[968Z]

Since our cars don't have polycarbonate headlight lenses, I thought this would be the more appropriate location for this question. Feel free to move the thread to a different location if applicable! Now, back on topic... I'm looking to restore the lenses on several of my cars, but I can't seem to find any truly unbiased info regarding these kits from knowlegeable people. So the question is, is there a consensus on a kit or method that seems to work best for restoring polycarbonate headlight lenses?

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[blau]

450 reviewers on Amazon can't all be biased... 3M is a brand I would trust. I haven't had personal experience using it, but I do have a few friends who have used it with good results. Like anything, it takes time and patience to get the finish perfect...

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Headlight-Lens-...B001AIZ5HY

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[biotechee]

On my last daily driver, I started with some fine grit wet/dry sandpaper (while wet of course) then used Plastix by Meguiars and a 3" orbital from Griots. Took a few progressively finer sandpaper grits (say 1500 to start followed by 3000), then quite a few times over it with the Plastix.



While I was not happy with the amount of time it took, I was very happy with the result. I probably spent at least 2 hours per headlight. Did it last summer on my 2004 Jetta. Went from very hazy/cloudy headlights (90K miles on 'em) to much clearer lenses (probably equivalent to headlight with less than 15K miles) - the majority of the haze was gone except for the very corners and edges as I didn't want to get too close the paint even though I taped it.



Will probably do it again on my current daily, a 2004 Honda Pilot with 166K miles.



As Blau mentions- the result is commensurate with the effort put in.

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[Mark]

you can read 57 pages over on autogeek forums

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show...-idea.html

or

See if there is a Dr.Headlight franchise in your area and let them do them. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[Darryl]

Like biotechee, I do it manually as well. There isn't anything in any of the kits that makes it special for headlights, but buying a kit should give you everything you need in case you aren't stocked with polishes and applicators. You just have to get rid of the oxidation layer and polish out the damage.



Meguire's PlastX isn't very aggressive at all so it doesn't surprise me that it took so long. It does go much faster with a buffer or small pad on a drill attachment. I usually start with 2500 or 2000 and then polish using a medium polish, followed by a fine polish and then PlastX as my final "shine".



- Darryl

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[968Z]

I ended up using the 3M kit. The drill adapter was the clincher. The results we better than I had hoped; not perfect, but a damned "sight" better than before.

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[Cloud9...68]

Glad it worked for you. My daughter's 04 325i's headlights are noticeable fogged, so I tried some of Griot's plastic polish on them. I found that they did smooth the surface of the polycarbonate headlight covers, but that's not where the problem is. They appear to be fogged on the inside. Has anybody every experienced this? I guess I should try taking them off and polishing their insides and seeing if this helps...

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[968Z]

Cloud, I thought the same thing, but it turned out to be on the outside. I had previously used one of those "quicky" solutions and had the same results as you.

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[Cloud9...68]

968Z,



Yes, you're right - I took a "closer" look with a loupe magnifier, and the hazing/crazing is on the outside. I bought the 3M kit (Walmart, about $15, half what Advance Auto charges). I'll tackle it as soon as there's an opportunity when my teenage daughter is home long enough for me to do it! How long did it take you per headlight? Thanks.

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[968Z]

I could have done it faster, but my cordless drill only makes 650 rpm's (they recommend 1200-1500 IIRC), so it took longer to sand and polish each step. Worse, my battery is on it's last legs, so I had to recharge once. All told, about an hour and a half for both of actual work. With a proper drill, I probably could have managed in under an hour. Definitely worth the effort.

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[Cloud9...68]

Great, thanks. I've got a fairly decent Black & Decker corded drill which I plan to use, so hopefully it won't take too long. I'll take some before-and-after pictures.

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[Rap]

I had the hazing cleaned on mine and a new stronger bulb put in. It is noticeably better.

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[nissanite]

The wife's Lexus IS300 headlamps started to get bad. I removed the lamps & polished them with a buffer with 3M compound. Then polished them with Mother's Plastic polish.



That was the first step. Then I took the car to a place that installs the 3M clear bra or paint protection. They can cut out the headlamps & fog lamps from a computerized pattern. They have been done for about 2 years and they still look the same.



