Headlight foggyness

[s14marco]

How can I clear my headlight I tried turtle wax and it nearly worked.

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[android148]

They sell this rain-x kit at pep boys for 20 bucks. Real easy to use and works great for the price. I used it on my 04 forester and it worked wonders.

[s14marco]

I bought the one that looks like it and it didn't work

[FarmerJoe]

Turtle wax is nothing like the rain-x headlight restoration kit that hes talking about. The rain-x kit looks like this:
http://www.rainx.com/products/Plasti...Headlight.aspx

you can also use the 3m product found here:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...g_a_Headlight/

This can be purchased at any auto store. Good luck!

[Cobrakai]

If you can get your hands on a "buffer", try wet sanding the headlights and using Meguiar's ScratchX. It's a step up from the kits out there.



Or, Orbital/Rotary Polisher with the right products and pads will yield the best results.

[s14marco]

I used turtle headlight restoration kit. It got a little better but still foggy. Rain x will do it?

[AspenScoob255]

Originally Posted by s14marco

I used turtle headlight restoration kit. It got a little better but still foggy. Rain x will do it?

There are some write ups already on this topic. I suggest doing a quick search, the most detailed one is by Lezbaru.

Most of these kits offer less than stellar results. 3m is good and Megs heavy duty kit is probably the best over the counter system I have used.

[draco159]

I use plasti-x followed by either cleaner wax or just any old wax. This is not a once-and-done procedure, you will have to repeat it about every other wash. Since the original haze protection layer has been removed over time, it will keep getting hazed unless you buy new ones. I think there might be a clear liquid solution I saw somewhere a while ago that is supposed to replensih this lost layer but I can't recall what it was.

[Dinoman]

I've used the mother headlight restoration kit with good results. You just need a drill to put the attachment on and buff it with the provided liquid then wipe it off with the microfiber towel. If it still needs serious restoration it comes with 4 sandpaper pads that you use in steps and each one is a finer grit. I used it on my moms cr-v and it came out pretty well. Its only like 20 bucks at wal mart IIRC.

[island boyeee]

^ a buddy just used this kit over the weekend on his headlights. he tried just buffing, that didn't work. so we did the full wetsand procedure until it was really hazy but glass smooth, and then the buffer didn't do crap to get rid of the haziness. I don't know if we didn't buff long enough, but we went at it for a few minutes using various speeds and amounts of polish...

[mhoerath]

i used the 3m kit on my subie, worked great. year later re-buffed with meguirs scratch x, worked great. looked like new.

also did wifes highlander and different plastic quality meant results were not as good.

[SilverBOXER4]

I use a DA polisher and maguiar's compound. This was on my sister in law's civic.
Before
After

[island boyeee]

i'm going to attempt wet sanding from like 1000 to 3000, and then polishing. i have some scratches on my headlight from where someone hit me, and my detail shop didn't want to risk doing more damage

[RedStripe]

The Mothers polish system is okay, but the power ball is not the best tool for the job. I've used it. If I didn't have a buffer, I'd rather apply and buff by-hand.

If you've got a decent buffer, you can even just use a clear-coat-safe rubbing compound. Mask-off the painted surfaces and buff until it's clear. Start with a light-cutting pad then move to something finer that you'd otherwise use for removing swirl-marks.

I like the Novus 3-step plastic polish process - a coarse grit compound, then a fine grit compound, then a clear sealant. The idea is just to polish-off the oxidized plastic for clarity, then protect it. Can be applied by hand or by machine.

[RedStripe]

Originally Posted by island boyeee

i'm going to attempt wet sanding from like 1000 to 3000, and then polishing. i have some scratches on my headlight from where someone hit me, and my detail shop didn't want to risk doing more damage

Recently I saw a kit in Autozone with instructions, paper, buffing compounds, and clear-coat for around $20. Worth looking-into before you go nuts on your own.

[island boyeee]

yea, but i figure i can just buy the supplies separately for about the same price... i'll check out the off-the-shelf products first though. i just think i'm going to need to combine a wide range of products for what i'm trying to accomplish

[SubieSubieDo0492]

I reccommend the meguiars Headlight resoration kit. Works wonders and is about 20 dollars at your local advance auto parts.

[PSBeachBum]

lol do what I did. Took a buffer ball and zip tied a microfiber cloth to it. Sprayed light with Simple Green. Spun my drill up and moved all around. Then sprayed with simple green again and used a damp cloth to clean it all up. Took rag off buffer ball and went to town with Cleaner Wax. I was surprised at the results. Again as noted by someone before. This doesnt protect it so you gotta get some kinda sealer or something but my lights were back to clear and lasted about 2 weeks before I am noticing it happening again :0

[Howlix]

My headlights and fog lights are super cloudy after a decade of constant daily use. I'm going to have to research all the brands mentioned in this thread to see which has been the most effective. Results will be posted (hopefully with pictures).

[SilverBOXER4]

Here's another result from using just a rubbing compound with da polisher.
Before

After

[dustingwhale]

+1 for meguires or mothers. Can't remember which I used, but its probably the easist detail job I've done (short of a standard car wash). Take your time, and use blue tape to save the paint

[Kean]

....since we're posting progress shots, here are some pictures of a Honda Civic Si I did for an "in-law" relative. I was in my garage and noticed how hazy his headlamps were. After a closer inspection I noticed it would likely buff out fairly well by hand. I thought this would be a nice demonstration what folks could do (in some cases) simply by using a product like Plast-X by hand:

BEFORE:


AFTER:


50/50


The ripple in the drivers side headlamp is actually a reflection of the roof line (spanish tiles) on my house.

[alotaboost]

I use 500, 800, 1000, 1500, then 2000 grit and follow with meguires polish. works great

[island boyeee]

^ good to know, b/c that's probably what it's gonna take to remove the scratches on my headlight.

when you guys polish by hand, do you just use a microfiber cloth? how long does it take to polish smooth? and how often do you reapply the polish?

i've always been terrible at anything sanding/detailing, so any specifics would be much appreciated!

[NDIMA]

Honestly, the best way to make sure it won't come back is to wetsand it, and clear it. You'll be surprised how effective it just is.