Yesterday, it didn't rain for a few hours, so I sanded the headlights and polished them.
They were looking yellowed and hazy, like old sellotape and smothered in miniscule chips like they had been sandblasted.
Now they are clear and not yellowed.
If anyone has headlights that need doing, there are lots of videos on youtube showing how to do it.
I masked off the surrounding paintwork to protect it.
Sanded with 1200 wet & dry soaked in soapy water for about 10 mins.
Then used an orbital polisher and T-cut paste until it was shiny again (10-15 mins on and off)
Cleaned and inspected at intervals of a few minutes.
Lightly polished by hand at the end.
The difference is astounding, a bit like..
lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/autogeek/dia-headlight-2.j...g
It was apparent that some sort of lacquer layer was coming off, and it was that which was yellow. Apparently a UV coating which may need replacing.
Edited by Hamsafar on 01/08/2009 at 21:39
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Brilliant advice! Exactly the symptoms on one of my Odyssey's headlamps. I had put it down to the adhesive on beam bending headlamp converters since I first noticed it when taking one of those off. I had just started trawling fleabay for a replacement only yesterday! Thanks.
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Well-executed process as well, by the sound of it.
If it was me, I'm sure I'd end up with a frosted glass effect.
You would need to know what you are doing to polish a headlamp.
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Some examples are given on youtube - eg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sZg9cj2hxI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t1RBw0IGXA
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 02/08/2009 at 14:53
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Haha, thanks for the first youtube link DD, that's exactly my model of car and headlamp!
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I wonder how long before the carefully polished headlamp lens becomes opaque again, though.
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I wonder how long before .....
If you polish them when you polish the car, then they shouldn't dull down again. That is if you polish the car at least once yearly.
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Thanks for this thread Hamsafar.
The inner lens on one of my headlights (Mondeo Mk1) has yellowed badly and the MoT is due at the end of the month. I called into a Ford main dealer today with the intention of buying a replacement. £33 + Vat for a bit of plastic a few inches square!
Needless to say I shall be using your method tomorrow.
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Works well on tail light lenses too tinyurl.com/r9nb6y
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