I watched as the headlights on the old Camry dulled over the years. Sand and grit and bugs and road debris stole the shine and ruined the sparkle. I polished the outer plastic shells with modest success a few years ago, but over time those clear headlight covers became translucent. Later, even professional kits that promised to return their original luster failed to revive them. Lately, those once pristine, absolutely clear lenses had become almost opaque.
A quote in the neighborhood of $500 changed my mind about having the Toyota dealer replace them, but the beasts needed replacing. So I looked online for replacement parts and instructions on how to undertake the task. Finally, a few days ago, the headlights I ordered online for about $145 (for the pair, including shipping) arrived. A day or two later, I watched a YouTube instruction video on how to remove and replace headlights on a 2002 Camry, then set out to do the work.
It took an hour and a half, (but should have taken less than one). I discovered after replacing both sets of headlights that I had two extra bolts. A partial re-do corrected my oversight. Despite going overtime, the deal is done. Finally, the car’s eyes no longer looks like they have badly neglected cataracts.
My scraped knuckles and bruises will be fine. My ego is intact, thanks to discovering where those two extra bolts went. A few scars and a little pain are reasonable exchanges for $355 in savings.
Wow! This is something I have not done, and in fact, I’m afraid of doing. I may try this, myself.