Fiber Optics... Again!

[Rick Biarritz]

The good news is I have pulled off a "diagnostics coup".  Quite proud of myself actually.  The bad news is I just flushed $100 straight down the toilet.  You may remember that my fiber optic indicators on the d. side fender were not working.   Couldn't for the life of me figure out why.  Bought new ones -- $100.  Still not working!!!!  I look and think and look and think.  No bulbs, no moving parts, shine the light on one end, sure enough the other end lights up!  What could it be?!  I was struck by an idea!!!  I shined a flashlight into the metal unit that sits on the fender....  The son of a bitchin' lenses were painted over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Question:  Do I carefully scrape away the paint with a pointy instrument, or dab paint remover on a q-tip, or something else entirely?  Thanks for the tips.

[Dave Shepherd]

Careful here do not melt the plastic, I used to gently scape the paint ( my Cadillac body shop was guilty) off with a plastic tooth pick.

[Otto Skorzeny]

I'm not familiar with the lenses you're talking about but if they can be removed, I would put them in a pan of soap and water and let them soak for a day or two.

You would be surprised how easily paint can be removed from just about anything after it's hydrated for awhile. This works with both water-based and oil-based paints.

Add some ammonia to the solution too if you want. While renovating my house, I was stripping old hardware as well as woodwork with chemicals, heat guns, etc. I decided to drop some hundred year old door hinges into a bucket of water. After sitting overnight, the paint literally fell off without any abrasive effort at all.

I started soaking wood trim, etc. and it makes chemical stripping unnecessary.

I would try that first before risking scratching the lenses if the paint doesn't come off with just your fingernail. At the very least it might loosen up the paint so that less force is required to scrape it off.

Oh yah, get used to throwing money down the toilet. There's a lot more of that in your future if you keep messing around with old cars. =D

[Doug Spingelt]

Funny, I had the exct same issue.  I was going nuts that the optics did't work, but they seemed so simple.  turns out mine were painted over as well.  I used a long needle and poked it out.  most of it came out easily.  it was coated over, but not well adheared.  I has to scratch some of it loose too. All in all they came out nicely.  I woudlnt use a heat gun as I think they are plastic.  Also I am considering removing them from the fender completely and cleaning them properly...  oh so many projects to be done first.  I suspct the lenses come out of the casing if it is removed and then that would be easy to clean up.

Also I replaced the headlights and I noticed that they were not working well.  turns out the new headlights were painted over in the back where the fiber optic gains its light and it was gettgin viturally no light with the headlights on.  I scratched the pain off the back of the headlight and that solved that too. 

My rear fiber optic is broken though.  (Convertible)  has always been broken from years of the top folding over it.  If anyone has an outet for these babies, let me know!  Currently, I folded it all behind the seat to it is out of the way.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

The lenses ARE plastic -- so don't use paint remover or any solvents to clean them
or you'll fog the lens.  A stiff small brush (a cut down toothbrush for example), toothpicks
and some detergent solution and LOTS of patience will get them clean.

Mike

[Guidematic]

That's right. They are plastic. You can remove the escutcheon and separate the lens from it to get good access to clean the lense. But lense removal may not be so easy. They are fairly well hidden up in the fender and you need to acces the nit that holds the assembly to the fender.

Painting over them is a very common problem. For the life of me I can't understand why so many body shops do it. It would be so easy to cover them even with a dollop of vaseline to prevent paint adhesion. Then simply pick off the dried paint.

Mike

[Misfit]

My rear fiber optic is broken though.  (Convertible)  has always been broken from years of the top folding over it.  If anyone has an outet for these babies, let me know!  Currently, I folded it all behind the seat to it is out of the way.

Doug. Stand it back up in it's proper position and puddle some super glue around the break. I've had no problem since.

MisFit