My headlamps both have an internal coating that needs to be removed. What is the best cleaning procedure?
Thanks

 

Remove the headlights from the car. Pour in some methanol and swish it around; Pour it out. Do this several times. Each time the interior should be a little cleaner. Let it air dry in the sun and then reinstall headlight on the car. Methanol is available in quart/liter size on ebay, also Duda Energy Decatur AL

 

Thanks zip439, sounds like a fairly easy method. However, what is the best way to remove the headlight units? I saw a video that removes them after removing the front bumper or is this the best method?

 

It is not necessary to remove the bumper cover, I have had mine out several times for various reasons, It is much easier to remove the front wheels and the black plasic fender well splash guard ( the forward one with the door to reach the fog lights). Then you can see what you are doing from the bottom. Once the light housing is loose you just wiggle it out the front. It may take a little doing; just watch you do not break the mounting tabs.
Here is alink to the original methanol cleaning: clean headlights

 

Got it, sounds like a fairly easy way for removal. I appreciate your help and will report back when completed.
Thanks,
Jack

 

It helps to remove / loosen the bumper mounting bolt at the top of the front grill.

 

Hi guys,

A detail shop buffed out my cars headlight lenses. I thought they did a crappy job so I used baking soda and toothpaste on them. No change. The lenses are nice and smooth but still clouded and marked up in certain areas. It looks like it's on the inside though to me.

 

Get a 3M or Meguiers kit from the parts store and see if you can do better.

 

I thought about that but like I said, it all looks like it's on the inside. I didn't want to waist the time and money. If you look at the picture of the drivers side light look at the bottom in front of the low beam lamp. I circled an area where there are particles of something laying there. It looks like plastic particles. Now, look at the other area to the left. It looks like the plastic has deteriorated and some of it has come off. There's another larger area but you can't see it in this picture. It almost looks like the plastic has crystalized somehow.

 

By the way, if you think it might work to use one of those kits which one would you suggest I buy? Are they both the same thing or is one maybe a little better over the other?

 

I bought a kit for headlight cleaning and did that today. Here are the results.

 

Mikey 208, It looks like you have made an improvement in the clarity of your lenses. The 2 spots you circled were more than likely created by dwelling a rotary abrasive pad too long in one spot causing localized heat to be generated. As a result the plastic has melted in these areas. The only way to remove this condition is to once again apply the sequence of abrasive buffing to this area. It will take some work but you should be able to bring it back to look like the remainder of the lens. You could start out by using a more coarse grit abrasive in these 2 spots. This will initially remove more material, then you will need to gradually apply increasingly finer grit abrasives to bring back the clarity.

 

I think you're right. The detail shop probably did that. It's not as bad as it could have been. That, I am thankful for. I believe I will leave well enough alone for right now. If I need to approach this issue again I might go further in to those areas. Thanks!