1996 Chrysler Concorde

the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites i
have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
outside lens to almost factory appearence, i have not used it yet but will
need it on my truck. what Daniel was refering to was the design, right from
the factory people were complaining of lack of lite at nite time driving
Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech
"GrtArtiste" > wrote in message
...
> >Hope she doesn't drive at night; the headlamps on these cars are awful.
> >
> >
>
> I noted the odd, milky-white color of the headlamp lenses. Is this what
you are
> referring to? Can these be replaced at a reasonable price?

maxpower wrote:
> the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites i
> have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> outside lens to almost factory appearence, i have not used it yet but will
> need it on my truck...

Glenn - My limited (1 car) experience and what I read on various forums
says that any polishing you do will likely get you close to water-clear
appearance, but that that only lasts a few weeks and some kind of polish
or wax will need to be re-applied periodically (easier after the first
time because the major surface imperfections get polished out then, and
it's mostly the effect of the polish filling in the microscopic
scratches rather than actually smoothing out the plastic that creates
the clear appearance by reducing diffraction). IOW, it's a good way to
get decent lighting and avoid hassles with the law until the unit can be
replaced. IOW - if it's a choice between spending a lot of money on a
polish kit or replacing the unit, replace the unit.

Does that line up with your experience?

Also, as a preventative, I will be replacing my one cloudy assembly (the
other one was replaced a year or so ago, so it is like new), after which
I will put on the X-Pel adhessive-backed vinyl protectors (reduces UV
and prevents sandblasting and damage from small stones) that I have
sitting on the shelf - about $40 the pair.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')


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maxpower wrote:
> the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites i
> have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> outside lens to almost factory appearence, i have not used it yet but will
> need it on my truck...

Glenn - My limited (1 car) experience and what I read on various forums
says that any polishing you do will likely get you close to water-clear
appearance, but that that only lasts a few weeks and some kind of polish
or wax will need to be re-applied periodically (easier after the first
time because the major surface imperfections get polished out then, and
it's mostly the effect of the polish filling in the microscopic
scratches rather than actually smoothing out the plastic that creates
the clear appearance by reducing diffraction). IOW, it's a good way to
get decent lighting and avoid hassles with the law until the unit can be
replaced. IOW - if it's a choice between spending a lot of money on a
polish kit or replacing the unit, replace the unit.

Does that line up with your experience?

Also, as a preventative, I will be replacing my one cloudy assembly (the
other one was replaced a year or so ago, so it is like new), after which
I will put on the X-Pel adhessive-backed vinyl protectors (reduces UV
and prevents sandblasting and damage from small stones) that I have
sitting on the shelf - about $40 the pair.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')


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---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

Thats good to know because at the dealer we have this guy who will do it as
a service on vehicles that need it, i was gonna wait and see what the
results were before i did it, i will have to ask him what the gaurantee is,
thx Bill
"Bill Putney" > wrote in message ...
> maxpower wrote:
> > the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites
i
> > have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> > outside lens to almost factory appearence, i have not used it yet but
will
> > need it on my truck...
>
> Glenn - My limited (1 car) experience and what I read on various forums
> says that any polishing you do will likely get you close to water-clear
> appearance, but that that only lasts a few weeks and some kind of polish
> or wax will need to be re-applied periodically (easier after the first
> time because the major surface imperfections get polished out then, and
> it's mostly the effect of the polish filling in the microscopic
> scratches rather than actually smoothing out the plastic that creates
> the clear appearance by reducing diffraction). IOW, it's a good way to
> get decent lighting and avoid hassles with the law until the unit can be
> replaced. IOW - if it's a choice between spending a lot of money on a
> polish kit or replacing the unit, replace the unit.
>
> Does that line up with your experience?
>
> Also, as a preventative, I will be replacing my one cloudy assembly (the
> other one was replaced a year or so ago, so it is like new), after which
> I will put on the X-Pel adhessive-backed vinyl protectors (reduces UV
> and prevents sandblasting and damage from small stones) that I have
> sitting on the shelf - about $40 the pair.
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
> adddress with the letter 'x')
>
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000
Newsgroups
> ---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

