My headlights were white, clear, and shiny on my coupe when I bought it about a year ago. It's getting ugly now with yellow crust stuff covering the lens. I tried a friend's turtle wax headlight cleaner but it did nothing. I'm guessing I have to sand it or something. What do you guys do to keep these sun loving headlights clean, is it really necessary to sand it or is there a good scrub I can buy?

 

You can try toothpaste for a quick fix. It will last about a day though, you need to sand them down with one of those 3M kits. THEN you need to clearcoat them to keep it good, I restored them about two years ago perfectly, but didn't have any clear coat. They're turning yellow again..

 

All OEM headlights have some type of UV protection on them when new. Over time, this will break down and eventually fail which is when your headlights start to oxidize and fade.

To restore the clarity, you need to remove the oxidation. If the headlights are bad, they will need to be sanded and then polished. If it is only light oxidation, machine compounding and polishing will likely do the trick.

You will then need to apply a new layer of UV protection to help preserve the finish, but just know that it will only be temporary. When the UV protection fails they will begin to oxidize again. This can happen in a matter of weeks or years depending on the products you use and the environment you live in.

Restore Your Heavily Oxidized Headlights by Kevin George
Headlight Restoration Process by Todd Cooperider


Let me know if you've got any other questions!

-Zach

 

The 3M kits are just about the easiest and cheapest way to fix this issue. I use this one on any headlights (taillights for that matter) that I work on.


Despite what the directions say, do all the sanding wet. You won't be able to cut as fast wet, but the life of your sanding discs will be extended dramatically.

I don't like the idea of having to remove clearcoat if I ever have to restore the lights again, so I leave them bare and just polish as needed. Most cars will last several months before slight haze starts to creep back in. Using the buffing pad from the kit and some compound/polish brings them right back to perfect in minutes. Even if you let it get a little worse than the polish alone will restore, the 3000 grit Trizact disc in the kit will usually get it unless you've really neglected them since you last restored them.

Other than the compound, which isn't resealable, I keep all the components of the kit after I'm done since you can usually do several vehicles with them. You'll just have to buy some compound and/or polish to replace the little packet that comes in the kit.

 

^^^ WHS I used the 3-M kit AND I did the hand sanding with 600, 1000, 1500 and 2500 grit wet/dry paper first. I worked well. There is still some "crazing" deep in the plastic, but you hardly notice unless you get right up close.

 

Thanks guys I appreciate all the info and replies. Looks like I will need to do some research on those 3M kits. Hopefully AutoZone has something like it. I wouldn't mind cleaning them every now and then if I can skip the clear coat.

 

I had to use 2 of the 3m kits to clean mine. If you have an 03/04, the side-bar will be yellow too, and good luck sanding that down, even if you crack open the lights. I just painted mine black. If it's REALLY yellow, I suggest going to Home Depot/Lowes and buying lower grade wet-sanding paper to really scrub it, then use the 3m kit. The 3m pads dont last for very long (pro-tip, they work great to re-polish the exhaust tips) with a restore kit, you really only need to touch them up once every year as they will slightly oxidize again.

 

The "preservative" goes on just like wax, you apply it twice a year.

 

FYI I just use my Porter Cable and some Mazerna P105 with an orange pad and it literally takes 5 minutes total for both lights to look brand new again. Then I use a couple of coats of Mazerna SIP to seal them and they stay clear for about 6 months.

 

It depends on how bad the oxidation is, but I've had good luck with just some compound (Meguiar's M105) and a buffer too.

Also, as others have said, on really bad lights the 3M kits may not be enough. If that's the case, just buy some lower(numerically) grit paper and start there. Just remember, every step you go down in grit is more work you have to do to get those scratches out. When working through the different grits, don't go on to the next grit until all the scratches from the previous one are gone.

On cheaper cars with really badly damaged lenses, sometimes is just easier to buy all new headlights. It's hard to justify several hours of your life when you can buy some OEM type aftermarket headlights for $100 or so. On these cars, though, it's worth the time investment given the price of the headlights.

 

Check out my recent post, I used Mothers NuLens Headlight Renewal Kit. Came out real nice.

 

i went through two of those kits to get 1 headlight clear lol
the sandpaper wears through way too fast

 

I recommend sylvania restoration kit. It comes with UV clear coat so your headlights won't turn yellow easily.

 

3-M headlight restoration kit, follow the instructions your headlights will be like new! 3-M doesn't make anything that doesn't work well, amazing products!
Gary