Headlight cleaning

[JackdaMak]

One of my headlight covers is in dire need of cleaning... it has developed that dingy look. It bothers the crap outta me because the other headlight is only several months old since it was replaced after my car accident last August.

DJ, at the auto-x you talked about some method of cleaning headlight lenses? Maybe we can have some kind of headlight repair session

[Jeff]

Just wet sand them with fine grit sand paper like 1000-1500grit then dry it. Then take a cutting compound and buff the lights a few times. Once all the yellow stuff is gone and the finish looks even just put some wax/polish on them and buff that off and you are done. I do it all the time at my work. I'll help you with it if you want.

[bassmangrammy]

Can you help me on mine, Jeff?

[jongp3]

Aaron, i could help ya out with it, I've done the wet sand method many times it works very well, I need to do mine but I have to take off my whole front bumper to get to my headlights

[.RJ]

I've posted a how-to on this somewhere on the forum... done it on a few cars now.

[JackdaMak]

Cool Jeff... my headlight doesn't have any yellow on it as of yet, just a very rough finish look to it. I'm sure this method would probably work so we should get together sometime - maybe at verona auto-x during some downtime? Thanks for the help.

[ziich]

I've used Meguiar's Plastx to clean my hazy lights.

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works pretty well, but it seems to come back after 6 months. I might need to apply wax or a protectant afterwards.

[.RJ]

That plastic-x stuff sucks...

For the lazy -

What's your method RJ?

- Clean headlight lenses with simple green
- wetsand with 800 grit, really get in there and get the haze out
- wetsand with 1200 grit
- wetsand with 1500 grit
- Mother's metal polish by hand
- Meguiars swirl remover polish with a PC buffer (the buffer really helps here)

[HAULN-SS]

Thanks .RJ, you're alright!

[Jeff]

Aaron and Jack- I'll help you with it anytime you want.

[Mike]

rj is so rice.

[.RJ]

but i'm so money

[Dave]

I need to do mine but I have to take off my whole front bumper to get to my headlights

wtf are you driving??

[jongp3]

I need to do mine but I have to take off my whole front bumper to get to my headlights

wtf are you driving??

An Integra, where the headlights are recessed in a couple inches, I could do parts of the lights, but to do it right, I'd need to remove the bumper.

[WRXtranceformed]

Did this this past weekend on one of my headlights and both foglights, since the driver's side headlight was replaced during the body work following the deer accident. I let some 1800 grit sandpaper soak for about an hour in water, sanded each light about 2xs, put on some Meguiar's Plastic-X with a power buffer and they were as good as new. There were still some rock pits that could probably have been taken out with a heavier grit paper, but I ended up covering the lights with rockblocker anyway so you can't see them

It took about 2 applications / buffings of the Plastic-X to make it look good. Believe me too, without a buffer it would have taken FOREVER or been pretty much impossible to do by hand.

[Evan]

i did the full treatment on my dd miata the other day too.

400 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit, then the buffer with some polish and finish off with some plastX. looks good and light output is much improved

[HaPpYfAcE]

i usually just use elbow grease and turtle wax rubbing compound.

there's two kinds, it's the white one, i believe. the other one is red or something and it's heavier...will just scratch lights/paint.

[JackdaMak]

man I did this myself first, no luck, then took it to a body shop and let em take to the one headlight for like 20 bucks and still no luck. Its because it seems that most of the problem is on the inside which is weird. I don't know if the headlight is not sealed or what but i think my best bet is taking it apart and doing the inside too. thoughts?

[WRXtranceformed]

Eh I dunno... it's almost worth just buying new headlights off of Ebay or something at that point...

[HAULN-SS]

I thought most fogging WAS on the inside? I always just assumed thats what yall were talking about - i've never had any lights get fogged