2004 K2500HD Headlights choices

[ORVietVet]

I saw that the right headlight plastic lens is foggy, compared to the driver's side. I check at GM parts and even with discounts, $177 plus shipping, each.

I looked at RA and found TYC that I have bought before and also DEPO. Any reviews, good or bad for both?

 

[someotherguy]

I would absolutely not spend the money on GM. The "GM Genuine" housings I bought for my 2006 (at $160+/ea), are made in China junk. The first time I tried to adjust the driver side, the adjustment screw shattered. With some difficulty I managed to get the dealer to warranty it. The clearcoat on both fogged and began peeling within about a year.

On the other hand, the TYC's I bought for the wife's 2006 at just over four years ago ($55/ea at the time) still look pretty good. Both trucks are daily driven and sit outside most of the time so they get fairly equal sun exposure. Her originals were brand new GM (same China stuff) put on by the previous owner just a few years before we bought it, but they were already too crackled and damaged to even bother polishing them out.

Her truck before


After, with the TYC's




The CAPA-certified versions of the "Cateye" headlights are currently only just over $40/ea and change on amazon. TYC 20-6386-90-9 for the left, TYC 20-6385-90-9 for the right. Recommended. Edit - in fact, at those prices, I'll just go ahead and get a new set of TYC's for my truck instead of trying to polish the junk Chinese GM pieces I bought in 2017 that looked like hell just a year later.

Oh and as far as DEPO goes - they do have some OK products; even aftermarket "custom" stuff. I remember back in the day they were one of the suppliers of the "all clear" GMT400 taillights. However, their GMT400 headlights were terrible; they were the ones that poked out from the grille, and often the lens would pop off the housing. They may be fine now, who knows? I'd go with TYC as I already know they're good - both for GMT400's and GMT800's; having recently purchased both products.

Richard

 

[ORVietVet]

When I have done all complete assemblies on my 2005 Tahoe Z71, my girl's GMT400 1990 K2500 and her 2002 TrailBlazer, I have used the TYC lights with great results. I did order the TYC headlight assemblies for her GMT800 2004 K2500HD. With product, shipping and RA discount, came in at $88+. Plus, the 10 minutes total it takes to change both of them, makes it a snap.

 

[someotherguy]

Is that the usual RA discount code or also military discount? When I put both of those in my cart over there, add the $9.99 UPS shipping, and the usual discount code - my total was $94.49. Still way better than paying more than 3X that - $360 at current pricing of the GM parts!

Got mine in and they look good, boxes a little beat up as seems usual these days :/ but something odd about both of them. The low beam bulb is loose in the socket, just jiggles around a tiny bit. So either the o-ring on the included Philips bulb is too skimpy, or the retainer plate isn't tight enough. I'll look closer probably tomorrow when I go to install them. I don't recall this when I put the same headlights in my wife's truck but it's been a while.

Richard

 

[ORVietVet]

My TYC assemblies were 20638600 and 20638500-$40.79 each. My shipping was $11.99 and my 5% discount was $4.08 and I had a credit to use of $0.71. total was $88.78.

Now that I have them in, I see the front park/turn signal assemblies are fogged too. I am gonna buy them for about $11 each, with no bulbs and they will be TYC too. Very simple to change.

Bet I do the brake light assemblies too. I am funny that way.

Sorry, but I do not have a good feeling about this forum. I have yet to see a rush from Tahoe/Yukon Forum or GMT400 Forum.

 

[someotherguy]

My TYC assemblies were 20638600 and 20638500-$40.79 each. My shipping was $11.99 and my 5% discount was $4.08 and I had a credit to use of $0.71. total was $88.78.

Now that I have them in, I see the front park/turn signal assemblies are fogged too. I am gonna buy them for about $11 each, with no bulbs and they will be TYC too. Very simple to change.

Bet I do the brake light assemblies too. I am funny that way.

Sorry, but I do not have a good feeling about this forum. I have yet to see a rush from Tahoe/Yukon Forum or GMT400 Forum.

OK, what we're missing from the picture is the tax. $7.08 for me which is where the difference came in.

