Roadster Light Cover Tabs

Mod Description

The Roadster headlight covers are held in with tabs that don't want to let go, this can lead to breakages which we don't want so let's modify

Mod Details

PremiumNo Difficulty Mod ID733 Creditevilution For Linkhttps://www.evilution.co.uk/mod/roadster-light-cover-tabs.htm Copy to Clipboard

When you remove the Roadster headlight covers, you will realise that something needs to be modified.

The amount of force required to remove these parts from the car is just unnecessary. The covers are screwed in place so there is just no need for these clips to be this strong.If you don’t distribute your power as you remove them, yank them or remove them when they are cold you could be looking at 1 or 2 broken covers. Even though they are fairly cheap to replace, this mod is free.

If you look really closely you might just notice the damage.

Carefully remove the headlight covers and find 2 clips on each cover, as shown below.

Close up you can see the hump on the side of the tab.

Take a file or a rotary tool like a Dremel and cut away the overhang of the tabs.

Now refit the covers to the car happy knowing they won’t explode then next time you remove them. This is a double bonus if you have colour coded covers.

I have never broken a light surround myself and I’m glad about it too. I wouldn’t like to try to get the new ones paint matched to the odd colour of my Roadster.

Getting Them Off For The First Time

For many years, people have been saying “once you get the light covers off, you can modify the tabs” but getting the light covers off for the first time can leave you with destruction. On all the forums and sites, the information just stated to pull the covers off and to do it carefully.

However, no matter how careful you are, you can end up with this…

I took a minute to look into it, there is a very easy way to remove the headlight cover that reduces the risk of breaking. Look to the side of the headlight housing just behind the full beam unit.

Is that a clip I see before me? Yes it is. Take a long screwdriver and push the tab out…

…and lift the headlight cover. One tab down and one to go. Unfortunately you can’t get to the other one but as you have lifted the front of the cover it gives you more to grip, more control and it gives you better leverage. It’s usually the 1st tab getting stuck that causes the covers to break so pushing it in to release decreases the chance of the cover from breaking when the 2nd tab releases by about 95%.

Once you have the cover off safely you should modify the clips as shown above.