Restor headlight

[msingh]

hey guys and gals.. so this car has some bad oxidation and yellowing of the headlights. was wondering what product i could use from adams to clean it up. i have heard toothpaste, bug spray, viniger....etc...but what adams product can help to clean this up... i was told use a compound.. that would help.. other wise i know some sand paper would do  it.. i have the DA polisher from them was hoping i can somehow use that with some compound and the new microfiber pads... any suggestions would be helpful. thanks again.

[BRZN]

Then with the 4" cordless drill backing plate I progress using my drill through PCP on and orange 4" foam pad, to the PFP on a 4" white foam pad and finish off with a layer of LPS.

[pirahnah3]

How bad is the oxidation on them? A photo would really help, that could determine how heavy you really need to go. I do know that in the past when things got to a certain point it was just not worth trying a less than aggressive method. I have done the wet sanding before with good results but they do not last as long as the original lights do. It might be worth looking into a replacement set and keeping those waxed and polished. 

 

A lot of the methods you listed above (Including orange oil de-greasers and WD-40) will work for a short period of time, from hours to days, but none of those are permanent. Some folks may have said Toothpaste in the past as it has a VERY mild abrasive in some brands but nothing to do any real work for the oxidation that you are most likely seeing. 

[DieselDude]

I use Adams Swirl and Haze Remover on mine and it cleans mine up.

[scuba]

A picture would help to determine what's necessary for you. Adams orange paint correcting polish with the 4" pad and cordless drill has worked for me to fix light to moderate oxidation but wet sanding is all you can do for heavier stuff. Whatever you use, be sure to apply some new UV coating to the lights otherwise they will quickly oxidize again.

[msingh]

thanks guys. its def. not light. I think these may be like 20 years old.. lol.. I think sanding is the way to go..but im going to try some correcting polish first... just incase.. thanks,

[mc2hill]

Manny, check out the headlights in this writeup -  2005 Audi A8

I originally tried polishing them with a Orange pad on a drill with PCP, but no luck.  I ended up sanding them with 600 dry, 1000 wet, 1500 wet, and 2000 wet.  I followed by polishing with a old Green Focus pad with Paint Correcting Polish on an electric drill, and followed up with a White Focus pas with Paint Finishing Polish. 

 

I recently had to the same process on the headlights on our 2003 Accord.  

 

If you are sanding change angles when switching grits:

• 600  - side to side
• 1000 - up/down
• 1500 - side/side
• 2000 - up/down

It makes it much easier to see when the previous grit's marks are gone. 

Edited November 16, 2015 by mc2hill

[Ricky Bobby]

When you are done wetsanding/compounding and polishing there are companies that sell a specific UV lens coating to protect and add coating to the lenses so the hazing doesnt come back (it will if they are not re-coated since you removed the clearcoat to get them perfect again)

Edited November 16, 2015 by Ricky Bobby

[BRZN]

A little late to the party, but here's a post I'd made in a thread a while back about the same topic:

20 volt Craftsman cordless drill should be good.

Yellow wool pad, have to ask yourself, why don't we use wool pads on paint anymore to polish? Answer, leaves swirls and holograms. You could very easily have the exact same in the plastic lens using wool.

On hammered headlights I'll start as low as 600 grit and work my way to 2500. 3000 is overkill with headlights. Thing is to progress from the coarsest grit wet paper through to the finest. I'll go 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 then the polishes. Adam's polishes work just fine for me.