They are not perfect like a new lamp but the more time you spend before the applique the better the result.

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[Cloud9...68]

OK, I went ahead and restored one of the headlights on my daughter's 04 BMW 325 i today using the 3M kit, and I have to say, I'm very impressed. As others have said, it is a fairly time-consuming process, especially the first step (with the sanding pads), but as the instructions say, the more time you spend on the early steps, the better the final result. I'm the farthest thing from a skilled person (this is the closest I'll ever come to doing bodywork), but I have the say, the headlight cover looks virtually brand new. Not only should it significantly improve the performance of the headlights, and therefore the car's safety, but they go a long way toward making the car look like new. My daughter, despite being the typical teenager ("Whatever, dad...") was really taken aback, especially since I was only able to get one of the headlights done today, so the contrast between the repaired one and the old one is very striking. She was genuinely pleased and impressed with the outcome. High praise, indeed!



Here are a couple of before-and-after shots:



   

Before





   

After



The thing that looks like a streak in the "after" picture is actually a reflection from the headlight, which was on in this photo.



My only gripe with the product is that it needs to have a lot more of the sanding pads included. They give you six, but I used all six up on the first headlight (which is why I wasn't able to do both), and I didn't think the headlights were all that bad compared to others I've seen. I'll call 3M tomorrow morning - hopefully they can send me some more sanding pads without my having to buy a whole new kit. If they don't have the circular pads that attach to the drill bit attachment, does anybody have any ideas as to what I may be able to do as an alternative?



But overall, I've very happy with the results, and would whole-heartedly recommend the 3M headlight restoration kit, which I got for about $15 at Walmart.

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[tamathumper]

I'm just amazed at all the expensive new cars whose headlights don't last more than 5 years before looking noticeably hazy!

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[968Z]

I agree; with all of the technology in themoplastics these days, you would think they could do a better job with headlight lenses. Cloud, just so you know, you will probably have to repeat the process every year or two. When you sand the lens, you're also sanding off the "UV protective layer" such as i is. I read that there are some aftermarket coatings that work pretty well, but I can't say from experience. I just go over mine with Aerospace 303 UV inhibitor every month or two when I'm hitting the rest of the car with it.

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[tamathumper]

Or maybe if you put XPEL on them they will be protected from impact and retain their clarity - this website implies they'll be clearer - might want to call them about the UV-inhibiting properties.



http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight.asp

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[Cloud9...68]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I realize I'm either going to have to periodically repeat the process I just went through, or apply some sort of protection. I'll look into Expel - that looks interesting.

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[Cloud9...68]

I'm very frustrated about something with this process, so I was hoping somebody here has some advice. As I mentioned above, I've very happy with the results I got with the 3M kit. There's only one problem - my daughter's headlights were so bad that I went through all six of the 500 grit sanding pads used in step 1, and I'm not finding anybody locally who carries replacements! I refuse to buy a whole other kit just for a few lousy pieces of round sandpaper, and I'm planning to call 3M in the morning to see what they recommend. I'm sure they'd sell me some, but I'm afraid the shipping will cost as much as a whole kit locally. Has anybody who has used this kit run into this? The pads are part number 00912. Thanks.

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[Cloud9...68]

OK, I contacted 3M, and after complaining vociferously about the fact that they need to have A LOT more of the sanding pads included in the kit, they agreed to send me some more. I think the fact that I mentioned that it was for my daughter's car, and that the one clear/one cloudy headlight might represent a safety hazard may have scared them a little (not that I'm the sort to sue).



While researching headlight restoration, I came across a post on a forum by an optometrist. He said that headlight covers are made of the same material (polycarbonate) as eyeglass lenses, and that while it has excellent scratch and shatter resistance, it is also VERY difficult to get any sort of coatings, particularly UV protectants, to adhere to it. He said that the stuff needs to be baked at about 200 degrees after application, and that very few automakers go to the trouble and expense of applying a truly effective UV protectant to their headlight covers. So, any of the "UV protectant" sprays and liquids you can buy at your local auto parts stores are useless, and a waste of money. The bottom line is that if the car sees a lot of sun exposure, plan on re-doing the headlight restoration process every few years.

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