PDA

View Full Version : Cleaning Headlights



Speed_69
03-03-2005, 03:46 PM
What product is good to use to make you headlights look like new again?
btw, they're plastic.

i've heard of wetsanding but i don't really want to do that. I just want something that you can spray then wipe.

BumpinTalon
03-03-2005, 04:00 PM
do it the right way or it won't last.... wetsand.

sullygully
03-03-2005, 05:24 PM
what grit do you use? i believe you have to keep doing it every so often as they tend to go foggy. no big deal though

BokCh0y
03-03-2005, 05:31 PM
i used 600, 1200 and 1500 then use Meguires PlastiX to clean and polish. I was worried at first but the end results...definately worth it :thumbsup:

BumpinTalon
03-03-2005, 05:51 PM
Originally posted by sullygully
what grit do you use? i believe you have to keep doing it every so often as they tend to go foggy. no big deal though

if they keep getting foggy you need to take the headlight apart and re-do the bead of sealing that runs all along the lense. it's different for every car but the basic idea is that you take your headlights out, remove the bulbs and all the metal clips holding the lense on, put it on the oven at a moderately hot temp. like 200-225 for a few minutes and then you should be able to just pry the lense off. clean it out, paint the housing black or something cool like that, and then using silicone sealer from crappy tire to seal it all back up again.

hockeybronx
03-04-2005, 12:02 AM
I used the Meguire's PlastX just the other day on mine, but it didn't do that much.

However I read in another post that you really have to use a lot of elbow grease, so I guess I'll give 'er another go when I get a chance.

Speed_69
03-04-2005, 01:00 AM
then can someone exactly explain to me the process of wetsanding?

hockeybronx
03-04-2005, 08:04 PM
Originally posted by Speed_69
then can someone exactly explain to me the process of wetsanding?

I searched for a few links that could explain the directions as I have never done it myself:

http://www.autobodystore.com/cgi-bin/bbs2/webbbs_config.pl?noframes%3Bread=887

http://woodstore.woodmall.com/weba.html <- If you want to pay money

http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58633

I'll let you put it all together!

frozenrice
03-04-2005, 08:34 PM
This should work for pretty much any vehicle with plastic lenses. I did this last summer and they look fantastic. It mainly depends on what condition you headlights are to begin with. The method described here is if they are really bad and yellow. Just skip certain levels of sanding depending on your situation.

wet sanding headlights (http://www.g2ic.com/tegtips/lighting/12.html)

94teg
03-15-2005, 11:44 AM
if your headlights are just dirty and the outsides are hazed, just get some toothpaste and rub it into the headlights, let it set a minute, then get a cloth and wipe off the tootepaste and whooola all clean :thumbsup:

Speed_69
03-15-2005, 02:53 PM
for this meguirs plastix thing, do i need to also buy that special cloth? i used it and it only helped abit

EnRich
03-15-2005, 03:38 PM
Originally posted by 94teg
if your headlights are just dirty and the outsides are hazed, just get some toothpaste and rub it into the headlights, let it set a minute, then get a cloth and wipe off the tootepaste and whooola all clean :thumbsup:


WTF? Toothpaste... Does it give that nice blueish/purple color when the lights hit the lense?

94teg
03-15-2005, 04:01 PM
Originally posted by EnRich



WTF? Toothpaste... Does it give that nice blueish/purple color when the lights hit the lense?


no just use some whitening toothpaste, i did it to my integra a few months ago when they had hazed abit on the outside due to the weather, cleans the outside real good.

hockeybronx
03-15-2005, 07:09 PM
Originally posted by Speed_69
for this meguirs plastix thing, do i need to also buy that special cloth? i used it and it only helped abit

Yeah I used it once and it didn't really do too much. I think the key might be to use some serious elbow grease with it. I just used a clean cotton cloth, next time I'll crank it up a notch and see if I can do a little better.

Accordster
03-16-2005, 06:29 PM
the best and easiest thing u can do if u r getting ur car repainted...

get the painter to scrub ur headlights and ur tail lights like the way they do to the old paint

and then spray some clear coat....probably 2-3 coats will do

and u'll lights will shine as new !...


lol..