What to do when PlastX doesnt work?

[Antipd32v]

My headlights look like JUNK! I bought that plastx and fallowed the directions, I noticed it helped a little but now (month later) they look worse than before ... any suggestions?

[FRY TWO]

Toothpaste!

[azt108]

The same thing happened to me. I've applied the plastx and a week later its yellow again. What it does is sands a layer off, but then the plastic gets oxidized again. I think the only way to prevent it is to use plastx, wax it and polish it BY HAND (my buffer created swirls marks like crazy), then get a clear layover to protect it from oxidation again.

[mesias]

Wax or polish after the PlasticX

[Greekboy115]

The guys over at detailed image have a good guide on restoring headlights. I have yet to try it but on my fathers Bimmer they are a mess as well tried toothpaste, polish, plasticX you name it nothing got the job done. We had planned on giving this a shot in the next coming days.

http://www.detailedimage.com/Pro-Det...t-Restoration/

[pfarmer]

Originally Posted by azt108

The same thing happened to me. I've applied the plastx and a week later its yellow again. What it does is sands a layer off, but then the plastic gets oxidized again. I think the only way to prevent it is to use plastx, wax it and polish it BY HAND (my buffer created swirls marks like crazy), then get a clear layover to protect it from oxidation again.

Have you tried one of the tire shine types of sprays? Apply to a small section and see how it works out. I have used Armour All on a couple of items and it worked well.

I saw a tv show a couple of weeks ago and it was about restoring old blinker lenses on classics. They used a metal restore polish made by Mother's and the results were incredible.

[pfarmer]

Originally Posted by Antipd32v

My headlights look like JUNK! I bought that plastx and fallowed the directions, I noticed it helped a little but now (month later) they look worse than before ... any suggestions?

2000 grit sand paper (wet sand), then polish.

[FRY TWO]

I honestly don't think wet sanding is needed...

My headlights were pretty bad.. and PlastX worked like a charm.. just put some ''umph" into it..

[azt108]

Polish, then wax. Polish is used to clean and shine, while wax is used to protect. Wax is the last thing you do, it's just a layer of protection.

Also, Plastx, IMO, is a much better alternative for those who don't want to use sandpaper on their headlights. Plastx has ultra-fine grit in the product that brushes off the layer of oxidation on your headlights, plus since its a liquid product it has the same effect as wet sanding. Just be careful not to overbuff if using a buffer, you'll burn your plasic headlight. I recommend youtubing a quick tutorial on how to buff to prevent this.

In my case, I buffed incorrectly by staying in one spot too long and now I have swirl marks. It's fixable, but just a warning to those who want to get it right the first time! I'll post some before and after pics of my headlight once I get the headlight protectors/ film. That should prevent it from turning yellow and scratching up again. So my next attempt will be plastx with a buffer, polish, wax, then put the clear film over the headlight for further protection.

Originally Posted by mesias

Wax or polish after the PlasticX

[Deezflip]

try the 3M headlight restoration?

[Envious Eric]

compound, polish wax them...

or wetsand, compound polish wax if they are really bad

instead of waxing them (by the way, you need to use a wax without any yellow in it, kinda like a wax for a clear bra), you can re-clear them

[Darkstar752]

Ok, so you can get them clear, get them looking amazing, but they are gonna go back to what they were before, basically because the clear coat on your headlights is gone, and now there is nothing stopping the UV rays from damaging and oxidizing your headlights. Compound them, polish them, and then get them re-sprayed with a clear coat.

[azt108]

I agree. How do you think the clear overlays/film/ protective headlight cover compare to the clear coat? Wouldn't that make the light blurry since the clear coat is a paint?

Here is a link to the headlight protection product I was talking about. http://www.headlightarmor.com/03-04-...ction-kit.aspx

Originally Posted by Darkstar752

Ok, so you can get them clear, get them looking amazing, but they are gonna go back to what they were before, basically because the clear coat on your headlights is gone, and now there is nothing stopping the UV rays from damaging and oxidizing your headlights. Compound them, polish them, and then get them re-sprayed with a clear coat.

[Darkstar752]

Originally Posted by azt108

I agree. How do you think the clear overlays/film/ protective headlight cover compare to the clear coat? Wouldn't that make the light blurry since the clear coat is a paint?

Here is a link to the headlight protection product I was talking about. http://www.headlightarmor.com/03-04-...ction-kit.aspx

Interesting, I'm not sure how effective it will be though. A clear coat wouldn't blur the headlight at all, all OEM headlights come with it. I believe the price of getting them resprayed would be around $80, give or take 20 depending on the shop.

I would do some research on the headlight armor before you make your decision.

[azt108]

Is a clear coat something someone can do in the garage, or does it require some type of special applicator and process that would be better off done by a shop?

Originally Posted by Darkstar752

Interesting, I'm not sure how effective it will be though. A clear coat wouldn't blur the headlight at all, all OEM headlights come with it. I believe the price of getting them resprayed would be around $80, give or take 20 depending on the shop.

I would do some research on the headlight armor before you make your decision.