Rivian Light Protection (PPF)

Installing Rivian light PPF

Before you start

• Mix the supplied concentrate with water to make your slip solution.
• Clean the lights thoroughly. The front end in particular collects bug splatter and road grime.
• Install indoors if you can. Outdoors, a long piece can catch the wind and fold onto itself, which ruins it.
• Install in temperate conditions, between 60°F and 80°F (16°C and 27°C).
• On the R1T, raise the suspension to the high setting so the rear light bar sits closer to eye level.
• The kit includes a spare piece so you can practice before doing a real light.

Front headlights

1. Spray the headlight with slip solution and spray your fingers.
2. Spray the outside of the PPF piece, peel the backing partway off, spray the exposed adhesive side, peel the rest and spray again.
3. Lay the film on the headlight. It should cover the white lens and overlap a little onto the black surround. It should slide freely; if it does not, lift it off, add more slip solution and re-apply.
4. Position the top edge first, then the two sides. Aim for roughly the right spot at this stage.
5. Squeegee out some of the solution with the soft side of the squeegee so the film stops sliding, then wipe up the excess with a cloth.
6. Line the film up properly. Run your fingertips around the edges — you should not feel the film overhanging the edge of the light anywhere, or it will lift and trap dirt later.
7. Squeegee again, gently at first so the film does not move, then with more pressure to lock it down and drive out the remaining solution. Take your time here.
8. Wipe away any mess with a cloth.
9. Repeat on the other headlight.

Small creases or lifted "fingers" at the top and bottom edges are normal, where the light curves. Leave them. Come back a few hours later or the next day, once the solution behind them has dried, and press them down.

Front side lights

1. Identify the correct piece for the side you are working on. The driver's side piece has a pointed section at the rear end and a set of small relief cuts at the corner.
2. Spray your hands, the piece and the light.
3. Peel the backing and lay the film on, covering the white lens and as much of the black surround as possible.
4. At the corner with the relief cuts, pull the film gently around the corner. Any bubble or finger there will disappear as you stretch it around.
5. Squeegee out most of the solution so the film stops sliding freely, then check the alignment.
6. Squeegee thoroughly until all the solution is out. The relief cuts will gather over the curved corner as it lays down.
7. Work out any small remaining bubbles with your finger. If they lift again, press them down later once the solution has evaporated.
8. Repeat on the other side.

Front center light bar

1. Spray the light bar, your hands and the piece.
2. Peel the backing off and lay the piece on. It is slightly wider at the top than the bottom — use that to get it the right way round.
3. Check it is sliding everywhere. Add more solution under the center if any section grabs.
4. Center the piece by sliding it with your fingertips at each end. Pull it very slightly to settle it — do not stretch it, the piece is cut to fit.
5. Squeegee once to spread and remove most of the solution, then go round a second time to get the majority out.
6. Finalize the alignment, then squeegee out the rest. The white background makes trapped solution hard to see, so work slowly and check carefully.
7. Wipe up with a cloth and check the top and bottom edges, and both ends, for any overlap.

Front fog lights

1. Pick the correct piece: one bottom corner has a pronounced curve and the other corners are sharp. On the driver's side that curve is at the bottom left; it is mirrored on the passenger side.
2. Give the light a light spray, and a gentle spray on the piece — it does not need much.
3. Peel the backing and place the piece. It should drop straight into position.
4. Squeegee gently to push out the solution and air bubbles. The surface is curved and the back edge is awkward to reach; getting the majority out is enough, the rest will dry off.

If you only bought the front kit, you are done here.

Rear center light bar

This is the hardest piece because of the indent at the bottom for the charge light. Plan to do it in two sessions: fit the top section, do the rear side lights, then leave it a couple of hours before finishing the bottom.

1. Spray the light bar and your hands.
2. Spray the piece and peel it off the carrier sheet, then get it onto the light quickly so it cannot pick up grit.
3. Orient the piece to match the shape of the light as seen from above — the pattern is not straight, because it is cut to follow the curve of the light without needing heat.
4. Position it so the film covers the red lens, and reaches down into the indent, back out, and onto the black area below it. At the top, stop just short of the distinct roll in the lens — that roll is your alignment point.
5. Squeegee the middle first, then work out towards each end.
6. If bubbles resist near the ends, do not force them. Peel the film back to that point, spray more solution underneath and lay it back down. Forcing them creases the film.
7. Check the ends. The edge of the film should sit at the edge of the light. If one end overhangs because the film stretched during the install, peel it back, trim it with scissors before it sticks, and lay it down again.
8. Peel the top edge back to check it is sitting below the large radius, then lay it down.
9. Squeegee the ends of the indent area, where it is shallowest, then work along the indent itself. Let the film sit into the indent — do not stretch it in.
10. Work along the bottom edge, sliding across to seat it tightly into the indent. Check it with your finger.
11. Whenever solution or air gets trapped and will not move, get a nail under the nearest edge and peel it back just enough to release it, then lay it down again. Do not try to squeeze it out.
12. Leave the bottom section hanging free and let the piece dry for at least a couple of hours. Parking outside in the sun is ideal. Make sure the bottom section is not stuck down anywhere before you leave it.

Rear side lights

1. Select the correct piece for the side, then spray your hands, the light and the piece.
2. Peel the backing and lay the piece on.
3. Squeegee out most of the solution so the film still moves but will not slip under pressure. If it locks down straight away, lift it, re-spray and re-apply.
4. Pull the film around the corner to make the finger there disappear, and hold that position while you squeegee the piece out.
5. Repeat on the other side. If the film slips while you are drying it off, re-position it and squeegee out any bubbles you introduced.

Finishing the rear center piece

1. Come back to the center bar after it has dried. Release any area with solution still trapped by peeling it back just far enough to open a channel, then squeegee it back down.
2. Work the film firmly into the indent, then along the bottom edge, checking nothing is trapped.
3. Squeegee the last of the solution out to the overhanging bottom edge, then press that edge down.

You can be aggressive with this film. With wet hands, peel a section back only as far as you need, work the solution out, and lay it down again — it has a strong memory and returns to its natural shape. If you do deform it, a little heat resets it. The rigid side of the squeegee can help in the indent, but it can scratch, so use it sparingly.

If a bubble still will not release a few days later — usually under the top edge or along the bottom edge — pierce it with a micro needle, such as a lancet from a pharmacy, and work the liquid out to each side. The hole will disappear and does no long-term harm.