Thats good to know because at the dealer we have this guy who will do it as
a service on vehicles that need it, i was gonna wait and see what the
results were before i did it, i will have to ask him what the gaurantee is,
thx Bill
"Bill Putney" > wrote in message ...
> maxpower wrote:
> > the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites
i
> > have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> > outside lens to almost factory appearence, i have not used it yet but
will
> > need it on my truck...
>
> Glenn - My limited (1 car) experience and what I read on various forums
> says that any polishing you do will likely get you close to water-clear
> appearance, but that that only lasts a few weeks and some kind of polish
> or wax will need to be re-applied periodically (easier after the first
> time because the major surface imperfections get polished out then, and
> it's mostly the effect of the polish filling in the microscopic
> scratches rather than actually smoothing out the plastic that creates
> the clear appearance by reducing diffraction). IOW, it's a good way to
> get decent lighting and avoid hassles with the law until the unit can be
> replaced. IOW - if it's a choice between spending a lot of money on a
> polish kit or replacing the unit, replace the unit.
>
> Does that line up with your experience?
>
> Also, as a preventative, I will be replacing my one cloudy assembly (the
> other one was replaced a year or so ago, so it is like new), after which
> I will put on the X-Pel adhessive-backed vinyl protectors (reduces UV
> and prevents sandblasting and damage from small stones) that I have
> sitting on the shelf - about $40 the pair.
>
> Bill Putney
> (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
> adddress with the letter 'x')
>
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000
Newsgroups
> ---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

On Fri, 20 Nov 2004, GrtArtiste wrote:

> >Hope she doesn't drive at night; the headlamps on these cars are awful.

> I noted the odd, milky-white color of the headlamp lenses. Is this what
> you are referring to?

No, that just means you've got bad headlamps that have deteriorated due to
UV from the sun. This has taken them from "poor" to "dangerous" -- those
lenses should be clear; you'll need new headlamp assemblies.

> Can these be replaced at a reasonable price?

Absolutely yes, especially if the cost of repairing injury and damage
because of inadequate headlighting is factored into your price
calculations. The aftermarket units are a mediocre lot, but since it's
nearly impossible to do worse than what the factory installed in the first
place (in terms of performance and materials/build quality) you may as
well get the least-worst aftermarket items, generally supplied by
TYC-Generra. Stay away from the stinkier varieties of aftermarket poo
(Depo, DJAuto), stay away from any bulb sold as "Blue", "White", "Silver",
etc., and try to find GE's new Night Hawk 9007 bulb -- that'll make the
headlighting as "unworse" as possible.

On Fri, 20 Nov 2004, GrtArtiste wrote:

> >Hope she doesn't drive at night; the headlamps on these cars are awful.

> I noted the odd, milky-white color of the headlamp lenses. Is this what
> you are referring to?

No, that just means you've got bad headlamps that have deteriorated due to
UV from the sun. This has taken them from "poor" to "dangerous" -- those
lenses should be clear; you'll need new headlamp assemblies.

> Can these be replaced at a reasonable price?

Absolutely yes, especially if the cost of repairing injury and damage
because of inadequate headlighting is factored into your price
calculations. The aftermarket units are a mediocre lot, but since it's
nearly impossible to do worse than what the factory installed in the first
place (in terms of performance and materials/build quality) you may as
well get the least-worst aftermarket items, generally supplied by
TYC-Generra. Stay away from the stinkier varieties of aftermarket poo
(Depo, DJAuto), stay away from any bulb sold as "Blue", "White", "Silver",
etc., and try to find GE's new Night Hawk 9007 bulb -- that'll make the
headlighting as "unworse" as possible.

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004, maxpower wrote:

> the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites i
> have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> outside lens to almost factory appearence,


....for a couple of months, at which point the deterioration comes back
faster/worse. Polishing the lenses strips off the anti-UV/anti-scratch
hardcoat, exposing the bare polycarbonate to the elements.

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004, maxpower wrote:

> the odd milky color is called deteriation, common on most plastic lites i
> have seen, there is a substance out on the market that will polish the
> outside lens to almost factory appearence,


....for a couple of months, at which point the deterioration comes back
faster/worse. Polishing the lenses strips off the anti-UV/anti-scratch
hardcoat, exposing the bare polycarbonate to the elements.

In article >,
ospam says...
> My mother has just acquired a 1996 Chrysler Concorde (3.5L engine) from another
> family member (89000 miles, $3600). She is confident that the car has been
> maintained, not abused, and all recalls are up to date. Aside from the air
> conditioner being inoperative (I understand this was a common problem with this
> model, quoted $900 to fix), the car appears to be in good shape and everything
> else is operational. Are there any other well known conditions-problems I
> should be on the lookout for since I will be keeping an eye on the car for her?
> Thanks for any replies.
>
My sister just bought herself a 94 Concorde. Seems like a nice car and
like new inside and out. The power antenna doesn't work though - it
makes a noise like it is trying to move but doesn't. Anyone know if this
is an easy cheap fix or a warranty item. The dealer sold her a 2 year
extended warranty with the car.
--
Cheers!

Jan