Smoked Taillight Kit Install - Pontiac G8

Step 1:

Clean the lenses. Clean your hands. Make sure there are no residues from the cleaning process remaining on the lenses or your hands. Without removing the lens cover from the backing paper hold it up to the lens and make sure you have the correct one / orientation (i.e. Slightly ovoid lenses). If it is cool - below 65 degrees F gently warming the lens with a hair dryer will help things along. Wet down one lens with water - a clean spray bottle / plant mister works great.

Step 2:

Carefully remove the cover from the backing paper - handling the adhesive as little as possible - Use handling tabs when possible. Mist down the adhesive side and gently place on the lens. Handling the edges generally align the four corners of the piece. The piece will be 'floating' on the beads of water on the lens. Be gentle the adhesive is pressure sensitive.

Step 3:

Squeegee the front lower corner - about the two inches or so as shown.

Step 4:

Next squeegee the front upper corner - about the two inches or so as shown.

Step 5:

From about three inches in, squeegee toward the front edge at the center of the kit until the entire front edge is fully sealed.

Step 6:

Re-wet the adhesive side of the kit and realign the inside corners of the kit. Once aligned wet the outside of the kit and firmly squeegee from the inner edge where you started straight across the center of the taillight as shown.

Step 7:

Generally align the bottom corner and squeegee diagonally from the centerline squeegeed in step 6 to the lower corner as shown.

Step 8:

Generally align the upper corner and squeegee diagonally from the centerline squeegeed in step 6 to the upper corner as shown. Continue squeegeeing this edge until the entire back edge is fully sealed.

Step 9:

Steps 9 -11 are going to take the most effort and squeegee pressure. If it is cool out the use of a hair dryer on low will be necessary. Do not overheat the film, you just want it to be warm and conformable.

From the horizontal centerline you squeegeed in step 6 squeegee toward the bottom of the kit in .25 - .5 inch increments from left to right along the entire edge to distribute the film as shown. Strong squeegee press will be required. Wrapping your squeegee with one of our ultrasuede detail towels will also help.

Step 10:

Continue firmly squeegeeing in short strokes as in Step 9 with firm squeegee pressure and heating with a hairdryer as necessary.

Step 11:

Continue firmly squeegeeing in short strokes as in Step 10 with increasing squeegee pressure and heating with a hairdryer as necessary.

Step 12:

Steps 12-14 are a repeat of steps 9-11

From the horizontal centerline you squeegeed in step 6 squeegee toward the top of the kit in .25 - .5 inch increments from left to right along the entire edge to distribute the film as shown. Strong squeegee press will be required. Wrapping your squeegee with one of our ultrasuede detail towels will also help.

Step 13:

Continue firmly squeegeeing in short strokes as in Step 12 with firm squeegee pressure and heating with a hairdryer as necessary.

Step 14:

Continue firmly squeegeeing in short strokes as in Step 13 with firm squeegee pressure and heating with a hairdryer as necessary.

Step 15:

With the mail portion of the taillight set we can move on to the smaller remaining section. Mist down the are with water, mist the adhesive side of the small piece and apply. Align the joint with the main piece as tight as possible. How easily this aligns is going to depend on how well the main piece was applied. The material is soft and can be pushed and pulled into alignment. Once this joint is aligned, gently squeegee. The re-squeegee the joint with firmer pressure once you are happy with the alignment.

Step 16:

Once the joint is set, squeegee from the joint out to the outer edge of the piece until fully set.

Step 17:

Before any final trimming with a sharp razor knife, let the kit sit for 15 minutes or so. Move onto the other pieces of the kit while waiting for the first to set up a bit. With a sharp razor knife carefully trim off the handling tabs. If you have any areas that are misaligned or overhanging you can either wrap the edge if it a flat surface or simply trim off the excess. On this application the edges of the lens should be trimmed flush.

Go over the edges with a suede detail cloth / paper towel wrapped squeegee to make sure the edge is fully set. Gentle heat from a hair dryer on low can help things along if it is cool out.

Done!

Now you are done, stand back and enjoy!

The Standard Smoke (30%) covers shown in this tutorial will turn the bright red stock tails to rich burgundy red. Any chrome areas will be greatly toned down. If you are looking for something lighter you can select Light Smoke (50%) or if you are going for an even darker look, you can select our even darker Stealth Smoke (20%). With our Smoked taillight covers you will be able to change to look of your vehicle - while still allowing your brake lights and running lights to function as intended. You can remove these at some point in the future if you are so inclined - though they can only be used once. Great for leased vehicles!