[Steve C.]

I just saw a TV ad for a Mothers Polish headlight restoration kit. And this reminded me of the topic. Does this or a similar product work as advertised ? One headlight assy on my 2010 Honda is glazed over and dull. I've been told that these products can polish the lens but it will return to dull. And it has been suggested to paint a clear coat over the polished lense to keep it that way.

Opinions ?


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[Chief of the 60's]

Don't waste your time and money if they are bad. Just treat them like a paint job. Sand and buff.

[Sirrotica]

Steve, the factory part has a clear coat when the lens is made originally. You can polish the lens or wet sand it and then polish it. If you want your work to be preserved you have to clear coat it, same as the factory did. Really badly weathered lens will sometimes be crazed in the plastic itself, these can still be polished, but the crazing will still remain and not have the clarity of a new lens. They will never be as clear as one that doesn't have crazing.

I use an orbital polisher to polish mine, it won't burn the surface like a rotary polisher will. The cloth wheel so many of the restoration kits have to be used in an electric drill will definitely burn the lens if your not careful. After burning one I went to the orbital polisher. Just some rubbing compound and patience you can get back to nearly new condition.

The kits I tried early on were less than optimal so I just stick with rubbing compound and the orbital polisher.

[Chief of the 60's]

You do not need to clear them. I never have. Fact is, that is what makes them cloudy after time.

[Steve C.]

Ok, if I polish them clear will they stay that way for a reasonable amount of time without clear coat. Also interesting one side is dull and the other is not all that bad.

Thanks for the input.

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[400 4spd.]

Experience has proven to me that an automotive grade urethane clear coat can last for years on a headlight. It will last much longer than sanding and polishing alone.

[Chief of the 60's]

I posted my "experience" with clear photos and no clear coat. Both headlamps were equally very bad. They stayed pretty much as seen for 3-1/2 years when the car was traded in.

[Steve C.]

I'd be fine with 3 years.

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[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

Experience has proven to me that an automotive grade urethane clear coat can last for years on a headlight. It will last much longer than sanding and polishing alone.

My 05 GTO lenses were cleared as they came from GM, I can see another argument brewing about personal preferences

BTW, I tried not clearing the lenses on my wife's car and in a year they were hazing over again in a year and a half. It really has much more to do with how much exposure they have to the sun. My wife's car sits outside 24/7 365 days a year.

[694.1]

Nice work Chief, picture tell thousand word.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

i wet sand and buff with 3" foam pad
- just like buffing a paint job , and the same products.

The downside to clearcoating afterwards - it will eventually give out / go bad.
Going to take a while though - if urethane/catalyzed car clear is used.
Much much fun sanding the remnants back off when time comes again though.

If you don't clearcoat them - you can always just wet sand and buff again.
Keep them polished with GOOD polish every month or two - should last many years before they need it again.

Have no before & after pics - but everyone is always happy.
Most have waited until they have to use high beams just to find their own driveway at night.

[ZeGermanHam]

The kits that you can buy from Meguiar's and 3M at Autozone, Advance, etc. that provide sanding discs to use with a power drill work just as well as anything previously mentioned here in this thread. You are just wet sanding and polishing them. Yes, your headlights will become hazy again over time. Others here have brought up whether or not to clearcoat. Plastic headlights come from the factory with a UV protective coating. This UV protective coating is what fails over time and leads to hazy/cloudy headlights. By wet sanding and polishing, you are removing the top layer, including all of the UV protective coating that remained. Your headlights will look like new after polishing them, but they will begin to cloud up again within a year or two (if you're lucky, varies by climate/sun exposure) because now at this point they are completely bare and unprotected from the sun's UV rays. Some headlight restoration kits out there include a clearcoat that you apply after polishing that reinstates a UV protective barrier so they will not become hazy/cloudy for many years. I personally would recommend using a clearcoat with UV protection. I know that the kit from Griot's Garage includes it.

So it's up to you. Polish your headlights once every year? Or do it once every 7-10 years? I have a used numerous products in this area with my BMW, so I am speaking from direct experience.

[Bill Meyer]

Both my daughters lived in Az for a few years and their headlights were terrible. I tried polishing, then found out you could buy new ones for around $100/pair. I replaced them on their G5 & G6 with little work and they look great. Might want to check that option-- Biill

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

The plastic that the headlights are made of has UV in the chemistry.
Lest these things would be disentigrated and crumbling.

Only a couple of the sets i have done (maybe 20 sets) had any remnants of a clear protective coating. I suspected it was aftermarket aerosol clear previously applied.

Most have been 10-20 years old
I don't work on much "new" stuff at all anymore.

When a car comes in for something and has hazed or yellowed headlights - i usually get them to agree on having them done while i have the car.

You guys have nothing to lose in having a go at yours - no matter how bad.
1 Piece of 500 grit wetpaper and a little elbow grease with some compound on a rag will tell you something Real Quick - just as a test.

If that plays out - get a piece of 600 and 1000 to finish them out when you do your Real Deal.
You can basically even hand rub them back to lustre from that point - if need be.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Even aftermarket headlights for my 2004-2008 Acura TL are almost $300 each.

I usually charge 40-50 bucks to do a set . fwiw

[Larry Navarro]

Don't know hat model you have Steve, I did a random search on headlight replacements on a 2010 Honda Accord (popular model) and prices are from $60 on up. Could be an option for you.
FWIW.....I've used a couple of headlight resto products and they work ok but the lens will yellow or dull again over time.

[Chief of the 60's]

Chiwanese replacement headlamps are an option but the optics are never as good as OEM and therefore do not illuminate anywhere near as good as the original headlamps. Ask any bodyshop. That is why I spend the time and restore the originals.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Chiwanese dont always fit real well either.
Hit & Miss on that.
Usually some have a CAPA certified version & non-certified version (even cheaper)
Better chances with the CAPA certified version.

[Chief of the 60's]

Just like any repop part, fit is never correct but on headlamps for modern cars it is not too bad. I have a bigger issue with the optics. I have seen on some of the replacement headlamps that they didn't shine much better than the faded originals. I guess I value my night time vision and refuse to use any Chiwanese headlamp.

[mgarblik]

I have had similar experience to many who have posted. Although I have probably sanded and polished probably 30-40 sets over the past 10 years. I like to use a soft pad and wet sand the lenses first, then use some 3M or similar liquid rubbing compounds and finally 3M finesse it to finish them. All I can say is they look much better after I am done than before I start. I have never clear coated them, but that is an interesting idea. That being said, I tell my customers they are guaranteed to remain as they left the shop for 90 days. I have found them all to begin to haze lightly again between 90 days and 6 months. After 1 year or so, they look pretty bad again sitting outside all the time. Clear coat is an option I may try on the next set. Some of these modules can be really expensive. Had a Lexus LS 460 LWB in the shop about a year ago and the lenses were terrible..... but $1100.00 each to replace. Yikes. They were perfectly happy to have me sand and polish them for $75.00. As mentioned, some of the Chinese aftermarket modules really suck. Put a set in a 2000 Grand Cherokee that came with all the bulbs and the harness for $120.00 for the pair. Sounded like a great deal till I tried to install them. The only way to put them in was to use them as a unit. The sockets were all different than the factory harness and would not interchange. Problem was the connector is tucked in such that you have to remove the entire front bumper cover to unplug. A module without bulbs that was an actual match would have been a much better deal. Took two hours to install the pair. So Chinese replacements may be more hassle than you bargained for. Thanks for the tip on the clear coat.