Front headlight hazing-What to do??

[biggijohn]

2004 MO, 99,956miles.
I just had a new driver side headlight assembly installed. How do I get rid of the hazing and grime off of the passenger side headlight so they will match??

[Pilgrim]

Headlight polishing kits are available at auto parts stores. Also, search this forum for more info - there are some helpful threads.

[Warhammer]

Headlight restoration was my side business for a while. You really have to ask yourself if you want to do it right or just do a half-assed job.

Half assed job can last you a few weeks to a month.
Doing mostly the right way will last you a year.
Doing it right will last you about 4-5 years or more.

If you're going to do a half-assed job:
Try the headlight restoration kits sold at the auto parts store. There's kits by Mother's, 3M, etc, etc, etc. They all employ a slightly different system but still it's primarily polishing only. Will look okay for a little while then you'll be back to square one. If you got some serious oxidization, these kits won't even phase it. Will clear up a little bit but will not match your new one.

If you're going to do it the mostly right way:
1) Mask around the lens.
2) Get yourself a spray bottle with water.
3) Start wet sanding the lens with 400 grit sandpaper until all the oxidization is off. The lens should have a consistent scratched look to it. Any areas that look different continue sanding until you see the consistency.
4) Sand in stages to get to 2000 grit. From 400 grit, sand with 600, 800, 1000, 1500, then 2000. Go over each stage thoroughly so you know for sure the scratches are getting smaller. Will take about 3-5 minutes per stage.
4) Get some rubbing compound (3M Rubbing Compound) or equivalent and a good buffing ball for your drill and buff buff buff at a high speed; i.e. 1500 rpm or higher. Work out the 2000 sized scratches until you see a perfect lens.
5) Wipe off whatever residue is on the lens with a microfiber cloth.
6) Get some plastic polish (Meguiar's PlastX Polish) and a different buffing ball and buff buff buff some more until it looks crystal clear. Again...high speed on the drill is required.
7) Rub off whatever polish residue is present.
8) Now thoroughly inspect the lens. The lens should look brand new. If you have some heavy scratches or an area that is still hazy, hit that area again starting with 1000 grit then work yourself up to 2000 grit and polish again using the previous steps. Continue to do this until the lens is 100% clear.
9) Remove all masking material and wash the front end of your car. Will have a lot of white residue lines going down the front.

Now...at this point, you have a decision to make. You can leave the lens as is but the polishing you just did will last about a year. In order to get your lens to stay crystal clear for years you must take the following steps immediately after completing the previous steps. The headlight clear plastic cover is a high density polycarbonate. It is porous by nature so you have to seal it in order for it to stay pristine.

The above steps plus these following steps are the right way:
1) Blow off the headlight and surrounding area with compressed air to ensure there is no water present.
2) Pull your vehicle into a shaded area. Garage is preferrable.
3) Mask off the front half of your vehicle with plastic. Ensure the the hood, bumper, grille, and windshield are covered. I use a combination of saran wrap, a plastic painters sheet, and the blue painters tape.
4) Wipe off the lens with rubbing alcohol and a lint free cloth of some kind. Wipe again with another towel to ensure all rubbing alcohol is evaporated.
5) Blow off the lens again to remove any fibers that was left behind. Be very thorough.
6) Get some headlight sealant (Presta Products Headlight Sealant) or something equivalent and follow the application instructions.
7) Let the sealant flatten on the lens for 10 minutes.
8) Remove all masking materials from the front end of your MO. Ensure you don't touch the lens at all as you will smear the still wet headlight sealant.
9) Pull your vehicle into direct sunlight and wait for 10 minutes. The sealant will harden in the sunlight.

So...you're done at this point! Your headlight will look like new. Might even look better than the new one. And will last years instead of weeks, months, or the one year.

Good luck! I stand by the above process. It's proven in the headlight restoration industry.

[Pilgrim]

That is a FANTASTIC post!!!!!

I bow in your general direction.

[Qat]

That step-by-step is awesome, and I'd probably do it just because I have such a strong urge to DIY.

Another alternative is to buy a new headlight assembly for the passenger side. Check to see if your new Driver's side assembly is OEM or aftermarket, because you'll probably want to buy exactly the same. Depo is a very common brand online.

[biggijohn]

Wow! Thanks for the detailed response. The "Right Way" is going to be a whole lot less expensive than buying a new headlight assembly...trustUme!

[biggijohn]

I guess I should put the sealant on the new headlight pronto!!! to keep it new looking.

[Warhammer]

Thanks guys for the complements. This process came about from a bit of personal exploration and reading online. I put myself together a foolproof process that has worked time and time again. I'm glad you all approve.

Understand that all headlights from all manufacturers come with a clear coat on them. The hardness of the coating depends on the manufacturer. Putting the sealant directly on a new headlight may or may not work. Haven't tried it. The detailed online instructions for the sealant states that you need to get the OEM clear coating off of the headlight before you apply the sealant. Otherwise, it could pill up and run off.

If it were me, and you wanted the sheen of both headlights to match, I would suggest using the previously posted process on the new headlight as well. But...get ready for some heavy scrubbing at the 400 grit sandpaper level. Sometimes those OEM coatings can be extremely HARD!

[Qat]

I just ran across this in the Classifieds thread ...

Murano Headlights Halogens pair

[HVT]

I know the 3M kit (not sure it 3M makes more than 1 kit) does exactly what's mentioned above minus the sealant. The kit comes with some sort of lubricating liquid and 4 or 5 stages of fine grit sandpaper. Now I never knew about the sealing part but it's been looking great for over a year now.

[nipsirc]

Warhammer, you're the man !
Thanks for the step-by-step instructions.

[njjoe]

Warhammer-

Excellent write-up!

-njjoe