A Gash on top of passenger side Headlight housing

[NSXNXT]

Hi All,
I just noticed, there is a gash on the top side of my passenger side headlight housing. Everything looks aligned perfectly.
Im compairing it to my driver side. All spaces look equally spaced to me. There was no accident on this car. The paint is perfect. I checked everything, but the gash seems to align perfectly towards the hood when I popup the headlights.

I have pics below
http://emusing.com/gallery/nsx_4.htm

Does anyone have any idea or has this happened to anyone else?

Thanks,
Calvin

 

[nsxtasy]

Does anyone have any idea

It is indeed from shutting the hood while the headlights are popped up.

has this happened to anyone else?

Yes.

 

[Cairo94507]

Calvin -
Hey I don't know what casued the gash, I can't see anything in the picures, sorry. BUT, I was overjoyed to see that you cleaned your garage! Good for you. You have to sleep better now, right?

I am sitting on pins and needles waiting for my NSX to arrive TODAY. Horseless Carriage told me it should be her late this morning or just before noon. I hope it is none the less for travel.
I was kind of disappointed when HC told me yesterday it would arrive that day, only to finally speak with the driver and have him tell me that it would be Thursday, and the office should have checked with him first beofre telling me when it would be here. OH well, at least it will finally be here.

I have a 3:00PM appointment for a smog check and then a 7/7 appointment at DMV for their inspection so they will give me my plates. Already went in and got the "temporary operations" permit and paid the absolutely rediculious fees to register the car. They ought to be able to retire a part of the State deficit behind that check!

Once it is here I will post some pictures.

Good luck with the gash. Stay on top of the garage or they tend to take on a life force of their own.....
Cairo

 

[NSXNXT]

Hi,
NSXtacy, really? It gets like that if you shut hood with light popped up? That sucks. I dont think I did that. Prob previous owner did that. Eitherway, I brought it to Acura, they made an appointment to maybe readjust the lights, but if it really IS because hood was closed while light was up, there is no point in them readjusting the lights. I dont want them to make it worst. I guess Ill just have them give me touch up paint for the exact color. Is touch up paint bad? Or should I just live with it?
I will eventually upgrade to the 2002-2004 headlights with the nsx-r vented carbon fiber hood, but it will be at least 1 yr before I can do that. My wife will KILL me if I do it now, heheh.

Cairo,
I feel ya man....heheh. Id be anxious as hell too.
Good luck on your NSX. Post some pics.
Check out some of the additional cleaned out garage pics.
http://emusing.com/gallery/nsx_3.htm
Its the 5th thru 10th pictures.

Leaving my mower behind me sux. Its abit dusty so whenever I start up the NSX, the exaust blowes on the mower therefore kicking up dust/dirt from the yard. I will cover the mower when the cover comes in.

btw, I went for a quote on tinting my nsx. Its $149 for rear and side windows.
But in my state (NJ) its illegal to have front side tints. What people do to pass inspection is rip off their tints when its time for inspection and retint the sides for 35 bucks per side window.
Is it worth tinting and riping it off? Eitherway, Im sure Id get a ticket for tints no matter how light it it. I think the cops may want to bust us itherway. Any comment on this?

Thanks,
Calvin

 

[nsxtasy]

NSXtacy, really? It gets like that if you shut hood with light popped up?

Yes, it does. Really. And it can happen even to a knowledgeable, experienced owner.

if it really IS because hood was closed while light was up, there is no point in them readjusting the lights.

True.

I guess Ill just have them give me touch up paint for the exact color. Is touch up paint bad? Or should I just live with it?

I used touch up paint on mine.

It's good to have touch up paint anyway, for any front end chips that may develop. If they don't give it to you, it's only around $6 or so per bottle.

 

[JOPRIMO]

Not sure about this but couldn't this have been caused by flying debris? i.e. smooth rock from cement truck?

 

[NSXNXT]

Nah, the gash aligns exactly on the edge of the hood when the lights are popped up. It makes sense, make sure lights are down before dropping down the hood. It looks like it will slam right down onto the lights.

I didnt open the hood, especially with the lights on so its probably from previous owner. Ill touch it up. (C=
Calvin

 

[Yellow Rose]

Weird

I have closed my front hood hundreds of times with the headlights up, as I am finishing washing my NSX.....I do not have any paint gash problems.

 

[Hrant]

Don't feel so bad, I have the same exact beauty mark on my passenger head light as well, and in the same exact location as yours. It's the hood. Touch up paint takes care of it. You have to really tinker with the hood adjustment to get it right, very little room for error.

 

[nsxtasy]

You have to really tinker with the hood adjustment to get it right, very little room for error.

It's possible that a hood that is perfectly-aligned from the factory will barely miss the headlight cover; I don't know for sure, but this would explain the possibility that some cars (e.g. Andy's) might not incur this.

