(How To?) Properly Clean and Polish Headlight covers

Hey guys,

 

I was checking out my headlights and noticed how foggy and hazy they looked on the plastic cover. I replaced the lights with nice bright Philips bulbs and they were not shining through very strongly.. The cover was clouded-looking in the center.

 

So I researched online and found places that do this headlight cleaning for $40-$50 for the pair, or you can do it yourself... something about polishing off the oxidation, scratches and dirt/hazd from the front.

 

I went to the hardware store for a buffing wheel and attachment for my drill, and got some polishing compound and followed the instructions I found online. Tape off, then clean with windex, then start the buffing with the compound. Then a very light sand paper... Then more buffing. I noticed no difference at all.

 

I tried a 3M green sponge, the crunchy side, from the house... and this made it 10x worse. The left headlight cover become clouded and hazed over completely. I buffed away with the drill+buffing wheel for 15-20 minutes on one spot and it did help, and bring it back a little.. but its about 2x more hazy then original, AND, so many scratches all over the clear plastic now.

 

I think I made the problem much worse! shoot... IS there anything I can do... Did I destroy the headlights completely because of that 3M green sponge?! And if I bring it to someone professionally.. what will they do? Shoot

 

I didnt have the Plastx chemical or the 3M kit or anything... My only chemicals were windex first, then the buffing compound by Ryobi, and then later I tried toothpaste... but no go.. I made the problem worse with that 3M sponge. Is there a way to get to a fresh layer of plastic with no scratches??

 

Thanks for all the advice, damn

p

not to kick you while you're down or something, but the 3m green sponge was a horrible idea. it sounds like all of the materials that you are using so far are WAY too aggressive. whatever you are using must be stuff that is specifically designed to restore clear plastic. in order to do that, it has to be very, very mild. and because the headlights on our cars are plastic, you have to gently so as to not generate heat.

 

seems a lot of other sites are saying you're supposed to wetsand with 1000 grit, and then buff it with 3m rubbing compound.

ok here's my procedure for cleaning up headlights.

 

Materials needed.

- 320 grit wet sand paper

- 600 grit wet sand paper

- 2000 grit wet sand paper

- Meguiers Plastix

- bucket

- Something to work the plastix with (like your buffing ball you got for instance)

 

Procedure:

1. Tape off around the headlamps.

2. Fill your bucket with water

3. Take the 320grit and start sanding in a horizontal motion making about 3 passes from top to bottom.

4. Switch to a vertical motion with 3 passes as well. (BE SURE TO KEEP THE PAPER WET SO CONSTANTLY DIP IT)

5. Now switch to the 600 grit and do the same as you did with the 320 grit.

6. Go to the 2000 grit keeping it VERY WET and do the same horizontal and vertical sanding until you feel the paper gliding easily across the surface. (you'll feel how smooth it becomes and you'll see it even start to appear clearer)

7. Wash the headlamp down with some water and a clean towel.

8. Take your Plastix and buffing pad and buff it out to perfection

 

 

Ministiguy,

 

I'd like to do your method today and get the proper chemicals.. And do it right

 

but is it possible to revive that one headlight I messed up with the 3M sponge?

Essentially getting to a fresh layer of plastic?

 

Or did I kill the light cover permanently?

 

Thanks for helping me

phillip

Essentially you will be sanding away all the scratches you put in with the sponge.

 

I used to polish plastic at a previous job. We typically start with 400 grit, than 600, 1000, and 1600. 2000 grit paper is a bit hard to find. Preferably do it under running water is the best like a small trickle from a garden hose. When buffing, keep it moving, don't sit on one spot or you will melt the plastic.

Yeah you can get the sponge marks out.

Just get the 5-Minute Headlamp restore.

 

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/CCP-Minute-Headlamp-Restorer-Lenses/dp/B001G7I03A]Amazon.com: CCP 5 Minute Headlamp Lens Restorer For Auto Lenses: Automotive[/ame]

 

They have it at AutoZone. It's awesome and works great.

ok here's my procedure for cleaning up headlights.

 

Materials needed.

