Polishing headlights

[Elijah Gunn]

I have a 97 escort ,and was thinking about polishing the headlights. They make a kit for doing it that sells for about 22 dollars. Was wondering if anyone here has done this, and did it make a big difference in how well the headlights lit up the road?

[hillbill]

iv done it several times. i got a bottle of meguiars PLASTX, i put it on a sponge thing that goes on my drill and polish them out.with a few minutes of work they will be good as new.yu can do it by hand but will take awhile. it definitely does work but id prob find a way to do it with out spending that much.however the kit may have enuf stuff to do dozens of headlights.

[CharlieT]

I have used " softscrub" kitchen cleaner with good results. You have to clean them every few weeks but it does work a lot better than regular glass cleaner.

[SteveHawaii]

You can use any heavy duty polish & cleaner.  Using a drill with a sponge type attachment will make things go quicker, but you can do it by hand too with material you probably have lying around your garage right now.  A buffer and cleaner wax will work just fine.  The kit comes with various grits of fine sandpaper (to start with) and end up with a cleaner and sealer.  It works, but you can definitely do it with less, just more elbow grease.

[Elijah Gunn]

Thanks all.

[J-Train]

I used a $22 kit from Advance Auto on my '95 Camry.  I don't remember the brand, but it was in a foil pack.  No drill or electric polisher needed, and it came with a sealer that they claim makes it permanent.  It took about 20 minutes, start to finish, including reading the instructions.  Results are outstanding.  You could clean them up with a 2000 grit sandpaper (some came in the kit), but without the sealer they'll fog up again.  I'll get another kit soon for my '01 Accord.

[steg]

I picked up a kit from HF a while back on sale under ten dollars, and it worked great, these old eyes need all the help they can get at night, and it made a big difference, the lenses were actually yellow. A friend told me afterward that you can do the same thing with Bon Ami cleanser...............steg

[halfbreed]

are you guys talking about the glass bulbs, or the plastic shrouds covering the glass bulbs?
 I have a 2000 dodge ram, that is getting rather dull shrouds.
 thanks john

[hillbill]

we are talking about the plastic shrouds that cover the bulbs.they are rather expensive to replace,yu can polish off the oxidation and make yur headlights brighter.

[JoeG52]

Here is a cheap kit...

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-minute-headlamp-lens-restorer-kit-65938.html?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2510B

[TribReady]

Really?? Just get some  $1.99 black spray paint........spray on, wait to dry, and you've got Polish Headlights.

...not so tough, and can be easily adapted for Norwegian   

        

[lakota]

Dont mean to hijack but would these kits work on those Plano tackle boxes with the clear/translucent lids? My old Plano is so hazy I cant see the contents through the lid anymore.

[SteveHawaii]

I don't see why not.  I'd try cleaning it up first with just some plain old car wax - a cleaner type, meaning it has some light abrasive in it.  That way you don't end up spending money on something that may not be worth it.

[gypsyman]

I think I'll give it a try. The polish and scratch remover I bought to add to my tumbling media ought to work. gypsyman

[Victor3]

 I recently did my 2000 Accord with Blue Magic headlight lens restorer (just a small bottle of abrasive goop, not a kit). Mine were really bad; so yellow and frosty you couldn't see inside the lenses at all. I used some fine paper first. I think it was 1200 grit, and I used water with it. That cut a lot of the heavy fog off. Then the Blue Magic stuff on an old T-shirt. I did one lens, then turned the headlights on my garage door.

 What a difference. Not quite 'like new', but a major improvement. The polished lens was much whiter and focused to a spot. The untouched one was diffused and sickly yellow. Probably one of the cheapest & easiest things to do to an older car to improve both appearance and safety.

[JustaShooter]

So, was the abrasive goop anything like Flitz?  Just curious, since I need to do my headlights and I've got 1200 grit paper and Flitz...

Just a Shooter

[Oldshooter]

I saw a tip on TV the other Day  Water and a very fine emory cloth, then polish with a compound and wax.  they used an electric buffer with the compound and polish. The lens came out clear as a new one. I'm going to try it soon.

