OT: DIY Polish Those Glazed Car/Truck Headlights

[Old No7]

Hmmm, I did a search on "polish" and didn't find much automotive related... So I'm hoping this post may help some others...

* Are you suffering from dull or glazed headlights???

* Can't see on the dark & rainy nights like you used to do???

It may not be your eyes -- it could be your headlights are glazed...

Mine were... And it happened so gradually, that I didn't really notice it until the service advisor at the Toyota dealership said "Oh, those don't look too good. We'll have to polish those before you come in for your next inspection sticker, as those won't pass..." Once he said that, I realized that I had been using my high beams more often than normal -- but Ouch! -- I sort of winced at the $80.00 price quote to clean them up.

Here's what they looked like before I started...

Glazed H-Lights - Before (Small).jpg

I mentioned that price to a guy who works for me, and he told me to search online for "how to" and to also get a bottle of Meguier's "PlastX" polish to finish them up with. This link was pretty helpful for an overview of the process. I used wet-sand paper -- and kept it wet the whole time it was used -- in a solution of warm water with some car wash detergent in it. I started with 600 grit and polished all horizontal strokes for 10 minutes, then all vertical strokes for 10 minutes -- always keeping the plastic and paper wet. Then I switched to 1,200 grit for another 10 minutes each way. And when I was done, they were better, but not perfect... yet!
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automot ... 52611.html

So that's when I switched to the Meguier's PlastX, but I wasn't really happy about another 1/2 hour or so of hand polishing. So... Being careful not to get the plastic headlights too warm, I used a low-speed orbital polisher (that I use on my boat's gelcoat) and after 5 minutes on each -- WOW! They came out great! Take a look...

Glazed H-Lights - After (Small).jpg

Yeah, OK, so this is NOT gun-related, but hey, if it keeps us safe on the way to work or the gun shop, and saves you $50 to $75 for reloading stuff (I had the wet/dry paper, and the Meguier's was $5 at Wally-World), then maybe this will help somebody out.

And if you're like me and you like the satisfaction you get from doing it yourself, the before & after difference and the way they SHINE at night will make you feel pretty darn good about the hour's time invested.

Tight groups, I mean -- shine on!

Old No7

[kimwcook]

Thanks, Old No7. I'll give that a try. My wife's cars bulb covers are looking pretty dingy.

[Cliff]

I don't know how well it would work on a large surface, but toothpaste does a very good job as well. It was a trick I learned from inmates in a prison where I worked. They would clean up watch faces, sun glasses etc. Just took time which they had plenty of. Also found to polish or get a fine finish on cut plexiglass was to use a "rosebud" tip on a torch, moving evenly over the surface. all the scratches and scrapes will blend into a smooth surface if done right and it doesn't take long. Machinist taught me that one. ATB

[JReed]

Cool deal thanks.

[TedH]

Sanding and polishing does clear them up, but they won't stay that way for long without a sealer. I would at least keep a good coat of wax on them. Our detail dept. does headlight restorations for $30 bucks and they seem to be holding up well, but I'm not sure what the sealer is that they use. I had them sand and polish the lenses on my old Dodge pickup one time. They looked good at first, but got hazy again in just a few months without a sealer on them.

[Blaine]

Regular cleaning with Pledge

[AJMD429]

Yeah, OK, so this is NOT gun-related, but hey, if it keeps us safe on the way to work or the gun shop, and saves you $50 to $75 for reloading stuff (I had the wet/dry paper, and the Meguier's was $5 at Wally-World), then maybe this will help somebody out.

Of course it's "gun related" - isn't everything...?

[KirkD]

Timely message. If you think you headlights looked glazed, those are nothing compared to the ones on my 97 Suburban; they are opaque. I'll have to get the polish out and de-glaze them.

[fordwannabe]

I used a 3m kit I got at Autozone to do the headlights in my Moms Jeep and it worked great. It is designed to be used with a drill motor so no hand rubbing and it includes a sealer. I think it was $10 and well worth it. Took about 20 minutes. Tom

[ab4ka]

I was just noticing how bad the ones on my truck look...I'll have to try one of these tricks. What's odd is that it's just the headlights. The lenses over the parking lights are crystal clear.

[Rusty]

I've been needing to do mine for some time as well. That's a good tip on the sealer. I've been seeing mine were dimer and dimer all the time. I also have a high beam burned out. Maybe that would be a good thing to do on Thanksgiving day since we're not working. Buff the lenses and change the bulb.

Oh man I can keep it another 10 years then.