I used the Meguiars Plastic X but I buffed them with a Porter Cable, they look better than they did new. All haze and etch marks are gone.

Pat

 

I am thinking of buying the 3M Plastic cleaner and the polish cleaner as well. I want to know if this is going to clean my headlights. I have a very distinguished haze that goes right across the upper part of the lens. It looks like a thick line and have tried everything and doesnt come off. I am hoping that this product works. Please let me know if it does do the job cause i dont want to keep spending money on stuff that doesnt work. Or if anyone knows another product that might work better let me know PLEASE..thanks

 

The 3M stuff is excellent, that's what I first used. My son had the Meguiars stuff and Senna has my bottle of 3M so I borrowed my son's.
I think what causes the etching is the chemicals in our water. Probably no way to prevent it. I can't suggest enough that you invest in a Porter Cable polisher.....your headlights will look better than new with that and one of the plastic polishes.
Pat

 

I had the same problem on mine and bought 3M Plastic Cleaner... it was the best $10 I spent in a really long time.

 

What did you apply it with?

 

I just applied the 3M with a soft paper towel. Simple, thihs is the 4th day with no haze and I'm still amazed!!

 

I called the dealer today and they told me they sell a kit with a solution to remove the hazing (including an applicator - I think it has a grit to it) as well as a protectant of some sort (including an applicator). It's expensive, naturally, since the dealer is supplying it, @ $45 a kit. Should I just buy the 3M Plastic Cleaner instead? The only thing for me is that although I have a buffer, I will most likely be applying the cleaner by hand, whatever it is that I end up using.

 

Rock,
I used the buffer with the Meguire's PlasticX. The buffer works great. Doing it by hand is reallllly slow.
Brian.

 

Crystal View makes a product, guarnteed for the life of the vechicle. Contains two extra fine grits of sanding materials and a sealing solution. The process is simple, takes about a half hour per lense. 20 bucks at Wally World. See my gallery pics for the process results.

Just My Dos Centavos !

 

I keep telling you guys Porter Cable, cutting pad, any of the above mentioned cleaners, Meguiars, 3M and it takes 5 minutes tops and you don't have to use sandpaper on your lenses, and you have something to buff your car with. (I know I'm the king of the "run on sentence")
It used to take me an hour to hand buff my car, the PC takes it down to 20 minutes if that.
Pat

 

Alright, got an 04 and I swear this thing was in a sand storm before i got it, mad swirls everywhere. Anyway I have been putting off all the TSB type work because of horror stories.

I figured I try this out and it really helps but I'm pretty sure I just need to bite the bullet and get it looked at. This put it up to an acceptable level but still not perfect. Also I have a spider problem in every car I have ever had. I think they like me or something, I always have webs inside and out. Unfortunately they decided to live in the Fing lights this time....nice

Pass Side, washed car yesterday....damn polin


Pass Side, after the goods

It worked really well on this light, most of it was in the bottom corner. The lines on the right side seem to be inside and didn't change any.

Driver side

You can see its really built up and foggy all along the top and right side

After goods, still really fuzzy on the top but the right side is wayyy better


4 image limit, will post rest in a sec...

 

Tools

I might go back and use something more aggressive than a microfiber, there are just so many scratches and such on it already I didn't want to make it worse.

Another before shot


And after again

Still fuzzy but again better and comparatively much more "livable"

Super close up of the grime,(after product)

It seems like it is inside, I scrubbed hard and didn't put a dent in it, also to the touch it doesn't feel like its on the outside. Also doesn't change color when I rub it with my finger like the rest of the stuff did.


[edit] Almost forgot the most important thing! Thanks for the tip man, I'd still be in ultra fuzzy mode without it [/edit]

 

That almost looks like that cover has been sandblasted. Mine gets marks in it that looks like etching. I just buffed them this past weekend so I'll have to wait to post a pic. It seems to show up after about 6 months or so. Your issue looks different from mine. That Meguiars product is the same thing I used. If you were local I'd be glad to try and buff them out for you.
Pat

 

I'll have to take a look at my buffer and see what kind it is. I imagine it would require a lot of effort to remove the haze by hand. Thanks for the tip.

 

Well just tried the 3M plastic cleaner on a headlight at work (Florida) that was opaque and in just 60 seconds with just a moderate rubbing with a paper towel, the headlight is atleast 60% clear. Fantastic stuff...

 

Is the McGuires PlasticX or ScratchX better to use?

 

I have a question about Hazy Headlights for the experts...

I had bad haze on the headlights, especially bad at the top. I used the restoration kit and now they look like new...can not see any haze now...perfectly clear.

That is...they look like brand new during the day. But at night, with the headlights on...I see a haze or pitting in a circular type pattern where the light is focused. Its like a bull's eye...a 1 inch clear circle with a speckly, pitting like pattern in a 3" or so circle pattern.

I am assuming this is on the inside of the lens. Do others have this same problem? Any idea how to get rid of this?

 

Agree, I see the same thing. I think the etching and hazing go a lot deeper than the surface which is basically what we are buffing/sanding. The only fix I know is replacement and I've even seen some of the replaced ones etch. My suggestion is keep them buffed. I do mine every month when I wax my car. I do notice a bit of haze and etch when the headlights are on.
Pat

 

I had mine replaced a while ago, and there was, from the git-go, a "halo" where the light entered/exited the polycarbonate. Lexan is not as clear as air and will diffract some amount of light. Hence the halo. If there are "sparkles" inside the halo, those would be pitting. Even if you can't feel them, an imperfection as small as 1 Angstrom is visible. The only way to be rid of them is to remove the surrounding polycarbonate down to the level of the bottom of the imperfection.

Just like swirl marks in paint.

 

Thanks Max, I learn something every day....

Another commonly used unit of length is the Angstrom (1 Angstrom = 10-10 m = 0.1 nanometer). Atoms are roughly Angstroms in size (a hydrogen atom is about 1 A in diameter, a carbon atom is about 2 A in diameter). You might read about Angstroms, and you should just immediately think of them as a tenth of a nanometer.