[guzzijohn]

Have most makers gone to a cheaper plastic? Why do they fog up on most cars now? I had a 91 Accord for 15 years that sat outside most of it's life and the plastic headlight covers stayed as clear as the day I bought the car. I now have a 01 Accord and I have had to polish the lens out to clear them up. My observations indicates that Chrysler products are the worse.
GuzziJohn

[Victor3]

 I don't know...

 I had a 2000 Explorer and the lenses still looked pretty good when I sold it a year ago. My 1995 Voyager's looked okay (not great, but okay) when I sold it in 2000.

 My friend's 2002 PT Cruiser has the worst lenses I've ever seen. (I've taken note of other cars since I did my Honda). Looks like his car has cataracts.
 
 Might not be too a bad job for an unemployed guy to go door-to-door and offer to fix up a car's headlights for $20. 

[guzzijohn]

Quote from Victor3:

Might not be too a bad job for an unemployed guy to go door-to-door and offer to fix up a car's headlights for $20.

Now that is a hell of an idea. Around here most dealers charge $100 and most body shops at least $50. With a little bit of experience and equipment you could do them pretty quick at the owner home or place of work. I see some lenses that are so bad I do not see how they have any useable light at night. You could also put a business card behind the wiper of any car you see with fogged lenses.
GuzziJohn

[Lon371]

  I use 1200 grit wet dry sand paper then fine rubbing compound, and a plastix polish. I did mine by hand, but the boss agreed about drill and foam buffer. I am lazy but this makes it easier for driving to work at 4am and seeing the deer.

Lonny

[jamesrus]

Go-Jo hand cleaner and a sponge polisher on a drill.....works wonders...thats the way we used to do it at the body shop i worked at as a kid. We were doing that 20 years ago, lol, and now people make a fortune selling kits to do this....sigh...i quit tring to make my first million, and started on my second.....

Jamesrus

[steelworker]

The kit from 3M worked wonders on my truck.  Very easy to do.

[boommer]

Prism polish it' like FLITZ but a whole lot better this stuff polishes metal, lexon, plexiglass, eyeglasses paint on your car pulls out light scratches this stuff is great for all polishing. NO abrasives.

www.prismpolishmd.com    This is the number who I get it from 847-464-1546

[torpedoman]

I used the kit harbor freight sells and it worked great.  Use the 2 step method STEP1; READ the directions.
                                                                                                                             STEP 2: FOLLOW them

[deerjackie]

brasso and a buffer works well.that came from a car detailer.

[no guns here]

I bought a kit from O'Reilly's.  I've worn out all the abrasives that were in the kit.  Got maybe a third of the stuff off of my Jetta.  Where can one by this "emory cloth" stuff?
 
 
NGH

[Lon371]

I bought a kit from O'Reilly's.  I've worn out all the abrasives that were in the kit.  Got maybe a third of the stuff off of my Jetta.  Where can one by this "emory cloth" stuff?
 
 
NGH

 Check with Napa or a auto paint store.  Mine is a Jetta also. First time I did it, I had to use 1200 grit wet dry sand paper. Keep the headlight wet, it makes the sandpaper last. If they are not really bad, just use fine rubbing polishing compound from turtle wax. Be sure to use a plastic polish of some kind after you get them clean. Other wise you will be doing it again.
 
Lonny

[Victor3]

Be sure to use a plastic polish of some kind after you get them clean. Other wise you will be doing it again.

 It's been nearly a year since I first did the Accord (see my post above). I've been touching up the lenses when I wash it, which is only about every two months or so. Same bottle of Blue Magic lens restorer will still be 1/2 full when the car's in the junkyard. 
 
 Only takes me about five minutes to re-do both lenses; first time required emery cloth and a lot of elbow grease but once the heavy crud is off it's easy. Lens maintenance has become a standard part of washing the car now and they're still lookin' good. 

[woodchuckssuck]

http://www.myheadlight.com/

These kits are available at walmart and most auto stores. I used one on my 2002 Neon (no longer owned) and the results were great! Takes a bit of time, but the kit is guaranteed to work or your money back. The best part of this kit, is that it has a coating that is wiped on and cures, PROTECTING the lens, not just polishing it.