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yellow ish headlights

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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 10:34 AM
  #1  
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yellow ish headlights

My headlights on my 03 coupe area getting yellow really yellow ...

Anyone knows how to remove it?

Suggest a product?

a DIY?

Thanks
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 12:02 PM
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Meguiers PLAST-X is a fairly decent product. There are better ways, but for a beginner, or just starting out I suggest that product. Make sure you tape off where the headlight meets the body with blue-tape since the plast-x is a mild adhesive.


This will all work if your headlights are yellowing from the outside. If it's from the inside, you would have to pull them apart and do it from the inside. There are also wet sanding options are available. But be-careful with that.
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 12:10 PM
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it depends...you can waste time and money removing the yellow form the outside..but if the tarnish is in the inside its a bigger project than expected..ive delt with g HLS for quite sometime and found that the inside of the lenses have a clear protectant that sometimes fades,bubbles,and rubs off in some spots. best way to fix is baking the hls,seperating them,then sanding the inner lense with 2000gritt sandpaper then buff using a plastic cleaner/buffer..i also found that chrome/wheel cleaner removes the clear on the lenses the best..if interetsed send me some pics of your hls..if your g isnt a DD and you can send your hls ill clean them for you cheap..just shoot me a pm,mike.
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 02:08 PM
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Cool, I'll try the meg Plast-x ... gotta find it somewhere.

Worst case I'll send them to IrockAG35
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 02:09 PM
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what the blue tape? a regular tape?
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 04:21 PM
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blue painters tape..it tends not to leave the sticky residue behind when you peel it off
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 06:32 PM
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3com plastic polish. clean cloth. elbow grease. 5 minutes.
 
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Old Jun 16, 2009 | 09:21 PM
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Plast-x only works till the next time it rains.

Borrow an random orbit buffer and get some cutting polish. Read into polishing techniques then polish them up and use a sealant or good wax and they should stay clear for a long time!

Last resort (if the lights are completely demo'd) you can wet sand them. Google that, probably not the best idea, but still an option.
 
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Old Jun 17, 2009 | 01:54 PM
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3M Headlight Restoration Kit - http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...cts/Headlight/
 
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Old Jun 17, 2009 | 11:23 PM
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Originally Posted by 4DGS;4319791[B
]Plast-x only works till the next time it rains.[/B]

Borrow an random orbit buffer and get some cutting polish. Read into polishing techniques then polish them up and use a sealant or good wax and they should stay clear for a long time!

Last resort (if the lights are completely demo'd) you can wet sand them. Google that, probably not the best idea, but still an option.
Why exactly would that be? Plast-X is just an abbrasive polish meant for plastics. Any polish (cut through an abbrasive polish, wetsanding, etc.) on the headlights will leave the top layer exposed, not just Plast-X.

If you can clean them up via Plast-X it will be fine. I recommend going less abbrasive and ramping it up. I would try an oxidation cleaner such as Klasse AIO first, than up to a light cut polish like Meguiars Plast-X, than a medium cut polish by hand, then medium cut via a polisher (orange/PFW), then a heavy cut via hand/polisher (orange/PFW), and then finally wetsanding (3000 unigrit to start). All this is to minimize unnecessary removal of the surface.

Just remember to seal the headlamps. I would not put a wax, an acrylic sealant such as Klasse All In one followed by Klasse Sealant Glaze would be best IMO (remember to redo the combo every 3 months or so) due to the many benefits they have over a wax, both in durability and protection.
 
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Old Jun 17, 2009 | 11:27 PM
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Ohh, kinda phrased that wrong!

What I meant was why bother buying plastX when you could just buy a multi purpose polish and use it on more than just your headlights.

Not like Plastx won't work on paint...but I wouldn't use it. Just make sure after you polish, you seal it!
 
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Old Jun 17, 2009 | 11:30 PM
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^ Ah ok.
 
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Old Jun 18, 2009 | 03:33 PM
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I just the blue tape( its green for me ) and the plastX ... can't wait to try it.

So PlastX first then Klasse AIO?
 
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Old Jun 18, 2009 | 04:52 PM
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Nothing will stop the headlights from yellowing, especially if you park your car outside and live in the north or in really sunny areas of the south. Salt and sunlight really eat the hell out of the plastic headlights. I find a good cleaner wax or plast-X and a buffer once every 2-3 months keeps the "like new" look alive. LaminX protective film is another great way to add life to the headlights.

Word to the wise - if you like to really scrub away at the headlights or buff the headlights for a long enough time to get them hot to the touch, you can potentially break the sealant ont he headlights, then you expose the inside of the headlight to the elements and they start rotting and corroding from the inside. So don't be too rough when cleaning the headlights. You could make a bad situation worse. Klasse AIO does not get the headlights as clean as plast-x does. Both work, but Plast-X works better. You may as well throw some Klasse sealant glaze on the headlights when you are done.
 
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Old Jun 18, 2009 | 06:26 PM
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Thats why i said the hell with polishing my old 2003 headlights all the time.......i just got 2006 projectors and cleaned them up and sealed them.
 
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