Will Turtle Wax Polishing Compound work on the oxidation on my headlights?

Also, I am going to use it on my drivers side mirror. There seems to be some stuff on it that will not come off with cleaner.

 

Steenport567,

I used Meguiar's PlastX on my `98 Mustang. It did a good job. I haven't had a problem with the Crossfire. Polishing compound may create more problems for you.

Other members have used PlastX and seem satisfied. Do a search and you should get more info.

John

 

no... that crap has more sand & grit in it than sandpaper itself. use a plastic polish only.

 

I lightly waxed mine, and with a quick buff, the haze, possibly the oxidation you are referring to, went totally away. I was quite surprised, and will do this with all future waxing. Hope this helps...

 

always start off with the least abrasive method. since the hazing people are experiencing on their relatively new crossfires is light, you should start with a polish. if that doesn't work you can try a more abrasive compound. if you had really bad oxidation, scratches, and pitting (wouldn't be the case on a nearly new car) you could even go through a process of wet-sanding which is time consuming.

personally, i use plain old inexpensive nu-finish car polish on my headlamps if there is any oxidation. otherwise, they just get a periodic coat of wax with the rest of the car.

using regular car finish products might seem controversial to some since there are quite a few specialized lens polishing products out there. however, i've not seen any information suggesting that other polishes or compounds won't work or will harm the lenses. some people even use metal polish on headlamps with good results.

many car headlamps are made of polycarbonate plastic. i've seen some lens polishes that are made for cars that are supposed to be used on acrylic, lexan and other materials, but are not supposed to be used on polycarbonate. anyone know what the crossfire lenses are made of? i don't.

there may also be coatings on top of the lens material which further confuse things. that's another reason i feel comfortable just using car polish and wax - many clearcoat finishes are made of acrylic (plastic) so the type of materials aren't all that different. from a car care manufacturer's perspective, the more single-purpose products they make, the more you will feel compelled to buy.

 

Patpur gave me some 3M plastic polish for the lens on my headlights, it works great. There's a thread on this already (somewhere in detailing section).

 

Holy Crap. Don't use that. It will be like taking sand paper to your headlights and create scratches. Don't touch that stuff.

I only have this problem on one of the lights in a small place. I use regular polish or wax and it clears it right up but only for a few car washes.

 

Someone mentioned Metal Polish. I've heard this too, but that it's a preventative method and not a solution. Haven't tried it though.

 

I want to get something straight, Polycarbonate is a generic name, Lexan is GE's trademark for polycarbonate. So if it is safe for Lexan, it is safe for Polycarbonate. GE developed this product in 1956. Plus no manufacturer would use acrylic, it will crack and craze in no time. Most all manufacturers use a UV stabilized Polycarbonate.

quote "many car headlamps are made of polycarbonate plastic. i've seen some lens polishes that are made for cars that are supposed to be used on acrylic, lexan and other materials, but are not supposed to be used on polycarbonate. anyone know what the crossfire lenses are made of? i don't."

 

thanks for the info.

 

Can I still use the Turtle Wax stuff to get the crap off of my car? Should I follow up by re-waxing the area that I did?