[Skyhigh]

The same outcome is becoming more and more likely in my case too!

The bubbles had decreased today and I was feeling a bit more optimistic.

Took a 60 min ride, normal driving. After I came back - several pockets had opened on top of the headlights, close to the bonnet (where it gets warm)!
And it is relatively cool outside and I was not driving sporty!
What when it is warm and/or I heat the engine up!?

It looks to me like:
1. The XPEL cutout is not ideal. It was not too precise in shape and it covers too much on top of the headlights!

2. The installation certainly wasn't perfect, but I don't know what one could do significantly better on top of the headlights!? This area will always be subjected to a lot of heat and the material there is too compressed due to the headlight shape.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

The same outcome is becoming more and more likely in my case too!

The bubbles had decreased today and I was feeling a bit more optimistic.

Took a 60 min ride, normal driving. After I came back - several pockets had opened on top of the headlights, close to the bonnet (where it gets warm)!
And it is relatively cool outside and I was not driving sporty!
What when it is warm and/or I heat the engine up!?

It looks to me like:
1. The XPEL cutout is not ideal. It was not too precise in shape and it covers too much on top of the headlights!

2. The installation certainly wasn't perfect, but I don't know what one could do significantly better on top of the headlights!? This area will always be subjected to a lot of heat and the material there is too compressed due to the headlight shape.

When I had mine put on, my detailer said it was very difficult because the film wouldn't stick to the headlights. I actually still have it on my car and the film is invisible. The BMW headlights are hard to do.

[Skyhigh]

^ As evidence of the above......:


As i said already - this is a consequence of:

- The complex shape of the headlight
- A not very smart/precise cut-out from XPEL
- My unprofessional installation

I am very confident that it is a combination of all 3 factors and no single one in isolation!

Looking at the headlights of my Audi, an installation there would be a walk in the park (as on the demo videos in Youtube)!

[Psi5]

One look at the complex curves on my headlights and I decided to pay a local certified XPEL installer to put them on. As a bonus, when one corner started to peel, he redid both of them for free and when my daughter's car was hit necessitating a new headlight, he redid that one for half-price. For me, the choice was clear (get it?) - write the check.

[Techno 9000]

Had my 435 done professionally with Xpel four years ago. The film on the headlamps was perfect from the start and still looks mint. Edges of the film are basically invisible to all but the closest inspection.

You need the skill to make any manufacturers (flat) film adhere to the curved surfaces of whatever it's being applied to, don't blame the product.

[Skyhigh]

My view is that the product in this case is also to be blamed. Not the material - the cut-out.
A cut-out only makes sense in order to facilitate the installation. When the cutout is inaccurate, this not only does not facilitate it, but creates more challenges (material strain, unnecessary exposure to heat, etc.). And cut-outs are in theory mainly intended for unprofessional application.

Could a professional installer make the cut-out work? Probably. But then why have a cut-out on first place?

I am pretty confident that I would have had much more satisfactory results with a better cut-out.

Those of you who had a headlight film installed professionally - could you please share photos of how high up towards the bonnet the film goes?

[Wires]

Originally Posted by Techno 9000

Had my 435 done professionally with Xpel four years ago. The film on the headlamps was perfect from the start and still looks mint. Edges of the film are basically invisible to all but the closest inspection.

You need the skill to make any manufacturers (flat) film adhere to the curved surfaces of whatever it's being applied to, don't blame the product.

This, 100%. I got a piece to do the top of my rear bumper to protect damage from people dragging bags out of the trunk. It was a flat section, should be the easiest install on the planet, but really painful when you have no experience.

Just like applying drywall mud, the video you watch is someone with so much experience, they make it look like a joke. But the rest of us are ignorant cave people when it comes to this!