2005 vdp. Any recommendations on a procedure to clean these. The haze covers the top half of all the front headlights. I also notice some condensation on the inside... Many thanks for any suggestions.

 

HI -
There are any number of headlight restoration kits available at auto parts stores, fairly inexpensive. They generally work well, though a bit of elbow grease is generally required, The procedure has to be repeated every few years. If you Google something like "best headlight restoration kits" you should find some good examples.

 

Sounds great,at least then there cleanable, had a ford few years back where they were a complete disaster nothing cleaned them. Thanks for the info.

 

I remove scratches from my watch glass/faces with BRASSO it works very well. So maybe it could also be used on the headlight lenses.
Bob

 

I had great results with the 3M headlight restoration kit. You'll need an electric drill.

 

And many of the kits don't come with the clearcoat you need after cleaning. If you skip the clearcoat, you'll be doing the lenses again within weeks, not years.

 

Check the seals on the headlight covers. They have a habit of coming out and letting the water in.

 

I have the same problem. I am going to drill two tiny holes, one on each side of the assembly. I can feed a low-pressure air supply into one side. It might take a few hours to clear the moisture, but once it is done, I can just plug the holes with a rubber plug, or a dab of epoxy. The next step is to reseal the plastic lens cover. There must be a small leak in the seal somewhere. I don't like using silicone...it never lasts, and it always looks like a 'kludge' repair. Silicone is to leak repair, as an adjustable wrench is to freeing seized bolts.

Does anyone know what kind of cement is used at the factory to seal the headlights? I presume it's an epoxy.

Earlier today I used a headlight restoration kit to make the lens covers gleam. It took about 10 minutes to do all four lights. No drill. I did it by hand. Make sure to put tape on the paintwork surrounding the lights to prevent damage to the paint surface. By the way, I used a 'kit' today, but you don't need a kit. Just buy some 4000, 3000 and 2000 grit wet sandpaper. That's all they use in the kits. I got 10 sheets of each for about $5 total on Amazon. After you are finished with the sandpaper, use some very fine polishing compound. They will shine like they are wet!

 

Be sure to get a clearcoat now, or you'll be back there in a few weeks!! DAMHIK...

 

Yes, correct! Whatever you do to clean up the lights be sure to use a clear over them or you'll be back to aquare one very quickly. Once you wet-sand and polish the lens the original UV coating is gone so they must be protected.

As for clearing them up, I typically wet sand with 800-1000-1500-2000 and then compound polish using Meguiars 105/205 and they'll look like new. Just make sure you protect them afterwards.

 

It's too cold now to spray them with clearcoat. The bumper and headlights are too big a PITA to remove. So, it will have to wait until the spring. I'll just re-polish them and spray them once the temps warm up. I agree though, within a year it will need to be done again if I don't protect them now.

 

For now you can use the 3M clear for headlights. It comes in a small packet and you just wipe it on, no spraying necessary. It lasts 6-12 months depending on your climate.