Oh, also you got different part #'s - there's a couple buck difference for the CAPA certified ones, and different part #'s too - 20638690, 20638590

Richard

 

[someotherguy]

Sorry, but I do not have a good feeling about this forum. I have yet to see a rush from Tahoe/Yukon Forum or GMT400 Forum.

Yeah.. unfortunately I'm feeling you on this one. The dude from Tajikistan is a spammer that has posted 2K messages and only 2 of them haven't been deleted, LOL. Surprised he's still a member, and not banned.

Richard

 

[ORVietVet]

OK, what we're missing from the picture is the tax. $7.08 for me which is where the difference came in.

Oh, also you got different part #'s - there's a couple buck difference for the CAPA certified ones, and different part #'s too - 20638690, 20638590

Richard

When I looked at RA, on the day I ordered them and even today, the CAPA ones were not listed. The front park/turn signal assemblies and the brake light assemblies, do list CAPA availability.

 

[someotherguy]

I think it's usually in a pull-down list similar to how they indicate whether you're getting regular stock or close-out items. It was a little confusing to me because I saw that and selected it from the pull-down and the part # didn't change.

At any rate, I got these in, and they look good. The jiggly low beam capsules were due to the retainer plate screws not being fully tightened. It probably doesn't matter a whole lot with halogen capsules but I'd imagine if someone were to use drop-in HID's or LED's, there would be an obvious and annoying "shake" appearance to the light.

Careful not to strip the plastic, I just snugged down the loose screws a bit. Some Meguiar's Scratch-X and a rag was then used to clean up the GM park light housings that were installed way back in 2017 and still look pretty good, unlike the headlights that had gone so ugly within a year or so.

Old GM (China) housings from 2017 (I did keep these because I'm sure I can sand, polish, and re-clear them later)


New TYC headlights, and GM (China) park lights from 2017, cleaned up


Richard

 

[ORVietVet]

I did the headlights and the park-t/s lights.

 

[someotherguy]

I did the headlights and the park-t/s lights.

View attachment 1203

It always makes such a dramatic difference in the appearance of a vehicle. Practically a front-end refresh.

Richard

 

[Cadillacmak]

If you catch them before they get to bad, Mothers Aluminum polish and a buffer will clean them nice, same with tail lights. I will have to find one and clean it to post on here, cheap way of keeping the lights nice.

 

[51GMC]

Late to the discussion but you can restore to a point the lenses by polishing them with Off bug spray

 

[ORVietVet]

Late to the discussion but you can restore to a point the lenses by polishing them with Off bug spray

I have tried it all and some times it actually works but only for a short period of time. The new ones are inexpensive and easy to replace.

 

[4silverado]

I think these were $65ish Amazon specials. Driving lights were EBay. All front light have LEDs that cost $18 for 6 lights. The older I get, the more of a tightwad I become.

 

[ORVietVet]

I think these were $65ish Amazon specials. Driving lights were EBay. All front light have LEDs that cost $18 for 6 lights. The older I get, the more of a tightwad I become.View attachment 1319

Thankfully they are so easy to change. On another forum I am on, there is a member with a 2016 Silverado and he has lights out on one side and cannot do just a light assembly. Have to replace the entire assembly and it is over $1000 for just the part.

 

[4silverado]

I had a 2017. That one was a POS. I left my scan tool in it to clear the codes every few days. Traded it in on something better; but miss 4x4 now. Oh well. Sold the 2017 but refused to get rid of the 04. They’ll probably bury me in it.

 

[someotherguy]

I have tried it all and some times it actually works but only for a short period of time. The new ones are inexpensive and easy to replace.

The trick to keeping them nice after polishing is to clear coat them. I've done a few sets where I go the full course of wet sanding, polishing, then you've got to use a mild prep solvent to be sure there's no residues left - then give them a clear coat. I've used just simple rattle can and had good results, but if you really wanted to step it up, you could get some 2K in a can product, or if you're a paint & body guy of course you've got real clear you could use.

I generally don't chuck good lenses just because they got hazy. It's when they get the tiny webs of cracks in them that they're beyond redemption.

I saved the GM (China) headlights from the black SS when I put the TYC's in. I may try the full restoration on them when the wife's SS needs headlights again.

Richard