My hood and headlight cover had been replaced prior to experiencing this. While the alignment looks visibly perfect, it could be off just enough to cause the exact same mark in the exact same place.

 

[NSXNXT]

Man, does this plague all cars that have popup lights or just the NSX? This makes me want to change to the 2002 lights.

To have an expensive car with a small gash like that cheapens it for me. Its been bothering me since I found it. darn...

I gotta get the touchup paint and hide it for now till I can upgrade to the 2002.

btw, do SOS sell the OEM Honda HID lights in the update 2002 packages or are they their own creations? Also, anyone know where I can get OEM HIDs for 2002 as well as NSX-r hood with single scoop in hood and a front bumper. Am I missing anything else?


The following is what I have plans for.

- Shift knob (Zanardi)
- Machined Gage rings
- Rear backyard special carbon flap (Wing)
- Update front end to 2002 HID lights and bumper
- Front NSX-r hood with single scoop. (Should I get nude carbon look or painted?)
- SOS DVD Navigation
- Exaust with big tip (Need to sound louder then stock and deep) Im still deciding
- Intake (Still deciding)
- Wheels (Still Deciding)

Thats about all for now, but man it looks expensive.

 

[nsxtasy]

Man, does this plague all cars that have popup lights or just the NSX?

It doesn't even affect all NSXs. And it's certainly not a "plague"; just touch it up, and remember not to open/shut the hood with the headlights up (which, in most cases, you wouldn't be doing anyway).

This makes me want to change to the 2002 lights.

Well... let's put this into perspective. Any time you have body work done, such as the hood and front end to accommodate the newer headlights, you take a big risk that the paint finish that the body shop puts on won't match and/or won't be as good as the original factory finish. And a small chip that has been properly touched up is certainly not a crisis; in fact, any car that has a fair number of miles is likely to accumulate a chip here and there. I would rather have an original factory finish in good shape, with a small touched-up chip here and there, than a body shop paint job. So I certainly wouldn't go having body work done just because I had a small paint chip.

When you own an NSX, you need to put things into perspective. There are things that are important, that should concern you, and things that aren't important, that you shouldn't worry about. This should be one of the latter.

 

[NSXNXT]

You know, thanx for putting things in perspective.
Youre right about that. I would buy a none modified nsx with a chip on original paint then a modified one without the original paint. Will be worth more. I wouldnt get rid of the OEM parts though. Id store them so I can put them back IF i ever resale it though. But for now, its stupid to over react over a chip on the light and go drop 6k for the upgrade. heheh
Thanks again,
Calvin

 

[tucsonsx]

It's possible that a hood that is perfectly-aligned from the factory will barely miss the headlight cover; I don't know for sure, but this would explain the possibility that some cars (e.g. Andy's) might not incur this.

My hood and headlight cover had been replaced prior to experiencing this. While the alignment looks visibly perfect, it could be off just enough to cause the exact same mark in the exact same place.

I closed my hood with headlights up the other day and didn't think twice about it. After reading this thread and waiting until I quit shaking, I went out and put the headlights up with the hood closed and can't believe that the hood didn't hit the headlights. My car is factory and the clearance is 1 - 2 mm at most. Hopefully I'll be able to remember to always put the headlights down before closing the hood, but just in case I don't I am also reverting to the Porsche 911 method for closing the hood - let it down slowly by hand until it stops and then gently push it closed.

Thanks for posting this NSXNXT - this kind of stuff makes NSXPrime priceless IMO. You might want to do a search on chip and scratch repair. Your chip can be made pretty hard to see with the proper touchup procedure.

 

[mikec]

I just went out and looked at my car. When my lights are raised the driver's side is almost touching the hood in that very spot you show. It is so close that I couldn't get a sheet of paper between it.

I don't think the act of raising or lowering the hood is what does it. Your 'gash' looks like a wear mark. I think that in your case the headlight cover touches the hood at that point when they are raised. Over time the vibrations from simply 'driving with your lights on' wore through the paint at that point.

 

[Hrant]

MikeC, how about testing this:

Open the hood completely and secure it with its stand.

Pop up your headlights.

And very slowly bring down your hood and see if it will touch the specific areas noted thus far.

Please report back to us what you find out

 

[mikec]

I did that. I raised my lights.. then opened and closed the hood slowly. Opening it does not make it touch. The two pieces are at their closest when the hood is completly closed.

 

[nsxtasy]

I don't think the act of raising or lowering the hood is what does it. Your 'gash' looks like a wear mark. I think that in your case the headlight cover touches the hood at that point when they are raised. Over time the vibrations from simply 'driving with your lights on' wore through the paint at that point.

I can't speak for his, but I can speak for my own experience. Mine happened in one action. I forget now whether I was opening the hood, or closing the hood, but it was one or the other. In one instant, it went from perfect, to chipped. I was aware of it as soon as it happened. It was one of those things that makes you say, "Aw, s**t!"