- 320 grit wet sand paper

- 600 grit wet sand paper

- 2000 grit wet sand paper

- Meguiers Plastix

- bucket

- Something to work the plastix with (like your buffing ball you got for instance)

 

Procedure:

1. Tape off around the headlamps.

2. Fill your bucket with water

3. Take the 320grit and start sanding in a horizontal motion making about 3 passes from top to bottom.

4. Switch to a vertical motion with 3 passes as well. (BE SURE TO KEEP THE PAPER WET SO CONSTANTLY DIP IT)

5. Now switch to the 600 grit and do the same as you did with the 320 grit.

6. Go to the 2000 grit keeping it VERY WET and do the same horizontal and vertical sanding until you feel the paper gliding easily across the surface. (you'll feel how smooth it becomes and you'll see it even start to appear clearer)

7. Wash the headlamp down with some water and a clean towel.

8. Take your Plastix and buffing pad and buff it out to perfection

 

 

 

+1, I've used this exact method on my headlights before (on previous cars) and it worked perfectly. I also just recently polished a 12"x24" vacuum chamber viewport doing the same thing.

 

I use a plastic water bottle full of water, with a tiny bit of dish soap, as my lubricant for the wet sanding. Drill a small hole in the cap and it is very easy to control the flow.

yup that's right underdog. Easy and cheap with Excellent results

A local paint shop recommended i try out a product called flitz if I was gonna restore my headlights. He said he knew people that would take it and go polish headlights at dealerships at roughly $40-$60 a pair.

yeah flitz works as well but only on light oxidation. If its to oxidized you still have to wet sand. Just be sure you tape off around the headlamp so you don't end up sanding or buffing off your paint.

Any way to restore the 'clear' finish to Laminex headlight covers? I've had them on the car for at least 4 years and the laminex film is absolutely filthy (yellow and kind of brownish-burnt at the top edge)... That was the point of putting them on the headlights, so they would protect the lense plastic, but I was wondering if I could sand/buff them and salvage them... I have a feeling that the procedure above might help, but I might have to eventually take them off if I cannot clean them!

 

Thanks!

this stuff might work to clean the laminex film

So I just tackled this for only my driver's side headlight because I was in an accident where I got a new passenger side headlight. This difference between the two was distracting to put it nicely.

 

I went 400, 1000, 2000 all wet sanding (it's all I had at the time.) The headlight was hazy, as expected, after sanding. The problem I'm having is that after polishing (by hand!), is that it still looks kinda hazy. Not terrible, but next to the brand new crystal clear passenger side, well it's definitely not crystal clear.

 

I used both Mothers Scratch Remover and also Mothers plastic Polish to buff it out. Is this just a byproduct of doing this by hand? Or will it never resemble that crystal clear finish, no matter what?

Hi Catalyst -

 

Phildog33 here. Two years later all I have to report is I never did figure out this headlight cleaning snafu. I brought it to a professional shop and for $50 my headlights were crystal clear. The mystery remains...

you have to have a buffing pad to get it done. A towel or Micro fibre cloth just isn't going to do it.

 

I bought an XMT kit years ago that came with a hand buffing pad that I use instead of using my drill which would be even better than by hand.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/autogeek/xmt-kit-1.jpg

I used 1500grit orbital, 2000 grit hand then 3000 orbital, used Farecla G6 on a buffer then Meguiars PlastX on a Mothers powerball, looks brand new.

wow.. that's alot of work.. I just took some 3M compound & a high speed buffer straight to it.. make sure they buffer didn't dry up & it took the cloudiness right out..

All of the processes you guys have said can work just fine. It is just very hard by hand to get enough actual friction/heat to break down the polish and utilize its potential.

I bought a headlight clearing kit from a local auto parts store as you can imagine I was a bit skeptical with such a kit but to my surprise it worked very well and offers very little risk to further clouding the lens. The product is an all in one kit made by turtle wax ran me about 10 bucks if I recall. It had a lubricant, compound, and various grit pads for wet sanding. Check it out.

I used the 3M kit (designed for use with a drill) on my Tacoma whose headlights were godawfully hazed/cloudy. The results were spectacular. 2 years later they're still crystal clear.

 

In the picture below the driver's side is polished and the passenger side isn't

 

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h218/madjik_man/Personal/P1060383.jpg

I bought a headlight clearing kit from a local auto parts store as you can imagine I was a bit skeptical with such a kit but to my surprise it worked very well and offers very little risk to further clouding the lens. The product is an all in one kit made by turtle wax ran me about 10 bucks if I recall. It had a lubricant, compound, and various grit pads for wet sanding. Check it out.

 

I also used this product...purchased it from AutoZone, gotta say did nothing but scratch my lenses up. I'm thinking if you want 100% clear headlights...take them to a professional.

For light oxidation I've had great success with a thickly mixed paste of baking soda and a wet terry cloth to polish with. Little more manual labor intensive, but more than likely won't cost you anything since you have it laying around anyway. Once done, wax with a liquid wax.