How to Black Out Tail Lights

Blacking out your tail lights may add a distinctive styling to your automobile, but is illegal to do in most states. This is because once you black out your lights, it is incredibly difficult to see them once they are illuminated. This, in turn, creates a hazardous situation for the drivers behind you. Blacked out tail lights are primarily used on show cars that are not driven on the street.

Things You'll Need

• Lens paint
• Soap
• Water
• Newspaper
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Set the lens on a sheet of newspaper face up so that the inside of the lens is exposed.

2. Clean the interior of the lens with soap and water. Then, dry the interior of the lens thoroughly. Make sure that there is no lint, dirt, or debris in the lens cover.

3. Spray the interior of the lens with black lens paint. You don't need to remove the inner lining as the black paint will be sufficient to black out the tail lights. If you would like to remove the inner tail light lining, you will need to wedge a screwdriver behind the plastic insert and pry it out of the lens cover. Then, you'll need to repeat Step 2 to clean the inside of the lens.

4. Allow the lens to dry and spray a second coat of black lens paint.

References

• Auto Body Repair Technology - 5th Edition; James E. Duffy; 2009