Headlight cover cleaning kits.....

Hey,

I have a 2008 Corolla that needs the headlight covers resurfaced.

In the past, I have use kits from Carquest and Oreillys. Neither of those kits was excellent or lousy.....Sorta Meh?

Can someone recommend a kit that they like, and has worn well? Do any of these kits include a pad/buffer that works on an angle grinder?

TIA,

Rog

I wet sand them with 1000 then 2000 grit paper then hit them with my buffer with fine cutting compound then a polishing compound. Then tape them off and rattle can clearcoat. So far it is a one and done fix. I am five years on a friends car and it still looks fine.

I use the 3m kit. Dont use the final step, use clear instead. Good luck with it.

3M Kit (uses a drill) then either cover them with Lamin-x or spray with one of those headlight clear coats.

The Lamin-x I have on my wifes X-Terra has held up great for the last 4 years.

I just polish them up using Meguiar's Rubbing Compound.

Deep Woods "Off". Either spray it on, leave it on for 30 seconds. If it's really bad, spray it into a rag and drape it onto the lens and leave it for a few minutes. Once you wipe it clean, you may still want to sand because the ozone build up really pits the lens. Coat it with VU clear.

The D.W.O. really cleans the lens of the contaminants so that the sanding doesn't reintroduce that crud back in, plus, when you're working and the keets' come out, simply apply your duel- purpose product and keep on truckin'.

I have been happy with the Mothers Powerball headlight kit, but the real key is investing another $50 is Lamin-X so you don't need to do it all over 3 months later.

I've had good luck, and spent much, much less time doing this.

A friend of mine used a combination of vinegar and baking soda on his '02 Tacoma.

Fantastic results.

Google the concentrations and ratios of what to what, but it worked great.

I've used toothpaste and a sturdy nylon brush. It works well--- and is free--- but it's not a permanent fix.

I used this HF polisher that I bought on sale for <$20.

First step is to use undiluted Purple Power on a rag and clean the lens (keep it off the paint obviously.) This gets rid of the yellowing.

Next step is to polish with regular old rubbing compound. Maintain contact with the lens so that you don't fling droplets everywhere. It usually looks great for 4-6 months, rinse and repeat.

I've used aftermarket replacement lenses, but I find the quality is very poor and some cars are a PITA to swap housings. If you have a common car and can find OE / OEM housings for cheap, this is the best way -- and put Lamin-X on them before you install them.

I think newer cars have less issues with fade. My CX-5 just rolled 100k miles and the headlights still look new.

I used this Meguiar's kit a few weeks ago on the wife's 2010 Mazda 3:

In the kit, there are 1000 grit and 3000 grit sandpaper discs, a velcro-equipped "handle" for the pads, small bottles of Plast-X and Headlight Protectant, a microfiber cloth, and a buffing drill bit (not pictured). Basically, you wet sand the lenses with both discs, polish them with the drill bit and Plast-X, and then apply the protectant, which I'm pretty sure is just carnauba wax. The kit is $25, but you could likely replicate it for less.

Results:

BEFORE

AFTER

Her headlights are still clear with no signs of yellowing.

To RealMiniParker.....

The only Utube video I could find required removing the bumper cover. Did you figure out a way to avoid this step?

TIA,

Rog

In reply to boulder_dweeb:

Ugh, that changes things. This video shows a way to do it without complete removal, though.

Thanks!

Good to know that other folks use the same garage adjectives that I use!

Thanks again.

Hey to RealMiniParker:

Did you have any trouble re-aiming the new lenses?

Thx Rog

Hey,

Just some user feedback:

I took RealMiniParkers advice and bought a set of headlamp assemblies from Ebay/epartsgogo. Assembly was easy, not dramatic.

I don't drive much at night anymore, so I learned that I needed to adjust the headlamps several nights ago.

The adjusters on these headlamps are crap. The nut to engage Phillips bits strips easily. The plastic guides for the screwdriver broke on one side.

This is a headsup. I am not unhappy with anyone but the second rate manufacturer of these assemblies.

Rog

It has been my experience that when starting with either a new, or newly cleaned and polished headlamp lens, keeping them well waxed along with the rest of the car will absolutely prevent the oxidizing and yellowing.

I think you'll also find that cheap aftermarket lights will not only be lesser quality regarding workmanship but also in light dispersement. And my money is on them yellowing & fading pretty quickly. 

I will let  you know about the yellow/fade issue in a year. I did keep the OEM assemblies.

jfryjfry said:

I think you'll also find that cheap aftermarket lights will not only be lesser quality regarding workmanship but also in light dispersement. And my money is on them yellowing & fading pretty quickly. 

 

Depends on the manufacturer...  I bought a set of replacements for our '92 Bronco off Rockauto four years ago.  They were something like $30@.   Light output is better (though the stockers were pretty bad), and they're still crystal clear after 4 years in the AZ sun.  If I could find something similar for the wife's NC Miata I'd snap them up, but I'm probably going to do the sand/polish route followed with clear coat or LaminX.