"Hazey" Headlamps - A remedy? - Page 2

Since I am on a government PC, I cant see the pics but I have the same problem. I already tried one product which did nothing for me. Are they actually "clear" or did they just get better? Personally I would rather just buy new lights(not at $369.00 per side) than to keep purchasing bs. Does anyone know of a solution to make them look brand new or a site I wont have to pay $700+ for a new set? Any help will be appreciated folks!

hello tallblond guy.i live in clearwater florida,i have been detailing cars for over 20 years.the new plastic style headlights are definitely a burden to cars and the owners.there is a cheap remedy.first of all,it does cost around 80 dollars to fix if you go see a detailer,but beware there is a 3 step process that i gaurantee none of them do.you have to clean the plastic,buff the plastic and then reseal the plastic.sometimes when a detailer waxes a car he goes over the lights with wax and compounds,not good trust me.there are many products out there that fix the problem,pitted lights can be fixed depending on how bad,i have wet sanded and buffed disastrous lights with xcellent results.you can buy the meguairs plastx,but you also need an electric drill that needs to be used with the mothers power ball.i think its 20 dollars for the powerball and 5 dollars for the plastx.anyways make sure you guys tape off the surrounding area so that the only thing you buff is the headlights.wolfgang makes a really great product,i think you can get it from autogeek,or properautocare.com.the wolfgang is the only one i have seen with the cleaner,polish and sealant in one package,it also comes with the attachments for your drill via an orange pad and a black pad.i hope this helps you guys.please do not mess it up,headlights are expensive and i will help anyone out that needs it.feel free to contact me at anytime at ...mlongo2005@yahoo.com.........

quote:

ORIGINAL: mlongo2005

hello tallblond guy.i live in clearwater florida,i have been detailing cars for over 20 years.the new plastic style headlights are definitely a burden to cars and the owners.there is a cheap remedy.first of all,it does cost around 80 dollars to fix if you go see a detailer,but beware there is a 3 step process that i gaurantee none of them .<<..........>>..hope this helps you guys.please do not mess it up,headlights are expensive and i will help anyone out that needs it.feel free to contact me at anytime at ...mlongo2005@yahoo.com.........

 
Mlongo, thanks for the advice....I've been in school and had little or no time to even log on here, much less respond, so sorry for the delay. I take your advice to heart.Gonna try it this coming weekend.  I'll keep you guys posted on how it turns out, and I'll try to take pics as well.    

How about clear coating the lenses after polishing them, would this help to reseal them or would it melt or damage them? 

Badmojo
I'm not too familiar with clear coating the lenses, but my bet is that wouldn't be a good idea.  There is a special type coating that they use on headlights to help prevent hazing from happening, and also the yellowing effect that you may not be familiar to anyone here just yet.

I'm from FL too, and I had the same problem on my Lexus SC400.  I can give you the full rundown depending on the level of damage to the headlights to make them look brand new.  But since I don't have photos of your headlights, I'll just go based off of what everyone else has mentioned.

A proper wet sand, (I recommend a 2-3 part process, of couse using a very fine paper) before using Meguiar's Plastx works wonders.  I used it and gave a little TLC to it while rubbing down the lense between each level of sanding.  Mine came out looking great!!!!

If you'vr had the love tap courtesy of some old person in Florida like I have, you might also face issues with condensation depending on the weather.  In that case, you may have to go with the good old process of resealing with black silicone gel.  If that's the case I can give you a more detailed walk through with photos etc. of the process.  Hope that helps out.

I bought this product for my Lexus I use to own with dull plastic lights. 
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MAZDA-323-626-929-MILLENIA-HEADLIGHT-RESTORER-CLEANER_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33710QQihZ003QQitemZ8029416998QQtcZphoto
 
It worked pretty good. Basically it has a couple of different rubbing compounds with different ratios.
 
It does make difference. Check the pic.
 
Theres another one on ebay
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Dull-Plastic-Headlights-Clean-Polish-Restore-Them_W0QQitemZ230186608588QQihZ013QQcategoryZ6755QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
Never tried this one.


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My logic is that if their hazing then the coating is probably worn thru and if not the sanding would take the coating off.
The clear coat would be just to reseal them.  I wonder if there isn't something specifically for headlamp lenses?

Here is someting that I found in an article about sanding headlamp lenses.

After polishing plastic headlights, some CarSpace members have found that the lens often haze over much quicker than they did originally. This is reportedly because the manufacturer coats the lens with a protective layer. Polishing will remove this protective layer. Some of the headlight polishing kits have a final coating you put on after polishing. Or you can use a product like 303 Aerospace Protectant or paste wax. This treatment may help the repair last longer.Hope this helps!

Sorry for the delay,,, I did it,,, bought a kit from a local dude,,, used my drill as a polisher,,, it's a 3 step process for sanding,,, polish, then clear sealer (to slow the hazing process going forward).  
 
I can't promise I'll include pics, but they look fantastic...of couse, now I'm dealing with other issues regarding my freakin cheap Jaguar headlights (mumbling cuss-words under my breath but I won't post them here so Jim won't kick me off) ...(see other posts)...but at least they look new! 
 
Thanks for all your feedback guys!   

 
 
 
Hey TBG...............nice to see you around again.
Great that you did your looks and I'm glad you're pleased with them........pics would be great
 
mumbling cuss words.....?...........lol.........I can imagine, trust me!
 
 
Jim

[Deleted by Admins]

http://www.myheadlight.com/index.html
Well I decide to go ahead and purchase Crystal View Headlight Restoration to see if it will restore my headlights. I will try to go ahead and take before and after pictures. The product was around $20, it was one of the only ones that came with sealant after removing the UV film. It comes with a Lifetime Warranty ans a 30 day Money Back Guarantee.

Well here is the before......








 
 
 

product.......

masked of the paint......

after..........





 
So for the $20 I recommend it .......
 

Big difference! I'd try it.

Looks like you found a good product. glad i don't need that quite yet. 

Set a calendar reminder in your outlook and give us a 3-month and a 6-month upate on how it lasts over the summer months.  Be nice to hear how it looks long term as well. Glad you posted it.

Badmojo - this product supassed my expectations, I love how my headlight look like new.
h2oboy - this product has a lifetime warranty so we will see what happens in 3 months, I'll take some pics.

anyone ever tried a powerball with mag and aluminum polish? It worked awesome on some of my previous vehichles that were much worse. They stayed clear too

the problem is that the plastic is no being sealed by a protective uv coating which is the reason the turn hazy and yellow the coating starts to chip away and it exposses the plastic and it gets damaged. So if all you do is buff it, it will begin to haze because the plastic is left expossed and as soon as it rains and you wash your car the polish comes off.