Headlight cleaning: Sanding vs. Polishing

[Wisdom Racing]

Foggy and oxidized headlights not only look bad, but can take away from the amount of light given, here are a couple ways to fix this all too common problem:

First We'll start with supplies reccomended.

Method 1 (AKA the Wet Sanding)
-Wet Sandpaper (Reccomended 450 Grain+)
-Polishing/Rubbing Compound
-Towel

Optional:
-Microfiber cloth
-Lower Grain Sandpaper follwed by higher grain sandpaper finish
-Simple Green or similar (amonia based) cleaning product
-Clear Coat (in a spray can)



Method 2:
-Nail Polish Remover
-Towel
-Simple Green or similar (amonia based) cleaning product

Optional:
-Polishing/Rubbing Compound
-Microfiber cloth



Method 1:

Step 1: Clean any loose residue off the leanses.

Step 2: Wet lenses and begin sanding lenses. (Use lower grain sandpaper if you have it) After sanding a bit, wipe off lens and get a fresh piece of sandpaper. Repeat this method until you have reached desired cleaness.

Step 3 (optional): Use higher grained sandpaper and repeat step 2 a few times (4-10 depending on stinginess)

Step 4: Wipe some Polishing/Rubbing on your towel or microfiber cloth. Rub back and forth until Polishing/Rubbing gets used up. Wipe on some more and repeat until lense is smooth and scratchless.

Step 5: You can use your cleaning product to get off any excess shavings/compound/whatever.

Step 6 (optional): You can now apply the clear coat, be careful not to spray your car.

Step 7: Your light should now be done.



Method 2:

Step 1: Clean any loose residue off the leanses.

Step 2: Poor some Nail Polish remover on your towel. Rub onto lense quickly until it get hard to wipe. Repeat until lense is clean.

Step 3 (optional): Wipe some Polishing/Rubbing on your towel or microfiber cloth. Rub back and forth until Polishing/Rubbing gets used up. Wipe on some more and repeat until lense is smooth and scratchless.

Step 4: Your light should be done. You can use your cleaning product to get off any excess shavings/compound/whatever.



This is the finished product. Method 2 was used for the right headlight, Method 1 on the left.

















Conclusion: As you can see there is not much difference. I personally prefer the nail polish remover (Method 2) over the sandpaper method because you get the same results with a lot more ease.

The products and methods used can be interchanged. I actually used a little bit of nail polish remover on the left headlight, too after taking the pics although I didn't notice much difference.

If you have any questions or need some clarification feel free to post and I or another member will hopefully be able to give you an answer.

Enjoy

[Dyoel182]

One note about the nail polish remover method is I've had headlights fog up again days later just as bad or worse. The polishing compound is the only thing I've found that keeps them clear for the long term.

[Keegan]

Good write up. Buy give me some projectors for a 1st gen anyday, and I'll take dirty headlights

[SixSick6]

Keep in mind that clearcoat looks great when you first do it but just like everything else, gets shltty and dies. Great write up for 2G FAQ but posting it in 1G FAQ...props for that.

Clearcoat eventually looks like crap though. The only solution is to buy new lights. You can only polish a turd for so long.

[SXE MX6]

actually, if there taken out, wet sanded, with up to a 2000 grit, and then polished with a power buffer, keep in mind, be careful, as you can F then up real quick with a power buffer, since you can heat the plastic, and melt it......

I've done 100's of them, and they look great for a long time! Just wax them later, just like the rest of the car.
next time I get a chev truck in, or a mustang, i'll do a comparison.

[SixSick6]

For the amount of work that it takes you could hit up the junkyards for 50% off weekend. I'm sorry if you don't live in Ca where you get to pick and choose.