Taking Agent Orange in tomorrow to have them look at the taillights. I had them tinted by a professional shop well over a year ago and had them on Black Knight until recently buying the SS about a month ago and had them put on there. Recently noticed a split in the tint in the upper right taillight. Thought it might be something wrong with the tint and took it back to the shop that did it. After inspecting it, we noticed that the lens itself looks as if it melted a little right in the center of the lens. The left upper right looks like it may be doing the same thing. Any reasons why the bulbs might be running hot Don't want to have another set tinted until I know why this happened.

 

Is the tint holding in the heat? Is the tint a good grade or the cheap stuff ?Ask another tinter. Dealer is going to say you had them tinted sorry. Just my 2 cents

 

We have a good relationship with our dealer and we are not asking that they replace the lens. We want to know why all of sudden this happened. We had them on our other car for over a year with no problems and within one month on our SS this has happened.

 

Might be a stupid idea, but have you thought about the tint keeping the heat in the assembly where as the plain plastic lets some heat escape? Once that heat builds up behind the lens it could cause it to crack a bit. Just a thought.
I know Bud had an issue with the paint cracking on his lens but that was paint not tint so maybe it has nothing to do with that at all.

 

It's a possibility but the question is why didn't it do it on the other HHR in the past year? Could it have just finally happened? Maybe but seems odd. We have another set of lenses ready to be done.

 

OK, two ideas struck me on this. First, if the damage is due to heat, and the damage was done slowly over time and it just happened coincidentally happened right after they were moved to the SS -- could it just be that the tint was slowly working up to this?

Second, is it possible that there is some change or redesign of the taillight assemblies on the SS and/or the newer models that cause the taillights to retain heat? I know you've already asked this.

I have noticed that my taillights do feel awfully warm (almost hot) after being on for a period of time. For example, making my 3 hour drive to AL at night with the lights on. The taillights will be quite warm (again, almost hot) to the touch.

Just wondering out loud here.

 

Never felt up Black Knight but have noticed on the SS that the taillights do seem to get very hot to the touch after being on for very little time. May run with another set of tinted ones and if it happens again switch over to the LEDs.

 

Maybe the SS is just that much "hotter"!!

 

I think it's time to get an inferred thermometer. You can guess and speculate all you want but till you have actual temperature readings it means nothing. It feels hot is not a technical term.
Brwbier

 

Hillsdale,

I haven't ever looked at the tail lamp assembly, off the vehicle, on the HHR, but all GM tail lights have vent holes to disperse the heat. Are they covered up by the tint?