How do i keep NB2 miata headlights from breaking?

This is getting really annoying.

Replaced the broken passenger one about a week before leaving on the trip, which was a silly and long drawn-out ordeal in the first place. (And expensive.)

All was well.

And now the driver's side has broken on the trip. The reflector/projector is "bouncing" in the headlight and just really annoying and distracting at night. Same exact thing that happened to the passenger side.

How do i keep this from happening? I can't keep on replacing these damn things. They're expensive, it's annoying, and just generally frustrating. I'm not hitting anything with these, they're just breaking while driving. I imagine the driver's side broke on the trip because California roads are the worst roads i've ever driven on.

Here's what likely happened again: http://clubroadster.net/vb_forum/954141-post4.html

Well that's disappointing. I don't have any suggestions, but thanks for letting me know to look out for it.

I've seen quite a few "in the wild" with the bouncing headlight as well, but didn't really realize it was something broken internally.

Swank Force One wrote: How do i keep NB2 miata headlights from breaking?

Sell the car to somebody else?

Swank Force One wrote: I imagine the driver's side broke on the trip because California roads are the worst roads i've ever driven on.

You must not have been to Detroit before. You're also driving the wrong places in CA...California roads are the BEST roads I've ever driven on, SO MANY great driving roads if you can get out of the cities and suburbs. Long live the PCH!

Bryce

You're talking a 99-200x model and not the early pop ups?

I've never seen one broken. I guess you're just special.

In reply to carguy123:

Nah, "NB2" refers to 2001-2005. Projector beams instead of reflector housings.

99-00:

01-05:

Are they interchangeable?

Sort of. You can pop them in, but the shapes are slightly different. The NB2 ones have a much superior light pattern.

As for serial breakage, I haven't seen this happening - but being a performance shop, it's not the sort of phone call we get very often. I am no help. If the idea is that the housing is not strong enough to contain part of the lenses against gravity, some stiff foam underneath to support the problem part might do the trick.

I've seen that happen on many other makes and model cars. The plastic adjustment arms inside the housings break.

I have seen repair kits for Audis and Bimmers, not sure if that's possible on the Miata. Usually requires putting the assembly in the oven to soften the glue/silicone and prying the lenses off.

At least you have the old one(s) to experiment with

In reply to Nashco:

I'm talking about condition... some of the roads have been entertaining, but the overall condition of the roads I've driven on has been downright berkeleying horrid.

And that includes the PCH. I took the 101 and the 1 all the way down the west coast in the last week.

That's what happens when the housing bubble bursts and the expected tax revenues don't materialize. Things like infrastructure maintenance get dropped off the list.

Also "maintenance" isn't sexy and doesn't look good on a resume for a politician or manager. So money is diverted to flashy projects that get attention, but don't do much to improve the day to day lives of the citizens and businesses.

Sucks, but "fun" roads require much softer suspensions and fatter sidewalls these days, sad but true.

turboswede wrote: Sucks, but "fun" roads require much softer suspensions and fatter sidewalls these days, sad but true.

Good, forcing everyone to move towards compliant suspension setups is a good thing!

I'm on stock suspension and stock wheels.

Dismantle the headlight assembly and backfill with JB Weld?

Yeah, could you just schmoo the back of the housing with JB Weld all over as a preventive measure? Or maybe tape off the spots you'll need to access bulbs and coat the back of the whole thing in spray foam, then carve as necessary to fit?

I agree this seems like an unnecessary measure, but desperate times and all that.

In reply to alex:

I picked JB Weld because it deals with heat and has real thermal mass to it. I wouldn't want to insulate the housing by using foam.

It sounds like he's probably got some broken headlights at home to play with, so maybe a test case could be created with an old one when he gets back.

Swank Force One wrote: I'm on stock suspension and stock wheels.

Not actually the most compliant setup in this case, unfortunately. But if it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen.

I wasn't suggesting using spray foam or anything. Just a block of some firm foam as a support. Foam because you can wedge it in there and remove it easily. I don't think the thermal aspects of it will come into play at all.

Buy an NA with flippy lights.

I have an NA with flippy lights lol.

Buy nb1 headlights and give me ur nb2 ones. Lol I also have never seen this. Im going to say replace and enjoy, shouldnt happen again.

Swank Force One wrote: I have an NA with flippy lights lol.

You can never have enough NA's with flippy lights. Ask Keith.

Swank Force One wrote: In reply to Nashco: I'm talking about condition... some of the roads have been entertaining, but the overall condition of the roads I've driven on has been downright berkeleying horrid. And that includes the PCH. I took the 101 and the 1 all the way down the west coast in the last week.

Nashco wrote: You must not have been to Detroit before.

I wouldn't take a miata to detroit though. I'd take an armoured truck.

Jaxmadine wrote: Buy nb1 headlights and give me ur nb2 ones. Lol I also have never seen this. Im going to say replace and enjoy, shouldnt happen again.

Normally I'd agree... but it's happened twice on this very car in less than 15k miles.

I guess I'm messing with the old broken one when I get home.

Swank Force One wrote: I wouldn't take a miata to detroit though. I'd take an armoured truck.

Sissy. I used to routinely top-down through Bankhead and English Avenue in Atlanta.

I'll give you Detroit though, some places are a goddamn warzone.