Originally Posted by scorpio stu (Post 816957)

My headlights look very slightly cloudy and am sure there is a special polish for them to get them gleaming again?
Any ideas
Thanks :)

Originally Posted by Concours Car Care (Post 838773)

Wet sanding is really easy and not as daunting as you would think.

I have a set of 3 compounds coming to market Monday (Sample kit available bud)

:)

Originally Posted by scorpio stu (Post 1165282)

Sorry to open a new thread but I am attempting this tomorrow on a car I am selling . Do you think I can do it with a cordless drill as I don't have a polished. He car failed its mot on the lights so you can imagine they are pretty bad.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 1165307)

Be very wary of applying too much pressure or speed, you could melt the lens.

Originally Posted by David Lawrence (Post 838339)

Is this the polish you mean?
http://www.glasspolishshop.com/headlight_polish

I haven't used it, but I have some windscreen polish from the same place and it just worked a treat to remove the yellowish haze and small scratches that had appeared on my headlights

Hadn't noticed it was there until I read your thread. Gone now.

Originally Posted by GagHalfrunt (Post 1179035)

I spent quite a while reading about this because mine look terrible. I was thinking about having them polished at the same time the bodywork was being mopped.

My understanding is that polishing will remove the surface protection so by rights they will then get cloudy quicker (maybe this has happened on mine). I was debating getting them coated with something following the polish.

This assumes of course that our cars have a coating as they are far worse that my wife's Toyota which almost look new still (her car is the same age as mine).

Originally Posted by Grumpy1 (Post 1233973)

I've heard of people using toothpaste! Anybody on here tried it? :shrug:

Originally Posted by rovexCDTi (Post 1176885)

Pretty much any heavy polish/compound will do with a drill polishing head. I did mine by hand, hard work, but still possible. Wet sand and buff out, then maybe use a fine polish to finish for the best clarity. The key thing is to wax or preferably seal the lenses afterwards with something like a synthetic sealant or rain repellent. It will make them not only look clearer, but will protect the newly exposed plastic.

Originally Posted by Fred7A (Post 2073152)

I've just done my headlights with wet-and-dry and Autosol, and they've come up pretty well. I presume a sealer of some kind would be a good idea to protect them now - does anyone have any recommendations?

Originally Posted by scorpio stu (Post 1175838)

OK .. I have bout the 3M headlight restoration kit that fits on your drill..I'll be doing it over the next week so will post before and after pictures and do a review if anyone is interested.

Originally Posted by trikey (Post 1179502)

There is no coating on our headlights, the dulling / yellowing is due to the UV over time which gives the impression that its a harder surface than the newly polished light.

Originally Posted by Nick C (Post 2180535)

Has anyone tried any of these non abrasive de-oxidisers to clean them up?

Originally Posted by klarzy-dials.com (Post 2180539)

Hi Nick,
all of the lights I have restored have suffered from abrasion damage which pits the surface. no amount of polishing will remove the pitting, it must be cut back to fresh plastic and then re finished.
Many of these products that claim instant recovery are just oils with a refractive index close to the original polycarbonate, as oils or any other gel like substance, it will attract dust and quickly dull again.

I have tried lots of things and the 3m kit is the only way to get a lasting finish...

Originally Posted by Nick C (Post 2180840)

Thanks for the reply ... must admit I'm a bit daunted by trying it. But come some dry weather (I wish) I'll give it a go.

Originally Posted by r33dst (Post 2432890)

hi did you use wadding or liquid brasso its a job i need to do cheers

Originally Posted by c-j2 (Post 2520506)

Hi all,
I'm new on this forum however got a couple of other MGs.

I've just acquired a ZTT from a member on here - got some mechanical aspects to sort first, however I'd also like to improve the headlight glass inevitable cloudiness sometime.

Flicking through the various threads, is the 3M kit still well thought of?
Any better than DIY wth wet & dry?
Any better fair-priced alternatives?

Appreciate it is a regularly asked question so thought better to revive this thread rather than start a new.


cheers in advance
Chris

Originally Posted by operamagorum (Post 2522149)

My headlights were slightly clouded/yellowing. Cleaned them yesterday with toothpaste and soft toothbrush. Not perfect, but a vast improvement. Total cost £2 and I've got loads of paste and a toothbrush left for next time!

Originally Posted by mbrenn (Post 2526793)

I have used the Autoglym kit with excellent results but it was very time consuming . My friend has just done his headlights with a product called Formula 1 headlight restorer (yellow bottle) - a wipe on wipe off product. He swears by it. Will borrow it and try it on my other car and let you know.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2527050)

Would the clear lacquer as used by car body painters work without damaging the lens, I wonder?

Originally Posted by ceedy (Post 2750270)

Doing some this weekend , they are out of the car so having a coating of Clear Laquer .

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750261)

I read a suggestion that polishing the headlights up and covering them with cling film can stop the lens becoming cloudy again. Anyone tried it or found some sort of long term fix?

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2750316)

Is this a joke?

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750407)

It seems a lot of car owners are suffering the same problem and no one has found a permanent solution.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750318)

Twelve years of ownership and headlights like new. Only washed same time as car.
Car garaged when not in use apart from when at work.

Originally Posted by tourer (Post 2750407)

So what are you doing, that is different to everyone else?




My car spends much of its life in my garage, which is fairly dark. When I bought it, the lenses were completely opaque, but were OK once I had fine wet and dry'ed them and polished them with Autosol. Since then, the polish up with Autosol (or similar) has become an annual task. I'm certain it would become a sub-monthly task, were the car left out in the sun much.

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2750408)

The solution has been shown time and again. You need to re-spray the headlights with UV resistant clear lacquer just as they came out of the factory. There is no other solution which works as well as restoring them to how they were at manufacture..

