2004 XLR

[Vetter]

Hello everyone, glad this site is around to support these cars!
I've always wanted one of these cars ever since I saw them at the GM Tech Center being used to put the assembly lines together in 2002, I knew them as the Evoq then. I just finally decided to get one now that the prices have come down, and I found one which needs some work. I just like working on vehicles I guess.
I picked the car up about 100 miles away, I had to drive it home with the top down because the top wouldn't go up, and just about every dash light and gauge was going crazy the entire drive home. The top turned out to be a easy fix, just a arm on a sensor on the toneau popped off, just had to pop it back on! Plus cleaned all the grounds and put in a new battery, no lights at all, and everything works great! To my surprise, no major electrical issues!
Now currently working on replacing the lower radiator support which is broke off on the driver side, replacing the tranny and rearend fluid, and fixing the exhaust to flow better. Then hopefully will enjoy the car for the rest of the summer and fall, before putting it away to fix some paint issues over the winter.
I'm very concerned about all the light issues, my driver side headlight looks like it's been replaced, but it doesn't have a bright light. The passenger headlight has the burnt issue, and yellowed cover, so eventually would like to replace this light, but for the cost they are going for will probably live with that until other options come along, which from the looks of it that may be never. Just purchased a new third brake light, since they are still available. The two tail lights just have a few lights out, but workable.
Anyway, I will be doing a lot of searching on here, thanks for all the great information!

 

[hawkeye372]

Welcome to the forum. Yes in 2004/05 they had the headlight issue. If you can find one then try and get the 06 version. That’s when they found out the fogging issue and fixed it. As for the other issues just do like I have done or tried to do. Fix as soon as you notice the problem. But these headlights are very expensive. Right now I’m having to replace My lower grill. this is what it looks like now

this was from a couple months ago

. If you can and have the funds available to. Then I would start looking into getting a spare one. But you’d have to purchase the whole bracket as I was told. So it’s not just the grill it’s the side radars too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rob]

Welcome to the XLR Net Vetter!

 

[long Tall Sally]

Hello everyone, glad this site is around to support these cars!
I've always wanted one of these cars ever since I saw them at the GM Tech Center being used to put the assembly lines together in 2002, I knew them as the Evoq then. I just finally decided to get one now that the prices have come down, and I found one which needs some work. I just like working on vehicles I guess.
I picked the car up about 100 miles away, I had to drive it home with the top down because the top wouldn't go up, and just about every dash light and gauge was going crazy the entire drive home. The top turned out to be a easy fix, just a arm on a sensor on the toneau popped off, just had to pop it back on! Plus cleaned all the grounds and put in a new battery, no lights at all, and everything works great! To my surprise, no major electrical issues!
Now currently working on replacing the lower radiator support which is broke off on the driver side, replacing the tranny and rearend fluid, and fixing the exhaust to flow better. Then hopefully will enjoy the car for the rest of the summer and fall, before putting it away to fix some paint issues over the winter.
I'm very concerned about all the light issues, my driver side headlight looks like it's been replaced, but it doesn't have a bright light. The passenger headlight has the burnt issue, and yellowed cover, so eventually would like to replace this light, but for the cost they are going for will probably live with that until other options come along, which from the looks of it that may be never. Just purchased a new third brake light, since they are still available. The two tail lights just have a few lights out, but workable.
Anyway, I will be doing a lot of searching on here, thanks for all the great information!

well good news and bad news. The taillights once they start loosing leds they will continue. If you are In an area that does inspections one led will sometimes fail the lights. The price to repair them is still fair if the outer lens is good. Cheep repair shops on ebay will only replace the burned out led .That will get you by for a few months or so then others will start the chain of failing. Vettronics is not cheap but he used to replace all the leds. There are people on here that have repaired them with some wild ideas in my opinion but done so cheaply. There is a new repair shop I have used and he charges a whole lot less but he is just doing them on the side and takes forever. They are still totaling these cars at about 5-10 a week so that's putting a lot of extra parts on the shelf. Prices are coming down but not drastically yet. In a year or two they will be a whole lot less except for the perfect parts which will still remain high. Contrary to what people think A headlight is a very complicated part to manufacture and a very limited customer base will keep anyone from doing it. On the other hand the top module and the suspension modules are very easy to make and has dozens of people looking for them but no one has stepped up to start manufacturing those yet. the front lower radiator support ( aluminum part) has a very good and even better than oem replacement available for not that much. Of course yours can be welded and will work fine check to make sure you fix the water problem around the modules and do yourself a favor by keeping some old towels on top of them in the trunk.

 

[long Tall Sally]

hawkeye . The 06 lights are better. but they are the ones that the outer lens will come off of the plastic reinforcement. ALL the ones you see on ebay with no outer lens are 06 . They got them better In 07 -09. They need a 100$ wiring adaptor to make the newer ones work on the early car. If you find a good 06 don't pass it up but just keep a watch on the lens. If it gets any moisture in it, it has a leak or if you see a color change in the greenish gray area around the outer lip its fixing to fly off.

 

[Vetter]

Thanks for the information everyone!
I will be needing a new lower grill, I also plan on replacing the whole front bumper cover, it has been hit in a few spots and probably beyond repair. I plan on doing those repairs this winter.
I will look into getting the taillights repaired this winter too. I'll have to search and see what people have done themselves. I was even trying to come up with a new headlight housing idea somehow? I have a TIG welder so was thinking some form of aluminum housing? Just a thought, but as ridiculous as these lights are getting, there has to be some form of mod we can do. These cars are beautiful, so I know it would be difficult to do anything that would look right with the body lines and still make the electrical system work correctly.

 

[CNC]

Welcome to The XLR Site

Great Cars. Welcome aboard. As previously discussed the headlights are an issue if never replaced on 04' and 05' models. An expensive fix for replacement, if they can even be found? So far, my 06' ones have not been an issue, yet. Per other advice, should they become an issue I will look for 07' or up replacements.

Again, welcome aboard.