# How to remove the haze from your headlight.



## brokenknee

I saw this on another forum that I am a member and was so impressed with the before and after photos I just had to try it. Here is the link to the thread where I got this information. http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51586&highlight=headlight+restoration

Anyone that has an older car or truck knows how hazy/oxidized the plastic housing on the headlight can become. It can get so bad as to effect the light output making it dangerous to drive at night. 

To clean that haze off all you need is about a half hour of your time, a buffer and some aluminum paste. I purchased Mothers brand, the person that made the other thread used Mequire's. His headlights seemed to turn out better than mine; but that could be because he used buffer, while I used a buffing disc in my drill. It also could be because when I was doing it today the temp was only 9 ͦso the paste may have been freezing while I was trying to buff it out. 


I wished my pictures would have turned out better, they really do not do justice to how hazy they were and how well they turned out. Click on the link to the other guys thread, his pictures turned out much better than mine. 

Here is what I used.










This is what it looked like before.










This is what it looked like after.


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## jerryh3

Good tip. I do the same thing but use Meguiar's Plastx Polish.


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## CoconutPete

If you have none of the supplies on hand they are usually available in a "kit" as well which will include a small buffing wheel.


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## Millie.T.Cook

*Great concept!*

I never thought of that. I am going to do that right now. This is exactly what I needed for the drive home after work. 


Thanks for sharing

MC

_No advertising thank you_
_Moderator_


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## Garage Detailer

If they are heavily oxidized, you can use 1000 then 2000 grit sandpaper before buffing. Mine turned out well with this method and they were really bad before.


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## Willie T

I did the same thing on my truck lights, my motorcycle, and my wife's car. I used 3-M polishing compound. I did it by hand and it took about ten minutes per lens. Try it on your taillights. They also get duller than you might suspect.

It even makes the vehicles look years newer. Works well on the 'chrome' plastic trim too.


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## FLORIDADIYDAD

*Honda cars are darn near impossible*

Aside from taking apart the front end of the engine compartment I have yet to find a way to polish my headlamp covers.

I drive a 2002 Accord and at night it's like my car has a squint on the left side. Getting dimmer by the day. Some local kids have come up with a mobile service that does nothing but buff these but they want $75 a pair and I'm too stingy to pay that much.:laughing:


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## comp

FLORIDADIYDAD said:


> Aside from taking apart the front end of the engine compartment I have yet to find a way to polish my headlamp covers.
> 
> I drive a 2002 Accord and at night it's like my car has a squint on the left side. Getting dimmer by the day. Some local kids have come up with a mobile service that does nothing but buff these but they want $75 a pair and I'm too stingy to pay that much.:laughing:


 been thinking about doing a service like that ,,how do they advertise ???


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## PaliBob

FLORIDADIYDAD said:


> Aside from taking apart the front end of the engine compartment I have yet to find a way to polish my headlamp covers........


In post #1, brokenknee included before & after pics. I would try his technique before I made a judgement call.
.


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## PaliBob

HF, sells a kit
I have NOT tried this

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-minute-headlamp-lens-restorer-kit-65938.html
.


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## ehoez

http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Headlight-Restoration-Polisher-Plastic/dp/B001P97RHY


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## Thurman

I have not seen a mobile set-up around here, but it is a good idea, but there are two car washes that advertise this procedure. They only charge $39.99 for the set. How do these people come up with these $39.99 prices? Why not just charge $40.00 bucks and be done with it? I've done some of these for family and I use a combination of polishing compounds from 1600--2400 grit. I get these at an auto paint supply store and do use an orbital buffer. I only charge dinner. David


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## nap

Thurman said:


> I have not seen a mobile set-up around here, but it is a good idea, but there are two car washes that advertise this procedure. They only charge $39.99 for the set. How do these people come up with these $39.99 prices? Why not just charge $40.00 bucks and be done with it? I've done some of these for family and I use a combination of polishing compounds from 1600--2400 grit. I get these at an auto paint supply store and do use an orbital buffer. I only charge dinner. David


the same reason the .99 was originally used; it is a psychological function. You aren't paying $40 for something, you are paying $30 some odd dollars. Even though is is only a penny, your mental recognition is that you are not breaching that next level. 

I bought a kit (I think it was a 3M kit) that had a variety of sanding paper and then the polish and applicator. All used in a low speed drill. Worked great. Without the sandpaper, it would never have worked.


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## Red Squirrel

Good tip, I'll have to try this. just had a headlight replaced due to some guy running into me, and it looks so much nicer then the other one.


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## SnoBird

Thirty years ago, we took scratches and haze off of snowmobile windshields using toothpaste and a soft cloth. Give it a try.:yes:


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## lanemiller

That is so awesome. My drivers side headlight recently started leaking and i had to replace the hole housing on it, including the plastic cover. Now my headlights look weird driving down the road. I was literally about to order another one off line but now Im going to try this instead. Awesome.


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## concretemasonry

Sometimes the headlight assembly develops a leak and there is a problem with the inside film.

I had a problem with a leak and bought a complete assembly (high beam, low beam, driving lights and turn signal with bulbs) for under $50. It took less than 5 minutes to unplug and remove the old and the install and re-connect the harness. EVERYTHING including bulbs was new and not just polished. - 1999 Jimmy.

Dick


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## scotzilla

once a plastic housing starts to check it will do it again even faster- THese polish jobs will look good for about a year maybe two depending on where you live and what the uv index is like. THe really good fix is to polish it out and re-clear the lense. Urethane clears have UV inhibitors that couse the fogging. :thumbsup:


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## scotzilla

the trick way to clean up headlights is buff them out then re clear them. Once a lense starts checking its down hill from there. They will only hold that buff for a few years if you are lucky. Clear coat has uv inhibitors that keep them protected


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## PaulTurner

ConcreteMasonry is right. The best solution is to replace the the whole headlight assembly with a new one. 

A good source is ****not allowed****. I got the entire assembly for my Corolla, with high and low beam halogens plus turn signal bulbs preinstalled, for about $35 per side. I would have paid about $12 (per side) locally just for the new bulbs, so the net cost for the whole new lens and housing assembly was only about $22 per side. 

The interior of the lens and the mirror surfaces also deteriorate with time. Polishing the outside of the lenses won't help. This simple upgrade made the headlights tremendously brighter, and also took years off the look of the car.


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## shadytrake

We use toothpaste to polish diamond rings so I'm assuming that it would work on the lens covers too. I 2nd that suggestion to try. Plus they would have that minty fresh smell. LOL.


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## mason1

This is great, I know what my project is going to be this weekend! I will try to upload some before and after pictures.


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## aasimar

*Before and after pictures*

Hi everyone,

I'm not a regular user of this forum, but I came across this particular thread a few days ago and it motivated me to clear up my car's headlights. I thought the best way I could pay the OP and everyone else back was to post some before/after pictures or, better put, left headlight/right headlight pictures, since I only had enough time to do the right headlight and will be doing the left one tomorrow.

I personally used 3M's 39008 restoration kit, which is incredibly affordable as long as you have a 1,200-1,600 rpm drill, a couple of microfiber cloths, and some masking tape (do make sure to use the masking tape--otherwise you'll ruin the paintwork on the areas around the headlights), but from the OP's post and pictures, his solution should work just as well. 3M also has a plastic cleaner bottle and a polish and protector bottle that I got for maintenance purposes, but I haven't had the time to try them out and check how they work in the long term, so I can't recommend them just yet.

I'd also like to take the time to once again thank the OP and everyone else!


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