crevice. Most want to start from the center of one of the lenses and pull the film over to the other side pulling the film tight across the valley. This will lead to lifting just as you have seen. Start in the crevice with NO tension on the film, and then work your way up to either side.