How to Clean Haze off of Car Headlights | eHow.com
does anyone know if this actually works ?
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10-14-2008
How to Clean Haze off of Car Headlights | eHow.com
does anyone know if this actually works ?
10-14-2008
Don't know, but makes me want to try though. Can't really hurt anything sense they already have a haze on them. Might try this weekend, but if you try before let us know how it works and I'll do the same.
10-14-2008
I might give it a shot when I get a chance. I was going to get a buffer and do it, but hopefully this will work with less effort!
10-14-2008
Will be nice if it works. Nice and cheap way to do it. I have even seen somebody use a real fine grit sand paper and then hit it with a few coats of clear coat.
10-14-2008
I tried this with one of my corner lenses that needs replacing and wasn't overly happy with the results. Doesn't look terrible, but you can kind of tell it's been clear coated.Originally Posted by BADAZGTP
10-15-2008
yea my buddy tried the sand paper method on the mustang ended up making the headlights worse then they were scratches all over the place, but if i do end up trying this before anyone else i will be sure to post my results
10-15-2008
Ive used two methods for restoring headlights. The first was simply sanding it down to break through the haze and hairline cracks and such. Once that is done you progressively step up to a 2500 - 3000 grit sandpaper and then hit it with a couple coats of clear. If you do it right, sand it right and so on, you cant tell the clear is even there but the key is making sure you have worked up to a very fine grain sandpaper and apply the clear evenly.
The advantage of using the clear is that you never have to cut into the plastic of the lens again. You can take some 2500 - 3000 grit sanpaper to it and then polish it.
The other method I have used is very similar but just skips the clear coat process. You sand it down, then work back up to a 3000 grit sanding and then use a plastic polish to get the final clearness.
The problem with this method is again the sanding. If you dont do it right you will spend FOREVER trying to polish out the little swirl marks and sanding marks. Additionally, if you ever have to remove the haze build up again you are sanding back into the plastic again.
Ive used both and if done properly you cannot tell one from the other. The clear coating is easier as it better fills in the scratches and such from the final 3000 grit sanding process. Ive posted a How To here using the clear coat process which Ive used a couple times and not terribly long ago I posted up in the Lounge where I use the polishing process on my in-laws Jeep headlights. I definitely needed to sand more and polish more on the Jeep which I took care of after I took all the pics.
10-15-2008
Defiantly need to do both my GP's. Gonna try the sanding and clearing method. Thanks for the extra input on it.
10-15-2008
Its all about taking your time. Dont start this needing it done in a short time so you can drive. Do it on a day in which you can take all day if needed and give the clear plenty of time to dry before you drive.
Once you get the clear on there and it has cured (give it a week or two) you can always go back over it with some 2500, 3000 or even 4000 grit sandpaper and then use a plastic polish to make it all perfectly smooth. As with much in life its all in the preparation and planning and attention to detail.
If you have any questions feel free to post up or PM me. But both the How To and the post I made in the lounge have accompanying pictures to help out.
10-15-2008
Yeah, it'll be a weekend I have nothing going on and plenty of time to do it. I like doing stuff right the first time. Use to rush to get stuff done and end up having to go back and redo it anyway. That's why my car looks like it does now. Taking my time with her now though. Thanks again for the info. I'll check out the other threads on it and I'll get with you if I have any questions.
10-15-2008
hey syn what you think bout 2000-2500 then a buffer to polish then CC?
10-16-2008
If you don't have a thick haze on your headlights it will work but if you have a thick heavy haze go with 3M headlight cleaning kit.
10-16-2008
Ive used the 3M kit before and it works well and does use polishing rather than clear coating as the final step. But as I mentioned before if you do not get all the swirl marks out or use a fine enough grade sanding, you will still see remnants of the sanding process.
justwhisen, that would probably work well, but if you polish the plastic and then try and clear coat it, I think you'll run into issues with the clear coat sticking and such, much as you would if there were any such contaminants on painting a metal surface.
10-30-2008
Ive tried all the techniques and polishes and such and gave up.
Right now I'm getting the best results by using anywhere from 400 to 800 grit wetsanding, followed by 2-3 coats of cheap nason(dupont) clear I had laying around. Ive done multiple dodge ram and ford mustang headlights and even the pair on my parents caravan.
Ill try to find the before and after shots.
10-30-2008
If you want quick/simple, forgo playing with toothpaste and just use rubbing compound. It works better then Colgate, and may be good enough for you. I have used just rubbing compound on some older Ford headlights, and it does not get them brand new, but does make them usable again. If you decide that is not clear enough, you can always move on to wet-sanding.
10-30-2008
over the weekend I used the 3M kit and it worked pretty good, although I do have cracks that go all the way through (no help there).
good news is I can see again.
10-30-2008
Yeah, the 3M kit is the first one that Ive seen on the market that was actually decent and worked well. Well worth the money.
10-31-2008
Anyone tried the Maguires headlight kit yet? My friend picked some up the other day, but hasn't tried it yet.
10-31-2008
^^yes worth every penny. ^havent seen it yet.
11-01-2008
Clear peeling off
All sanded & ready to be Cleared..
Recleared..
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