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750645)

That was a potential solution I suggested long ago, but with no real idea what the clear lacquer might do to the polycarbonate lenses - and not willing to risk my lenses.



I think it calls for some experiment. May I suggest if someone has an old headlamp lens, polish it up to a good clear finish, then spray half of it with clear lacquer, then just leave it outside in the sun and weather for a few weeks.



I don't have a lens to carry out such an experiment with, but if someone might care to supply me with one - I have what is needed to polish it up, the lacquer and plenty of space outside to leave it undisturbed.

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2750695)

Omg...!

Clear lacquer is what protects them from the factory. I cant repeat this again!

With no clear lacquer you are left with soft, exposed, polycarbonate which is so soft you can simply brush it with your fingernail and it scratches.

How many times do I need to say it!! No experimentation is required, it is THE only way to restore them to factory fresh.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SPRAY-MAX-H.../dp/B01NA9K7N6

You need a 2K Clear UV resistant spray, ideally with a primer as detailed in the German Spray max kit.

Most body shops will use normal 2k Clear lacquer, which has UV resistance anyway of course.

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2750695)

Omg...!

Clear lacquer is what protects them from the factory. I cant repeat this again!.

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2750695)

polycarbonate which is so soft you can simply brush it with your fingernail and it scratches.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750751)

Thanks, but I am seeing lots of complaints of damage due to trying various ways to protect them, including using lacquer, even lacquer supposedly safe on polycarbonate. So I'm looking to do a bit of research of my own.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2750645)

I don't have a lens to carry out such an experiment with, but if someone might care to supply me with one - I have what is needed to polish it up, the lacquer and plenty of space outside to leave it undisturbed.

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2751822)

Why would anyone waste their time when the German Spraymax kit has been proven to work with no issues for a reasonable cost, and designed specifically for the job.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2751827)

Perhaps in the interests of experimentation?


You don't have some financial interest in Spraymax do you?

Originally Posted by T16 (Post 2751822)

Why would anyone waste their time when the German Spraymax kit has been proven to work with no issues for a reasonable cost, and designed specifically for the job.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2751827)

Perhaps in the interests of experimentation?


You don't have some financial interest in Spraymax do you?

Originally Posted by clf (Post 2751894)

Then those with an interest in our cars can learn how not to make mistakes whilst running headlong into something. It is quite obvious some of us dont have the experience nor ability to find out for ourselves, even if we claim to.

The cling film you spoke of earlier, I wonder if that was someone trying to describe a clear film product? Whilst cling film would reduce some UV, it would likely blow off at speed, certainly would sag whilst wet, no use with headlight washers lol.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT (Post 2751918)

I just had it in mind that the suggested German solution was just too expensive for two small aerosol cans. I take some serious persuading that it really contained something different.

It is nothing really different. With a basic compressor or air brush you could do the same thing (maybe even better), providing you make allowances for the expansion and contraction on the poly due to heat variations.

Like you, I believe the kit is overpriced, but it does have shiny things on the can, so it MUST be the best :rolleyes: ;) HERE is just one example, and even has Spraymax(­™?) technology, 400ml can for similar monies as the two small cans. With a 500ml primer HERE.(I have used this aersol system before, and it is not too bad to use for a rattle can. with adjustable fan).

I wonder if the 2k type lacquers may be a bit hard, and possibly chip through use? A cheaper acrylic on a properly prepared headlight may be more long lasting



The cling film was just something read about, to throw into the mix - really I wondered if anyone else had heard of such a suggestion.

I knew what you were suggesting, but I still imagine that it was some kind of vinyl system that has been on the market for a while now.


One difference between attempt 1 and 2 was that I washed the lens in soapy water and sun dried it, after I had prepared it for spraying in 1. For 2 I gave it a final wipe with isopropyl. Despite that....


After getting it prepared in 1 - I could see like a slight feathering marking in the lens, similar to the marks in my own MII lenses. I assumed it was a peculiarity of the lens or marks on the inside of the lenses. The marks became even more obvious after I had sprayed the test lens, plus the misted, cracked lacquer surface.


With my more aggressive 'attempt 2' using 100 grit, those feathering marks had disappeared - so it was obviously original lens coating still in place.

There are cheap polishing kits available, with a drill adapter, for less than £10. (they are just various descending grades of wet and dry paper, a drill adapter and polish, so you could already have the components in a shed). EXAMPLE KIT


I have done my MKII lenses a few times (without any lacquer), the first time sanded down, then polished up, then they have just needed the regular annual re-polishing up since then. Not knowing how thick the polycarbonate might be - I've been a bit wary of being too aggressive when sanding it back, but from my experiment, it seems to be essential it be done quite aggressively.

The kit I used, similar to the one I linked above, has 80 grade wet and dry, and used it on a gouged and cloudy Passat headlight. Once you get up to around 2000 grit, you start to see it becoming clear. I was even tempted to leave it at 3200 grit, as they were nearly perfect at that stage! But the polish made them sparkle. There is a UV polish to add, but it is a similar product to RainX, in that it washes off within a few weeks.


Another thought has occurred to me, because the old lacquer is so difficult to remove - might it actually be the original lacquer coating which deteriorates, rather than the actual surface of polycarbonate of the lens?

Originally Posted by clf (Post 2751954)

It is the old lacquer that breaks down, if you look at some 'failed' lights whilst you are out and about, you will see that feathering, and yellowing around the edges of it. Although in saying that, the polycarbonate will, I have no doubt, break down once exposed to the elements and driving in traffic.



When rubbing it down, try to use a flexible pad behind the sanding media, and not use fingers. As you lean into the paper to rub it down, you could rub fine grooves into the surface of the lens/remaining lacquer. Maybe light rubbing down the fresh lacquer with 3200 wet wet and dry, between coats will allow a decent quality build.