I know this topic has come up many times in the past but I didn't think bringing up a year old forum post was the answer here.

I had some very bad staining/discoloration on my passenger side headlight so I used the 3M restoration kit on the lense. Looks 100x better, but I'm having a hard time figuring out if i accidently rubbed too much plastic off one side of the lense and not the other.

I have 2 questions:

1. Anyone know how thick our plastic headlights are? How thin can we make them without running into problems? I'm worried that a rock could crack the headlight if too thin. I don't think I shaved off that much, but if the lense is less than 1 mm to begin with I may be a little worried.

2. When I was sanding off the "clearcoat", I got to thinking... wouldn't the car be more prone to discoloration because it doesnt have this protective layer anymore? Any way to restore this besides using car wax or possibly getting one of those xpel headlight covers?

Thanks!

 

I'm not sure how thick the plastic is but I would think you would have to take a lot off to get it thin enough to be a problem (not that it could'nt be done )
2- As long as you use a good polish and wax the headlamps should not have a stain problem , their actually easy to maintain , I actually buff mine to keep them clear and shiney ,

Howard

 

Once you use this you will have to maintain lights. I usually buff them after washing. A quick run over with the porter cable and bam all shiney and new looking again.

 

Ok, when you guys say "buff them" you mean wax and polish after every wash, yes? I don't have a problem with that, I do it anyway for the UV protection.

My left headlight also has a small quarter size bad spot on it... is it advisable to still do the entire headlight or only as much as it takes to get rid of the bad spot (focusing entirely on, say, the top right quadrant of the headlight)?

Thanks.

 

If you are going to do a headlight with the 3M kit, you need to do the whole thing or it won't come out right. Ever since I've done both of mine with the kit, I maintain them wtih Plast-X once a month - it's very simple and keeps them crystal clear.

 

Yeah I missed a spot and just noticed it last night... I also still have small scratches leftover. I'll make another pass over both the lights and make sure I didn't miss anything. Thanks OKC!

 

Mine has some spider scratches...I dont know if the lense got too hot when buffing but they will not come out...but they still come out good when I polish them.

 

I'll bite... what is a spider scratch? I did a search on google and didn't find anything. You have any pics?

 

My headlights were horrible when I first got mine. I couldn't even see the bulbs in the daylight due to the fog/discoloration. Came ontot the forum to see what everone used and they suggested the 3m headlight restoration kit. I used and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY! After spending a solid 2-3 hours with he buffer, I spent another hour or so polishing the $%!# out of them with Meguiers Plast-X Polish and now they look brand new. I highly suggest both of these products and then going ahead and polishing the headlights about once a month. You'll be good to go!

 

Kinda like spider web scratches.

 

Which kit is it? There seem to be two of them.. Shop 3M: 3MeStore Search

 

I got this one:

3M Headlight Lens Restoration System:Amazon:Automotive

 

all the 3m kits are pretty much the same. the only difference in the part numbers is the extra stuff you get with your sanding disks. the one i picked up had a roll of the tape already in it. as long as you get a 3M kit you will be fine.

 

I heard they make stuff you can reapply to reestablish that protective barrier you buff off. I say leave them be until they start to discolor. those spider scratches are disturbing. what grit wetsanding paper caused that?!

 

I used 2000 grit wet sandpaper, then Optimum HyperCompound on a cutting pad w/ Porter Cable x 2 passes, then Optimum Compound on green compound pad w/P.C. x 1 pass, then Optimum Polish on white polishing pad x 1 pass. Sealed with liquid Meguiars NXT wax. Like new.

 

I'll answer question #2 for you. In a word, no. Your headlamp housing is polycarbonate. Car makers use it because it's A.) lighter than glass B.) has very good impact resistance. It's the stuff bulletproof "glass" is made from. But, polycarbonate has one weakness in it's bag of physical properties. The polymer discolors over time from exposure to UV radiation. Plastics makers have been working to counter this since the 1960's. And they've come a long way. The UV resistance is not a coating. It's engineered into the molecule chains of the polycarbonate. Don't worry, you can't rub it off.

And unless you're using a belt sander, I wouldn't worry about thinning out the polycarb. The stuff is tough as hell. You'd have to take a lot of material off to significantly reduce it's strength.

 

Thanks a bunch for the info!

 

This is one of the things my brother does for a living. He did my Crossfire's headlights about 2 years ago and when he is done polishing he puts a clear 2 part epoxy finish on them. It has been clear since then. The only damage is new rock hits and scratches from other objects that come into contact with them.

 

I just applied Meguiar's PlastX clear plastic cleaner & polish on the 07's headlights, foglights, & taillights today. Product keeps the lens cover clear & fog-free. I do this every 6-mths on all my cars with clear plastic lens covers. No issues on my XFire yet.

 

I use a kit I get from Pep Boys that has given me results nearly the same as the 3M kits. It's called: CCP 5 Minute Headlamp Lens Restorer. Cost is about half that of the 3M kit. Enough discs to do your headlights 3x.

I have a 1993 Suzuki Swift GT that the headlight lens covers got really yellow & faded. This kit has done an excellent job of getting them back to near OEM clarity.

Product can also be found on eBay at several stores.